Instructor: Christine Jenkins
office: 220 LIS Building
phone: 217 244-7452 / fax: 217 244-3302
email: cajenkin@uiuc.edu
office hours: Tuesday 4:00 - 5:00 and by appointment
CLASS MEETINGS:
DAY / TIME / LOCATION
TUESDAYS / 1:00 - 3:50 p.m./ LIS 46
Youth services librarians serve children and young adults (age 0-18) in a school or public library setting. An operational definition of youth services librarianship includes the following components: library collections, facilities, personnel, and services directed toward young people and operating within a network of other youth services institutions and agencies.
LIS 506 provides students with the theoretical knowledge and practical methods needed by public and school librarians/media specialists. Course content includes library/media center collections, facilities, personnel, services, and information technology and focuses on the professional knowledge base, skills and competencies required in the development and facilitation of all aspects of young people's reading/viewing/listening and information literacy skills.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
To gain an understanding of and familiarity with the historical and theoretical
foundations of youth services librarianship, including:
b. the history of school and public youth services librarianship, with a focus on literacy, education, and child welfare work
c. the images and roles of children and young adults in all media that inform and affect their lives in contemporary society
d. the social forces, issues, and trends that affect and inform the lives of current and future young people, and that likewise inform the principles and practice of youth services librarianship.
To gain an understanding of and acquire and demonstrate skills relevant to:
b. the creation and maintenance of specialized library collections, technology, facilities, personnel, and services that can best meet the reading and information literacy needs of children and young adults
c. the provision of diverse and accessible print/electronic library collections and information resources to respond to the various intellectual, emotional, social and physical needs of children and young adults.
To acquire specific knowledges, skills, and competencies needed for effective school and public youth services librarianship, including:
b. technology and electronic information sources relevant to youth services librarianship
c. methods and techniques for collaborative instruction and activities with teachers, parents, caregivers, and colleagues.
d. facilitation of collaborations between the public and school library/media center and other youth services institutions and agencies, both public and private, public and school library/media center facilities, equipment, technology, and resources
f. collection development in public and school libraries/media centers
g. principles and practices contributing to effective management of youth services in public and school libraries/media centers
h. information access and intellectual freedom issues particular to work with young people in public and school libraries/media centers
i. professional networks and organizations, including internet-based communities of practice
j. school and public library support staff and volunteers
k. professional standards for public and school library collections, facilities, personnel and services
l. all phases of the planning/implementation/evaluation cycle in developing, maintaining, and facilitating change in library services for children, young adults, and adults