LIBR 200-12
Information and Society
Spring 2007 Greensheet
Steve Tash Phone: 949.683.7151 9am-9pm PST
Office Hours: E-mail, Telephone Appointments & Instant Messaging
| Course Links Greensheet Restricted Readings |
Video Welcome Captioned Uncaptioned |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS e-Bookstore |
Textbooks | Course Requirements
Reminder: Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard. Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard between January 15-24, 2007 and will be required to use a password access code which I will provide using the MySJSU Messaging system.
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
Recommended Text
Support SLIS e-bookstore. Supports a number of student scholarships. Find it here: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/courses/books/index.php
- American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: APA. [Recommended] This is the standard style manual used for the MLS program at SJSU.
Course Requirements
Complete the New Student Technology Course
This is a mandatory short, self-paced online course 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
Course Information
Check Blackboard course site for Announcements, Assignments and Course Calendar for exact dates and times.
Web Based Instruction
The class is primarily Web based using Blackboard and Elluminate. It will be necessary for students to self-enroll using the following URL: http://tigris.sjsu.edu/
This Blackboard self-enrollment process is in addition to the normal course registration. In other words you must be formally registered for the class prior to doing the Blackboard self-enrollment. Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard. You will be required to use a password access code which I will provide using the MySJSU Messaging system.
You will post your assignments utilizing the Blackboard Assignment Manager. We will not be using the digital drop box section of Blackboard.
Attendance/Participation
Participation in online projects, virtual office hours, virtual discussions with instructor and special guests and within Blackboard discussion forums is crucial to learning in the online environment. We will make heavy use of Elluminate** software for instructor office hours, online chats and discussions during the term. Reading/viewing/listening to required materials will enhance your ability to participate in these discussions. Check Blackboard regularly for detailed assignments and updates.
General Expectations for Students:
- Have the minimal home computing environment as described at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/homecomputing.htm
- Use a current virus protection program to scan all assignments before they are submitted electronically to Blackboard, other students and to your instructor
- Enroll in Blackboard to receive communications from your instructor (http://tigris.sjsu.edu/)
- Submit assignments electronically using BB assignment manager.
- Submit assignments by midnight of the due date. An assignment submitted after the due date may be subjected to a grade penalty.
- Create assignments using Microsoft Word and double space in no more than a 12-point font
- Be proficient with developing PowerPoint presentations.
- Consistently follow the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) for formats, citations and references
- Avoid spelling, grammatical and syntactical errors
- Be able to utilize Elluminate **as an online environment for virtual office hours, virtual chats and discussions. Students may utilize BB group chat/virtual classroom functions within their group profile with their group colleagues.
**Elluminate Support: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/de/tutorials/elluminate/more.htm
Use the Elluminate tutorials to learn how to upload PowerPoint presentations and how to utilize their feature "application sharing" and verify your microphone and speakers are in operational order. You can use Elluminate with text messaging if you have no microphone. SLIS will be providing student training with Elluminate so check your listserv postings.
Also join the school’s electronic list, SLISADMIN, to get official or administrative messages from SLIS. Find directions at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/electroniclists.htm or
choose Electronic Lists under the Computing pull-down menu on the SLIS Web site.
Assignments
- Class Participation
Several of the class sessions will involve online discussions, assigned readings, possible onsite discussion for hybrid only course, group interaction, email communication and your own research and writing. Participation in class discussion is critical to the conduct of this course because I believe active communication is a major component in the total interactive-learning experience. - Job Hunt Research Project
Student will locate, evaluate, and utilize scholarly and professional literature in order to write a critical essay on a specialized job hunting case study. This written report will involve an analysis of current and future job trends along with job ads utilized and professional literature consulted; along with evidence of critical reflection on your own educational and employment background relevant to job opportunities and expectations. Your research essay should tell what you plan to do over the short and long term to enhance your job prospects. Discuss the relationships you can see and want to explore between your present or anticipated area of interest and the broader LIS world out there. Consider courses in the SLIS program you might take to explore these relationships. A goal of this assignment is to help you plan your academic experience at SJSU SLIS within the perspective of the broader LIS domain. - Professional Journal/Association/Program Analysis
(Group Project) prepare one analysis either a professional LIS journal OR a significant LIS professional association or a Library Program. This is a group assignment in which I will set up groups based on random basis. Some of the groups will report on a LIS Journal while the others will report on a LIS Association or Library Program. Since each group will focus on different types of sources, you will be asked to post a copy of your un-graded assignment to a discussion forum. You will be expected to read, analyze and/or view various annotations, websites and written notes from various online databases and resources utilized to research your professional entities. This will give other students the opportunity to view different types of LIS Journals and Associations and/or Library Programs. - Groups
The number of students assigned to a group will depend on the number of students enrolled in the course. Participation in the group is mandatory. Group members may terminate the membership of a student who does not participate in the activities defined by the group (e.g., virtual meetings, assigned tasks, power point presentation, elluminate session online, references and bibliography, summary development, etc.). The instructor must be notified immediately if a group member is terminated. If a student is terminated from a group, he/she WILL NOT receive credit for the assignment. No make-up or extra-credit assignment will be permitted for a terminated group member. - Field Analysis
You will visit four different types of libraries-academic, public, school and special. You will observe the library in action and if possible interview the library manager or administrator. The product will be a PowerPoint presentation for EACH library, which will be posted for all students to review. Each presentation will have a maximum of 12 slides organized as follows.
Description
- Title Slide: Name of Information Centre
Contact Information
Your Name - Domain/Clientele
Who are the primary users? Secondary? - Basic Governance
to whom does the manager report? to whom does that person report? what is the organizational structure and ultimate governance responsibility? - Physical Quarters
- Collection of Data Objects
what do they collect? from what sources? in what formats?
was any effort made at preservation? - Organization and Representation of Information
how is the information organized for retrieval (e.g., the catalogue)?
what cataloguing structures are unique to the clientele (if any)? - Staffing
what is the staffing? what qualifications are required? has staffing changed over time? - Services/Programs
are any particular programs or services offered for this clientele?
does the library make any particular effort to develop programs of information literacy? what do they look like? - Budgeting
what is the budget? how is it determined? what is the trend? - Cooperation with Other Libraries/Agencies
are there arrangements for resource sharing? formal or informal? with whom? through whom? - Quality Controls
how does management maintain quality? how are programs and personnel evaluated? - Special Issues, Concerns, Observations
what are the special issues and concerns for this particular type of library (as opposed to this specific library)?
We will enjoy an online DB forum analysis and assessment/discussion of these different types of libraries.
Each type of library will have a separate BB Discussion Board Forum at which you may post your Ppt Presentation.
- Critical Essays
Four short papers consisting of a biographical critique on some of the authors whose work is scheduled to be read during the course and/or an abstract of an additional, relevant article that can be submitted in lieu of an author biography. - Major 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; the reference list should include at least 10 citations. A bibliography is not required, but you may include one if you'd like to list sources not cited but consulted for background information and context. 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. Your references and formatting should adhere to the rules established in the APA Publication Manual. This paper accounts for 30% of your grade in this graduate class. - Roadblocks to Information Essay
Short paper on a barrier to information access (i.e. language, disability, geography, gender, ethnicity/culture, and socioeconomic status).
Grading
| Class Participation (Discussion board forums, virtual office, group communication, virtual sessions via Elluminate software) | 16 pts |
| Major Paper | 30 pts |
| Field Analysis | 16 pts |
| LIS Professions (Association/Journal/Program Analysis) (group assignment) |
10 pts |
| Job Hunt Assignment | 10 pts |
| Critical Thinking Essays (2 points each X 4) | 8 pts |
| Road blocks to Information Essay | 10 pt |
Late Assignments
Grades for late assignments will be reduced by 10 percent per day.
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 |
Grading Policy/Papers:
Everyone begins class with a grade of "B", the standard grade for graduate level work. Students who satisfactorily complete assignments on time; attend classes; and actively participate in class exercises and discussions (in class and in Blackboard discussion forums) will receive the "B" provided the quality of written work meets the rigorous scholarly standard
for the University.
In general, graduate work should exhibit clarity and be well written in a logical, coherent fashion. Above standard work is defined as clearly displaying one or more of the following criteria:
- Originality in the approach to the assignment
- Greater depth of analysis than the written assignment expects
- Critical evaluation of readings comparing authors, sources or different viewpoints
- Ability to organize information for oneself and others plus create tools for lifelong learning and knowledge retrieval
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated,
please make contact with me via email or telephone immediately. 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/
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism:
All assignments submitted must be your own work. Sources must be properly cited in papers as specified in class. The San José State University regulations governing plagiarism will be enforced. Those regulations may be found at:
- SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/F06-1.pdf - http://info.sjsu.edu
search option: Academic Dishonesty
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.
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