LIBR 200-06
Information and Society
Spring 2008 Greensheet
Jean Bedord
E-mail
Emergencies/Prior Appointment: 408-257-9221
Office location: Virtual
Office hours: E-mail reaches me faster than other communication. But I expect most communication to occur in class or within the BlackBoard environment, so I can answer to the entire class. Use LIBR200 in the Subject line or it may get lost in my email filters.
| Greensheet Links Textbooks and Readings Course Requirements |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard before January 28, 2008. You will be required to use a password access code, which I will provide through the MySJSU Messaging system no later than January 21.
CLASS REQUIRED DATES: February 7, March 6 and April 17, (Thursdays) from 1-5 p.m. on SJSU campus, Clark Hall 322.
Course Description
Explores the complex social, economic, historical, and technological developments that influence the impact of information on society. The mission, values and ethics of information professionals are also analyzed.
Prerequisites: Demonstrated computer literacy
Course Objectives
At the completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Describe the role of information from historical, current, and future perspectives;
- Identify the various information sectors;
- Describe and evaluate issues involved in creating and disseminating information in society, with particular attention paid to information literacy;
- Understand the role of libraries and their relationship to other information providers;
- Identify and discuss the major values and codes of ethics associated with the information professions;
- Describe the impact of cultural diversity on the provision of user services by librarians and other information professionals;
- Describe and discuss important economic and policy issues related to the creation and dissemination of information;
- Understand and have experience with different forms and genres of professional writing.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Know the foundations and structure of the information profession;
- Locate, evaluate, and utilize scholarly and professional literature;
- Demonstrate in-depth understanding of major issues in library and information science.
LIBR 200 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom;
- compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
- recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
- understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups;
- demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations.
Textbooks and Readings
Required Text
Available at the bookstore or through the SLIS eBookstore.
- Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman.
Other Required Reading
SLIS has licensed the APA guide for electronic reference. Download this at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/apa_refguide.htm
Additional articles and materials will be included with BlackBoard assignments.
Recommended:
- Eberhart, G. M. (2006). The whole library handbook 4: Current data, professional advice, and curiosa about libraries and library services. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
- American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, DC: APA. This is the print copy if you prefer. Used copies are readily available.
APA style is required for the SLIS program, so the APA manuals, with electronic or print, are the standard reference. I will be posting additional links in Blackboard.
Course Requirements
Complete the New Student Technology Workshop
This is a mandatory short, self-paced online workshop on Blackboard that must be completed by all new SLIS students before the first day of classes. The access code for this course will be sent to new students via MySJSU. If you have questions about this course, e-mail Debbie Faires or Dale David.
For more information, see http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/blackboardintro.htm
Required Home Computing Environment
Please see the School’s “Home Computing Requirements” at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/homecomputing.htm
Complete the Library Online Tutorials for School of Library & Information Science Students (LOTSS). The library offers tutorials especially for SLIS students to learn about the online databases. See http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/tutorial/slis/index.htm. Most students use the online resources heavily when doing research for their paper.
Blackboard Enrollment
In addition to the onsite meetings, this course is taught online using the Blackboard Learning System. Lectures, assignments, and most communications, including discussions and announcements, will be conducted via Blackboard.
Please see the Blackboard Tutorials on how to enroll in a Blackboard course at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard/search_enroll/enroll.htm. To self-enroll in the Blackboard site for this course you must:
- Be registered for the course FIRST.
- The access code for the Blackboard site will be sent to those enrolled in the class via the My.SJSU.edu messaging system prior to the beginning of the course.
You must be extremely organized, disciplined and self-motivated in order to complete an online course successfully. While you can access the course materials online anytime, plan to set aside time each day to complete the readings and assignments. It’s easy to get behind.
All written assignments will be submitted electronically on Blackboard, NOT as email attachments.
Onsite Sessions
This course meets onsite at the SJSU campus three times during the Fall sessions. Attendance is required. All sessions are 1 pm to 5 pm in Clark Hall 322.
- February 7, Thursday
- March 6, Thursday
- April 17, Thursday
Assignments
Here is an overview of the assignments for this course:
- Readings
The course is broken into “topics” which will include:- an online “lecture” provided by the instructor via Blackboard;
- readings from the textbook;
- article readings regarding information and society, and;
- other readings as assigned, including vendor information and web sites.
- Online Discussions
Corresponding to the readings, there will be a Blackboard Discussion Board on the “topic”. Participation in these online discussions is essential. Students may also propose topics for discussion or begin new discussion threads. Students should post (at least) two comments on each discussion topic, one an original contribution and the other a response to another student’s post. Please check in on the discussions occasionally throughout the week. Note that participation is 20% of your grade, so non-participation will automatically reduce your grade below a B. - Professional Journal or LIS Resource Review/Analysis
This assignment involves the review of a library and information science journal. You can select any of the journals or resources from Rubin's book (Appendix A) for review or one that is related to library and information science. - Review/Analysis of a Professional Association
This assignment involves a written report about a library and information science association. There will be an in-class selection process to choose associations so each student evaluates a different one and reports to class. Rubin's book (Appendix B) has a list and there are others related to library and information science. - Library Information Center Report
Visit two different types of libraries to observe the provision of information services. Compare and contrast these two libraries with a critical eye. - Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography
This assignment gets you started on your research paper by asking you to locate and evaluate 12 - 15 sources pertinent to your paper topic. - Research Paper PowerPoint presentation. The final class requirement will be to make a short oral presentation on your topic and research findings.
- Research Paper
Write a formal research paper in which you analyze a significant issue confronting the information professional today. Paper topics may be selected from the areas covered in class or you may choose an issue of more personal interest that is relevant to the goals and objectives of this course.
The text of your paper should be 15 to 20 pages in length. It will include an abstract at the beginning of the paper briefly telling the reader what the paper covers. The paper must also include a reference list that includes at least 20 citations. Note that this reference list is different from the bibliography that you submit earlier in the semester. The bibliography, while on the same topic, represents an early exploration of your topic. Therefore, some of the sources listed in your bibliography may not actually turn out to be useful to or to be referenced in your research paper and therefore will not appear in your reference list in your paper. The reference list lists only those sources actually cited in your research paper.
You will be graded on the extent of your research, your description and critical analysis of the topic, the evidence you provide in support of your argument, and the clarity and quality of your writing as well as your adherence to technical requirements such as page numbers, margins, font size, and proper citation. Your references and formatting should adhere to the rules established in APA style guides.
Grading
| Assignment | Points |
| Professional Journal/Resource Review | 5 points |
| Professional Association Report | 10 points |
| Library Information Center Report | 15 points |
| Literature Review & Annotated Bibliography | 10 points |
| Oral Presentation | 10 points |
| Research Paper | 30 points |
| Class Participation/Blackboard Discussion | 20 points |
You will submit assignments in Blackboard, not by e-mail attachment.
Late Assignments
Points earned for late assignments will be reduced by 10 percent for every 24 hour period between the due date and the submitted date. No incompletes will be assigned.
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
| 97-100 | A |
| 94-96 | A- |
| 91-93 | B+ |
| 88-90 | B |
| 85-87 | B- |
| 82-84 | C+ |
| 79-81 | C |
| 76-78 | C- |
| 73-75 | D+ |
| 70-72 | D |
| 67-69 | D- |
| Below 67 | F |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:
- C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
- B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
- A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://sa.sjsu.edu/student_conduct.
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC) to establish record of their disability.
No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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