LIBR 200-12
Information and Society
Fall 2005

Instructor: Steve Tash
E-mail
Phone: 949.683.7151 9am-9pm PST
E-mail & Telephone Appointments

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Textbooks | Course Requirements

Reminder: Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard. Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard between August 17 and August 26. You will be required to use a password access code which I will provide using the MySJSU Messaging system.

Course Description

This is a class 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, the student will be able to:

• Describe the role of information from historical, current, and future perspectives;
• Identify 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;
• Write essays to become familiar with LIS research and writing.

• This course supports the following SLIS objectives: The foundation of information services;
• Advocacy and leadership for citizen access to information and knowledge resources;
• Evaluating and utilizing relevant research studies from a variety of disciplines.

Textbooks

Required Text
Available from www.lu.com, www.Amazon.com and www.barnesandnobel.com

• Fourie , Denise. (2002) Libraries in the Information Age. Libraries Unlimited. [REQUIRED]
• American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: APA. [Required] This is the standard style manual used for the MLS program at SJSU.

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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 orientation. The access code for this course will be sent to new students via MySJSU by June 27. 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

Onsite Sessions
This course meets onsite at the CSUF campus on

• Friday 8/26 9am-3pm
• Friday 10/ 7 9am-3pm

Attendance is required. Check Announcements and Calendar.

Web-based Instruction
The class will primarily be Web based using Blackboard. It will be necessary for students to self-enroll using the following URL: http://tigris.sjsu.edu/

You will post your assignments utilizing the Blackboard Assignment Manager. We will not be using the Digital Drop Box section of Blackboard.

Attendance/Participation
Attendance at the onsite sessions is mandatory. Participation in online projects, in class and in Blackboard discussion forums is crucial to learning in the online environment.

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
The instructor expects:

• 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 selected assignments electronically. Use the following scheme for submitting files: [Course Number]_[Student's Last Name]_Assignment] Example: LIBR200_Tash_Research Paper
• 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
• Consistently follow the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) for formats, citations and references
• Avoid spelling, grammatical and syntactical errors
• 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
The assignments for this course are:

• Online Discussions/Class Participation
  Several of the class sessions will involve online discussions, assigned readings, onsite discussion, e-mail communication and your own research and writing. Participation is required.
• Web Evaluation/Internet Research Worksheet
  Group Project at #1 onsite meeting
• Library Research Report
  Short critique on issues located in outside readings.
• Electronic Research Report
  Short critique on issues located in outside readings.
• Job Hunt Research Project
  Short evaluation paper.
• Review of LIS journal
  Critique a professional journal for library and information science professionals.
• ListServ/Electronic List Report
  Research Paper on electronic medium for library and information science professionals.
• Professional Association Report
  Critique a professional association for information professionals.
• 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.
  Oral Presentation: At our last onsite meeting you will make a short oral presentation on your research findings regarding the two libraries.
• 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. Your references and formatting should adhere to the rules established in the APA Publication Manual.

Grading
The assignments will contribute to your course grade as follows:

Grades for late assignments will be reduced by 10 percent.

Final grades will be based on the following grading scale established for graduate students by San José State University:

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
Students who need accommodation due to a disability must register with SJSU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first three weeks of the semester. The Center will work with the students to determine the disability, document it, and determine the services and accommodations necessary for student success. Then, the DRC will contact the faculty member to determine the types of consideration necessary.

Students attending the Fullerton campus should first contact the Disability Resource Center in San José since they are SJSU students. The DRC will then direct the students to supporting resources on the Fullerton campus.

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 Jose State University regulations governing plagiarism will be enforced. Those regulations may be found at:

• SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
  http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf
• http://info.sjsu.edu
  Search option: Academic Dishonesty

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