School of Information Resources and Library Science

Participation
Students are expected to attend class, complete all assigned readings prior to class, participate in the class discussions, practicums, on the class listserve, and complete a research paper or project. Research papers or projects can be sent to me as an email attachment or by US Mail at the contact information at the top of this syllabus. Every student is also expected to send me a self evaluation which is described below.

Research Paper or Project
Your research paper or project will be graded on four criteria:
1) relevance of the argument to the general topic of library preservation and material culture
2) interest the topic holds for a reader (in this case, that would be me)
3) intellectual strength and evidence of depth of involvement in the research, and,
4) quality of the mechanics of the paper (organization, grammar, spelling, footnoting, etc. or project).

If your choice is to produce a project, the three-dimensional work should be carefully prepared and include commentary interpreting the work for the observer (e.g., Why did you produce this work? What went into the work’s creation, including research conducted? How is the work useful to you or to others in the profession?).

The topic you choose should be one that has meaning for you and provides an opportunity for you to synthesize the course. The paper should be as long as necessary to present a thoughtful, informative and interesting piece of research, but should be short enough to have publication possibilities in professional journals. Collaborative work with one or more classmates is welcome, as long as each individual independently submits a unique paper or project. Poor physical presentation of the work, including misspellings, grammatical errors, inadequate footnoting, and the like will result in a lower grade. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point type, and prepared in a consistent manner using a standard style guide appropriate to the journal you envision publishing the piece. Papers should be well edited, grammatically correct, and written using standard English. Sources from which information is derived should be accurately cited, including the page number(s) of the citation (please note: a citation is an opportunity to lead the reader into an ongoing exploration of the topic; please try to be as encouraging as possible and help the reader know where to turn for further information).

Extra credit (one half letter grade) is available for submitting papers to a qualified reader (including one of your classmates) for proofreading and editorial comment prior to submitting it to me. This should resultant in a tighter, more carefully groomed piece of work than would otherwise be the case (this is a norm prior to all submissions for publication and, if you have not submitted articles for publication to date, you should start to assume that getting feedback from an astute reader is an extremely valuable step in the writing process).

Beyond the proficiency of the written or three dimensional work (the strength and organization of the argument, the overall readability or craftsmanship of the piece, etc.), I would very much like to see your research and writing benefit you. I sincerely encourage you to select a topic relevant to the themes of this class that allows you to develop areas of interest to you. You can run your ideas past me if you are at all unsure of a direction, and I may be able to help suggest some topics, but please (please) feel free to chose your own direction for this work. This is an opportunity for you to take control of your library school education and invest your time in an area that is meaningful for your own professional development.

While the sky is the limit as far as a topic goes (as, indeed, it is any time you choose to write an article for a professional journal), I expect some clear link back to the course’s themes. The following are offered as suggestions only to kick off your own creativity – you are welcome to use one of these but I sincerely encourage you to use your imagination and personal interests to pick a topic that has meaning for you:

* explore an aspect of the history of (pick one) papermaking, bookbinding, xerography, sound recording, photography, etc., with specific attention to manufacturing methods and materials that affect the permanence of the media;
* create a biographical sketch of one or more key figures whose contributions have affected the development of specific aspects of library media or its preservation;
* fashion a defensible argument for or against a specific preservation approach, including, but not limited to, the National Preservation Microfilming program, library binding, paper splitting, digitization, etc.;
* argue convincingly for or against the need to preserve material culture within libraries in the digital age;
* write an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to secure funding to support a professional preservation assessment of your institution or an institution you’d like to help (these are small, e.g., five-page proposals and quite manageable; I’d be happy to share examples of successful Preservation Assistance Grant proposals, if that is useful, and this is an excellent opportunity to get some experience in the grant writing arena). More information can be found at NEH’s website at: http://www.neh.fed.us/grants/guidelines/pag.html;
* investigate an actual preservation problem and its solution dealing with a specific rare item or a collection (this topic lends itself to a brief history of applicable preservation standards; an analysis of the problem; and recommendations related to the optimal long-term preservation of the object/collection, including possible funding sources);
* explore the historical development of U.S. library preservation;
* undertake a three-dimensional project, such as creating an effective preservation-awareness brochure for distribution at public service points within a real library; bind and document the process involved in binding a book; outline the history of papermaking and provide handmade examples of historical patterns; or,
* chose any other topic related to the preservation of library and archival material that overlaps your personal or professional interests.

Self Evaluation (mandatory)
When you send me your paper or project as an email attachment or via US Mail (at the address listed on the first page of this syllabus), please include:
1) a scanned picture of yourself (to help me connect your name with your face), and
2) a one-page self evaluation; include in this evaluation your assessment of the grade you’ve earned for the course.
Your self evaluation should cover class attendance, a assessment of the thoroughness of your reading in preparation for the class, your class participation, how well you did with the hands-on activities, and an evaluation of your research paper or project using the four criteria listed above. I am interested to learn what you got out of the class.