LIBR 200-30
Information and Society 
Spring 2009 Greensheet

Dr. Mark Stover
E-mail
Phone: (619) 594-2131
Office Hours: Email, phone appointments

We will be using Angel in this course. You must enroll in the Angel course between January 15 and January 22 to ensure that you receive the announcements on time. I will provide you with a password access code using the MySJSU messaging system.

Course Description

Explores the complex social, economic, historical, and technological developments that influence the impact of information on society. The mission, values and ethics of information professionals are also analyzed.

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 sectors;
• Describe and evaluate issues involved in creating and disseminating information in society, with particular attention paid to information literacy;
• Understand the role of libraries and their relationship to other information providers;
• 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;
• Describe and discuss important economic and policy issues related to the creation and dissemination of information;
• Understand and have experience with different forms and genres of professional writing.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Know the foundations and structure of the information profession;
• 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;
• Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations.

An overview of the core competencies for SJSU SLIS graduates can be found at http://ischool.sjsu.edu/slis/competencies.htm

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 Angel, Elluminate and Second Life. This course must be completed by all new SLIS students within the first 4 weeks of their first semester. If you have questions about this course, e-mail Debbie Faires or Dale David.

For more information, see http://ischool.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm

Assignments
The assignments for this course are:

• Review/Analysis of a Professional Journal
  Please review a professional journal related to library and information science. You can select any of the journals from Rubin\'s book (Appendix A) for review. You can also select a journal that is not on the list but related to library and information science. This review/analysis should be at least two pages, double-spaced. Due date: March 9, 2009
• Review/Analysis of a Professional Association
  This assignment involves a written report about a library and information science association. You can select any of the associations from Rubin's book (Appendix B) or one that is related to library and information science. This review/analysis should be at least two pages, double-spaced. Due date: March 30, 2009
• Article Critiques
  Students will be asked to write a formal critique of two peer reviewed articles from an LIS journal. Each critique should be between 300 and 500 words. Due date: April 13, 2009.
• Reflective Essay
  Students will be asked to write a reflective essay on any topic covered in the syllabus. The essay should be a minimum of two pages, double-spaced. Due date: April 20, 2009
• Research 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 text of your paper should be 15 to 20 pages in length; the reference list should include at least 20 citations. A bibliography is required of the sources both cited and consulted for background information and context. 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 the rules established in the APA Publication Manual. Due date: May 13, 2009
• Readings
  Each week there will be an online "lecture" provided by the instructor via Angel, readings from the textbook, and journal article readings regarding information and society.
• Participation in Class and Discussion
  As this class is completely online and asynchronous, participation in the weekly Angel discussions is essential for success in the course. Each week several discussion questions based on the lectures, the textbook reading, and the other readings will be posted to the class discussion board. Each student will be expected to respond to at least three of these discussion questions and to participate in the discussion with other students in class.

More details on the assignments and due dates will be provided on Angel.

Assignment Grading
The assignments will contribute to your final grade as follows:

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;
• 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 Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.

Late Assignments
Late assignments will be penalized 10 percent of the grade for that assignment. Incompletes for the class will only be given for extreme medical or family emergencies.

Course Calendar

The following dates are tentative and subject to change with fair notice.
 

Textbooks and Readings

Required Textbooks:

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

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.

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