Susan M. Irwin, M.A., M.B.A
Susan.irwin@ahfweb.org
Note: This course outline is subject to change. Additional readings will be added.
Course Description:
To consider information policies and resources of the government of the United
States and to develop an understanding of how those policies have evolved, and
how they affect the political system, the average citizen, and the overall structure
of information dissemination in this country.
More about this course:
The U.S. government collects, generates, publishes and distributes a vast amount
and variety of information. All information professionals-even those who do
not intend to specialize as government document librarians-should understand
the organization of and promote access to this body of work. In this course,
lectures, discussions, and readings will acquaint students with theoretical
and practical knowledge. The assignments will provide opportunities for deeper
exploration of government information policies and resources.
Required Textbook:
Peter Hernon, Robert E. Dugan, and John A. Shuler. U.S. Government on the
Web: Getting the Information You Need. 3rd Ed. Libraries Unlimited, 2003.
ISBN: 1591580862
Citation Guide:
Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications
http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam/citeweb.html
Additional resources, not required:
Judith S. Robinson, Tapping the Government Grapevine: The User-Friendly
Guide to U.S. Government Information Sources, 3rd ed. Oryx, 1998
Joe Morehead, Introduction to United States Government Information Sources, 6th ed. Libraries Unlimited, 1999
Jean L. Sears and Marilyn K. Moody, Using Government Information Sources: Electronic and Print, 3rd ed. Oryx, 2001
Assignments:
| Short Paper (2-3 pages) Total possible points:
15 Find a definition of government information and also an example of a government authored information resource. It can be in paper or on the Web. Paper should include the definition and citation for the definition. For the document/publication/information resource, include: |
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| • location information
(citation or URL) • Explain what governmental body created it and what information it conveys • What branch of government does the agency (author) belong to? • What is its purpose (the resource)? • Is it available in additional formats at other locations (Web and/or paper)? • Find an organizational chart for the government and describe where this agency exists in the hierarchy |
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| Exercises: Working individually, complete 4 out of 5 exercises involving searches for government information. Total possible points: 40 | ||
| Final Project: Total possible points: 35 Create a webpage that serves as a guide to an information policy issue. Clear your topic with the instructor no later than the end of week 7, Oct. 13th. Search the Web before finalizing your topic to be sure there’s not already a good guide to your topic. Your Webpage should include: |
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| • A title that reflects the scope and
treatment of your chosen topic • Your name and a bit of pertinent information about you as the guide’s creator • An overview of the topic and the policy considerations involved. The overview should: a) provide your justification for choosing the topic – why is it a significant information policy concern or problem? b) Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers c) Provide a succinct history d) Outline the most significant aspects and implications e) Detail current developments or those expected to take place in the near future • A 2-4 paragraph evaluative description of the information-seeking strategies, search techniques, databases, and other resources you used to find useful material about your topic. • An annotated bibliography of relevant print and electronic sources, some (but not all) must be government publications. This bibliography should include at least 12 different sources. Citations must conform to the Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications http://exlibris.memphis.edu/resource/unclesam/citeweb.html |
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| Possible topics: Electronic government records management Metadata considerations for electronic government publications Government’s removal of depository items from libraries and/or Websites The Government Printing Office Federal Depository Library Program and electronic dissemination of government information Children’s access to the Internet GPO Access Government involvement in the Digital Divide E-commerce and consumer protection Archiving electronic government publications |
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| Participation: Contribute substantive, insightful posts to the discussion boards. Total possible points: 10 | ||
Schedule:
Week beginning Aug. 21
Introduction and Overview: Each student should post a paragraph biographical
summary of their career and any other information they would like the class
to know. Of particular interest are: why are you taking the course, what your
career goal is; and why you want to become a librarian.
Week 1 (begins Aug. 28)
Lecture and discussion: Introduction to Federal Information:
Government Printing Office, Federal Depository Library Program, Superintendent
of Documents Classification; Joint Committee on Printing; Office of Management
& Budget
Readings:
GPO Factsheet
http://www.gpo.gov/factsheet/index.html
About the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/about/index.html
About the Federal Depository Library Program
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html
An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/explain.html
Week 2 (begins Sep. 4)
Lecture and discussion: Federal Information Dissemination:
Government Structure and Types of Publications
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the
Web, Chapters 1-2
Week 3 (begins Sep. 11)
Lecture and discussion: Federal Government Search Engines,
Reference Tools
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the Web, Chapters 3, 9
Week 4 (begins Sep. 18)
Assignment: Short Paper due
Week 5 (begins Sep. 25)
Lecture and discussion: Legislative Branch
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the Web, Chapter 4
Week 6 (begins Oct. 2)
Assignment: Statutory Law and Congressional information exercise due
Week 7 (begins Oct. 9)
Lecture and discussion: Executive Branch
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the Web, Chapters 5-6
Week 8 (begins Oct. 16)
Assignment: Administrative Law and Agencies exercise due
Week 9 (begins Oct. 23)
Lecture and discussion: Judicial Branch
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the Web, Chapter 7
Week10 (begins Oct. 30)
Assignment: Case Law and Courts information exercise due
Lecture and discussion: Statistics
Readings: Hernon, Dugan and Shuler, U.S. Government on the Web, Chapter 8
Week 11 (begins Nov. 6)
Lecture and discussion: Census
Week 12 (begins Nov. 13)
Assignment: Statistical information exercise due
Week 13 (begins Nov. 20)
Lecture and discussion: National Technical Information Service;
Department of Energy; National Library of Medicine
Week 14 (begins Nov. 27)
Assignment: Scientific, technical, & medical information
exercise due
Week 15 (begins Dec. 4)
Assignment: Final Project due Dec. 8th
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic
Integrity (one theme of which is that the guiding principle of academic integrity
is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.). If you have
any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please
ask an Instructor.
Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need
for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must
register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me,
the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as
possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours
to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may
impact your ability to fully participate.
Assignment Policies
Submission: The papers are to be submitted usually by the d2l assignment Dropbox,
which can be found as a link on the toolbar. (A less preferable alternative
is by d2l internal email to the Instructor, put, for example, 'Assignment One'
as the subject and send the assignment either as the message or as an attachment
to the message. Pure electronic documents need to be either plain text or formatted
using HTML (just 'Save As' HTML using your favorite word processor).
Late assignments: There will be due dates and students are expected to meet them. With an online course like this, difficulties can arise (such as computers or d2l being temporarily out of service) and appropriate decisions will be made as needed.
Incompletes
Incompletes will not be given for this course.