LIBR 204-11
Information Organizations and Management
Spring 2014 Greensheet

Dr. Sue Alman
E-mail
Office Hours: TBA

Our D2L course site will automatically open on Thursday, January 23, 2014. Please login to our course D2L site immediately.

Course Description

LIBR 204: Information Organizations and Management is a course that “Identif[ies] distinguishing characteristics, culture and relationships of information organizations. Emphasizes theories examining the interaction between human beings and the organizations in which they work.”

As librarians we manage people, projects, and resources, and we need to have an understanding of how managers make decisions and impact the people who work in libraries and those who use libraries. Throughout this term we will address human interaction and managerial styles as they relate to the MLIS Core Competencies.

Note: SLIS requires that students earn a B in this 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

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

Writing Requirement
If the instructor finds that a student's writing is unacceptable, the instructor will require the student to sign up for online writing tutoring.  The student will ask the tutor to confirm with the instructor that he or she is attending sessions.

Assignments
(Subject to Change with Fair Notice)

1. WORDCLOUD  (5% of final grade)
   Create a personal word cloud and “meet” others in the course.

   (Part 1 Due January 24 11:59 PM PT, Part 2 Due January 26 11:59 pm PT) INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED STUDENTS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE.

2. MANAGER INTERVIEW  (20% of final grade)
   Supports SLO #1, SLO #3.
   Libraries and information centers are non-profit organizations that need to be managed responsibly. Managers are faced with many issues that encompass fiscal affairs, information technology, resources (human, facilities, and collections), communication, and outreach. The managers are responsible for effectively directing organizational activities even when they encounter problems for which they have no prior experience.
   
   Managers need to be effective problem-solvers, and they need to be aware of current issues and trends. Their education may be accomplished through communicating with colleagues, continuing education, attending professional conferences, reading and conducting research, and knowing what is important to staff members in their libraries.
   
   Each student will interview a current manager and submit a report.  The following questions must be included in the interview. You may ask additional questions of your own. There are additional questions at this site: http://www.abc-clio.com/blast.aspx?id=2147498359
   1. What are the top four or five (4 or 5) issues/areas that are of the most concern to you?
      1. Why?
      2. How do deal with them?
   2. What professional association memberships do you hold?
   3. What publications do you read on a regular basis?
   4. What conferences do you attend?
   5. Do you have a mentor/mentee? How has that been helpful?
   6. Are you involved in strategic planning? If yes, how does the plan guide library activities? Explain.
   7. How is the annual budget developed? Is it possible to share a copy of the budget or form?
   8. What assessment measures are used for the organization’s programs or resources? Can you obtain examples?
   9. 9. Obtain an organizational chart.
      
      
   Deliverable: Name of manager interviewed; Position; Type of Organization; Date of Interview; List of questions asked; Detailed summary of responses; List of ideas/resources that you will add to The Takeaway (Management Resource Guide).  A one-page summary of the interview will be posted to the D2L Forum for class discussion.
   
   
3. Group Activity: Develop Hand-out and Lead Asynchronous Discussion (15% of final grade). Supports SLO #1, SLO #3, SLO #5, SLO #8.
1. Students will investigate the topics and present examples of how academic, public and special libraries have dealt with these issues in North America and internationally. These teams will be responsible for:
2. Citing links to articles, websites, or other information about the topic and developing an annotated list of relevant resources.
3. Actively leading the asynchronous class discussion during the 3-day period assigned to the topic.
   
   
4. The Takeaway: 1) Library Management Resource Guide (25% of final grade) and 2) Management Notebook (30% of final grade) Due March 12.

   Supports SLO #1, SLO #2, SLO #3, SLO #4, SLO #6, SLO #7, SLO #8.

1. These are two (2) assignments that can be accomplished together. It will be easier if the following tasks are accomplished each week so that the final projects can be developed in tandem. Details will be provided.
2. The Takeaway: Management Resource Guide is a digital poster OR LibGuide™ that contains procedures, policies, resources and useful tips pertinent to issues faced by managers.
3. Management Notebook: Journal entries pertaining to topics covered in the course.
5. D2L Discussion Forum Participation (5% of final grade) Participate in the student-led asynchronous discussions on the D2L Discussion Forum as assigned.

Late Assignments Policy
There will be a late penalty for assignments turned in after the due date without prior approval. If your life circumstances require you to seek an extension, please do so at least several days before the assignment is due. No extensions will be granted for discussion posts.

Course Calendar

• Module 1 (January 23-25):Introductions, Course Organization, Logistics
• Module 2 (January 27-29): Overview Guest Speaker: Dr. Janine Golden
• Module 3 (January 30 – February 1): Planning/ Environmental Scan
• Module 4 (February 3-5): Fiscal Management
• Module 5 (February 6-8): Technology Management
• Module 6 (February 10-12): User Experience
• Module 7 ( February 13-15): Library Partnerships
• Module 8 (February 17-19): Facilities Management
• Module 9 (February 20-22): Creative Budgeting and Fundraising
• Module10 (February 24-26): Human Resources
• Module 11 (February 27 – March 1): Technology Integration
• Module 12 (March 3-5): Assessment
• Module 13 (March 6-8): Marketing and PR

Intensive Format-7 Weeks
Please review the information that discusses courses that are in an Intensive format, and note that “Courses in the 7-8 week format are subject to the same rigor and requirements as semester long classes. The content of the class is not different from the semester long version of the class and will involve the same ratio of class contact hours to units as …” indicated in this site: http://ischool.sjsu.edu/current-students/courses/intensives

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

LIBR 204 has no prequisite requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Compare management theories, principles and practices.
2. Understand analytical and strategic planning processes and skills.
3. Identify the roles and activities of managers and leaders.
4. Identify portfolios as a means of performance assessment.
5. Experience and assess working in teams.
6. Recognize issues of diversity in the workplace.
7. Prepare a resume and consult career development resources.
8. Review, use and properly cite the professional and research literature of management and leadership.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

LIBR 204 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Evans, G. E., & Ward, P. L. (2007). Management Basics for Information Professionals (2nd ed.). Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555705863.

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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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