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Last revised May 25, 2006

Course Syllabus for Corporate Library and Information Center (CLIC) Management

Link to Course Outline: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Syllabus

Summer 2006, Instructor: Roberta Shaffer



COURSE NAME, NUMBER, AND PREREQUISITES

Corporate Library and Information Center (CLIC) Management

SIRLS 564-001 (3 credits; Tucson)

The course is oriented toward students who would like to pursue careers in a corporate setting, but will be useful to those who might practice in a non-profit environment.  It is assumed that students have already completed the SIRLS core courses and have refined general research skills.

We will be meeting in person and communicating electronically via a course wiki. The URL for the course wiki is http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com. Once you sign up for the course, please contact the professor for the password so you can contribute to the wiki.

Students will be required to post and format information on the course wiki. HTML is not required, but you will need to be able to post and format all assignments so your research looks professional. For more information, please go to the course wiki and read what is entailed about making a student page.

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

"This course will introduce students to principles of management in a corporate library and information center (CLIC). We will identify, discuss and compare how the corporate information setting differs from/is similar to other information settings like public, academic or school libraries. We will study CLIC best practices at leading corporations by looking at their planning processes, infrastructure, services, products, marketing, use of technology, and other key benchmarks. Finally, we will explore career opportunities and competencies for practice in this sector."

What will we be covering in this course?

This course will cover the following concepts, issues and questions:

Trends affecting U.S. businesses’ information needs and use (including key economic indicators)

History of CLIC in U.S. business/industry

How are CLICs evolving today?

What have been the traditional roles of CLICs?

What are the emerging roles for CLICs?

What are CLIC competencies?

How do CLICs show value?

Where are the opportunities for CLICs of the future?

Communicating the CLIC Message

Environmental Scanning & Competitive Intelligence
 
Management Theories/Decision-Making Processes

Strategic Planning/Business Planning

So how are we going to do this?

The course will begin before we actually have our week of face-to-face meetings, Sunday, July 2-Saturday, July 8 (No class on July 4).  Attendance is required at all sessions. Work before the course begins consists of readings and assignments, which are described below and on the course wiki.

Here is our meeting schedule:

SIRLS 15 on Sunday, July 2 (3:00-6:00 p.m.)

Education 349 on July 3,5,6,7,8 (8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

There will be substantial pre-work in the form of readings and research.  Then, we will meet and students will be required to make various presentations during class.  After our week is over, students will be required to submit either a research project on a topic approved by the instructor or an essay question final exam that will draw upon the readings, class discussion and presentations. Each student will create a page on the wiki and submit his or her assignments on that page.

Students will be asked to read at least one daily newspaper every day of the class.  We will discuss “business related news” at the beginning of each class. 

Students will communicate electronically with the professor and each other via the course wiki.

All assignments, class topics, scheduling, links to readings, and background information can be found on the course wiki. The URL for the course wiki is http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com.

Students can contact the professor by email at rsha at loc dot gov.

What will be expected of you, the student?

Prework:  Assigned readings and your online introduction need to be completed one week before class begins face-to-face meetings. Readings will consist of articles about CLICs and also be drawn from publications like the Harvard Business Review and Wall Street Journal about the corporate world/environment generally. Please note that there will not be time to do the readings during the week of our face-to-face meetings and all readings should be completed before the course begings.

Links to the readings can be found on the course wiki syllabus: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Syllabus

Students will submit their individual notes on 10 readings on their student page on the wiki and discuss with each other on the course wiki via the comments section on the various pages.

In advance of first class meeting (July 2), each student will select an industry and will become the class “expert” on that industry.  Your industry must be approved by the instructor by June 18. Examples of industries are:  Airline; Entertainment (Film, Television or Print); Pharmaceuticals; Software Development; Hardware Producer; Education; Groceries; Home Do-it- Yourself; Consumer Appliances…. Students will choose an industry and have it approved by the instructor no later than 2 weeks before the class sessions begin.  Students will present their industry reports on July 3rd during the class and submit their reports on their student page of the wiki.

For more details on these and other course assignments, please go to the course wiki Assignments page: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Assignments.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After taking this course, students will:

Realize how CLICs operate and are expected to operate, including competencies for professionals, marketing strategies, and administration.

Understand the unique history of CLICs, how they have evolved and where the profession is headed.

Comprehend the business environment and financial atmosphere in which CLICs are funded, and their special role within the corporate structure.

Understand the information needs, use and expectations of U.S. businesses and how they differ from traditional library users.

Be able to conduct research typically expected of CLIC information professionals, e.g. find industry-specific data, information, knowledge, trends, and competitive intelligence.

Be aware of current and upcoming career opportunities in CLICs.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

Students will be required to read a daily newspaper. Readings will be assigned before the course begins. Readings can be obtained on the course wiki: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Syllabus.

They will be downloadable as PDF files; linked directly to other web pages; or accessible via the university's subscription databases.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Assignments/Grading Value:
                        Pre-readings & Notes  20%
                        State of the Industry Report  15%
                        Leadership Profile/Style Analysis 10%
                        My CLIC Presentation 15%
                        Cover Letter/Resume  10%
                        Research Paper OR Final Exam 20%
                        Class Participation/Student Page   10%

Each assignment is described on the course wiki: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Assignments

Attendance at all sessions is mandatory.

 

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COURSE POLICIES

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity, see . 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.

Accommodating Disabilities

The University has a Disability Resource Center . If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

Assignment Policies

Students may work in teams on an assignment (except cover letter and resume) if they have the prior approval of the instructor and can demonstrate how the workload will be divided between/among them.

All assignments are due on the dates indicated.  Late assignments will only be accepted with the instructor’s prior approval and may result in the instructor’s decision to impose a grading penalty or simply not accept the assignment for credit toward the final grade. 

All assignments must be submitted by July 21st in order for the student to receive credit for the course.  Students may not opt out of any of the assignments.

Assignments must meet the guidelines that have been provided.  However, students are encouraged to display creativity in both the content and the format of their assignments.

Students may use this course as an opportunity to explore their own interests and talents.
Everyone is encouraged to have fun and enjoy this chance to learn and share ideas.     

All assignments must be submitted on the course wiki. Students will create a student page to present, link to and/or upload their assignments. The student page must look professional and presentation is part of the student's grade. Remember, however, the using a wiki is easy! You don't need to know HTML, but you will need to learn how to use the wiki.

Complete details on how assignments must be submitted can be found at the following URL: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Student%20Pages

Due dates for the assignment can be found on the course syllabus: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Syllabus

The assignments are described on the wiki: http://corporatelibraries.pbwiki.com/Assignments

All research must be documented using an authoritative bibliographic citation format such as MLA, APA or Chicago Manual.

All assignments must be turned in on time and attendance is mandatory. Late assignments will be penalized and/or the student will receive an incomplete grade. Students who miss class will not pass the class or receive an incomplete grade.

Incompletes

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

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GRADING

Students are expected to participate actively in the class by posting their work on the wiki; responding to comments presented on the wiki by the instructor or classmates; by making thoughtful and well-considered comments during our face to face meetings; by asking questions when things are not clear or the students would like more information; by listening with an open mind to the ideas of others; by staying alert and engaged in the class; and by attending all face to face class unless a personal emergency arises for which the instructor is given immediate notice, and to use a recognized citation style for each assignment. .

Students will be graded on the quality of the content in their assignments, including the quality of their writing, presentation style, and timeliness.

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CONTACTING ME

You can contact Roberta Shaffer at rsha at loc dot gov.

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