IM 644 Technologies for Libraries and School Media Centers Course Requirements Spring 1997

1. Students are expected to participate in each the discussions at each class session. Participation in discussions will account for 15% of the final grade.

2. Pick one of the two following choices:
   • A draft "Request for Proposal" including a clear delineation of need, environmental assessment, and articulation of system requirements. The length of this RFP will largely be determined by the ambition of its authors and the requirements of the project described.

   • Write a systems integration "Vision Statement" including a clear delineation of need, environmental description, and a forecast of system expectations and requirements. The length of this statement also will be determined by the ambition of its authors.

     These projects will be done in small groups (3-4 people) and will constitute 60% of the final grade. Because this is a graduate course, the quality of writing for either the "RFP" or the "Vision Statement" should be of the highest quality, suitable in this case for distribution to vendors in a bid situation.

3. A "Next Steps" paper (done by each student) describing how the knowledge gained in this class will be applied in the future. The paper should be no more than 5 printed pages in length (may be done in HTML and/or submitted electronically). Some awareness of the public policy debates surrounding current information technology developments should be evident in the paper. The "Next Steps" paper will constitute 25% of the final grade. As with the RFP, the quality of writing should be superior, suitable in this case for potential publication.

In addition to assigned readings, students are expected to read broadly the variety of literature germane to the topics discussed, including print and electronic resources. The breadth, depth, and currency of outside reading will be evident in class discussions, constituting a significant portion of each student's grade. Among the resources available in Learning Resources are:

Students also are encouraged to locate relevant information by subscribing to listservs and "cruising the Net" using any or all of the variety of internet search tools.

There will be no final examination