Greensheet / Syllabus  for LIBR287-06/LIBR287-15

 

LIBR287-06/LIBR287-15

Seminar in Information Science

The Open Movement and Libraries

Fall 2008

 

Ellyssa Kroski

IM: AIM ellyssakroski

ellyssakroski [at] yahoo.com

http://www.ellyssakroski.com

Office Hours: Virtually by e-mail, in course chat room by appointment

 

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 by Major Topic

 

Open Access Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

v  Have a basic understanding of what Open Access is.

v  Understand OA archiving and key issues for libraries and librarians.

v  Understand OA publishing and its implications and opportunities for libraries.

v  Know how to access major OA resources, journals, policies, etc.

v  Be able to provide assistance to researchers wishing to provide open access to their works.

v  Understand current trends in OA policy.

v  Know how to self-archive own work in disciplinary repositories.

v  Know how to publish an OA journal using OJS from policy development to peer review.

v  Have a scholarly article published in a class journal.

 

Open Education Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

v  Understand the current state of the field of Open Education.

v  Understand key issues for Open Education such as copyright, licensing, and sustainability.

v  Know about major OER and OCW initiatives.

v  Understand the role of libraries and librarians in Open Education.

 

Open Source Software Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

v  Have an understanding of the Open Source Software movement.

v  Know about major OSS applications and know how to locate OSS programs.

v  Have hands-on experience using several OSS programs including Drupal, OpenOffice, and Open Journal Systems.

v  Know about the current library-related OSS landscape.

v  Understand key issues surrounding OSS implementation in libraries.

 

Other Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will:

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

 

SLIS Core Competencies

 

 

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.

 

Textbooks and Readings

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

 

Course Requirements

 

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://slisweb.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://slisweb.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.

 

 

  1. How letter grades are determined

The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is as follows:

97-100

A

94-96

A-

91-93

B+

88-90

B

85-87

B-

82-84

C+

79-81

C

76-78

C-

73-75

D+

70-72

D

67-69

D-

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:

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a Grade Point Average  (GPA) of 3.0.

 

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.

 

Academic Integrity

Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Josι State University, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy 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 policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm.

 

Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to establish record of their disability.  No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/