About Young Adult Materials

The course site is up, more or less. Email me if you have any questions. Happy Reading!

UPDATE: 29 July 2011: Primary Materials Reading List Available

Instructor: Paulette Rothbauer
Fall Term 2011

Course Website: http://readingspaces.typepad.com/youth_readingspaces/

Brief Course Description: Introduction to materials for young adults with coverage of genres and trends in YA literature. Evaluation of library materials for young adults taking account of reading interests and motivation, information practices, adolescent development and youth culture. Strategies to promote YA library materials and development of materials-based programming for teens.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE MLIS PROGRAM

Students who complete this course will be able to:

1.    identify, select, acquire, organise, describe and provide access to a variety of young adult library materials and professional literatures related to young adult materials (from Goal 2, Obj.1 g)
2.    identify the reading interests of young adults and develop library collections and materials-based services and programmes that correspond to these interests (from Goal 2, Obj.1 h)
3.    communicate and work cooperatively with others on various issues related to young adult materials and teen readers in multiple formats including weblog postings, oral presentations, peer discussions and written reports (from Goal 2, Obj.1j)

PREREQUISITE / CO-REQUISITE
Anti-requisite: 566/9360

COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To introduce students to library materials for teenagers and young adults by examining major genres and trends in young adult literature and by promoting an understanding of the role of young adult literature and other materials in the lives of young adults
2. To develop competence in evaluating young adult library materials published in a variety of formats for library collections that support the reading interests and information needs of young adults
3. To develop strategies and techniques for the promotion of young adult library materials to young adult users and for material-based library programming

Class Structure:
Some lectures but primarily seminars and literature/materials discussion – highly interactive with a strong emphasis on student participation in face-to-face classes and via student blogs

Readings/Viewings
Approximately one novel (or equivalent) every other week, with selected professional and scholarly readings each week, plus reading for individual assignments.

Assignments may include:
Individual student blogs : 20% (reviews, reading responses and blog reports)
Seminar and paper: 30%
Participation and preparation: 15%
Multimedia Booktalks: 20%
Option: YA Author Profile, Bibliographic Essay, YA Materials Program: 15%