Readings due through February 29th

• Foundations of library and information science (worldcat.org)
• Chapter 4: The organization of information, techniques and issues
• Chapter 5: The library as an institution, an organizational perspective
• Chapter 8: Information policy, stakeholders and agendas
• Visual literacy, a spectrum of visual learning (worldcat.org)
• Chapter 5: Communication models
• Silicon dreams (worldcat.org)
  
• Chapter 2: A theory of information
• The mathematical theory of communication (worldcat.org)
  
• Chapter 2: Communication problems at level A
• Tales from the public domain: bound by law? (duke.edu)
• Will fair use survive?: free expression in the age of copyright control (fepproject.org)
• Intellectual property rights/control (vraweb.org)
• Art history and its publications in the electronic age (cnx.org)
  

Readings due through February 22nd

• Core principles of media literacy education (namle.net)
• Digital and media literacy: a plan of action (knightfoundation.org)
  

Readings due through February 15th

• Visual literacy, a spectrum of visual learning (worldcat.org)
• Chapter 1: Theoretical foundations of visual learning
  
• Chapter 6: Visual literacy, the definition problem
  
• Chapter 8: Visual symbols
  
• Chapter 11: Graphics and how they communicate
  
• Chapter 12: Visual verbal relationships
  
• Semiotic analysis of icons as visual information representations on library homepages (slideshare.net)
• Support visual literacy in the school library media center (ala.org)
  

Readings due through February 8th

• Foundations of library and information science (worldcat.org)
• Chapter 3*: Library and information science, an evolving profession
  
• Visual literacy in an information age (ivla.org)
• Visual information science, its need and place in the curriculum of library and information science education

* Last week I messed up and forgot to list Chapter 1 ("The educational, recreational, and information infrastructure") instead of Chapter 3 ... my bad ;)

Nomination for Graduation

Just got word from the office of my academic advisor that the "nomination for graduation" form (uri.edu) I had sent on Friday - via snail mail - has been received ... What that means for yours truly is that I now officially have the pleasure of taking my talents to Rhode Island at nine o'clock in the AM next month, so that I may have the privilege of sitting in a room for four hours and answer a couple of questions on a comprehensive exams in order to "prove" that I earned my degree.

After all, the last four years of classes I've taken (and received an "A" in every one of them, might I add) wouldn't be enough to prove that, don't be silly ;)

Anyway, sorry if I'm sounding a bit bitter, it's just that the end of March doesn't look to be shaping up to be a very fun time ... I'll have the comps, the end of LSC 544, AND the IRS (wikipedia.org) to occupy my time! Yikes!

Oh well, what can you do ... Moving onto the here and now, I've finished the two-page paper that is due tomorrow (on the subject "What Is Information?"), so that just leaves this week's discussion question to work on.

Man, it's just a non-stop roller coaster ride of fun and excitement up in here ;)

Readings due through February 1st

• Foundations of library and information science (worldcat.org)
• Chapter 2: From past to present, the history and mission of libraries
  
• Chapter 3: Library and information science, an evolving profession
  
• The invisible substance of information science (asistdl.org)
  

Our first "class" was technically last night ...

However, when I tried to use the "Course Map" (as instructed by the professor) in order to access the introductory PowerPoint presentation to the course, I was greeted with a lovely "HTTP Status 403" error message instead :|

Luckily, the syllabus was available, so at least I know which readings will be due for next Wednesday ... Plus, one of the textbooks arrived via ILL yesterday, so that's always a plus!

EDIT (1:15 PM): The link in the left-hand column of the Sakai course website still doesn't work, but I did find the appropriate presentation buried under the "Resources" section ... So, that takes care of that problem, I guess ;)

LSC 544 course website is finally online!

I got my tuition reimbursement (the full amount) on Friday, so that was appreciated ... I also found another bit of good (?) news this morning when I logged into Sakai, and was able to access the course website at long last:



What's this I see? "You do not need to be at your computers during the designated class-time" ... Please tell me this means that we're not gonna have to waste two-plus hours trying to communicate via Sakai!

That would make my last semester just a little bit easier to digest, let me tell you ;)

Finally!

There's still a hold showing up on my account (although the mysterious "Exclude from Batch Refund" hold has disappeared), but I decided to just throw caution to the wind and try to sign up for LSC 544 one more time this morning ... and guess what happened?

Success!

Now I just have to wait and see when Sakai will catch up and give me access to the course website ... that is, if the professor has even put it up yet :|

Clarity or confusion?

I sent the professor another email this morning, hoping to get some additional info on tonight's "class" ... Just got a response:

Dear Alessandro,

I am sorry that the date the class will start is Jan. 25th, Wednesday, not the 18th. I am still working on Sakai issues.

Self introduction means that you will response to my posting to provide a brief bio to the class. Everyone will do the same.

Thank you,

--Yan

Not sure why she mentioned a "6:30 to 9:15" time range if we're just meant to post something on Sakai ... which is still not giving me access to the LSC 544 page, by the way :(

EDIT: As another fun little twist for the beginning of this semester, I apparently have ANOTHER hold on my account ...


"Refund on hold pending account review" ... Seriously, what is going on here? I just wanna take my final class and be done with the program, is that too much to ask?