LIS section of phd601

Paul Kantor

 

  1. How to read my grades. I try to find two major aspects of a paper, and to grade each on a five point scale like this. ++ == several strengths  + = some strengths +-  = some strengths and some weaknesses. - = some weakenesses. -- = several weaknesses.  In a more or less unreadable handwriting I try to give a summary comment at the end, which I hope will be of some use.

 

 

  1. Assignments for the LIS component. I would like for us, each week, to consider several papers together.  We do this in a kind of “seminar format” in which one group plays the role of the leader, and must be very well prepared about the papers.  If you are in the leader group, you should read all the papers for the week carefully, and do additional outside reading related to the one that you will be presenting.   If you are not in the “leader group” you should read all the papers and try to formulate one or two intelligent questions about the papers, which you will pose to the leaders during the discussion.  As always, honesty and courtesy must guide the discussion.

 

 

  1. Forming groups.  Group 1  if your birthday is in Jan Feb Mar Apr

2                                                                May Jun Jul Aug

3                                                                Sep Oct Nov  Dec

 

  1. Guiding questions for Nov 11.

There are 5 papers. Please organize your team so that each of you is responsible for sharing the lead on one paper, and all of the papers are covered. and each of you is reasonably happy with your assignment.

 

45 Brooks.  Why does Brooks turn to philosophy? What does he hope it will tell us about his discipline?? HOw does he reason about the discipline?  Why should libraries care about “kinds of information”?

 

55 Ranganathan. Why should librarianship have “rules”?  Can you translate each rule into a statement appropriate for the internet age?  Do his rules suggest how one might measure or evaluate libraries? Do they suggest that the library serves individuals or communities?  What difference odes that make?

 

81 Saracevic. Why does Saracevic feel one should survey the field?  Does he see the field as evolving or undergoing revolutionary change? What is the difference?  Is the field socially constructed? 

 

98 Shera (a delightful voice). Is the sociology of Shera’s day recognizable from today’s perspective? What does it imply about the nature of the library? Would you say the library is a social construct? What would Shera say? What does Shera’s view imply about the question “is a library effective?”

 

129 White and McCain. An example of a method from within a field, being applied to the field itself.  (“Know then thyself”). What are the basic facts on which they draw? What limitations do they impose on their manipulation of those facts? How do they translate numerical results into insights about the entity being studied.   If they find that a scholar has “moved” what kind of account of that movement would you expect to get from the scholar herself, of the movement this discovered.