ISI - LIBS 4310 - Adolescent Literature for Teacher Librarians
Course Description
Adolescent Literature for Teacher Librarians will develop students’ knowledge of adolescent literature as it pertains to teacher librarians, with a focus on youth grades 6–12. It emphasizes the skills and discernment necessary by the librarian to effectively serve adolescents. Evaluation tools for selecting literature and electronic resources will be covered, and issues relating to materials selection and promotion for the secondary school library will be explored.
This course will introduce you to concepts, categories, and example books of young adult (YA) literature. There are readings from the textbook and from the current library literature. In each lesson, you will answer questions and provide responses based on the readings. All questions should be answered in a short answer/essay format. In addition, you will be required to read sixteen young adult books, representing the various categories discussed in the lessons, and write annotations of these books. The compiled annotations will take the place of midterm and final exams.
Learner Outcomes
This course will develop students’ basic knowledge and understanding of the field of young adult (YA) literature, particularly as it pertains to librarians, with a focus on children ages 12–18. The course will further emphasize skills, tools, and insights necessary for effective professional librarianship in the area of services to young adults, including but not limited to:
- knowledge of the bibliographic tools and review media in the discipline;
- development of critical skills in evaluation of young adult literature; and
- knowledge of the basic genres of young adult literature, including authors, works, and illustrators
Required Course Materials
- Bucher, Katherine and Hinton, KaaVonia. Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. New York: Pearson, 2013 ISBN(s): 978-0133066791
- Electronically accessible articles listed and linked in the individual lessons from the "Readings" document.
- 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.
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.
Prerequisites
LIBS 4130 Computer Applications in LibrariesAND LIBS 4140/5140 Reference and Information Services
AND LIBS 4180/5180 Classification and Cataloging;
OR permission (submit an ISI Support Request).
Optional Co-requisite: LIBS 4330 Information Literacy for the Teacher Librarian
- EP0018 - ISI - LIBS 4300-4310 Pre-Req T
- ISI - LIBS 4130 - Computer Applications in Libraries (Complete)
- ISI - LIBS 4140 - Reference and Information Services (Complete)
- ISI - LIBS 5140 - Reference and Information Services (Complete)
- ISI - LIBS 4180 - Classification and Cataloging (Complete)
- ISI - LIBS 5180 - Classification and Cataloging (Complete)