[schedule] [syllabus] [readings] [evaluation] [final project]
This seminar covers selected topics in public libraries and public librarianship. Topics may include, but will not be limited to, its history, services, systems, marketing, management, technology, user groups, and trends. The interests of the participants will strongly influence the course of the seminar.
We will spend most of our time discussing topics related to the subject. Our first four weeks will be spent thinking about why the public library exists, what its milieu is, and how the librarianship profession has related to it. Our goal will be to develop a nuanced understanding of the public library as an institution, a big picture appreciation of the concept, which will lead into a more fine-grained introduction to issues of concern to public libraries today.
This will be less a "how-to" seminar and more a "why" seminar. There are no pat answers, but there are topics that deserve wide-ranging exploration.