LIBR 204-08
Information Organizations and Management
Fall 2008 Greensheet
Monique A. le Conge
E-mail
Office Hours: via e-mail; phone appointments by arrangement
| Greensheet Links Textbooks and Readings Course Requirements |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Students should self-enroll in this course via Blackboard beginning Monday, August 25, 2008. An access code will be sent to registered students via MySJSU.
Course Description
Identifying distinguishing characteristics, culture and relationships of information organizations. Emphasizes theories examining the interaction between human beings and the organizations in which they work.
Course Prerequisites: Students will have the specified minimum hardware and software to participate fully in the course.
Course Objectives
Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Compare management theories, principles and practices;
- Apply analytical and strategic planning processes and skills;
- Identify the roles and activities of managers;
- Understand portfolios as a means of performance assessment;
- Experience and assess working in teams;
- Know issues of diversity in the workplace;
- Prepare and post a resume and use the services of the SJSU Career Center;
- Review and use the professional and research literature of management.
LIBR 204 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
- design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories;
- demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations;
- evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.
Textbooks and Readings
Required Text
- Stueart, R. D. & Moran, B. B. (2007). Library and Information Center Management: Seventh Edition. Publisher: Libraries Unlimited.
Recommended Readings
- Collins, J. (2005). Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. Publisher: HarperCollins.
- Pink, D. H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Publisher: Riverhead Trade. (updated ed.)
Go to SLIS eBookstore.
Course Requirements
Complete LIBR 203: Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools
This is a mandatory 1 unit course that introduces students to the various e-learning tools used in the SLIS program, including Blackboard, Elluminate and Second Life. This course must be completed by all new SLIS students within the first 4 weeks of their first semester. If you have questions about this course, e-mail Debbie Faires or Dale David.
For more information, see http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm
Technology Literacy Requirement
All students must meet the Technology Literacy Requirement, available at:
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/admissions/tech.htm
Home Computing Requirement
All students must meet the Home Computing Requirement , available at: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/homecomputing.htm
Class Location & Meeting Schedule
This is a 100% web-based course. Online discussions may be set as needed, with advance notice during the semester.
Course Format
This is a web-based course. Blackboard will be used for ALL course activities. Blackboard will be available beginning August 25, 2008.
This class incorporates a mix of readings, assignments, and discussions via the Blackboard electronic discussion boards. Blackboard will be used for supplemental course activities and reading discussions.
Class Participation/Expectations
Class participation includes contributions to discussions, exercises, and activities on Blackboard site. Each student is expected to contribute substantive comments to the class discussion of assignments and to complete assignments on or before deadline dates. First, students must post an introduction on the Homepage area of Blackboard. Additional contributions will be required for each topic of discussion. Students are encouraged to use the discussions as a way to build on their interests and regular participation is vital to that.
Students must respect one another’s opinions in Discussion Board threads regarding library services and issues related to bias, diversity, ageism, racism, gender orientation, homelessness & privilege.
Assignment Submission
Rules for submission of assignments:
- 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, single-spaced, 12-point font, double-spaced between paragraphs.
- Spelling, grammatical, and syntactical errors will affect the evaluation negatively
- Work cited should include complete bibliographical information and conform in format to the APA style manual.
- Assignments must be your own or the collaborative work of your group. Academic honesty and ethical standards relative to other’s work are highly valued. See the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy – http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.pdf.
- Assignments must be submitted electronically using Microsoft Word through the Drop Box area of Blackboard no later than 11:59 p.m. of the due date.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will not be accepted without prior notification and approval of the instructor and with the understanding that there will be a decrease in the number of points earned for the assignment, up to 50% of the total points.
APA
Students are encouraged to use APA (5th edition) format for papers and assignments.
All assignments must be your own work with sources properly cited in papers.
San Jose State University codes and rules governing plagiarism are in effect.
Course Calendar
(subject to change with fair notice)
| Discussion | weekly |
| Electronic Portfolio (resume) | due Week 2 |
| SWOT analysis | draft due Week 6 |
| Strategic directions | draft due Week 8 |
| Goals, objectives, action plan | draft due Week 9 |
| Final strategic plan with cover letter | due Week 11 |
| Program or service proposal | due Week 12 |
| Analytical essay I | due Week 13 |
| Analytical essay II | due Week 14 |
| Philosophy of Management and Leadership | de Week 16 |
Assignments
| Class participation/weekly discussion forums | 30% |
| Program or service proposal | 10% |
| Strategic planning (group assignment) | 20% |
| Analytical essay I | 10% |
| Analytical essay II | 10% |
| Management and leadership philosophy | 10% |
| Electronic portfolio | 10% |
- Class participation/Weekly Discussion of the Course Topics (30%)
I will provide discussion topics each week. 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 logically and comparatively, which may be different than “negatively”
- 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.
- Electronic Portfolio (10%) Due Week 2, Sept. 5.
SLIS has decided to use a portfolio as evidence of achievement of competency in the 14 core areas, and demonstration of the development of a professional philosophy and a professional growth plan. A content management server (named Plone) has been set up to support your e-Portfolio. You are asked to familiarize yourself with the software (see http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/plone/ for tutorials), to create a personal site and publish your resume on it, then provide information in Blackboard on how to access it. - Strategic Planning – Group Exercise (20%)
You will join a group of 3-5 classmates. Your task will be to select an information organization one of your classmates is familiar with as your target for strategic change. Four written products are required: a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis; a paper describing three strategic directions for your organization based on the SWOT analysis and current trends in library management (with a discussion of reasons for these directions citing supportive literature); a set of goals and objectives, with an action plan for one of these strategic directions; a cover letter explaining and presenting the final product.
Due dates- SWOT analysis: draft due Week 6, Oct. 3.
- Strategic directions: draft due Week 8, Oct. 17.
- Goals, objectives, action plan: draft due Week 9, Oct. 24.
- Final plan with cover letter: due Week 11, Nov 7.
- SWOT analysis: draft due Week 6, Oct. 3.
- Program or service proposal (10%) Due Week 12, Nov. 14.
Select a library or information agency that you are somewhat familiar with and describe it (you can use information from your strategic plan for this assignment). Describe a program or service that you, as a manager, would like to see introduced in that organization. Refer to your text as needed and specifically note such things as strategic goals, staffing, assessment, marketing, fiscal and technology requirements in writing the proposal. - Analytical Essay I (10%) Due Week 13, Nov. 21.
For any of the management or leadership topics we have studied or that interest you and were not covered in sufficient depth, locate 5-6 current (last 3-5 years) substantive research or theoretical articles on the topic, synthesize the information in the articles in a manner that would be of interest and value to fellow professionals, and provide information on why you believe the information is important/useful and how you think it can be used by professionals in the field. The articles need not come from library science. You may find relevant literature in business, education, or other disciplines, as well as the recommended reading. The rule is to make sure the material you select is relevant to the course and that it is substantive or theoretical. If you have questions, just ask me to review the material you are considering. - Analytical Essay II (10%) Due Week 14, Dec. 1 (note additional days for Thanksgiving Holiday.
You will work in a group to prepare a strategic plan. For this assignment, you are to evaluate your experience in this group. Write a one or two page analysis of the experiences identifying factors that contribute to group success and factors that impede it. Did each team member contribute equally? How were problems addressed and resolved? Conclude your paper with some suggestions for actions that you might take in a future group to make it work more effectively. - Philosophy of Management and Leadership (10%) Due Week 16, Dec. 8.
Write a one or two page essay describing your philosophy of management and leadership. Describe how you would like to be managed and how you would like those working for you and with 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 AND as a leader to create that kind of culture. Discuss any changes that have occurred in your philosophy of management as a result of taking this course. Remember that management and leadership are not the same things, so address them separately.
Grading
Everyone begins the class with a grade of "B", the standard grade for graduate level work. Students who complete the assignments, use the class Blackboard site, and participate in the discussions will receive the B provided the quality of written work meets the standard of rigorous scholarly work for the University. 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 that the written assignment expects;
- Critical evaluation of readings by comparing them to other authors or sources;
- Ability to organize information for themselves and others plus create tools for life-long learning and knowledge retrieval.
Penalties are also assessed in the following situations:
- Errors in spelling, grammar, and syntax will be subject to a grade penalty.
- Evidence of plagiarism will result in a grade of F for the course.
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 |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:
- C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
- B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
- A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.
Other Relevant Information
Everything that you get from this course is based on what you put into it. My goal is to prepare you for your continued studies and, eventually, for the “real world” with practical assignments that will give you the opportunity to practice ideas and processes. I will do my best to reply to your questions in a timely manner and provide support and feedback as needed.
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.
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/
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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