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Home - Course Web Pages - Spring 2007 - LIBR 230-01 Greensheet

LIBR 230-01
Issues in Academic Libraries
Spring 2007 Greensheet

C. James Schmidt
E-mail
Office: 420A Clark Hall
Phone: 408-924-2465
Fax: 408-924-2476
Office Hours: 11 a.m. - Noon: Tuesdays, Wednesdays Thursdays

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Course Links Greensheet Outline

Resources SLIS e-Bookstore

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Textbooks and Readings | Course Requirements

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.

Prerequisites: LIBR 200, LIBR 204

Course Objectives

To understand the organization, structure and economics of American Postsecondary Education; to discuss concepts and issues related to libraries in postsecondary institutions, aka academic libraries.  Each student will explore one concept/issue in depth.

LIBR 230 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

• compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
• recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
• use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users.

Textbooks and Readings

Required Text

• John M. Budd. The Changing Academic Library.  Chicago: 2005 Association of college and Research Libraries      

Go to SLIS e-Bookstore.

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Course Requirements

Course Schedule
1:00 - 4:00PM in Clark Hall 316:

• January 31
• February 14
• February 28
• March 14
• April 4
• April 18
• May 2

Grading
This is a graduate course. Graduate level work is presumed. This presumption extends to punctuality and to writing. Do not submit any written work you would not be willing to be publicly identified with. How you say what you does affect whether or not others understand what you mean.

Assignment	% Final grade
Institutional Profile Due 5 PM February 7	20%
Critical Note (2) Due 5 PM February 21 & March 7	30% (15%/each)
Paper Due May 2	30%
Participation	20%

Assignments
In addition to all the reading, there are four assignments plus class participation:

• Assignment # 1
  Select an academic institution and post its name to the class reflector list (230_schmidt@slis.sjsu.edu).  Based on the data you can find, post the class reflector list by no later than 5pm February 7 a profile of it including enrollment, broken down by level (UG, G), date of founding, current budget, size of enrollment, number of degree programs by level, finances, size of library in terms of collection, budget and staff.  No duplications allowed so make your choice fast.  Hint: Assume that the profile you develop will be used by one of your colleagues as part of his/her preparation for an interview for a position at that institution.
• Assignment #2
  Select an article on one of the topics listed for February 28 and write a critical note of not more than 1000 words about it.  Post the citation/link for it and your critical note to the class reflector list by February 21, and be prepared to discuss it and the issues it raises in February 28 class.
• Assignment #3
  Select and article on the March 14 topic.  Post a critical note of not more than 1000 words and a citation/link to the article to the class reflector list by 5pm March 7.
• Assignment #4
  Term project
  • Your term project is for you to select. If you choose a paper, it should be no longer than 20 pages excluding notes and references. Consult with me NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 28 re the topic you select.
    Do not feel limited to this list:
    • Faculty status for academic librarians: Why or why not?
    • Non-librarian professional in academic libraries: Members of the team or fish out of water?
    • Library instruction: Done when, how and by whom? What works and what doesn’t.
    • Cyberspace has everything, and its 7x24, so who needs academic library buildings?
    • If the academic library just had enough money? Will it, ever?
    • What about access to materials and services to those distance learners?
    • Preserving the digital; It’s more than raging fires. 
    • Who uses academic libraries anyway? How much?
    • Will the serials crisis, whatever that is, ever end?
    • Scholarly communication: Done how?
    • What about tomorrow’s scholars if today’s collections diminish?

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

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