LIBR 231-10
Issues in Special Libraries
Spring 2007 Greensheet
Sue Brewsaugh
E-mail
Phone: (714)229-7574
| Greensheet Links Textbooks and Readings Course Requirements |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS e-Bookstore |
Students must self-enroll in the Blackboard site for this course. The access code needed for enrollment will be sent out via My SJSU.
Course Description
This course describes the special library – what it is, what makes it different from academic or public libraries, and its trends and issues. We will explore the different kinds of special libraries and the advantages and disadvantages of working in this part of the field.
Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200 and LIBR 204
Course Objectives
- This course will introduce the concept of special libraries/information centers and the variety of environments in which they are found.
- This course will explore the organization/operational issues associated with special libraries/information centers and other related types of information services.
- This course will analyze and evaluate issues and trends within the environment.
- This course will facilitate student understanding of networking and opportunities within the special library community.
LIBR 231 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- Ccompare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice;
- Recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use.
In addition, this section supports the following SLIS Core Comptencies:
- Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.
Textbooks and Readings
Recommended Texts
- Matthews, Joseph R. The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2002
- Mount, Ellis and Renee Massoud. Special Libraries and Information Centers: An Introductory Text. 4th ed. Washington DC: Special Libraries Association, 1999
- Pantry, Sheila and Peter Griffiths. Managing Outsourcing in Library and Information Services. London, Facet Publishing, 2004
- Portugal, Frank H. Valuating Information Intangibles. Washington DC: Special Libraries Association, 2000
Go to SLIS e-Bookstore.
Course Requirements
Course Format
This class will be conducted primarily on Blackboard. We will have two in-person meetings, Jan 28 and May 6. The Blackboard access code will be distributed via my.sjsu.
Assignments
With prior arrangement, students will have the opportunity to redo any work that does not receive full points. The class assignments are listed below:
- Fieldwork and Report or Paper or ILS Project; Oral required for any choice (total of 79 points possible). All reports must be posted to blackboard.
Each student will be expected to complete either a project at the fieldwork site, a research paper, or an ILS project. An oral report is expected for each of these options.
For the fieldwork, the student will negotiate the project content with the supervisor they are working with at the site as well as your instructor. Assistance is available for finding/selecting fieldwork opportunities. Fieldwork should be about 40 hours. Upon completion of the project, the student will prepare a written project review, including the following:- Purpose and scope of the project
- Explanation of the approach to and design of the project, along with the rationale for the approach taken
- Description of specific methods and techniques used and why
- Discussion of any problems encountered and how they were handled
- Summary of the results of the project and how the project will benefit the fieldwork site
- Evaluation of what you learned/accomplished by doing the project
- Completeness of the review
- Organizational ability
- Your site supervisor's feedback
- Choose a topic that pertains to Special Libraries. You must get your instructor’s approval of this topic.
- Your paper must be double-spaced, 25-30 pages.
- Include your bibliography of sources.
- Suggested topics may be valuing an information center, use of xml, taxonomies, knowledge management, social networking, content management, the role of the special librarian in the future.
- Oral Report
Prepare a 5-10 minute oral presentation based upon your observations during your fieldwork experience or your research for your paper. If you did fieldwork, you should be prepared to discuss your project in detail, the library/information center where you did your fieldwork, its organizational structure, its management style/structure, its clientele, and any other interesting features. If you did a research paper, be prepared to summarize its content. This assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria:- Completeness of the analysis
- Organizational ability
- Presentation ability
- Interview Paper on Issues (3 points possible)
Interview a special librarian. Discuss the major issues of our field. Write a 1-2 page double spaced paper describing the interview. Post them to Blackboard. These papers may be submitted to the local SLA newsletter for publication (with everyone’s permission, of course).
- Professional Event Papers (3 papers, 3 point each)
Attend one to three professional event(s) during the course of the semester. Your assignment is to introduce yourself to at least one stranger. Write a one page, double-spaced summary of the event. Post it to Blackboard. These papers may be submitted to the local SLA newsletter for publication (with everyone’s permission, of course).
- Blackboard Discussion Papers – Required (4 readings, 2 points each)
Several papers have been posted to blackboard. The maximum number to receive points for is 4. By the dates indicated, please go to the appropriate discussion board and post a comment on the briefing. Tell what you agree or disagree with about the document. Your posting may be (is encouraged to be) a reaction to someone else’s comment. To obtain the 2 possible points, your posting must be substantive in nature. Although you are required to read 4 of the papers, please read all student comments.
Course Calendar
This calendar is subject to change with fair notice. Dates are negotiable – with prior arrangement with instructor.
| Jan 28 | In-person discussions |
| Feb 17 | Competencies Reading due |
| Feb 24 | Information on project/fieldwork/paper due Supplying Content Globally Reading due |
| March 3 | Working with Knowledge Reading due |
| March 17 | Value of Libraries Reading due |
| March 24 | Perceptions Reading due |
| March 31 | Google Reading due |
| April 14 | Metrics that Matter due |
| April 21 | Interview due |
| April 28 | Professional event paper due |
| May 5 | 2nd & 3rd professional event papers due |
| May 6 | In-person discussion Project/Fieldwork/Paper due Oral Reports Panel of Special Librarians |
Grading
The following is a breakdown of the assignments and the grading scale. A full explanation of each assignment will appear on blackboard.
| Assignment | Possible Points | Possible Score |
| Fieldwork or ILS or research paper - required | maximum of 1 (79 pts) | 80 |
| Professional Event Papers | maximum of 3 (3 points each) | 9 |
| Interview paper | maximum of 1 (3 points) | 3 |
| Blackboard discussions on readings - required | maximum of 4 (2 points each) | 8 |
| Total Points | 100 |
Extra Credit
Extra credit options will not be available.
Late Assignments
Late work will only be accepted only with prior approval of instructor.
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 |
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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Phone: 408-924-2490
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