Course Information

Course Details

Course Instructor

Instructor: W. Bernard Lukenbill, Ph.D., M.L.S.

Teaching Assistant: John William Nordhaus

Course Description

This course will familiarize students with the processes of evaluating, selecting, and using books and other media to meet the needs of young adults of junior and senior high school age.

The course will briefly survey the reading experience, psychology of adolescence, and reading interests of young adults. Extensive reading and viewing is required.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of INF 382F is to gain knowledge and increase understanding of media for youth and to discuss ways and means of integrating media into educational and recreational service programs.

General Objectives

1. To increase knowledge and understanding of materials for young adults;
2. To increase knowledge and understanding of the general social and psychological characteristics of young adults and their culture and to relate such concepts to the selection and critical evaluation of media for adolescents;
3. To increase knowledge and understanding of selected information needs of young adults (related to sex, drugs, recreation, etc.);
4. To raise and increase knowledge and understanding about significant issues and problems in the area of young adult materials and library services;
5. To consider methods appropriate for the critical evaluation of materials, problems, and issues arising in the field of young adult materials.

Specific Objectives

This course will:

1. Introduce and review basic social and psychological characteristics of youth and youth culture;
2. Introduce and review basic reading, listening, and viewing habits and interests of youth;
3. Introduce and critique criteria and procedures for selecting media for youth;
4. Introduce and critique examples of media for youth;
5. Introduce and discuss significant issues and problems in young adult materials including sexism and sex roles, sexuality and sex information for youth, drugs, alcohol and smoking, racism, and ageism;
6. Introduce problems, procedures and principles in relation to censorship of materials for adolesents.

Competencies

Competencies are to be gained through background readings in psychology, sociology, review of media items, and discussion of professional issues as revealed in the professional literature. The key procedures will be reading, reviewing, and discussion.

Outline of Topics

Topic: Introduction to Adolescence Culture and Environments

• What Is an Adolescent and Their Environments
• Concept of Adolescents in Today's Society
• Adolescent Developmental Needs and Library/Information Services
• Interests of Youth

Topic: Developing and Promoting Collections

• Selection Aids and Procedures
• Writing Annotations

Topic: Significant Issues and Questions in Adolescent Materials and Services

• Sex Roles, Sexism, Sexuality and Sex Information
• Multiculturalism
• Health

Topic: Literature

• Introduction Adolescent Novels
• The Adolescent Novels
• Traditional Novels
• The "New" Novels
• The Popular Adult Novel and Short Story

Topic: Censorship and Intellectual Rights, Freedom of Speech Issues

• Censorship of Library Materials
• Court Rulings Affecting Rights of Young People

Topic: Culture, History, and Current Society

• Cultural Tradition
• Biography and Personal Narratives
• Current Events (e.g., social issues)
• History, Events
• Science and Technology
• Folklore and Mythology
• The Arts (Music, Drama, Dance, Poetry)