LIBR 200-20
Information and Society 
Spring 2010 Greensheet

Cherie Givens
E-mail
Office hours: Virtually by appointment in Elluminate. Email me to set up an appointment. I will do my best to respond to you within 48 hours, often sooner.

This course will be delivered online primarily using Angel in conjunction with the Elluminate sessions noted below and other online tools indicated in the course materials. Students must self-enroll for this course on Angel during January 24-26. Registered students will be required to use a password/PIN access code which will be sent via the MYSJSU Messaging on or before January 24th.

The class begins on January 26. Weekly sessions will run Monday - Sunday.

Elluminate Information
There are three Elluminate sessions scheduled for this semester. These are: February 25th (5:30-8:00 PST), April 22nd (6:00-8:00 PST), and May13 (5:00-8:00 PST). These sessions are mandatory. A two point penalty will be imposed per session for failure to attend and participate in the full session. This means that you must be signed on, remain on, and participate by responding to questions in the chat box for the entire duration of the Elluminate session. Assignments will be discussed in depth in these sessions. The final session is reserved for students’ presentations on their term paper topics.    

Course Description

Explores the complex and interrelated historical, social, economic, cultural, political, and technological influences that shape information and society. Emphasis is on the various roles and responsibilities of information organizations and the values and ethics of information professionals. Note: Effective Spring 2009, LIBR 200 must be completed with a B grade or higher.

Course Objectives

At the completion of the course, students should be able to:

• Describe the role of information from historical, current, and future perspectives;
• Identify the various information stakeholders and the information environments that provide for their needs; 
• Describe and evaluate issues involved in creating and disseminating information in society;
• Identify and discuss the major values and codes of ethics associated with the information professions; 
• Describe the impact of cultural diversity on the provision of user services by librarians and other information professionals;
• Discuss important economic and policy issues related to the creation, dissemination and use of information;
• Explain what information literacy is and how it helps users evaluate and use information;
• Compare the different genres of and venues for scholarly and professional writing.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Know the foundations and structure of the information professions;
• Locate, evaluate, and utilize scholarly and professional literature;
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding of major issues in library and information science.

LIBR 200 course supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

• Articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom;
• Compare the environments and organizational settings in which library and information professionals practice; 
• Recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
• 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.

Course Requirements

Complete LIBR 203: Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools. This is a mandatory 1 unit course that introduces students to the various e-learning tools used in the SLIS program, including Blackboard, Elluminate and Second Life. For more information, see: http://ischool.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm

Assignments

• Angel discussions. There is an initial introduction forum for students to introduce themselves to fellow class members and the instructor. This forum will open January 24th and students may participate for credit until midnight (Pacific) January 31st. Participation in this forum is worth 1 point. There are six additional discussions, approximately every other week that allow you to reflect on issues introduced in lectures and readings. Participation is mandatory. Each of these discussions is worth 4 points. Note that failure to participate fully and timely in these discussions can cost students the points needed for a grade of "B" or better. The Discussion Guidelines provide information addressing the times for and type of participation required to earn the maximum points. 25 points in total.
• LIS resources survey. This assignment is intended to introduce you to the major print and online sources used in library and information science research. You will begin by stating your research question and providing a paragraph explaining its context. Based upon your question you will be asked to examine 5 reference sources which contain information pertinent to your question/term paper topic and to evaluate their content, quality, and usefulness. Instructions will be provided. 10 points.
• Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography. This assignment is designed to help you prepare to write your term paper. You are to locate and evaluate 15 items (peer reviewed articles, books, professional websites containing substantial relevant information) pertinent to your paper topic. Instructions will be provided. 20 points.
• Librarians in Popular Culture Assignment. For this assignment, you will read a novel set in a library and watch a movie featuring a librarian as a main character and write an essay that analyzes how libraries and librarians are represented in popular culture. A bibliography and instructions will be provided. 10 points.
• Term Paper. Write a formal research paper in which you analyze a significant issue confronting the information professional today. Paper topics may be selected from the areas covered in class or you may choose an issue of more personal interest that is relevant to the goals and objectives of this course. The student must request and receive topic approval from the instructor. The text of your paper must be 15 to 20 full pages in length; the reference list should include at least 20 citations, the majority of these must be from peer-reviewed sources. You will be graded on the extent of your research, your description and critical analysis of the topic, the evidence you provide in support of your argument, and the clarity and quality of your writing. Your references and formatting should adhere to current APA formatting rules. 30 points.
• Term Paper Presentation. A brief, approximately 5 minute overview of your research topic explaining why it is important, the main points made in your paper or uncovered by your research and key references. You should prepare a handout to accompany your presentation which includes your research topic, main points and references. 5 points.

All assignments, except for the presentation, are due no later than 5:00 PM (Pacific) on the assigned dates. Assignments submitted between 5:01 and 11:59 PM (Pacific) on the assigned dates are subject to a 10% late penalty. Submissions will not be accepted for credit after 11:59 PM (Pacific) on the assigned dates without prior written instructor approval and are subject to a 20% reduction in the total points for the assignment.

  Assignments List

Total Possible Points: 100

Course Calendar 

Textbooks and Readings  

Required Textbook:

• Haycock, K., & Sheldon, B. E. (Eds.). (2008). The portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1591585473.

• Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of Library and Information Science. Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555705189.

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) American Psychological Association. Available through Amazon: 1433805618.

GWAR

This course satisfies the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

Grading Scale

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

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.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files.

More accessibility resources.