Course Description: This is an introductory course to key concepts, systems, and tools to organize, provide access to and share information resources. The course covers basic principles and applications of descriptive cataloging, classification, and indexing for physical and digital resources. Also covered are metadata, thesauri and emerging knowledge organization systems and practices, including linked data and social tagging. The course provides the foundation for further studies in library, archive, and museum cataloging, reference, information retrieval, database management, and information architecture. INFO 653 is a 3-credit required course and does not have a prerequisite.
Course Goals
To introduce students to principles, standards, and techniques used to organize both printed and digital information resources in libraries and other information environments including
Bibliographic control and cataloging standards (e.g. RDA, ISBD, FRBR, BIBFRAME)
Metadata standards and applications (e.g. Dublin Core)
Classification and indexing systems (e.g. Dewey, LCC, LCSH)
Vocabulary control tools (e.g. LC/NAF, VIAF)
Emerging Knowledge Organization Systems (e.g. Linked Open Data)
To gain an understanding of best practices in applying the concepts and standards introduced
To provide practical experience using professional cataloging tools
Student Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, students will be able to
Articulate the centrality of organizing information in all aspects of the work of information professions;
Explain the role of key knowledge organization systems (KOS) for information access, discovery and retrieval, including controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, thesauri and folksonomies;
Identify core concepts, principles and objectives of information organization, including descriptive and semantic cataloging, classification, subject analysis and indexing;
Apply current and emerging professional standards, tools and best practices to information-related projects;
Describe the guiding principles and function of authority control;
Critically analyze theory and practices of classification and classification systems for different information environments;
Create basic bibliographic records using common professional cataloging tools;
Create basic metadata records for digital resources using common professional cataloging tools.
Coursework
Crowdsourcing Cataloging Assignment
Descriptive Cataloging Assignment
Classification Assignment
Research Project
Group Presentation and Poster
Individual Essay