Course Offerings
In our credit-based classes, students become familiar with the ZSR Library, its resources, and academic research. Strong emphasis is given to learning to evaluate information to determine how appropriate it is for research and whether it is credible, scholarly information. Issues of copyright, plagiarism, and the impact of the Internet on research are also covered.
LIB100: Academic Research & Information Issues
An introduction to the research process and methods for finding, retrieving and evaluating information in an academic library and through online sources. Encourages the development of the skills, attitudes and abilities essential to the discovery of information and promotes an understanding of how scholarship is produced., valued, and shared. Explores the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning. (1.5 credits)
LIB100 Syllabus Academic Research and Information Issues 2024
LIB 110: Research After Wake
Prepares graduating students for their information needs after college, be they personal, professional, or academic. Development of good information-seeking habits and practical knowledge about today’s varied information landscape. Topics may include healthy information attitudes and behaviors, graduate school research skills, researching new companies and/or locations, public library collections and services, and other necessary information skills including web literacy, health news literacy, and financial resources literacy. P – Senior standing or POI. (1.5 credits)
LIB110 Syllabus Research After Wake 2024
LIB 120: Critical Information Literacy
Critically examines the social, political, and economic forces involved in the creation, transmission, reception, and use of information. Approaches information-seeking as situated within particular contexts, taking into account the complex power relationships that undergird our information landscapes. (1.5 credits)
LIB120 Syllabus Critical Information Literacy 2024
LIB 130: Topics in Mis- and Disinformation
Explores issues surrounding mis- and disinformation in our online ecosystems. Covers the processes, history, and psychology behind misinformation campaigns and will look at how the internet exacerbates and ameliorates the problems. Topics may include algorithms, conspiracy theories, social media platforms, and how we can be better, more informed, consumers of information online. (1.5 credits)
LIB210: Social Science Research Sources & Strategies
This half-semester course helps develop emerging social science scholars through exploring interdisciplinarity; research process; evaluating and citing sources; scholarly conversations; and reflecting on information issues. P – Major in Communication, Psychology, Politics, and International Affairs or POI for majors or minors in other social science disciplines. (1.5 credits)
LIB210 Syllabus Social Science Resources and Search Strategies 2023
LIB220: Science Research Sources & Strategies
This half-semester course provides students with an understanding of the sources and strategies for doing research in the natural sciences as well as the ethical, legal, and socioeconomic factors that influence scientific information production and dissemination. P—Major or minor in science discipline or POI. (1.5 credits)
LIB220 Syllabus Science Research Sources and Strategies 2024
LIB 225: Engineering Research Sources and Strategies
Technical innovation, information, and research occur in a variety of formats and a single data doesn’t include every resource available. This course covers how to conduct a search on STEM topics to uncover pre-prints, patents, standards, scholarly articles, specialized encyclopedias using a variety of subscription-based and free databases/tools. (1.5 credits)
LIB230: Business & Accounting Research Sources & Strategies
Provides students with an understanding of the sources and strategies necessary for doing research in business and accounting. Topics include strategies for developing research projects, resources available in each discipline, finding and evaluating sources and interpreting research results. P-P – Major in BEM, Finance, Accounting or POI for majors or minors in other business-related disciplines. (1.5 credits)
LIB23o Syllabus Business and Accounting Research Sources and Strategies 2024
LIB235: Research Methods for Entrepreneurs
This course is intended for students pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship or starting their own entrepreneurial project. It will introduce them to research methods and resources appropriate for business planning, including subscription-based resources available through WFU as well as reliable free resources available from governments, public libraries and elsewhere. The class will learn how to assess a potential market during the exploratory phase all the way through evaluating competitors and industry trends for more fully-formed business concepts. Trends in information gathering and information use by entrepreneurs will also be discussed. (1.5 credits)
LIB 255: Research & Creative Practice
Students will explore themes, practices and contexts of artistic inquiry within the frame of research and library exploration. Topics may include the information behaviors of emerging artists, the library as a source of inspiration, copyright and intellectual property, and engagement with local artist communities. (1.5 credits)
LIB255 Syllabus Research & Creative Practice 2023
LIB 260: History of Material Texts, 1500-2000
Introduces issues in the history of the book in the West, from early modern manuscript culture through the beginnings of the digital age. Using materials from ZSR Library’s Special Collections, students examine printed texts as objects of study in three major ways: as material artifacts, as vehicles for text, and as social constructs. includes a descriptive bibliography/research paper, hands-on typesetting, printing, and bookbinding projects. For more information contact the Special Collections Librarian, ZSR Library. (1.5 credits)
LIB260 Syllabus History of Material Texts 2023
LIB265: Archives and Primary Sources
Lib290 is intended as an introduction to using archives for primary source research in history, humanities, and the other liberal arts. The course will focus on building and practicing basic skills for conducting research in archives and primary source repositories. Students will explore primary sources such as diaries, letters, newspaper articles, photographs, government documents, and first-hand accounts and secondary materials such as books and articles. Students will learn how to navigate document discovery tools, including finding aids and digital collections, at both ZSR Library and other repositories. (1.5 credits)
LIB265 Syllabus Archives and Primary Sources 2022
LIB 290: Topics in Information
Intensive look at one or more current topics in information. Course may be retaken for credit if topic varies. (1-3 credits)