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I don't know what UCLA is doing today, but when I was a student, Marcia Bates taught a master's course, "Information Seeking Behavior," which did exactly that. Returning to school after 10+ years in the field, I was fascinated and more than a little annoyed that my MLS program hadn't included that kind of course. Of course, all of our doctoral seminars discussed these issues. At LSU, Carol Barry teaches "Information Needs Analysis," which certainly includes the "food-chain," as you call it. I require students in cataloging to write a research paper, using scholarly sources, in which they compare and contrast the information seeking-behavior of a given group with the structure and function of the classification system or subject heading scheme used for that group. My course on the history of books and libraries is essentially an exploration of these issues throughout time -- how and why books and libraries developed in various social and cultural contexts; in other words, "print culture.' I also address it in children's services, I'm quite certain that Michelynn McKnight discusses it thoroughly in her "Information Resources" and other courses, I expect that Bob Ward includes it in his management courses -- in fact, I'd be extremely surprised if every class we teach didn't, in some way, touch on this to some degree or another. I'm curious as to what makes you think that this is not standard part of every LIS curriculum today. Suzanne M. Stauffer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Library and Information Science Louisiana State University 275 Coates Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (225)578-1461 Fax: (225)578-4581 [log in to unmask] Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? --T.S. Eliot, "Choruses from The Rock" B.G. Sloan wrote: > > I think it would be really instructive if LIS students could take a > course that showed where libraries and librarians fit into the > overall "information-seeking food chain". Something that would give > future librarians a realistic idea of how libraries are used (and not > used) by people seeking information that they need. Something where > students read research reports about how people really go about > looking for the info they need, and then discuss how libraries might > better position themselves in the "big picture". > > It might help future librarians design better library systems if they > could view the problem through a non-library-centric lens, and see the > role of libraries within a broader context. > > I'm thinking there are probably courses like this out there. If you > teach a course like this I'd be interested in taking a look at your > syllabus. > > Thanks! > > Bernie Sloan > >