IRLS 608
Planning and Evaluation of Information Centers

School of Information Resources and Library Science
Spring, 2003

Listserv: IRLS608-001@listserv.arizona.edu

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About this course:

LIS 608 will meet over three weekends during the spring semester.

The dates and times of the meetings are as follows: January 25/26 2003, from 8AM to 4:30 PM on Saturday, and 8AM to 12PM on Sunday. February 8^th and 9^th, same schedule; and, April 12/13^th, same schedule.

It is imperative that enrollees attend all three weekend sessions because of the condensed nature of the materials to be covered in class.We will try to cover most of the major management topics but because of the weekend format, we will focus on: Management

Theories, Organizational Culture, Project Management: Planning and Evaluation; Proposal Writing, Leadership including leadership styles, communication, interpersonal skills, group dynamics, supervision, and strategic (personal) career planning.

New information studies graduates employed in a variety of information organizations will, without exception find themselves in assignments which require managerial, organization, and leadership skills. Fortunately, your experiences in various life roles have taught you a great deal about managing and organizing. In this course we will bring our own experiences and backgrounds to an examination of management theory, and we will begin to develop our skills in a few specific areas.

Today’s information agencies are complex, evolving organizations. A course such as this can only begin to address theories that may help us to function thoughtfully and effectively. While management draws heavily on quantitative methods, at heart (in your instructor’s view), it is as much an art as a science, and is amenable to a variety of styles and approaches. This course should enable you to question your personal assumptions about management, provide insight into your individual strengths and weaknesses, and begin to work on maximizing strengths.

Understand how the discipline and major theories of management evolved.

Be able to perform some of the practical tasks that form an essential part of the managers role, such as strategic planning, evaluation, budgeting, and proposal writing.

Develop insights into one’s innate competencies, strengths and weaknesses as managers, and recognize personal potential for leadership particularly as related to practical problem solving in supervising employees in library and other information settings.

Required Text:

Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran. Library and Information Center Management, 6^th edition, Libraries Unlimited, Greenwood, Colo. 2002

Paper version available in University Bookstore, $50.00.

Course Grade Calculations:

Assignments:

Participation in class discussion and via the listserv is greatly encouraged. Domination of discussion (no matter how knowledgeable you are!) is discouraged.

Each of the three weekend class sessions will have assignments to be completed in advance, as well as mandatory readings. Students are expected to complete and hand in the assignments, and do the readings so as to be prepared to apply the principles presented as appropriate.

Assignment # 1

Read pp.27-53; and pp.320-345 in the Text. Pick a management theory that interests you (either from the text or another ) Locate some other sources that describe the theory (not more than one or two) and write a 3 page analysis of your theory, and explain how you believe it relates to current problems in information agencies. Is it still relevant? Why?

This paper is due January 21, 2003, and may be faxed, e-mailed or hand delivered. Late papers will not be accepted.

Additional Readings for January 25^th and 26^th(on E-reserve):

Organizational structure and culture- pp122-203 in text; Quinn "Becoming a Master Manager" E reserves ; Mintzberg, H. "Musings on Management" Harvard Business Review 74 (July-August, 1996:61)

Edgar H. Schein " Organizational Culture" American Psychologist 45 (February, 1990): 111

Peter F. Drucker "Management’s new Paradigms" Forbes 162 (October 5, 1998:155)

Assignment #2

Planning and Evaluation: pp 59-116 and pp411-436 in text.

By FEB 4^th, send me via e-mail, fax, or snail mail a SHORT paragraph describing a problem that you would like to solve by writing a grant proposal.

Other readings and resources:

http://fdncenter.org/learn/shortcourse/prop1.html see also http://fdncenter.org for information about 70,000 private and community foundations in the US. Samples of proposal forms,etc

Susan L. Golden. "Preparing and submitting your grant proposal" in Successful Grantsmanship. San Francisco, Josey-Bass, pp 78-102

Following proposal writing workshop on Feb.8^th and 9^th, begin work on your grant proposal. Final proposal (40% of grade) is due APRIL 26, 2003. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Assignment # 3

Pp 317-406 in text.

Do the Jung- Meyer Briggs typology exercise (http://humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp), and the follow up information about your personality type. Bring results to class on APRIL 12.

Pick a book on leadership, and write a review of it. Particularly discuss its applicability to present day management situations (in or out of library/information environments) No more than three pages. This is a critical review (don’t pull punches if the book is a disaster) but hopefully you will find a title in your library or bookstore that is worthwhile and to some degree useful. Review is due APRIL 4^th (to facilitate discussion on the 12^th)

A list of titles follow, just to get you started. DO NOT feel constrained to pick from this list. There may be something newer (or a classic) that we all should know about!

Some suggested titles:

Management Theory Analysis 20%
Proposal 40%
Leadership Book Review 20%
Personal Strategic Plan 10%
Participation 10%

SCHEDULE and TOPICS