Quick Facts

5 Laws of Library Science by S.R. Ranganathan:

"One of the most notable philosophical figures in the history of librarianship" (Foundations of Library and Information Science p. 306).

1. Books are for Use
2. Books are for All
3. Every book its User
4. Save the time of the Reader
5. The library is a growing organism

Michael Gorman 5 "new laws" of Library Science

(from Foundations of Library and Information Science p. 310. Michael Gorman is a former president of ALA and big time Library philosopher.)

1. Libraries serve humanity
2. Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated
3. Use technology intelligently to enhance service
4. Protect free access to knowledge
5. Honor the Past and Create the Future

Mooer's Law

Mooers’ Law: An information retrieval system will tend not to be used whenever it is more painful and troublesome for a customer to have information than for him not to have it.

Moore's law

The observation made in 1965 by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits had doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented. Moore predicted that this trend would continue for the foreseeable future. In subsequent years, the pace slowed down a bit, but data density has doubled approximately every 18 months, and this is the current definition of Moore's Law, which Moore himself has blessed. Most experts, including Moore himself, expect Moore's Law to hold for at least another two decades.

William Katz- Guidelines in evaluating reference services

• Be approachable
• Show interest
• Conduct a reference interview
• Conduct a search
• Follow-up

Nine methods of subject searching from the Oxford Guide to Library Research by Thomas Mann

1. Controlled vocabulary searching
2. Browsing and scanning subject-classified bookstacks
3. Keyword searching
4. Citation searching
5. Related-record searching
6. Searching through published bibliographies
7. Boolean combination searching (with some other computer manipulations)
8. Using the subject expertise of people sources
9. Type of literature searching

Evaluating Reference Sources

(C. Trax - from compssummer2007 wiki)

Here is a mnemonic devise I developed to help me evaluate reference sources and serials. See page 312 in Reference and Information Services by Richard Bopp for a more in depth explanation of each point, and be sure to add your own details.

FOR FACTS

• Format: What is the physical makeup of the information package? Book? Microform? CD?
• Order (Arrangement): Is the work a continuation of a series? Where will it fit on the shelf? How is the information accessed?
• Relation to similar works: How does this item relate to other items in the collection? Does it contribute in a different way? Does it replicate?

• Features: What is unique about this item?
• Authority: What is the education and experience of the editors, contributors, and organization? Do they have a history of providing useful and reliable information on the topic in hand?
• Cost: How does the item fit in the over-all budget? How often will it need to be replaced to remain current?
• Treatment: Who is the audience? What is the quality of the writing, statistics etc.
• Scope: What is covered and to what degree? Time period; Geographic region; currency; content.

Goals and Objectives (USM SLIS website)

1. To foster and promote among master’s degree candidates a commitment to freedom and awareness that freedom is a necessary condition for the proper operation of libraries and other information centers. Objectives: The student will be able to:
   1. Discuss and defend intelligently the articles of the Library Bill of Rights.
   2. Deal effectively and fairly with persons who seek to censor materials in libraries andinformation centers.
   3. Understand the importance of providing libraries and information centers with a variety of viewpoints through a balanced selection of materials and services and fostering the people’s right to read.
2. To develop among master degree candidates a knowledge of the basic tenets of library and information science, including an awareness of the effects of technology on all library and information centers operations, to enable them to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to perform skillfully and professionally with diverse publics. Objectives: The student will be able to:
   1. Identify basic library and information science problems in the context of the mission ofthe parent institution and demonstrate creativity and initiative in their solution.
   2. Demonstrate the role of the library and of the librarian in the information process.
   3. Select from various possibilities those materials and services that are most appropriate in a particular community and organize those materials and services so that they are readilyaccessible to the public being served by a library or information center.
   4. Demonstrate ability to evaluate, implement, and discuss the elements of management theory, including goal setting, budget and fiscal management, collection management, programplanning, implementation, and evaluation.
   5. Demonstrate a facility for appropriate oral and written communication.
3. To create an environment for master’s degree candidates to know, understand and appreciate the importance of professional organizations and continuing education, the evolution of libraries, librarianship as a profession, and the various information related technologies in the context of social and cultural diversities. Objectives: The student will be able to:
   1. Demonstrate knowledge of the history of information technologies and a historicalperspective of their chosen profession.
   2. Develop awareness of the role that libraries, information centers, books, andcommunication media in general plays in the development of human culture.
   3. Demonstrate understanding of the need to remain current with new developments in information technologies and with the ways in which these tend to displace traditional means ofcommunication.
4. To introduce master’s degree candidates to theoretical and applied professional research in all areas of librarianship; to develop cognizance of the role of scientific research in building a theoretical and practical knowledge base; and to provide an opportunity for each student to conduct original research. Objectives: The student will be able to:
   1. Apply methods of scientific social research and analysis, and draw appropriate inferencesfrom the results of such studies.
   2. Explain the role of scientific research and of a theoretical knowledge base in librarianship.
   3. Be able to conduct original research and report the results appropriately.