It’s become cliché to say that the reference and information services world has changed radically over the last decade and a half, largely—but not exclusively—because of the rise of digital and networked information resources and communication technologies. Much of prior professional knowledge, especially about information sources, has come into question, including how important or relevant “knowing sources” is in a networked, Googlified world.
This set of short projects will give you the opportunity to explore how this professional domain has changed and is changing, through a variety of experiences and venues.
There will be a series of tasks over the course of the quarter. For each, you will be given instructions on what you’re to accomplish, what educational objectives are involved, and how you are to deliver your finished work, along with any constraints or restrictions where relevant. Each task will specify whether it is to be done individually or in a group or team.
The model here is along the lines of challenges you might see on a show like Project Runway, where talented people work on tasks that are meant to stretch their creativity and skills. Obviously, nobody’s going to get eliminated here (and we’ll dispense with the faux-sincere air-kiss sendoff), but your work is expected to be at a high professional level.
Your work will be evaluated on how well your final product conforms with instructions, creativity and originality, demonstrated understanding of educational objectives, insight and thoroughness of your work and the overall quality of your presentation.