LIBR 282-07
LIBR 282-16
Seminar in Library Management
Topic: Leadership
Spring 2011 Greensheet

Sean Gaffney
E-mail
Office Hours: By appointment

Students must self-enroll in this course by the first day of class, Wednesday, January 26. An access code will be sent to you via MySJSU prior to when the class opens on the first day.

Course Description

An examination of the connections between theory and best practices in leadership development and leader effectiveness. Topics include the research bases for theories of leadership, leadership styles, self-awareness, visioning, influencing, enabling other to act, team development, governance as leadership, and developing self-confidence.

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200, 204 required. LIBR 286 recommended.

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the range and complexity of leadership theories and styles
• Apply research-based best practices to significant areas of leadership responsibility
• Assess the extent of implementation of best practices by exemplary library leaders
• Develop a personal growth plan for continued leadership development

LIBR 282 supports the following MLIS 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;
• Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations.

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Course Requirements

Discussion Board – 45 points (15 weekly assignments @ 3 points)
Each student will be expected to interact and participate using Angel’s Message Boards. Discussions will be organized around lectures, readings and occasional questions that I may bring about a specific topic. This assignment is linked to the "Analyze the range and complexity of leadership theories and styles" learning outcome.
Due: Weekly on Friday by noon

Pathfinder (Team Project)- 150 points
As a team, you will develop a pathfinder for some area of leadership that interests you. A pathfinder is a guide for researchers. Pathfinders have been used in libraries for many years to save researchers time, and to help them avoid frustrating dead ends. By creating a pathfinder, in addition to learning about the particular resources for the topic you are exploring, you are also performing a service to your fellow students.  Creating a pathfinder will demonstrate your searching skills and your ability to discern quality information sources. This is linked to the "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" and the "Demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations" core competencies.
Due: Friday, March 25.

2/4 Papers - 50 points each (three) 150 points
A 2/4 paper means that you are to write a 4 page paper of at least 1,200 words on the subject specified in the assignment (1,200 words is the minimum requirement; you may include 2 additional pages, but attempt not exceed 4 1/2 pages in the total paper).  The "2" indicates you must reference at least two (2) outside written authoritative sources on the particular subject of the paper.  If you are also required to interview persons on the subject (e.g., "interview 3 persons on their views of performance appraisals"), the interviews are in addition to the 2 outside references. Also, you must include the results of your interviews in your text. You will write four 2/4 papers over the course of the semester on the following topics:

• Communications- Due Friday, March 11
• Conflict Resolution or Counseling - Due Friday, April 8
• Coaching or Team Building - Due Friday, April 22

These are linked to the "Apply research-based best practices to significant areas of leadership responsibility" and the "Assess the extent of implementation of best practices by exemplary library leaders" learning outcomes.

Development Plan - 55 points
Develop an ongoing (next 3 - 5 years) development plan for yourself as a leader. You should identify your strengths and weaknesses, decide where you want to be, and provide concrete steps for how you plan to get there. Note that this is a significant portion of the course grade, so this must be substantive, reflective and based in course material. This is linked to the "Develop a personal growth plan for continued leadership development" learning outcome.
Due: Friday, February 18

Research Paper - 100 points
Select a topic of interest to you in the field of leadership and develop a well-reasoned, documented research report of 8-10 pages. You should incorporate literature from the LIS literature.
Due: Friday, May 13

Course Calendar

Textbooks and Readings

Required Textbooks:

• Evans, G. E. & Ward, P. L. (2007). Leadership basics for librarians and information professionals. Scarecrow Press. Available through Amazon: 0810852292.

• Singer Gordon, R. (2005). The Accidental Library Manager. Information Today. Available through Amazon: 1573872105.

• Stueart, R. D. & Sullivan, M. (2010). Developing Library Leaders. Neal-Shuman. Available through Amazon: 1555707254.

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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