LIBR 204-12
Information Organizations and Management
Spring 2006 Greensheet
Evelyn Daniel,
UNC-Chapel Hill
E-mail
Office Phone: 919-962-8062
| Greensheet Links Textbook and Readings Course Requirements |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials |
Students will need to self enroll in the Blackboard course site. A code will be distributed to all enrolled students via MySJSU prior to the beginning of the class.
Course Description
Theory and practice for the management of library and information centers are presented and discussed. Emphasis is placed on examining the distinguishing characteristics, cultures, and relationships in information organizations.
Course Goals and Objectives
The objectives of the course are:
- To develop personal managerial skills and a philosophy about management;
- To understand the management task within an organizational setting;
- To appreciate the complexities of organizational life and the role of the professional within an organization;
- To become familiar with management literature in library and information science, business, and related fields;
- To develop strategies for continued learning about management and continued development of leadership skills;
- To learn about the creative activities of managers and the central roles they play in promoting group activities and innovation in an organizational context;
- To examine issues related to managing information staffs and services in a diverse society.
- To demonstrate good collaborative skills in working with classmates and instructor in this course to make it an effective and efficient learning environment.
The course emphasizes the following SLIS teaching and learning objective:
- The major theories, important principles and current practices of management as specifically applied to information environments;
The SLIS Objectives are found at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/mission.htm
Textbooks and Readings
Required Text
The required text for this course is:
Evans, G. Edwards, Patricia Layzell Ward, Bendik Rugaas. (2000). Management Basics for Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman.
The required text may be purchased online at www.neal-schuman.com or www.amazon.com. Used copies should be readily found
Readings
Readings are assigned throughout the class. They are in either the required text, from the King library or from other online sources.
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
Course Format
This is a virtual class. There are no class meetings. Office hours are conducted virtually on Thursday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM (San Jose time – Instructor’s time 6-8pm). Office hours are communal and voluntary. Private conference time can be set up as telephone call, chat session, or e-mail.
Access to the Internet is necessary. Students must have the ability to:
- send and receive e-mail with attachments in Word format
- view the WWW with a graphical browser
- view and create PDF files in version 3.0 or higher
- use a current virus protection program to scan all assignments before electronic submission.
Blackboard
The course will be conducted using the SLISWEB Blackboard (BB) course management system.
- A code will be distributed to all enrolled students via MySJSU prior to the beginning of the class.
- Students are required to participate in online discussions on BB several times a week unless permission for non-participation is requested of the instructor and granted.
- Assignments should be posted on the appropriate discussion forum in BB for your colleagues to share and compare. If an assignment is sensitive for any reasons, you have the option of sending it directly to the instructor.
- Questions about the class or procedures should be posted on the BB “Class FAQ” discussion forum so that all the other students will see the question and the answer. Changes are your question is one that others have as well.
- All papers should follow APA style using The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed.
Assignments
Below are the general assignments for the course. Please see the course outline each week and check the assignments tab on the Blackboard Web page for specific assignment details, including due dates and a rubric for each assignment. Assignments are due by midnight on the date shown on the class schedule.
- My Story (10%)
On one or two pages introduce yourself to the class. Include some of your past experiences, what your life goals are, what’s important to you. If you want to add your feelings about management and what you would like to get out of this class, that would be of interest to us. Include a picture if possible. Post your story early in the week the assignment is due and then read and respond to the stories of at least three of your fellow classmates. - Two Analytical Essays (10% and 15%)
The first paper will ask you to select a library or information agency that you are somewhat familiar with and to describe it in 3-5 double-spaced pages. Some questions to prompt your organizational description/analysis will be provided. The second paper will be on a relevant topic of your choice. It should be grounded in the literature and include your analysis and comparison of the materials plus your own knowledge and experiences and your conclusions. - Discussion of the Readings (25%)
Questions and suggested activities will be posted each week. Please share your thoughts on the questions and on the readings. Your engagement with the topics and with your fellow students will deepen your knowledge. Some ways of demonstrating engagement include:- Identifying an aspect of the topic as significant to you with your explanation of why you see it as significant
- Evaluating an argument critically and comparatively [Note: “critically”
doesn’t always mean “negatively”; perhaps “logically” is a better
synonym] - Providing an effective synthesis of multiple resources, arguments, or
points of view - Taking an existing discussion in a new direction
- Bringing “real life” experience into class discussions
- Helping to create a learning community by inclusive remarks and
questions and by bringing fellow students into the discussion.
- Group Case Study (15%)
A case analysis with a budget focus will be assigned as a group project. You will all receive the same grade unless there is overwhelming evidence that it should be otherwise. Individual assessments of the group work experience will also be submitted. - Strategic Plan for Change (15%)
Using the organization selected for your first paper, develop a strategic plan for it beginning with an identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths. Include your ideas about the changes that you believe would be important and develop a plan to make them happen. Post a synopsis of your strategic plan (two-four pages) for discussion by your colleagues and send the complete version to the instructor. - Philosophy of Management (10%)
As a final summing up of the course, write a one or two page essay describing your philosophy of management. Describe how you would like to be managed and how you would like those working for you to describe you as a manager and as a leader. Describe the kind of organizational culture you would find most supportive as a worker or as a manager and what you can do as a manager to create that kind of culture.
Submitting Assignments
The rules for submission of assignments are:
- All pages should be consecutively numbered with the student’s name and the name of the assignment and date in the footer of each page
- All submitted work should be keyed using Microsoft Word, double-spaced, 12-point font.
- Spelling, grammatical and syntactical errors will affect the evaluation negatively
- Work cited should include complete bibliographical information and conform in format to the ALA style manual
- Assignments submitted after the due date may be subject to a grade penalty
- Assignments must be your own or your team’s work. Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf
Grading
Everyone begins the class with a grade of “B”, the standard grade for acceptable graduate level work. Students who complete the assignments in timely manner and participate at least twice a week in the discussions will receive a B provided that the quality of written work meets the standard for the University. Self-assessment will be encouraged; in the last analysis, you should be the best judge of your work.
Above standard work is defined as work that clearly displays one or more of the following criteria:
- Originality in the approach to the assignment
- Greater depth of analysis
- Critical evaluation of readings by comparing them to other readings or sources
- Ability to organize the information and to create tools for lifelong learning and knowledge retrieval
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/
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Phone: 408-924-2490
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