LIBR 200
Information and Society
Summer 2004

Instructor: Steve Tash

 Email: travelstudy@yahoo.com
Phone: 702: 837-0411 9am-9pm PST
Email & Telephone Appointments

 Greensheet

Course Outline

 Assignments

GREENSHEET

Reminder : Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard during these dates: May 26 -June 7

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.

SLIS goals and objectives can be found at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/mission.htm

Textbooks (Available at Titan Bookstore, Amazon, Barnesandnobel.com, Libraries Unl website or used bookstores)

• Fourie, Denise K. (2002). Libraries in the Information Age: An Introduction and Career Exploration. Foundations of library and information science. Libraries Unlimited. 1-56108-634-4 (pbk) [REQUIRED]
• American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington , D.C. : APA. [RECOMMENDED] This is the standard used for the MLS program at SJSU.

Onsite Sessions:

This course meets onsite at the CSUF campus only three times during the Summer Session. Attendance is required. All sessions are 9 am to 5 pm.

• Thursday 6/3
• Thursday 7/15
• Thursday 7/29

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/ the first week of the session.

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.

You will post your assignments to Blackboard.com discussion board and the Blackboard Assignment Manager. Watch for specific instructions.  

Assignments:

Online discussions . Several of the class sessions will involve online discussions of online lectures, assigned readings, and your own research and writing. Participation is required.

Library Research Report/Electronic Research Report. Short critiques on issues located in outside readings. Instructions will be provided.

ListServ/Electronic List Report. Research Paper on electronic medium for library and information science professionals. Instructions will be provided.

Professional Association Report . This is a short paper reporting on a professional association for information professionals. Instructions will be provided.

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. Instructions will be provided.

Annotated Webliography . 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 “Poster Session” . The final class requirement will be to make a short oral presentation on your research findings. Instructions will be provided.

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; the reference list should include at least 20 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.

Grading and Due Dates:

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 Jose State University :

If you need any special consideration due to a disability, you need to register with the SJSU Disability Resource Center and notify the instructor by the second week of classes.

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

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism:

Assignments must be the student's own work and sources must be properly cited. Academic dishonesty is a serious infraction. SJSU codes governing plagiarism can be found at the following sites:

University Policy F88-10: http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/f88-10.htm
S98-1 (amends F88-10): http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/s98-1.htm
S02-4 (amends S98-1): http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S02-4.htm

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance at the three onsite sessions is mandatory. Participation in online group 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 :

• 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_Annotated_Webliography
• 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.

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