Lower Level Coursework in Library

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This course imparts an understanding of information resources, teaches the skills needed to search many formats of information resources, and covers some of the social and/or ethical issues that relate to technology and knowledge management.

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An Introduction to Archival Methods and Services. This course serves as an experiential introduction to the responsibilities of archivists and records managers by providing an overview of the principles, upon which archival work: appraisal, acquisition, accession, processing, arrangement, description, and use. Through practical and hands-on assignments involving the collections in the Drake University Archives and Special Collections, readings, and discussions, the course will establish a basic understanding of the archival profession.

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This is a 2-credit Information Literacy course taught through the story line of the TV show The Walking Dead. The basis of the show is fictional (zombie apocalypse), but many problems faced by the people have a factual basis. For this course, we will identify factual issues, and do the research to answer them. In some cases, i expect we will only start to answer them. We will learn and use library-based resources in addition to the Internet. Students will be expected to watch portions of each of the first five seasons before class begins, and portions from the remaining three seasons during the first half of the semester. Students should be aware that this show contains a significant amount of graphic violence.

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This course will use documentary films to explore the standards of information literacy and impart an understanding of information resources. Students will explore the history of documentary film as well as current trends in documentaries. We will watch a variety of documentary film formats and learn the skills needed to search many formats of information resources. We will explore the notion of documentaries as texts that are both the result of research and the starting points for more research. This course will also explore the research methods and processes of documentary film makers.

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We live in an age of information overload, where individuals can create their own, private news and media enclaves. Social media allows us to filter out what we don't care to see and engage with ideas that sometimes only serve to reinforce our existing beliefs and ideas. This new era also presents us with the dangers of ""fake news"" that so closely resembles the real thing that even the most discerning eye cannot pick it our of a line up. This course will focus on how we can navigate the rivers of information, become discerning consusmers, separate fact from fiction, and approach daily sources of information with an objective eye. We will also explore the effects of information overload, how we can become more information literate in a society saturated with various forms of media, and how that can help us be more engaged citizens."

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COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: BRINGING SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION LITERACY TO THE PUBLIC. Science and new technology often gets branded as too complex or esoteric by media and therefore receives little attention in the daily lives of many. However, thanks to the internet and social media, scientific achievements and new concepts are becoming easier to communicate, share, and explain to a wider audience. This course focuses on the variety of methods and media by which science can be explored and communicated to the general public. Students will explore ways of making science more accessible through literature, science fiction, social media, video, citizen science, science journalism, and other burgeoning areas of the internet. Students will also explore the purpose, value, and rationale behind making science more accessible to a wider audience that includes children and adults.

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Science as a way of knowing and democracy as a form of government have both been around for thousands of years. However, they have only come to global prominence in the last 300-500 years, changing our planet and advancing society forward at a rapid pace. This course examines those historical advancements as well as the relationships between the two, which include experimentation, collaboration, testing of ideas, and the pursuit of data, information, and evidence. As our society becomes more reliant on science and technology, we must examine how governments play a role in the scientific process, protection of nature, and ensuring the health and safety of citizens. The course will also focus on how both concepts are individually and collectively empowering, how they teach values such as accountability, openness, respect for evidence, and doubt, how they are pragmatic, and how they both seek universal truths about our world and humanity.

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Science fiction (sci-fi) storytelling often predicts scientific progress, warns of darker scientific efforts, illuminates facts in the face of pseudoscience, helps us navigate social problems, & inspires us to hope, build, and evolve. We will use science fiction books, stories, films, essays, & television shows to understand scientific principles and achievements via sci-fi concepts, plot devices, writing styles, & intrigue. We will also explore how these same concepts help us to separate facts and falsehoods, make distinctions between reality and imagination, and explore potential future scientific discoveries.

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Whether you are writing a song for performance, taking notes in class, or posting an event on Facebook, do you have copyright protection for what you do? If you share someone else's story, can he or she claim infringement? What is copyright, anyway? Take this Engaged Citizen class for an overview of copyright law and the many ways it affects our lives in the United States.

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In this project-based research seminar, students will conduct extensive research into the lives and experiences of women. Projects will focus on researching women in both historical and contemporary contexts. We will explore women in a variety of disciplines, time periods, and parts of the world. Students will learn and utilize different research methods, resources, and tools. Students will present their projects in a variety of ways, including writing, class presentations, creating and curating a display at Cowles Library, and publishing online.

Congressional staff members are instrumental, dedicated, and sometimes unseen employees of the United States Congress. There are many different facets of a Congressional office that one will learn by serving in a member's Washington, D.C. office and a district or state office. This course is designed to give an in-depth view of the intricate workings of a congressional office from the thought process to legistlative procedures to outreach in the home district. This class will put political theory into real-world practice. This course will integrate hands-on assignments involving the collections of the Drake University Archives and Special Collections and will help to establish a basic understanding of the University Archives. The course will culminate in a trip to Washington, D.C. and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate where students will experience the day in the life of various congressional staffers, attend meetings on Capitol Hill, and participate in a Senate Immersion Model.

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Restrictions: None