ISI - LIBS 4140 - Reference and Information Services

Course Description

Reference and Information Services is an introduction to theory and practice of reference and information services, with emphasis on material selection, evaluation for school and public libraries as well as professional standards and rubrics.

Reference work is a central feature of librarianship. The reference librarian often is the public face of the library and needs the knowledge and skill to help the library user find the information he or she needs. In this Internet age, the reference librarian needs to be a teacher showing library users how to become effective information seekers.

The reference librarian also needs to have the proper tools, and the knowledge to use them effectively. Since the early days of modern librarianship, building an effective reference collection has been a critical skill of the reference librarian; as technology advances, collection development of reference works must include considerations for print as well as electronic and web-based resources.

REQUIRED: library visit

Learner Outcomes

• Equip students to think, talk, and write about reference work as a librarian.
• Familiarize students with the basic concepts and skills needed to provide good reference service.
• Familiarize students with printed and online reference resources.
• Teach students to select, evaluate, and use basic reference sources.
• Teach students to use computers in reference work.
• Equip students to teach both library literacy and general information literacy.

Required Course Materials

• Cassell, Kay A., and Uma Hiremath. Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, 4rd edition. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2018. ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-1568-4 
  • See access information in Syllabus after registration.
  • Note: Although the page numbers may be off a little, the third edition of the textbook will also work. 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1-55570-859-7
• Additional course reserve readings as required (see syllabus after registration).
• 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.

View Course Syllabus

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.

Still have a question? Submit an ISI Support Request.

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.