LIBR 200-06
Information and Society
Spring 2007 Greensheet
Dr. Robert Wagers
E-mail
Office Hours: virtual via e-mail and by appointment
| Greensheet Links Textbooks and Readings Course Requirements Course Content |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS e-Bookstore |
Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard before January 15. You will be required to use a password access code, which I will provide on the LIBR 200-06 MySJSU messaging system after January 1, 2007.
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 Texts
- Rubin, Richard E. (2004) Foundations of Library and Information Science. NY, NY:Neal-Schumann. 2nd Edition.
- American Psychological Association. (2001) Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: APA
Go to SLIS e-Bookstore.
These texts may be obtained from various online booksellers such as Amazon.com and from the publishers. Since there are numerous sections of this course that use the same texts, you may find them sold-out at the Bookstore. Prices will probably be lower online also.
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
Technology Requirements
Students must have e-mail accounts and access to the Internet, including the ability to view the World Wide Web with a graphical browser such as Internet Explorer and to access PDF files.
Blackboard
For the purposes of submitting assignments and contributing to class discussions, you should create an account on Blackboard (http://tigris.sjsu.edu) and register for this course. Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard before January 15. You will be required to use a password access code, which I will provide on the LIBR 200-06 MySJSU messaging system after January 1, 2007.
Assignments
The assignments for this course (and their percentage value of your final grade) are:
| Short State of the Art Paper | 15% |
| Presentation | 20% |
| Course Readings Paper | 30% |
| Class discussion | 25% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
Grading Philosophy
Completing all assignments accurately and on time will earn a grade of B. To raise this grade, you will need to demonstrate above average creativity, imagination, analysis, and scholarship. Unexcused late assignments will receive a grade of C or lower. Reading late assignments is at the instructor’s discretion. Illness and emergencies are usually the only good excuses. Don't even try the following:
- I'm too busy at work.
- I'm too busy in the rest of my classes.
- I have to go on vacation (especially if it's a nice place the instructor can't go!)
- My parents were in town, the dog was sick, my kids are driving me crazy, my husband/boyfriend/wife/girlfriend is driving me crazy, my efforts to solve the problem of world hunger and peace prevented me from finishing the assignment.
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 |
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/
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.
Course Content
Information and information transfer in society
- Roles of information professionals
- Information products
- The information society
- Communication and its technologies
- Information literacy
Resources in library and information science
Sociology of knowledge
- What are data, information and knowledge
- Production and distribution of knowledge
Information agencies as social institutions
- The communities we serve
- Functions of information agencies
- Professional philosophies and values
- Social responsibility & leadership
Information economics
- Value
- Access and utilization
- Protection
Information policy issues
- Federal information policy/NII
- International policy/GII
- Copyright
- Intellectual freedom
School of Library & Information Science
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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