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Library/Information Center Collections (LIBT 105)
Welcome Page

PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

Hello Students:

Welcome to Cuesta College's Library/Information Technology Program. Our program is designed to prepare individuals for employment as a paraprofessional in a public, school, academic, special library or information center.

This is the Welcome Page for the distance education course Library/Information Technology 105 (Library/Information Center Collections), Spring 2012. LIBT 105 provides an overview of how to select, purchase, and organize print, electronic, and other materials to stock library/information center collections.

Pre-requisite

To enroll in this course, you must have already completed the prerequisite courses Library/Information Technology 101 (Introduction to Library Services) and Online 101 (DIST 101) or must be enrolled in them simultaneously this semester.

Civility in the Online Environment

Offering our courses online is a challenging experience for all of us. While online courses can be a convenient, stimulating learning experience, distance education is not for everyone. Please note that just as with a traditional in-person classroom, all online students are bound by the Cuesta College Student Code of Conduct in terms of exhibiting civil behavior in the online classroom and in all course e-mail to the instructor, to fellow students, and to guest speakers. One additional norm is that a student, in an online class, should not expect to monopolize the time of the instructor or of their fellow classmates any more than they would in an actual classroom. Students should feel free to contact the instructor or fellow students to seek answers to legitimate, class-related questions. However, care should be given to insure that the recipients of the question do not have reason to feel "pecked to death" by e-mail. Students not compliant with this conduct code will be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action which may include expulsion from the course.

Disabled Students

Any student with a verifiable disability will need to let the instructor know as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodation can be made. Authorized accommodations and alternative media will be provided as appropriate.

The following is important information that may answer some of your questions about how the class will operate. Please read it carefully now as you are registering and again before the class begins. We hope you will enjoy the opportunity to participate in a challenging, new learning environment.


Sincerely,

Denise Fourie
Instructor, Library/Information Technology
Cuesta College
P. O. Box 8106
Highway One
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106
dfourie@cuesta.edu
Library/Information Technology Dept. Phone: (805) 546-3190

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When does the class begin and end?
Do I need to do anything before we meet?
When will the complete class web site and syllabus be available on the web?

What is the schedule for readings and homework?
What about e-mail communication with the Instructor?
What about communicating with the Instructor and the library office during the holiday break (Dec. 17-Jan. 16)?
How do I withdraw from class?
What tools do I need?
What software do I need?
Is there a required textbook to buy?
Can you give me any tips on Distance Education?
How do I subscribe to the Course Listserv?

When does the course begin and end?
The class officially begins on Tues., Jan. 17, 2012. However, online classes assume that you will already have all of the tools that you need successfully in place before that official start date (e.g., sending a confirming email to your instructor as soon as you register, successful login to course web site, etc.) Students who are not prepared for distance education when the course begins quickly fall behind and have to be dropped from the course. Please note: The last day of the class is Mon., May 14, 2012.
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Do I need to do anything before the official semester start date of Jan. 17?
Yes, you will need to:

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When will the complete class web site and syllabus be available on the web?
About one week before the class start date we will send you the log-on and password needed to access the site. We will be using the Blackboard course software ONLY for some tests later on in this course and for posting scores and grades. So you will NOT be logging on to the class content through the Blackboard platform.
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What is the schedule for readings and homework?
The course syllabus will give the schedule for all assignments. Please note that all due dates are FIRM, with most assignments due by 11:59 p.m.(PST) of the specified day.
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What about e-mail communication with the Instructor?
Generally, while class is in session the instructor will try to respond to your e-mail within 48 hours (assuming there are no technical malfunctions).
Instructor’s e-mail address: dfourie@cuesta.edu
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What about communicating with the Instructor and the library office during the holiday break (Dec. 17, 2011-Jan. 16, 2012)?
If you have questions about this course or the overall program during the holiday break, please read the following:

The library office, (805) 546-3190, is officially closed from Dec. 17, 2011 through Jan. 3, 2012. The instructor will be off duty from Dec. 17, 2011-Jan. 16, 2012. From Dec. 17-Jan. 9, she will be travelling and away from all e-mail. From Jan. 10-16, she will be checking e-mail once or twice per week.

Other contacts include:

K. DeCou, Library Office
kdecou@cuesta.edu (Out of the office: Dec. 15, 2011-Jan. 4, 2012)

Mr. Mark Stengel, Library Director
mark_stengel@cuesta.edu (Out of the office: Dec. 17, 2011-Jan. 4, 2012)

Please note that due to ongoing state budget cutbacks, the library office staff and all college staff have had their work hours reduced. We will do our best to respond to your questions. Please allow a longer response time than usual.
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How do I withdraw from class?
It is the responsibility of the student to complete a drop slip before the drop date in order to withdraw from the class. Please see the official campus policy on withdrawing from a class.
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What tools do I need?
You will need a modern computer with reliable Internet access and a current e-mail account that is accessible to you at least three times a week. It is up to each student to make their own arrangements to have these tools available before beginning the class. The Cuesta SLO campus library and High Tech lab have over 60 Internet computers that are available on a walk-in basis for students; Cuesta North County campus library has over 20.

You should be very comfortable using e-mail, the web, creating attachments, and uploading digital photos. These will be the main methods of delivering information and communicating during the class. These tools replace the in-person lectures and class meetings of a traditional course. E-mail will be required for submitting many assignments and for participating in a class discussion group.
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What software do I need?

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Is there a required textbook to buy?
Yes. There are two required textbooks:

You may purchase both the textbooks through our campus bookstore in early January: http://bookstore.cuesta.org/ or through online booksellers.
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Can you give me any tips on distance education?
For an overview of distance education and the skills needed for student success in this new environment, see this link at Cuesta’s site: http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/
Especially helpful is the section called "Distance Education is for Whom?"
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How do I subscribe to the Course Listserv?
We have a class listserv for the course Library/Information Center Collections (LIBT 105). Please save this message as it gives directions on how to unsubscribe from this listserv. All students are required to subscribe to the listserv for this class. This listserv is an important part of our distance learning experience. It allows you to communicate with class members and the instructor. We will be using the listserv for some required assignments during the course. The listserv is a shared email/group communication tool.

If there are any questions you may have or information you would like to share with the rest of the class you can post this in an e-mail message to the class listserv. Unless specifically required in an assignment, do not use attachments when communicating with the listserv.

Make sure to practice proper etiquette when sending a message to the class listserv. All members of the class including the instructor, other Cuesta staff librarians, and the library director will be signed up to this listserv. Therefore, keep your messages succinct, professional, academic, tasteful, and courteous.

How to Subscribe
Compose (send) an e-mail message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.CUESTA. EDU
Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message type: "SUBSCRIBE LIBT105" without the quotes.

Within about 24 hours you should receive a welcome message confirming your subscription to the listserv. If you do not receive this welcome message try subscribing again. After a couple of tries, let the instructor know if you experience difficulties subscribing to this listserv.
(Once subscribed, do not send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.CUESTA.EDU. This address is only used for listserv subscription commands).

Sending Messages
To send a message to the listserv, address your e-mail to: LIBT105@LISTSERV.CUESTA.EDU

If you are initiating a post (message) make sure to put something that identifies what your message is about in the subject line (e.g., Reading #1, Assignment #2, etc.).

Your message will be sent to all members of the listserv. Members will then be able to respond to your messages back to the entire listserv (by hitting REPLY) or to you personally (by composing a new post with your e-mail address ONLY). The listserv will be "operational" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week assuming no equipment failure.

If you have any specific questions about the class listserv, please address them directly to me, not the listserv at: dfourie@cuesta.edu

How to Unsubscribe
After the course is over, to unsubscribe from this listserv send a blank e-mail to: leave-LIBT105@LISTSERV. CUESTA. EDU

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URL address for this page is: http://library.cuesta.edu/online/libt105.htm