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IS41790

Academic Year 2026/2027

Communities Outreach (IS41790)

Subject:
Information Studies
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Information & Comms Studies
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Mx Faye Carrie
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module empowers students to engage meaningfully with communities, positioning such engagement as a central responsibility of LIS professionals across a range of library and information provision contexts. It adopts a user-centred approach that foregrounds the voices and needs of diverse communities, encouraging students to develop a strong community ethos rooted in inclusion, equity, and social responsibility. Reflexive praxis is integrated throughout, enabling practitioners to critically evaluate their own positionality and its influence on professional practice.

Through direct and interactive engagement with communities and those who engage with them in their work, students investigate real-world concerns and collaboratively explore responsive solutions. They develop a critical theoretical lens to interrogate the social, cultural, and political dimensions of LIS work, from service design and resource provision to policy and advocacy. Seminar-based sessions provide an interactive forum for discussing case studies, reflecting on lived experiences, and critically analysing approaches to community engagement, ensuring graduates are equipped to foster meaningful, sustainable connections in diverse contexts.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Critically evaluate the role of community engagement in library and information services, drawing on relevant critical theory and professional frameworks.

Design and propose inclusive, user-centred service initiatives that reflect the needs, voices, and priorities of diverse communities.

Demonstrate reflexive praxis by articulating how personal positionality, bias, and professional ethics influence LIS practice and decision-making.

Apply appropriate research and engagement methods to gather, interpret, and respond to community feedback in service design and delivery.

Collaborate effectively with peers, stakeholders, and community members to co-create strategies that strengthen equitable access, participation, and representation in LIS contexts.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

60
Autonomous Student Learning

41
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Reading, reflection, community engagement

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Case study of community of student's choice Week 15 Graded No
80
 No
Reflective Assignment: 1000 word assessment Week 6 Graded No
20
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Faye Carrie Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32, 33 Mon 13:00 - 14:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 22, 30 Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
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