LIBR 200-09
LIBR
200-18
Information and Society
Fall 2008 Greensheet
Robert Boyd
E-mail
Home Phone: (408)554-5398
Office Hours: by appointment
| Greensheet Links Textbooks and Readings Course Requirements Course Calendar |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Mission of the School
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at San Jose State University educates professionals and develops leaders who organize, manage and enable the effective use of information and ideas in order to contribute to the well-being of our communities.
Getting Started
SLIS utilizes a content management system called Blackboard for class communications, submitting assignments, and grade records. You should enroll in our 200-09 / 200-18 Blackboard site between August 18-22, 2008. You will be required to use a password access code I will email to you via the MySJSU e-mail Messaging system prior to August 18, 2008.
Our class begins on Monday, August 25, 2008. Weekly class sessions run from Saturday through Friday of the following week.
Course Description
This course is designed to explore 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. This course provides a foundation for thinking critically about information professions and the roles of information professionals.
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 course 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
- Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman. (Available through the eBookstore: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/courses/books/index.php)
Recommended
- Haycock, K. & Sheldon, B. (2008). The Portable MLIS: Insights from the Experts. Portsmouth, NH: Libraries Unlimited.
- American Psychological Association. (2001) Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: APA. (Available through the eBookstore. Free electronic version is available at: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/apa_refguide.htm)
Additional journal articles will be assigned and freely available online through the San Jose State University King Library website, http://www.sjlibrary.org
Course Requirements
Complete LIBR 203: Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools
This is a mandatory 1 unit course that introduces students to the various e-learning tools used in the SLIS program, including Blackboard, Elluminate and Second Life. This course must be completed by all new SLIS students within the first 4 weeks of their first semester. If you have questions about this course, e-mail Debbie Faires or Dale David.
For more information, see http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm
Assignments
More detail on each assignment will be provided on Blackboard.
- Reflective essays
You will read, analyze, and respond to two assigned articles on the values, ethics, or future of information professionals. Each essay will be two pages, double-spaced. - Review/Analysis of a Professional Journal
This assignment involves the review of a library and information science journal. You can select any of the journals from Rubin's book (Appendix A) for review or one that is related to library and information science. This review/analysis will be two pages, double-spaced. - Review/Analysis of a Professional Association
This assignment involves a written report about a library and information science association. You can select any of the associations from Rubin's book (Appendix B) or one that is related to library and information science. This review/analysis will be two pages, double-spaced. - 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. Instructions will be provided. - Research paper
This is your chance to explore, in depth, a significant issue of interest to the LIS community. Early in the semester you will identify an issue that piques your interest; you will research it thoroughly in order to produce a 15-20 page paper (written in APA style). Your paper should show evidence of careful research and critical analysis, and should be thoughtfully constructed and clearly written. At least 20 sources should be included in the list of works cited. - Online Discussion/Class Participation
As this class is completely on-line and asynchronous, participation in the weekly Blackboard discussions is essential for success in the course.
All assignments are due on Fridays and must be submitted before midnight. The Research Paper is due on the final day of class, December 10, 2008. Grades for any late work will be reduced by 10%. Please contact me prior to a deadline in the case of illness or emergency.
Incompletes
Students should avail themselves of the policy for uncompleted coursework on the School’s website under “Registration.”
Grading
| Assignment | Percentage | Due Date |
| Blackboard Participation | 15% | Weekly |
| Reflective Essay #1 | 10% | September 19, 2008 |
| Professional Journal review | 10% | October 3, 2008 |
| Reflective Essay #2 | 10% | October 17, 2008 |
| Professional Association review | 10% | October 31, 2008 |
| Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography | 15% | November 21, 2008 |
| Research Paper | 30% | December 10, 2008 |
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/
Course Calendar
The following dates are tentative and subject to change with fair notice.
- Week 1 (August 25):
Introduction - Week 2 (August 30):
The Information Infrastructure - Week 3 (September 6):
Information Science: A Service Perspective - Week 4 (September 13):
Redefining the Library: The Impacts and Implications of Technical Change
Reflective Essay #1 due (September 19) - Week 5 (September 20):
Information Policy: Stakeholders and Agendas
Research topic approved (September 26) - Week 6 (September 27):
Information Policy as Library Policy: Intellectual Freedom
Review of Professional Journal due (October 3) - Week 7 (October 4):
Information Organizations: Issues and Techniques - Week 8 (October 11):
From Past to Present; The Library's Mission and Its Values
Reflection Paper #2 due (October 17) - Week 9 (October 18):
Ethics and Standards: Professional Practices in Library and Information Science - Week 10 (October 25):
The Library as Institution: An Organizational View
Review of Professional Association due (October 31) - Week 11 (November 1):
Librarianship: An Evolving Profession - Week 12 (November 8):
Current Topics and Issues - Week 13 (November 15):
Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography due (November 21) - Week 14 (November 22):
Thanksgiving holiday - Week 15 (November 29):
Research - Week 16 (December 6):
Classes end, December 10
Research Paper due (December 10)
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