LIBR 282-16
Seminar in Library Management
Topic: Financial Resources Management
Spring 2009 Greensheet

Sara F. Jones, Instructor
E-mail
Address: 1787 Maison Way, Carson City, NV 89703
Cell Phone: 775-315-0493
Home Phone: 775-883-3984
Office Phone: 775-887-2244 ext. 1007


Greensheet Links
Textbooks and Readings
Course Requirements
Resources
ANGEL
ANGEL Tutorials
iSchool eBookstore
 

Students must self-enroll for this course on ANGEL. You will be able to self-enroll with the access code which will be sent to you through the MySJSU Messaging system. Students are expected to enroll and participate in ANGEL for the entire term.

Course Description

An examination of the connection between the theory and the best practices of strategic financial resource management. Topics include: revenue models, types of budgets, internal controls, resource allocation, financial planning, budget cuts and acquiring outside resources. Elements of leadership and strategic planning will be explored.

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 204

Course Objectives

  1. to make judgments and draw logical conclusions regarding financial resources issues;
  2. to use a range of models and approaches to solve financial resources problems;
  3. to identify viable alternative solutions and actions and recognize the consequence of their implementation;
  4. to understand the responsibilities of consequences of managing financial resources.

Student Learning Outcomes
Course Goals

  • To develop an appreciation of the complexity of financial resources issues in libraries, information organizations and the larger agencies in which they operate;
  • To understand the options and opportunities for building a successful organization by maximizing the use of available financial resources.
  • To apply principles of sound financial management.
  • To apply research-based best practices to each component of financial resource management.

LIBR 282 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

  • apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
  • understand the system of standards and methods used to control and create information structures and apply basic principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge;
  • demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations.

In addition, this section supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

  • understand the nature of research, research methods and research findings; retrieve, evaluate and synthesize scholarly and professional literature for informed decision-making by specific client groups;
  • evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.

Course Requirements

Course Format
The course is based on the following principles of learning:

  • learning requires the active participation of the student;
  • people learn in a variety of ways and at different rates;
  • learning is both an individual and a group process.

Consequently, a variety of strategies are used and group and individual responsibility are incorporated.

You will engage in several types of learning activities:

  • to increase your awareness and broaden your understanding of the principles and theories underlying strategic financial resources management;
  • to provide you with opportunities to develop the reflective practitioner stance of the professional;
  • to enable you to examine, discuss and reflect upon theory and applications, as well as personal beliefs;
  • to encourage you to engage in focused experiences;
  • to develop and hone essential presentation skills

Assignments

  • Budget Reductions -10% of grade (Due Feb 13)
    Each student will be required to make reductions in a line-item budget by 5% and 10%. A sample of a real budget will be provided to the student. The format will be in a memo to the City Council outlining the reductions and the impact to library services.
  • Budget Presentation - 10% of grade (Due March 6 )
    Each student will be required to build and present a “decision unit or package” for a budget and make a written presentation to advocate for funding. The unit will contain a new or improved service and will outline the cost and benefits of the service or program. A written document will be submitted to the Instructor with back up materials providing cost estimations.
  • Cash Handling Policy - 10% of grade (Due March 28)
    Each student will be required to write a cash handling policy for a library. The document will defines and outlines the library’s policy with respect to the handling, receiving, transporting and depositing of cash. The term cash includes currency, checks, money orders, negotiable instruments and charge card transactions.
  • Grant Evaluation - 10% of grade (Due April 24)
    Review and evaluate competitive grant applications (provided by the Instructor). Each student will follow guidelines for review and make recommendations for funding. The evaluation will include strengths and weaknesses of the grants.
  • Grant project - 30% of grade (Due May 15)
    Each student will read the program guidelines for IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) national leadership grants for libraries and museums and write three components of a national leadership grant: The abstract, the budget worksheets and budget justification of the grant application.
  • ANGEL Participation - 30% of grade (all semester)
    Each student will read the assigned readings and discuss the assigned topics on the discussion board. Assessment of participation will be determined by the extent and level of thoughtful questions, useful examples, and extensions from readings.

    In addition to participation in online discussions students will be required to compose an answer to a question posed by the Instructor at the beginning of the week (Monday), the answer must be posted by the end of the week (Sunday).

    Feedback will be provided to each student during the course.

At the end of this graduate course, you should have learned as much or more direct content from your readings and colleagues as you did from the Instructor who orchestrated the learning through course design, advising and evaluative feedback.

Course Calendar
All subject to change with fair notice.

1 Class overview/ Overview of the budget process Jan 25-30
2 Budget Types Jan 31- Feb 6
3 Budget Cuts Feb 7- Feb 13
  Budget Cuts Assignments Due Feb 13
4 Financial Models Feb 14- Feb 20
5 Financial Leadership Feb 21- Feb 27
6 RFP/RFI/RFQ Feb 28- March 6
  Budget Presentation Due March 6
7 Licensing Resources/Outsourcing March 7- March 13
8 Internal Controls March 14-March 20
9 Financial Planning March 21-March 28
  Cash Handling Policy Due March 28
  SPRING BREAK March 29-April 2
10 Capital Campaigns April 4- April 10
11 External Funding (Friends/Foundation) April 11- April 17
12 Grants April 18- April 24
  Grant Evaluation Due April 24
13 Grant Management April 25-May 1
14 Advocacy May  2-May 8
15 Change Management May 9- May 15
  Final Grant Project Due May 15

Grading
The breakdown for your course grade is as follows: 

Assignment Due Date Weighting
Budget Cut Feb 13 10%
Budget Presentation March 6 10%
Cash Handling Policy March 28 10%
Grant Evaluation April 24 10%
Final Grant Project May 15 30%
Participation- E-discussion all semester 30%
    100%

Late Assignments
Each assignment is required by the due date. Late assignments will not be accepted as successive work and participation is contingent on their completion.

Written & Spoken English Requirement
Written and spoken work will meet standards for graduate level performance or may result in a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English.

Other Relevant Information

  • Attendance
    Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes.
  • Evaluation
    Evaluation in this course is an ongoing process. All completed work will be assessed for evaluative feedback. An important part of this process is the strengthening of your own self-evaluation skills—learning the process of critical, non-defensive scrutiny of your own performance. The better you are able to do this, the more your professional growth will continue after you leave the course. It is anticipated that students will devote the equivalent of a minimum of twelve hours per week for the fourteen week term on average to this course; that is a total of 168 hours. All of these formative and summative procedures—an overall reflection of the student's satisfactory completion of all course requirements—are considered in the instructor’s determination of the final grade.

    Should the course requirements or grading practices appear unclear or inconsistent, it is your right and responsibility to seek clarification from the instructor.
  • Other Course Policies
    As this is a management course, reasonable behaviors of managers are expected:
    [1] submit assignments on time according to instructions; written assignments will not be accepted after the stated deadline without prior approval, and may be subject to a grade penalty;
    [2] contribute positively and productively to the professional growth of others in classes, team meetings, seminars and peer assessments;
    [3] complete readings and assignments to increase understanding of financial resources issues;
    [4] complete assigned tasks with demonstrated understanding of process, competence in products and the ability to analyze objectively and critically one's performance.

Textbooks and Readings 

Required Textbook:

  • Hallam, A. W., & Dalston, T. R. (2005). Managing Budgets and Finances: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians and Information Professionals. Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555705197. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Olson, C., & Singer, P. M. (2004). Winning With Library Leadership: Enhancing Services Through Connection, Contribution, and Collaboration. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838908853. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Snyder, H. (2006). Small Change Big Problems: Detecting and Preventing Financial Misconduct in your Library. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838909213. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

Recommended Textbook:

  • Anderson, C (2002). Write Grants, Get Money. Linworth Publishing. Available through Amazon: 1586830252. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Anderson, R. (2004). Buying and Contracting for Resources and Services. A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555704808. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Collins, J. (2005). Good to great and the social sectors: A monograph to accompany good to great. Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 0977326403. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Collins, J. C. (2001). Good to great: why some companies make the leap - and others don't. HarperBusiness. Available through Amazon: 0066620996. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain
  • Gerding, S. K., & MacKeller, P. H. (2006). Grants for Libraries: : A How to Do It Manual. Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555705359. arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain


Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
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;
    For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  • 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 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

  • "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
    • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
    • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
  • "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf 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 Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

icon showing link leads to the PDF file viewer known as Acrobat Reader Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files.

More accessibility resources.