INFO 220-10
Resources and Information Services
in Professions and Disciplines
Topic: Film and Media Collections
Summer 2020 Syllabus

Nancy Goldman
E-mail
Office location: Berkeley, CA
Office Hours: Virtually via e-mail or telephone by appointment.

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning June 1st, 6 am PT unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the class will open on the first day that the class meets.

You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

This course will provide an overview of film and media collections in libraries and archives. It will cover physical, virtual and intellectual access to film and media collections; principles of reference services; evaluation and use of particular reference resources for finding films and media and finding film and media-related information; types of collections and access policies; and the impact of new technologies and of copyright on collecting, preserving and accessing film and media. Special needs of film and media in terms of cataloging and preservation will also be introduced.

Course Requirements

Course Format
The course will be conducted primarily on Canvas, with synchronous Zoom sessions from 6 - 8 pm Pacific Time (PT) on June 1, June 15, and a third synchronous session in July (date and time to be determined during the first week of class).  Although the Zoom sessions are voluntary, synchronous participation in all of them is strongly encouraged. Coursework will include readings, online discussions, and four assignments; details will be posted on the course Canvas site. Course requirements are to complete readings, participate in online discussions, and submit assignments by their due dates. Graduate-level quality of work is expected. This includes clear, well-organized and grammatically correct written communication; all citations in complete APA format; and substantive participation in discussions.

Assignments

• Assignment #1: Comparing reference tools (supports CLO #1, CLO #2)
  
  Students will look up two film-related people, subjects, or films of their choice (one from the silent era and one from the sound era) across a variety of assigned reference works. They will write a 3 to 4-page paper describing their search strategies and results and evaluating the organization, functionality, and scope offered by each of the various resources.
  
  
• Assignment #2: Finding films and media (supports CLO #1, CLO #2)
  
  Students will work in groups and will use a variety of search strategies and resources to find specific moving image works for various uses such as individual use, classroom use, or public exhibition. Works and uses will be assigned by the instructor.  Each group will present and discuss their research and results during the third Zoom session (date and time TBD). Additionally, each student will write a brief (1 page) account of their experience with the assignment.
  
  
• Assignment #3: Evaluating access (supports CLO #3, CLO #4)
  
  Students will examine the websites, multimedia, catalogs, and other descriptive tools of two institutions with collections that include moving images. Some types of institutions to consider include university-based archives, libraries or media centers; public libraries; historical societies; film archives; and museums. If possible, students will physically visit at least one of them. They will evaluate how each institution provides physical, virtual, and intellectual access to collections and describe their viewing facilities, policies, and services in a discussion forum post or presentation. All students are required to read all posts and respond with questions or comments to at least one.
  
  
• Assignment #4: Final paper or bibliography (supports CLO #1, CLO #2, CLO #4)
  
  Students will write a research paper of no more than 10 pages OR prepare an annotated bibliography, Pathfinder, or LibGuide on a relevant topic of their choice.  All topics must be approved by the instructor at least two weeks in advance of the due date.
  
  
• Class discussion and participation (supports CLO #2, CLO #4)
  
  Students are expected to participate in online discussion forums and class projects, offering substantive contributions to the discussion topics and thoughtful responses to other students' postings.
  
  
• Readings (support CLO #1, CLO #2, CLO #3, CLO #4)
  
  Weekly readings and lectures will be available on the Canvas course site. Students should read materials in a timely manner and carefully consider and apply their content in fulfilling assignments and participating in-class activities.

Course Calendar
The course will run Monday - Sunday, Pacific Time. Each week's material will appear on the Canvas course site Monday morning. Assignments are due at 11:00 p.m. on the dates indicated below.

The calendar below is subject to change with fair notice.

Grading

Late Assignments

Late assignments will not be accepted without prior consent of the instructor and will incur a penalty.

Incompletes
Incompletes will be assigned only in cases of documented family or medical emergency.

Readings
Weekly readings will be available on the Canvas course site.

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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

INFO 220 has no prequisite requirements.

Course Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify key print and online research resources useful for finding moving images and moving image-related information.
2. Demonstrate effective use of film and media resources.
3. Evaluate at least two institutions with collections that include moving images.
4. Identify the broad issues involved in collecting, cataloging, preserving and providing access to film and media.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 220 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Recommended Textbooks:

• Emmons, M. (2006). Film and television: A guide to the reference literature. Libraries Unlimited. Available through Amazon: 1563089149.

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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 or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — 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 if you wish to stay in the program. 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.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

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