LIBR 287-05
LIBR 287-14
Seminar in Information Science
Topic: The Open Movement and Libraries

Fall 2009 Greensheet

Ellyssa Kroski
E-mail
Office: Clark Hall 420B (San José) 
Phone: 408-924-2494
Office Hours: Virtually by e-mail, in person by appointment


Greensheet Links
Textbooks and Readings
Course Requirements
Course Links
Class Web Site
Resources
ANGEL
ANGEL Tutorials
iSchool eBookstore

The course will take place within a social website specifically designed for the class using an open source content management software called Drupal. Students will follow the instructions on the website and watch the webcasts in order to familiarize themselves with how to use the site. The website will be available on August 18th and will be located at http://infosherpas.com/libr287-06/

Course Description

"Openness" which has become a hallmark of the new Web has long been a mission in libraries. The philosophy of free and open access to information and technology has become a critical subject for information and technology leaders and practitioners. This course will explore the role and participation of library science and librarians in this movement. This course will give an overview of open-source technologies (such as content management systems and ILS programs) which are being used by libraries today, as well as exploring the open access movement which advocates free online access to scholarly research and journal articles. During the course we will also discuss open courses and learning, open conferences, and open licenses (like GPL and Creative Commons). This practical knowledge will be taught with an eye towards students understanding the implications of open access and what it means for libraries and librarians.

Course Objectives

Open Access Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will:

  • Have a basic understanding of what Open Access is.
  • Understand OA archiving and key issues for libraries and librarians.
  • Understand OA publishing and its implications and opportunities for libraries.
  • Know how to access major OA resources, journals, policies, etc.
  • Be able to provide assistance to researchers wishing to provide open access to their works.
  • Understand current trends in OA policy.
  • Know how to self-archive own work in disciplinary repositories.
  • Know how to publish an OA journal using OJS from policy development to peer review.
  • Have a scholarly article published in a class journal.

Open Education Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will:

  • Understand the current state of the field of Open Education.
  • Understand key issues for Open Education such as copyright, licensing, and sustainability.
  • Know about major OER and OCW initiatives.
  • Understand the role of libraries and librarians in Open Education.

Open Source Software Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will:

  • Have an understanding of the Open Source Software movement.
  • Know about major OSS applications and know how to locate OSS programs.
  • Have hands-on experience using several OSS programs including Drupal, OpenOffice, and Open Journal Systems.
  • Know about the current library-related OSS landscape.
  • Understand key issues surrounding OSS implementation in libraries.

Other Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will:

  • Have a basic understanding of copyright and open licenses and their relation to the topics covered in the course.

This course supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:

  • recognize the social, cultural and economic dimensions of information use;
  • use the basic concepts and principles related to the creation, evaluation, selection, acquisition, preservation and organization of specific items or collections of information;
  • 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;
  • contribute to the cultural, economic, educational and social well-being of our communities.

Course Requirements

Course Format
The course consists of a mixture of background readings, hands-on exploration of resources and applications, online discussion through blogs, and guest speaker interviews. We will also be setting up an Open Access journal here, where students will submit their final papers/articles, peer review their classmates' articles and see them through to publication within the journal at the end of the course.

Elluminate
There will be one mandatory Elluminate session during the course on or around Monday, November 10th, be sure you have access to a computer with speakers at the minimum so that you can at least hear the session. And make sure to take an Elluminate training session or have taken a tutorial. For more information, see the Student Guide at: http://ischool.sjsu.edu/software/elluminate/students/

Technology Requirements
You will need a current and fast Internet connection like DSL, Cable, or FIOS in order to access many of the websites we'll be discussing, as well as the Elluminate session. Please see the home computing environment requirements at:
http://ischool.sjsu.edu/ecommunication/homecomputing.htm

Course Calendar
Topics
(Subject to change with fair notice)

  1. Week 1 – Open Source Software Overview
  2. Week 2 - Open Source Software Examples
  3. Week 3 – Library Open Source Software
  4. Week 4 - Open Source Software Licensing and Sustainability – Major Paper Topic Due
  5. Week 5 – Open Education Overview
  6. Week 6 - Open Education Resources and Initiatives
  7. Week 7 – Sustainability, Challenges, and Economic Models of Open Education
  8. Week 8 – Introduction to Copyright & the Public Domain
  9. Week 9 – Open Licenses
  10. Week 10 – Open Access Overview
  11. Week 11 – Green OA: Self Archiving & Repositories – Major Paper Due
  12. Week 12: Gold OA: Open Access Journals
  13. Week 13: Open Access Policy & Business Models
  14. Week 14: Thanksgiving
  15. Week 15: Open Textbooks and Unconferences
  16. Week 15 ½: New Web Initiatives & Wrap-up

Grading & Assignments
Grading for the course will be based on the completion of:

  • 11 Weekly Assignments – 55% (each worth a possible 5 points)
  • Major Paper Topic – Due September 15th - 5%
  • Major Paper – Due November 3rd - 20%
  • Self-Archiving Exercise – Due November 10th - 5%
  • Peer Review Exercise – Due November 17th - 10%
  • Edited Final Draft of Major Paper – Due December 1st - 5%

Weekly Assignments
Each of the 11 weekly assignments involves blogging the answers to one or more questions posed for that week. You will be expected to do more than simply summarize the readings, the idea is to think creatively and critically about these topics. Students are encouraged to build on previous readings and posts as well. Each of these assignments is worth a possible 5 points which will be awarded according to – how completely you answered the question(s), how well you demonstrated your understanding of the readings and resources, and original thought. Note: 1 bonus point is up for grabs each week for students who reference their classmates writing effectively and/or show exemplary analysis for that week.

Major Paper/Article
Students will choose a topic or issue relevant to any area covered in the course as the basis for a scholarly article. Students will write a 3,000 – 3,500 word article (usually comes to about 5-7 single spaced pages, or 10-14 double-spaced pages), complete with reference list. You will be graded on your depth of research, your description and critical analysis of the topic, evidence you provide to support your argument or examples, and the clarity and quality of your writing. The formatting of your citations should adhere to the APA rules. This paper counts for 20% of your course grade.

Late Assignments
Weekly assignments will not be accepted late, this course is going to move quickly and build on previous weeks. Also many of the assignments later in the semester such as peer review, etc. depend on everyone getting their assignments in on time. If students are late it might affect the publication schedule of the journal, so please be on time passing in your assignments. If you have an extenuating circumstance, please contact me asap to discuss.

Top of Page

Textbooks and Readings

All of our readings for the course are freely available on the Web.

No Textbooks For This Course



Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
Below 67 F

 

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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