ISI - LIBS 4100 - Libraries and Their Collections: Materials Selection
Course Description
Libraries and Their Collections: Materials Selection is an introduction to library science theory and practice with emphasis on material selection and evaluation.
In this introductory course, the foundation of understanding librarianship is laid. We will look at libraries as cultural icons, exploring the roots of early libraries and how they have developed most recently in the United States. The values of the profession will be examined, providing a lens of understanding when we look at selecting unbiased collections designed to promote lifelong readers. There will be readings about the book trade, acquisitions processes and licensing, and a practical application of collection assessment. These various activities will provide a broad overview to librarianship and one of its core services, the library collection.
I expect you to do the reading associated with each lesson in order for you to be successful in completing the work for this course. Your assignments are designed to provide me information about your learning and your interpretations of the materials. All of them will be a brief essay. If you are taking the course for graduate level credit, you will write an additional essay where you are expected to do reading beyond the assignments to deepen the knowledge of the topics presented. Your knowledge will be tested through a self-tested exam.
Course includes a research project and paper.
REQUIRED: Internet access, access to a public or school library; access to a computer, ability to view videos; Vandal card for student library account.
Learner Outcomes
- The primary objective of this course is to establish your foundational knowledge of librarianship as a service profession. As the entry to a suite of courses, there will be historical and theoretical roots that you will use throughout subsequent classes on librarianship. The special focus on collections is fitting, as collections might be the earliest services offered from this service profession.
- By exploring the professional values, you will be able to see the diverging thoughts that separate librarianship from teaching. This tension is helpful as you learn how to apply librarianship to school settings.
Required Course Materials
- Gorman, Michael. Our Enduring Values Revisited. Chicago: American Library Association, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-8389-1300-0; (Gorman)
- Available on the UofI Library Website after registration
- Intellectual Freedom Manual. Compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association; Trina Magi, Editor; Martin Garnar, Assistant Editor. 9th ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-8389-1292-8 (Intellectual Freedom Manual)
- Available on the UofI Library Website after registration
- Morris, Betty J. Administering the School Library Media Center. 5 th ed. Santa Barbara, Calif. : Libraries United ISBN: 978-1-59158-689-0
- Supplementary Materials: Online readings from library databases; YouTube videos; Internet sources
- UI Library online article databases to search for reviews and other supplementary information requested in the written assignments. You will first need to log in with your University of Idaho Net ID.
Expected Course Timeline
Most ISI courses are designed so that students can complete them within 3 months to 1 year. If you are attempting to complete a course more quickly than this, please contact ISI to explore your options.
Sponsor Institution
Credits earned for this course are included in a University of Idaho transcript.
This is an INDEPENDENT STUDY IN IDAHO course
To learn about program and refund policies, visit www.uidaho.edu/isi.
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COURSE NUMBER NOTICE
Beginning with the 2025-2026 Catalog year, the University of Idaho transitioned to 4-digit course numbers. As ISI works through this transition, you may continue to see 3-digit course numbers during this time. A crosswalk is available online.