Office Hours: By appointment during normal business hours or after class

Course Description
Students undertake 100 hours of work and observation in settings that meet individual career goals. The school approves sites. Faculty members oversee the practicum and conduct regular seminars for participants. Academic assignments accompany the work.

Course Overview
LIS 698, Seminar and Practicum provides hands-on learning and professional experience relating theory to practice for SILS students in need of experience working in a library or information organization, as well as experience for students who wish to deepen their experience working in a new setting.

 Practicum Hours - the practicum includes a total of 125 hours which includes:

• 100 hours of supervised observation and practice in a library or other information setting approved by the instructor.
• 10 hours of seminar classes (4 sessions).
• 15 hours of project research and writing. 

• designed as an interactive session based on full participation of students.
• moderated by the instructor.  
• a forum in which students raise issues related to their work experience.. 
  
• provides a setting in which students can share ideas and experiences and discuss issues relevant to their career goals and work experience.
• a place to discuss and synthesize work experience relating it to students' course work
• where students learn to apply research, assessment and evaluation methods to their practicum experience and projects.
• where students can compare problems and common elements across various settings through class discussion.
• a forum to share student experience and projects and to gain insight into a rich variety of settings.

• Journal of Practicum Work:  create an entry for each day you work on site.  Record the date and number of hours worked - include a discussion of what you did, your observations and thoughts.
• Completion of a project based on the practicum experience approved by the instructor. 

• Demonstrate knowledge and skills learned in the Pratt-SILS program and apply them to a library or other information-providing work setting
• Understand and evaluate information needs of users [as relevant]
• Understand and evaluate roles and activities of supervisor and other employees
• Identify and analyze information activities in relation to the mission of the parent organization
• Design, manage, and carry out a project of value to both student and host site
• Explore and understand professional opportunities
• Demonstrate and reflect on one’s growth in confidence and competence in carrying out professional duties
• Reflect on personal aptitude for the type of work carried out during the practicum
• Analyze relevant literature and evaluate in relation to the practicum experience

Course Structure
The student and site supervisor work together to determine the practicum work schedule. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of work fitted into the time-related work structure of the cooperating organization. To maximize continuity, the student is strongly encouraged to schedule more than a single day per week for the practicum, i.e., it is better to work two half days per week than one full day per week.

Students rarely have problems with their placements but, should this occur, please contact the instructor early in the term to address the issue or arrange an alternative placement.

Seminars:   Attendance at seminars is required. Exceptions for good reason must be arranged with the instructor in advance. Participation in class discussion contributes to the final grade, and students need to be present to participate. Please be on time. Unexcused absences and frequent lateness will affect the final grade.  

Journal (10%)  
One of the major benefits of doing a practicum is the opportunity to observe a workplace, participate in its activities, and reflect on the experience. The journal is a systematic record of these observations and reflections about the practicum experience. 

A journal entry should be made for each time the student works at the site.

Each entry should note the number of hours worked that time, and a running count of the total hours accumulated thus far.
We will discuss work experiences in seminar sessions.

Topics for journal observation:
The journal is a record of what is being learned, and should encompass the total practicum experience, including interpersonal and organizational issues as well as tasks performed. 
Journals will be evaluated on the basis of how well they describe and reflect upon such matters as the following:

• How student was introduced into the organization and what type of orientation.
  

• What happens - What takes place, including day-to-day routines and critical incidents
• Tasks - Major tasks and accomplishments that day
• Issues - Issues or problems that arise for the student or in the organization and how they get resolved
• Staffing - Staffing patterns or levels of staffing, and their effects on how work is done
• Physical environment - How physical layout, furniture, noise, temperature, light, etc. affect service or ability to carry out responsibilities
• Resources – Perceived adequacy of funding, its effect on collections, services, ability to carry out projects and duties
• Social climate - Interactions among workers; overall social climate (friendly, distant, etc.)
• Users - Types of users served; typical needs of patrons
• Staff/user interactions – Nature of contacts; frequency; content covered; pace or pressure
• Service philosophy – Perceived standards or orientation toward service 
• Challenges - Particular challenges for this organization and how they are being met
• Management style - The management style practiced by mentors and others
• Quality of supervision received – Direction, training, feedback, access, and mentoring
• Meetings - What takes place at meetings the student is invited to attend
• Developmental progress - Development of skill and confidence in carrying out duties
• Explanations and hypotheses - Generally, why things seem to be the way they are
• Critical perspective - How things might be done differently or more effectively
• Self-evaluation – Strengths and weaknesses; how one might have made different choices if one were doing it over
• Reflection – Making sense of the experience both ongoing, and at the end of the term

Course project discussion and readings see  http://pratt.edu/~infosils/practicumproject.html   

Student Agreement : Enrollment in this course signifies that the student agrees to abide by and adhere to the policies and regulations specified above and held by Pratt Institute. It is understood that the instructor may adapt or change this Syllabus and the assignments contained within it according to circumstances that may arise during the course of the class.