Course Overview
Course Description •
LIS 590 Prerequisites •
Course Requirements & Assignments
Communication •
Grading Policy •
Academic Conduct
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity for the practical application of knowledge and skills learned in various Information School courses. Students will work in an information setting under the supervision of a mentor who is an experienced professional in the library and information field. The fieldwork experience will be guided by the approved learning objectives (see below).
The objectives of LIS 590 are to provider opportunities to:
- Gain practical experience using information skills
- Apply theoretical knowledge
- Apply theoretical knowledge
- Pursue an individual interest in a subject specialty
- Interact, network, and communicate with professionals
- Experience an information setting consistent with professional goals
- Experience an information setting that is new to the student
- Become aware of employment opportunities
- Understand the role of the sponsoring site within the community
- Provide service to others
- Develop a professional identity and self-awareness within an information setting
LIS 590 may be taken for two, three, or four credits, depending on the number of hours the student plans to devote to directed fieldwork. Two credits require 100 hours of fieldwork, three credits require 150 hours, and four credits require 200 hours. Directed fieldwork tasks and projects, which must be professional in nature, are outlined in the Learning Objectives Agreement (LOA). The LOA is like an individualized syllabus which identifies what the student will produce to show that he or she has achieved the learning objectives.
LIS 590 Prerequisites
Students must have completed 30 credits toward their MLIS degree including LIS 500, 510, 520, 530, and 540. In addition, students must have an adequate background (e.g., from coursework or experience) that relates to the content of their particular directed fieldwork experience. For example, a student wishing to pursue cataloging activities should have completed, at a minimum, LIS 531; children's services students should have completed LIS 567; and those going into school library media should have completed LIS 587. Similarly, if teaching were a primary fieldwork objective, then the student should have completed LIS 560 prior to taking LIS 590.
Course Requirements & Assignments
In the directed fieldwork process, there are a number of steps to take and forms to complete and return. The student is responsible for ensuring that forms are returned on specific "due dates." Credit rests in part on the student's initiative in ensuring that deadlines are met and that assignments are submitted on time. Since this is a credit/no credit course, it is imperative that every assignment be completed in a timely manner. Both the Student's Narrative Report and the Supervisor's Final Evaluation must be submitted prior to the Exit Interview. All documents are to be submitted as email attachments and courtesy copy sent to your host supervisor.
Commitment and due dates:
Guidelines and forms for each assignment are available within this website.
* For attachments of the LOA , send a courtesy copy (cc) to your mentor.
In the body of the message write:
"Please find attached the agreed Learning Objectives Agreement for my directed fieldwork at ( Directed Fieldwork location). (Mentor's name and position title) and I have developed these in collaboration.
(Your name)"
Communication
Students will be subscribed to a listserv.
You may email me at anytime to set up an appointment. Assignments will be submitted via email.
DFW Contact:
Lorraine Bruce, Faculty Coordinator for Directed Fieldwork
The Information School, University of Washington
Grading Policy
LIS 590 is a Credit/No Credit course. In order to receive Credit, LIS 590 students must complete all assignments.
General grading information for the University of Washington is available here. The iSchool has adopted its own criteria for grading graduate courses. The grading criteria used by the iSchool for graduate courses are available here.
Academic Conduct
The following paragraphs discussing academic integrity, copyright and privacy outline matters governing student conduct in the iSchool and the University of Washington. They apply to all assignments and communications in this course.
Academic Integrity
The essence of academic life revolves around respect not only for the ideas of others, but also their rights to those ideas and their promulgation. It is therefore essential that all of us engaged in the life of the mind take the utmost care that the ideas and expressions of ideas of other people always be appropriately handled, and, where necessary, cited. For writing assignments, when ideas or materials of others are used, they must be cited. The format is not that important–as long as the source material can be located and the citation verified, it’s OK. What is important is that the material be cited. In any situation, if you have a question, please feel free to ask. Such attention to ideas and acknowledgment of their sources is central not only to academic life, but life in general.
Please acquaint yourself with the University of Washington's resources on academic honesty.
Students are encouraged to take drafts of their writing assignments to the Writing Center for assistance with using citations ethically and effectively. Information on scheduling an appointment can be found here. Both virtual and face to face appointments can be made.
Copyright
All of the expressions of ideas in this class that are fixed in any tangible medium such as digital and physical documents are protected by copyright law as embodied in title 17 of the United States Code. These expressions include the work product of both: (1) your student colleagues (e.g., any assignments published here in the course environment or statements committed to text in a discussion forum); and, (2) your instructors (e.g., the syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and lectures). Within the constraints of "fair use" (you should have/will have learned about that in depth in LIS 550), you may copy these copyrighted expressions for your personal intellectual use in support of your education here in the iSchool. Such fair use by you does not include further distribution by any means of copying, performance or presentation beyond the circle of your close acquaintances, student colleagues in this class and your family. If you have any questions regarding whether a use to which you wish to put one of these expressions violates the creator's copyright interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.
Privacy
To support an academic environment of rigorous discussion and open expression of personal thoughts and feelings, we, as members of the academic community, must be committed to the inviolate right of privacy of our student and instructor colleagues. As a result, we must forego sharing personally identifiable information about any member of our community including information about the ideas they express, their families, life styles and their political and social affiliations. If you have any questions regarding whether a disclosure you wish to make regarding anyone in this course or in the iSchool community violates that person's privacy interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.
Knowing violations of these principles of academic conduct, privacy or copyright may result in University disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.
Students with Disabilities
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services: 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from DSS indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in the class.
Academic accommodations due to disability will not be made unless the student has a letter from DSS specifying the type and nature of accommodations needed.
Student Code of Conduct
Good student conduct is important for maintaining a healthy course environment. Please familiarize yourself with the University of Washington's Student Code of Conduct.
• Assignments & Grading • Required Forms & Readings • Learning Objectives