LIBR 230-10
issues in academic libraries
spring 2005

Dr. Renée N. Jefferson
E-mail
Office hours: Blackboard, by appointment

GREENSHEET

| Course Materials | Course Format | Course Requirements |
Assignments | Evaluation |

Course Description

This course will investigate current issues that impact the functioning of the academic library. Topics covered will include issues related to social and political environments, clientele, services, collections, physical settings, financing and staffing, and future trends in the academic library sector.

The prerequisites are LIBR 200, 202, and 204.

Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, the student should be able to perform the following:

1. Understand the role of academic libraries in post-secondary institutions.
   
   
2. Examine critically concepts and issues related to academic libraries in post-secondary institutions.
   
   
3. Analyze and evaluate critically research related to academic librarianship.
   
   
4. Apply critical thinking and analytical methods to the solution of problems related to academic libraries.

The course supports the following School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) objectives:

• The principles and practices of management as specifically applied to information environments

• Requiring students to evaluate and utilize relevant research studies from a variety of disciplines in their coursework.

Course Materials

Course materials will consist of information from the academic library literature. These materials will be posted in Blackboard.

There is no required textbook. Purchasing a copy of the textbook listed below is optional.

Budd, John M. (1998). The Academic Library. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. [You may order the textbook from Libraries Unlimited. The telephone number is 1-800-225-5800. The address for their web site is www.lu.com. You may also order it from Amazon at www.amazon.com and Barnes and Noble at www.bn.com.]

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Course Format

This is a web-based course. There are two MANDATORY class sessions: Saturday, February 19th (10am – 5pm) and Saturday, May 14th (10am – 5pm). The class sessions will be held at California State University, Fullerton in Pollack Library South (the specific room location will be provided prior to the site visit). Blackboard will be used for all course activities.

Blackboard

• The course will be ready for you to enroll on the Blackboard site on Monday, January 17th.
• Please enroll no later than Monday, January 24th.
• After enrolling, follow the instructions posted in the Announcements’ section of Blackboard.

Office Hours
I will not set specific online hours. I will be available to answer questions Monday through Friday. You should have a response to your questions within 48 hours. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in the chat room that is available in Blackboard, or you may schedule a time for me to telephone you.

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Course Requirements

Instructor Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to the following:

1. Check e-mail and Blackboard daily for messages and announcements. Communication in an online course is essential.
   
   
2. Submit all assignments by the specified due date and time. Instructions for each assignment are posted under the Assignments section of Blackboard. Points will be deducted for failure to follow directions. Any assignment submitted after the due date, without the permission of the instructor, will have its total score reduced by 10%. [Note: You must have permission from the instructor to submit your assignment late PRIOR to the due date.] Any assignment submitted more than one week after the deadline will not be accepted for grading, and a failing grade will be recorded; that is, unless a student has received an extension from the instructor. This is only fair to students who work to submit their assignments on time.
   
   
3. Submit assignments that are free of spelling and grammatical errors. All sources must be correctly cited using the APA style manual.
   
   
4. All assignments must be your own work. Sources must be properly cited in papers. The San Jose State University codes and rules governing plagiarism are in effect.

   Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
   http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf

5. Work cooperatively on group assignments. Group work is an important component of this course. If a member of a group is not contributing his or her fair share, please inform the instructor as soon as possible.
   
   
6. Identify a local academic library, preferably a CSU library, with a sizable reference collection. Plan to visit that library frequently throughout the semester. Although the course is conducted online, not all reference sources are readily available online.
   
   
7. Know how to use Blackboard. See the Blackboard Tutorials and Resources for SLIS Instructors and Students located at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard/.
   
   
8. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain a copy of all graded and returned materials for use as evidence in any question that might arise regarding the final grade in the course.
   
   
9. Incompletes will be assigned only in cases of medical or family emergency. Medical or other proof will be required.

Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
Students who need accommodation due to a disability must register with SJSU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first three weeks of the semester. The Center will work with the students to determine the disability, document it, and determine the services and accommodations necessary for student success. Then, the DRC will contact the faculty member to determine the types of consideration necessary.

Students attending the Fullerton campus should first contact the Disability Resource Center in San Jose since they are SJSU students. The DRC will then direct the students to supporting resources on the Fullerton campus.

The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/

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Assignments

Case Study - Academic Library Issues - Topic Paper

Students are required to complete the following assignments:

Case Study: The focus of the case study is an in-depth examination of an academic library. You will be required to select and provide a detailed analysis of an academic library. The analysis includes the following components: (1) the library description—50 points, (2) a needs assessment—50 points, (3) the action plan—50 points, and (4) the case study report—100 points. You will also present the case study (150 points) at the May 14th site visit. These assignments will contribute 400 points toward your final course grade. This is a group assignment.

Groups. The case study is a group assignment. The maximum number of students assigned to a group is four (4). [Note: this number may vary depending on the number of students in the class] Participation in the group is mandatory. Group members may terminate the membership of a student who does not participate in the activities defined by the group (e.g., meetings, tasks). If a student is terminated from a group, he/she WILL NOT receive credit for the assignment. No make-up or extra-credit assignment will be permitted for a terminated group member.

Academic Library Issues: The purpose of the academic library issues assignment is to give you an opportunity to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate literature related to traditional and contemporary issues in different types of academic library environments. Discussions will take place in the Blackboard’s Discussion Forum and at the site visits. The assignments will contribute 300 points toward your final course grade, each assignment contributing 60 points. These are individual assignments.

Topic Paper : The focus of this paper is an examination of an academic library issue. You will be required to write a 7-10 page paper. You may focus on a historical or contemporary issue related to academic libraries. You will interview a currently employed academic librarian or administrator who can provide information regarding the issue you select. This is an individual assignment and it contributes 300 points toward your final course grade.

Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf

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Evaluation

All graded assignments will be marked using one of the following letter grades.

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