Comprehensive Examination Questions
March 1995
1. Define "authority control" and
describe its functions. In addition, define "authority work"
and describe the creation, use, and maintenance of authority records
and files.
2. Codes of ethics, such as the codes of
the American Library Association, the Rare Books and Manuscripts
Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries,
the Association of Records Managers and Administrators, and the
Society of American Archivists, often include provisions cautioning
against philosophical and financial conflicts of interest. Discuss
how such conflicts of interest might arise in various types of
libraries or other information agencies and the measures that
can be taken to minimize such situations.
3. There is considerable evidence that scholars
in different fields of study seek information in different ways
and that they tend to rely on different formats of material. For
example, it has been said that humanities scholars browse more
than scientists. Select a broad field (humanities, social sciences,
or science) and discuss how people in this field seek and use
information. Then describe what changes might occur in these behaviors
because of availability of wider access to information through
technology.
4. You have just been appointed Chief Librarian
at a community college in southern California. Over the past ten
years the library's user population has changed dramatically.
Once a predominantly white middle-class community, it is now one
of cultural and ethnic diversity. After a week at your new position,
you discover that the library lacks written collection development
plans and policies, and has not carried out
- 1) community analysis,
- 2) needs assessment, and
- 3) collection policy evaluation since 1984.
Remembering what you learned at CUA SLIS, you
decide to address these as top priorities. To elicit the cooperation
of your staff in this addressing these deficiencies, you call
a meeting to serve as a forum to communicate the importance of
the project, its goals and objectives, and the methodologies you
propose to use to carry out 1-3 above. Describe what you would
say to the staff and what comments and questions you might anticipate.
5. In a recent article, Martha Morrill tracks the increase in
the duties and responsibilities of information professionals as
their jobs expand in "size and complexity." She further
points out, "While duties have increased, there hasn't been
a corresponding reduction in any area-except staffing and funding."
Given this scenario, discuss how information professionals, both
managers and staff, can continue to provide users with quality
information services while avoiding high stress and burnout. You
may address the question from the point of view of a particular
type of library, information center, or archives.
6. Over the past century, organizations like the American Library
Association, the Special Libraries Association, the Society of
American Archivists, the Association of Records Managers and Administrators,
and the Association for Information and Image Management have
played a variety of roles. Discuss the roles of professional and
trade associations in the information professions. In a changing
information environment, how might these roles be evolving? As
a person entering the information professions, what would you
propose as the role of the organizations in our professional life?
7. Because of the proliferation of information, information
seekers are having more and more difficulties in finding needed
information. In order to bring things under control, a group of
physical science scholars have decided to design a database for
their subject area. They plan to include books, journal articles,
technical reports, conference proceedings, CD-ROMs and Internet
resources in their database. Since they do not have expertise
in organizing information, they turn to you for help. Describe
how you would apply methods of organizing information to design
this database for them.
8. Vice President Al Gore has proposed that the national information
infrastructure be built on the principle of "equal access."
House Speaker Newt Gingrich has already allocated funds to make
legislative information available through the Internet on the
principle of "open access." Compare and contrast the
implications of these principles in the technical and human factors
that must be incorporated into our information networks.
9. Discuss the defining characteristics of a dictionary and
an encyclopedia. Comment upon the history, content, scope, organization,
and purpose of each, and how their availability in electronic
formats might affect their use.
10. Our professional literature admonishes, 'Censorship: Be
Prepared for It Will Come." Discuss in detail how librarians,
school library media specialists, and other informational professionals
can best prepare for challenges to collections, displays, programs,
and use of meeting rooms.
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