LIBR 287-05
Seminar in Information Science
Fall 2011 Greensheet

Dr. Michael Stephens
E-mail
Other contact information: See course site
Office Hours: Tentative: Wednesdays 6pm -8pm PST

D2L Information: This course will be available beginning 8-24-2011. You will be enrolled into the site automatically. I will send more information about course access as we approach this date through MySJSU.

Course Description

Course Overview

“The new tools provide powerful options for working with data, text, sound, and images. …. There is, predictably, an increasing departure in information handling from the simple pattern of read, think, then write. Computers are used for so much more than the traditional notion of “computing.’”

--Michael Buckland, Redesigning Library Services, 1992

Library scholars have noted the ongoing impact of technology on libraries and have called for a redesign of services to meet the evolving needs of users. Virtual communities have thrived online since the early 1980s. New media and social sites are part of the next incarnation of the World Wide Web, where digital tools allow users to create, change, and publish dynamic content of all kinds.  The evolving Web and related emerging technologies are signifiers of a broader cultural shift: toward an open, collaborative and participatory society. This course examines emerging technologies within a framework of participatory, “hyperlinked” library service: a model of creating, extending, updating and evaluating libraries via a user-centered approach.

Casey & Savastinuk describe the participatory service model: “It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services. It also attempts to reach new users and better serve current ones through improved customer-driven offerings.”

This course will examine various theories of library service, the social use of information, the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via a wide range of tools. We will discuss the definition of participatory service, explore some key trends that impact the model, and examine what this shift means for libraries and information work in the 21^st Century. 

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200 required. Other prerequisites may be added depending on content.

Course Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the principles, concepts and ideas of participatory library service
• demonstrate an understanding of emerging technologies and how they relate to information services and environments.
• articulate a planning strategy for services built within the framework of the participatory service model.
• synthesize current thinking about cultural and technological change within a framework of libraries and information work.
• utilize various online tools to monitor the conversations about a particular information organization.
• utilize various online tools to experience, discuss, and evaluate course concepts as they can be related to library services

 LIBR 287 supports the following MLIS Core Competencies:

• recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
• apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy;
• demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information and communication technologies, and other related technologies, as they affect the resources and uses of libraries and other types of information providing entities;
• use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users;
• demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations;
• evaluate programs and services on specified criteria; and
• contribute to the cultural, economic, educational and social well-being of our communities.

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Course Requirements

Assignments

• Context Book: Students will read one book selected from a list provided, and write a 300 word reflection or create a media-based presentation relating the topic and focus of the book to libraries, technology and participatory service. 10 points
• Reflection Blogging: Ten 200 word minimum blog posts will serve as a reflection journal for the modules include in our course content. 30 points
• Emerging Technology/Social Media Plan:  A clearly articulated policy for the use of emerging technologies/social media within a library or information environment can guide the development of participatory services. Students will draft a sample emerging technology/social media plan for the library or environment of their choice of their choice. 20 points
• Research Paper: Students will prepare a paper (8-10 pages) that explores one of the theories, principles, or issues of participatory service or emerging technologies.  It should contain a thorough literature review, reflect your logically expressed opinions, and offer ideas and solutions for the future of libraries and information centers in this changing world. 20 points
• Research Paper Presentation: Students will create a blog post, media-based presentation or other creative mechanism to present their reserch paper topic, literature review and conclusions. 10 points
• Participation & Seminar Engagement: Students will interact weekly via the course learning community, various social tools, and via optional online meetings. Students will be actively reading and commenting on others' blog posts. A final reflection post will allow students to self-evaluate their participation and engagement. 10 points

Course Calendar
Dates subject to change 

• Week 1 – Aug. 24 Course Introduction & Foundational Reading
• Week 2 – Aug. 29 Foundational Reading Continued
• Week 3 – Sept. 5  The Hyperlinked Library Model
• Week 4 – Sept. 12 Participatory Service
• Week 5 – Sept. 19 Reaching All Users
• Week 6 – Sept. 26 Transparency
• Week 7 – Oct. 3 Planning for Emerging Technologies 1 
• Week 8 – Oct. 10 Planning for Emerging Technologies 2 
• Week 9 – Oct. 17 User Experience
• Week 10 – Oct. 24 Learning & New Literacies
• Week 11 – Oct. 31 Mobile & Geo-Social Information Environments
• Week 12 – Nov. 7 The Commons & Digital Curation
• Week 13 – Nov. 14 Reflective Practice & Participatory Service
• Week 14 – Nov 28 Research Paper Presentations (asyncronous)
• Week 15 – Dec. 5 Course Reflections & Wrap Up

Course Grading
Grading will be based on 100 possible points. More information to come as assignments are finalized.

• Late assignments will lose 10% of point value per day late.
• If life circumstances require students to request an extension, please do so several days before the assignment is due.

Textbooks and Readings

Foundational readings inlude:

• Buckland, Michael. Redesigning Library Services: A Manifesto at 
  http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Library/Redesigning/html.html
• Lankes, R. D., Silverstein, J., & Nicholson, S. (January 01, 2007). Participatory Networks: The Library As Conversation. Information Technology and Libraries, 26,4, 17.

Each student will read a recent book related to course content and report on it. A list will be provided.

Readings for each course concept will be  posted on the course site. Students are encouraged to share articles, blog posts and sites they find with the class via their blogs.

Required Textbooks:

• Casey, M.E., & Savastinek, L.C. (2007). Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service. Information Today. Available through Amazon: 1573872970.

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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