LIBR 220-01 and -10
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources and Services Spring 2004

Ellen Greenblatt
egreenblatt@yahoo.com
Online

GREENSHEET

Course Description

LIBR 220. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources and Services.
This class will explore library services and resources as they relate to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) communities and their support systems. We will discuss various library operations and services within the context of GLBT issues and concerns as well as examine and evaluate key publications and other information resources in the field.

Prerequisites: LIBR 210

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Develop culturally competent approaches to working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) communities and individuals;
• Understand service-oriented issues and concerns regarding library use by GLBT communities;
• Understand basic concepts and terminology relating to GLBT communities and issues;
• Develop the ability to evaluate the appropriateness of information resources relating to this topic and become familiar with key GLBT information resources;
• Become familiar with collection development/management, publishing, and acquisitions issues relating to this subject area; and
• Become familiar with access issues facing GLBT users

This course supports the following SLIS objectives:

Teaching students the major theories, important principles, and current practice in:

• Information transfer;
• One or more specialized aspects of information management; and
• Advocacy and leadership for citizen access to information and knowledge resources

Required Text

There is no specific textbook for this course. Readings will be available online and through library databases. For more information, see the Blackboard course website.

Course Requirements

Weekly assignments are due by midnight Pacific Time each Thursday night. Other assignments are due by midnight Pacific Time on the dates shown above.

Grading Policy

This course will follow the University’s recommended grading scale for graduate students:

Late Assignments. Assignment due dates are clearly stated both on this “Greensheet” and on the Blackboard course site. Be sure to back up your work as a preventative measure and retain copies of your assignments until the end of the grading period. Late work will only be accepted under special circumstances, with advance notification and proper documentation.

Incompletes. A grade of "Incomplete" will be assigned only in cases of documented emergencies.

Course Format
This is a totally online course with all class activities taking place on the Blackboard course site, including asynchronous discussions. If needed, we may occasionally schedule a synchronous chat, providing there is enough lead time to facilitate everyone’s attendance.

However, several of the assignments deal with evaluating print resources, and so it is essential that students in this course have physical (as opposed to virtual) access to an academic or public library.

Technical Requirements

For this online course, you must have the following:

• A Blackboard account (see below)
• An email account that allows you to send and receive attachments.
• Internet access and an up-to-date web browser
• Microsoft Office 98+ (Word and PowerPoint, in particular)
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 5+
• Up-to-date antivirus software

For more detailed information regarding technical requirements, please see:
SLIS Home Computing Environment http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/homecomputing.htm

Blackboard

The course will be available for enrollment on Monday, January 26th. Please enroll on the Blackboard site for the course between Monday, January 26th and Saturday, January 31st.

If you need help with setting up your account or other aspects of Blackboard, please refer to Stanley Laufer’s excellent tutorial at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard/.

Be sure to check your e-mail and the Blackboard course site regularly for announcements and other class information.

Office Hours / Communication

While there are no special online office hours for this class, I will be happy to answer your questions as they arise. Please submit your questions and comments through Blackboard or send them directly to me at: egreenblatt@yahoo.com. Please start your email subject line with “220” so that I can easily identify your emails and ensure a timely reply – within 48 hours of receipt. I will announce on Blackboard any extended absences that may affect the promptness of my responses. Also, when sending emails, please keep in mind that I am most likely in a different time zone than most of you – Mountain Time, which is one hour later than Pacific Time.

Class Policies:

Attendance / Participation. The web-based nature of this course precludes traditional attendance requirements and as such emphasizes participation. This means that all students are required to participate in all discussion board activities. Participation in these discussions must be substantive, thoughtful, creative, and grounded in research and assigned readings.

Plagiarism. See the various University policies linked to the following page: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/de/problems/plagiarism.htm
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. You can find these regulations at: http://info.sjsu.edu [use search option: Academic Dishonesty] as well as through the links provided on the plagiarism page above.

Provisions for Disabilities

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

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