LIBR 265-01
LIBR 265-10
Materials for Young Adults
Spring 2012 Greensheet

Dr. Joni Richards Bodart
E-mail
Office Telephone:  408-924-2728 
Office location: Clark Hall, 418H
Office Hours: TBA

D2L Information: This course will be available beginning January 25, 2012. 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

This course will allow students to take an in depth look at materials in a variety of formats for teens, including fiction, popular nonfiction, graphic novels, movies, computer games, websites, other media, and determine how they can meet developmental needs.  

Course Prerequisites: LIBR 200 required.

Course Objectives

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

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the external (societal)  and internal (developmental) forces which influence teens’ choices of recreational and informational sources and materials
2. Evaluate selection tools, and use appropriate resources to develop a collection of materials for older teens, including all appropriate formats, print, nonprint, computer software, music, etc.
3. Critically examine representative materials designed for older teens, including print and nonprint formats, books, graphic novels, television, movies, music, and a wide variety of computer software, including social networking software, and apply criteria to evaluate them in relation to developmental needs, multi-cultural concerns, and meeting the informational and recreational needs of this age group
4. Create an appropriate materials collection for older teens, including print and nonprint materials and a variety of the digital resources currently available for this age group
5. Exhibit knowledge of published resources about print and nonprint materials for older teens, such as reference materials, selection tools, and Web sites
6. Assist parents and caregivers with questions about appropriate materials for their older teen children

LIBR 265 supports the following MLIS Core Competencies:

• articulate the ethics, values and foundational principles of library and information professionals and their role in the promotion of intellectual freedom
• demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations
• use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information
• apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy

Top of Page

Course Requirements

I expect each student to check into the d2L course site at least once, if not twice, per day. Visit the d2L class site often for course updates, resources, announcements, and other relevant information. Students are responsible for the content on the d2L course site and Greensheet. It is also the student’s responsibility to ask questions and express concerns quickly so that I can provide an answer/response as soon as possible.

I expect you to answer emails promptly and keep up with additional postings and information put on the site.

DISCLAIMER
I make every effort to proofread the Greensheet and the D2L website, but errors can occur. Please contact me with any errors you see or any questions or may have so I can correct or explain them.

Instructional Philosophy
I want each of you in this course to succeed, and I will do everything I can to help you do so, but this is a partnership. Please make sure that communication is your top priority during the semester. Ask questions when you have them, seek clarifications when you need them, and take responsibility for understanding all expectations, content and assignments for the course.  You are responsible for your own learning experience. I do not make you succeed.  YOU make you succeed.  You also make you fail. Understanding the contents and expectations explained in the Greensheet is critical for a student’s success in the class.

This course requires a number of assignments designed to introduce students to the concepts covered in class and in the text, as well as to practical applications of methods.  Students will work individually and participate in group discussions on the D2L website.

Students accumulate 100 points to determine the course grade.  See Grading below for details. Details for the assignments and requirements for each will be posted under the Course Documents area on the D2L website.

• Evaluation of selection tools and review sources:  10 points, due week 7
• Compare at least five selection tools and review sources and rate them on their usefulness and coverage of materials for this age range, and emulating the style of one of them, write reviews on five items (Objectives B and C)
• Digital resources:  20 points, due week 9
• Spend at least three hours examining and using digital resources used by older teens and at least three hours watching and interacting with teens using them, and write an informal paper based on your experiences, that compares how you and they interacted with the resources in similar and different ways (Objectives C and E)
• Annotated bibliography:  10 points, due week 11
• Create a bibliography including fiction and nonfiction, on a topic of interest to this age group, and format it into a bookmark that would be attractive to older teens  (Objectives A, D and F)
• Class presentation:  20 points, due dates will be scheduled during week 2
• Working in groups of three or four, research a topic of interest to or about teens and present your findings to the class, including demonstrations, PPT presentations and handouts.  Examples:  genre fiction, nonfiction subjects, books into movies, teens then and now, teen characteristics, magazines, TV programs, websites or music for teens  (Objectives A, E and F)
• Database of materials examined:  30 points, due week 15
• Develop a collection of materials including at least 50 items, with detailed information on each, including both print and nonprint sources that reflect your knowledge of the informational, recreational, and developmental needs of this age group  (Objectives A, B, C, and F)
• Participation:  10 points due week 15
• Participate in D2L website discussions, group work, and peer evaluation (Objectives E and F)

Course Outline

• Week 1
• Defining older teens or adolescents
• Societal perspectives
• Psychological perspectives
• Information processing styles
• Social interaction styles
• Weeks 2-3
• Adolescent Psychology—Understanding the Teen Brain
• Week 4
• Defining literature/materials for older teens
• Impact of technology
• Print and online materials, including but not limited to books, magazines, websites, blogs, and wikis
• Multimedia materials, including but not limited to computers, movies, television
• Developing trends
• Radical or controversial titles
• Adult titles
• Week 5
• Selection tools and reviewing
• Defining quality in materials for older teens
• Publishers’ imprints for older teens
• Mock Printz Committee
• Mock Alex Committee
• Evaluating selection tools for print, nonprint and online materials and resources
• Writing reviews
• Collection development
• Week 6
• Developing trends in technology
• Computer games or programs, including but not limited to social networking software, blogs and wikis
• Audiobooks
• DVDs
• CDs
• Television programming
• Movies and book tie-ins
• Other digital resources, including but not limited to iPods, cell/camera phones, other MP3 players, and handheld games
• Week 7
• Censorship and intellectual freedom
• Selection policies
• Reconsideration policies and procedures
• Hot button topics
• Resources for IF
• Week 8
• Types of materials
• Realistic fiction
• Controversial materials
• Week 9
• Types of materials
• Romance
• Adventure
• Week 10
• Types of materials
• Mystery
• Thriller/suspense
• Week 11
• Types of materials
• Verse novels
• Multicultural materials
• Week 12
• Types of materials
• Short story collections
• Historical fiction
• Week 13
• Types of materials
• Fantasy and science fiction
• Graphic novels and comics
• Award winners
• Weeks 14-15
• Types of materials
• Nonfiction
• Materials specifically designed for teens, such as sexual information, social interaction, sports, careers, college prep, psychology, religion and other topics.
• Poetry
• Biography
• Magazines

Textbooks and Readings

Information on outside readings and texts is available under content on the D2L website for this course.

Required Textbooks:

• Cart, M. (2010). Young adult literature: From romance to realism. ALA. Available through Amazon: 0838910459

• Cole, P.B. (2009). Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. McGraw Hill/Higher Education. Available through Amazon: 0073525936.

• Goodstein, A. (2007). totally wired: What teens and tweens are really doing online. New. York: St. Martin's Press. Available through Amazon: 0312360126.

Recommended Textbooks:

• Herald, D. T. (2003). Teen genreflecting: a guide to reading interests (2nd ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1563089963.

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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