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1. Assignment I (Weeks 1-3, 30% towards course grade)

   Choose one of the following topics

   1. Comparison of OPACs
      Select two to three Integrated Library Systems by different vendors from libraries of similar size (large, medium, or small) and type (academic, public, special or school). Do a fairly detailed comparative study of their OPACs and write a paper (8 to 10 pages) discussing the similarities between them and the unique features of each. It would be better if you choose the systems that you are not familiar with before.
   2. Patron Empowerment Features
      Follow the same procedure of selection above, but this time concentrate on the patron service features of the systems.
   3. Koha
      Do a detailed study of Koha, at www.koha.org, and do a test drive of this Open Source ILS. Write a paper (8 to 10 pages), discussing the advantages and disadvantages of choosing it for your library (e.g. a small academic library, a mid-sized public library or a special library).

2. Assignment II (Weeks 4-5, 25% towards course grade)

   Choose one of the following topics

   1. Licencing and Access
      Read through a chuck of the archives (2 to 3 months of the messages) from LIBLICENSE-L Mailing List, and in a 6-8 page paper, discuss three major issues related to licencing and/or access that arose during that period in the conference. What were the issues? What solutions were made to resolve them? What is your position on these issues, and how would you resolve them?
   2. A Library Guide to Alert Service (Current Awareness Services)
      What's the best way to keep up with the literature in your field? One way that's becoming increasingly popular is through automated current awareness services. Users can establish profiles -- typically consisting of either journal titles or keyword searches -- in certain library databases. The database then automatically searches for those journals or keywords (usually once a week or so), then sends the information back to the user in the form of an email. Examine five to seven of the major current awareness services and develop a library guide, in a 6-8 page paper (or a web site), as a library handout to patrons.
   3. EZproxy
      EZproxy is an easy to setup and easy to maintain program for providing patrons with remote access to web-based licensed databases. Study the web site and install a working prototype of it and discuss, in a 6-8 page paper, the process.

3. Assignment III (Weeks 6-7, 25% towards course grade)

   Choose one of the following topics

   1. Dublin Core: Study the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative web site and assign Dublin Core metadata element set to a web site listed under Resources. Describe the process (in 5 pages).
   2. Bloggers: Go to Blogger.com (or some other hosted blogger sites, or install one locally, such as Movable Type. I can help with the installation), sign up for an account and create a blogger on a subject related to library automation. Keep adding entries for a least a week. Describe the process (in 5 pages).
   3. Forums: Go to YaBB, download the code and install it on a local server (I can help with the installation). Configure the system and set up a forum on a subject related to library automation. Describe the process (in 5 pages).

4. Presentation (Last Class, 15 minutes, 10% towards course grade)

5. Participation (10% towards course grade)