October 2013 Questions

Library and Information Science

Comprehensive Exam Questions

Fall 2013

Answer one question below. Your essay will demonstrate proficiency in at least three of the six competency areas. In grading the exam, the faculty looks for an understanding of core concepts, adequate knowledge of facts, and the application of principles and problem-solving skills in the library and information science field and the profession.

Question 1

• Information professionals can collaborate with users, professionals in the LIS field, or professionals from other disciplines to meet user needs and provide better information service. Draw on your coursework and the library and information science literature to prepare a paper on three significant collaborative projects, strategies for their success, and project impact. You may discuss projects from the real world or projects you would like to propose.

Question 2

• Recent news reports have highlighted the use of GPS, RFID, video surveillance systems, communications intercepts, and other monitoring and surveillance technologies to track physical movements of items and people as well as individual behavior in using digital objects and services. Prepare a paper in which you analyze and synthesize (1) the positions taken by library and information professionals in the debates over individual privacy versus commercial and governmental gathering and analysis of personal and private data; (2) the values and principles of librarianship that underlie these positions; (3) the risks and benefits when libraries and information services collect and analyze individual data about their users. Conclude by discussing, for a library or information service setting of your choice, what policy provisions you