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An aside

I've run across something strange:

My thesis has been turned into a topic for the Fall '04 Culminating Experience at SJSU.

I'm not sure whether to take it as a grudging compliment or a sly dig ... to assume it's simply a coincidence seems to be a bit a stretch.

A recurring theme in the history of U.S. information policy is the link between open access to information in America's libraries and national security. Particularly in times of political or international crisis, authorities have enlisted librarians' cooperation, asking them to either restrict access to contested information or monitor their patrons' use of it.

This paper should provide a history of libraries and national security to serve as a lens through which to examine current controversies over the USA Patriot Act. The paper should cover the following areas:

a) Discuss at least 4 historical examples of how librarians have dealt with government pressure on them to help protect national security. Be sure to define national security to justify your examples.

b) Describe the profession's current response to the USA Patriot Act.

c) Compare and contrast librarians' earlier attitudes and actions with current debates over the USA Patriot Act. Based on this analysis, suggest how the past informs the present.

d) Conclude with your own assessment of how information professionals should respond when confronting issues of national security, being sure to explain the governing rationale for your assessment.

I don't know if my thesis will hit the shelves of the library before the papers are due, but the timing of the question may be purposeful in that regard.

How very odd ...

Comments

Hello, I am now working on the question you printed. It is wild that it is the same topic you did your research on. I would see it as a compliment. I was hoping you would be able or willing to share some of your sources with me. I would really appreciate it. I am scared to death I won't pass.
Thank you for your time.
Katy

Katy, we'll talk via email. In the meantime, just breathe deeply.

Should we make the assumption that some of the selection committees just took your topic and ran with it? :) Yes, you should take it as a compliment. After all, they thought your topic is good enough that they want to read more about it!!!

BTW, your blog looks all weird - the format is kind of screwy.

Am I glad that CE is over. I feel all of these pains all over again after reading this semester's topic...

I think this semester's topics are really kind of hard to pick from. It is just all over the place. See #7.


7. This is your opportunity to do something for your SLIS colleagues yet to graduate. You get to identify two topics to be used with future culminating exams. You need to write two questions that follow the format of the questions used on the current exam or on previous exams. The questions need to be on different topics -- do not write what is essentially a two-part question; that will not be considered a passing answer. You need to include in your paper: two culminating questions. For each question you need to prepare guidelines for what a passing answer should contain - major points to consider, seminal works and/or authors that should be cited, and the like. In other words, if someone who is not an authority on that topic was reading a response to that question on that topic how would that person know it is a passing answer? Finally, for each question you need to include justification for why that question should be used on a culminating exam in a library/information science program. (Hint: this should comprise the major part of your response.)

Your final response should have six parts: 1) question 1, 2) answer guidelines for question 1, 3) justification for question 1, 4) question 2, 5) answer guidelines for question 2, and 6) justification for question 2.

Apparently, they want the students figure out the work for them! But it is a good question to propose nevertheless.

Hiya Eli,

Sarah here, your fellow SUL worker-- I mean, are you back to being a SUL worker?
I left Green's first floor SSRG for the greener pastures of the third floor HASRG; they're real nice up there.

Anyway. Word reached me of your probable connection to question #5, which I am doing.

I'm actually doing question #3, the XML one, first so I haven't done much at all regarding lit review for #5.
I won't ask for too many specifics about the references you used but if you could complete this sentence, "You'd be a fool not to reference ________________________"

That's be most appreciated!
Ciao,
Sarah