Contact Information

Paul F. Marty, Ph.D., Professor, School of Information, Florida State University

Office: 240 LSB
Office Hours: By Appointment

The best way to reach me is by email: marty@fsu.edu. I make every effort to respond to emails within 24 hours; if I don't respond within 48 hours, please email me again, as your message might have gotten lost or junked accidentally.

This syllabus is available online at https://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5590/

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to museum informatics, the study of the sociotechnical interactions that occur between people, information, and technology in museums and other cultural heritage organizations. Students explore the changing nature of information technology in museums, and examine how technical innovations are influencing the social worlds of museums, museum professionals, and museum visitors.

Course Objectives

After the completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts and terminology of museum informatics;
  • Analyze and assess the effect of information science and technology on museums;
  • Analyze and assess the challenges facing museum professionals as they work with new information technologies;
  • Analyze and assess the influence of new information technologies on museum visitors; and
  • Evaluate and interpret the modern museum as a sociotechnical, information environment.

Course Materials

There is no required text for this course. Instead, we will read a variety of scholarly and professional articles each week, all available online or on reserve in Canvas.

Course Assignments

Please see the detailed assignment descriptions at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5590/assignments.html

The following list is provided for quick reference:

  • Weekly Participation (10%)
  • Project Prompts (6 @ 5% each)
  • Individual Projects (3 @ 20% each)

Grading and Evaluation

The most important criteria for grading are timeliness, completeness, and quality. Please complete all parts of each assignment, and please make every effort to present your thinking clearly at each stage. The effort you put into your assignments is just as important as the final outcome.

Assignments that have not been demonstrably spell-checked, grammar-checked, and proofread for absolute nonsense will not be accepted. Unacceptable assignments will receive a zero, and may be resubmitted only at the instructor's discretion.

If a situation arises where you will not be able to meet a deadline, please let the instructor know well in advance. Work submitted late with a reasonable excuse will be accepted only if discussed with the instructor before the due date.

Percentage weights for each assignment are listed above. Final letter grades will be allocated using the following scale: 100-93 = A, 92-90 = A-, 89-87 = B+, 86-83 = B, 82-80 = B-, 79-77 = C+, 76-73 = C, 72-70 = C-, 69-67 = D+, 66-63 = D, 62-60 = D-, 59-0 = F.

Please note that all of your work for this class must be original.

Course Schedule

Please see the detailed course outline at http://marty.cci.fsu.edu/lis5590/outline.html

The following list is provided for quick reference:

  • Week 01: Introduction
  • Week 02: Labor Day
  • Week 03: Museum Metadata, and Project 1 Intro: Omeka
  • Week 04: Invisible Work and Evolving Roles
  • Week 05: Project 1 Workshop: Omeka
  • Week 06: Institutional Knowledge and Increasing Demands
  • Week 07: Collections Management, and Project 2 Intro: CollectionSpace
  • Week 08: Creative Innovation and Experimental Freedom
  • Week 09: Project 2 Workshop: CollectionSpace
  • Week 10: Disruptive Technologies and Radical Change
  • Week 11: Co-Creating Knowledge, and Project 3 Intro: Crowdsourcing
  • Week 12: Veterans Day
  • Week 13: Digital Leadership and Professional Communities
  • Week 14: Project 3 Workshop: Crowdsourcing
  • Week 15: Changing Mindsets and Inclusive Philosophies

SCHOOL POLICIES

Communication Policy

You are required to check your official FSU email account and the course management system regularly. It is highly recommended that you use your FSU email accounts for all course-related emails. Emails to the instructor must have a subject line that includes the number of the course. You should set up your email account so that your full name accompanies each email (i.e., emails should come from John Smith, not from js44f). Emails that include neither your name nor the course number will not receive a response.

Copyright Statement

Some of the materials in this course are possibly copyrighted. They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course and only for instructional activities associated with, and for the duration of, the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Technology, Education, And Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act (refer to the 3/7/2001 TEACH Act at www.copyright.gov/legislation/archive/ ).

Sexual Harassment Policy

It is the policy of the University that its employees and students neither commit nor condone sexual harassment in any form. http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/graduate/information/university_notices/

Hardware and Software Requirements

A list of all hardware and software requirements for students participating in the School of Information (iSchool) courses can be found at the following location: http://ischool.cci.fsu.edu/academics/online/requirements/

Student Eligibility for an Incomplete Grade

Incomplete (“I”) grades will not be assigned, except in the case of exceptional unforeseen circumstances that occur within the last three weeks of the semester and your work has otherwise been satisfactory.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

University Attendance Policy

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

Academic Honor Policy

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to "...be honest and truthful and...[to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy)

Americans With Disabilities Act

Florida State University (FSU) values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. Our goal is to create learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming. FSU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with academic standards of the course while empowering the student to meet integral requirements of the course.

To receive academic accommodations, a student:

  1. must register with and provide documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS);
  2. must provide a letter from OAS to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type; and,
  3. should communicate with the instructor, as needed, to discuss recommended accommodations. A request for a meeting may be initiated by the student or the instructor.

Please note that instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from the Office of Accessibility Services has been provided. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the

Office of Accessibility Services
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
oas@fsu.edu
https://dsst.fsu.edu/oas

Free Tutoring from FSU

On-campus tutoring and writing assistance is available for many courses at Florida State University. For more information, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services' comprehensive list of on-campus tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu. High-quality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. These services are offered by tutors trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal academic integrity.

Confidential Campus Resources

Various centers and programs are available to assist students with navigating stressors that might impact academic success. These include the following:

Victim Advocate Program
University Center A, Rm. 4100
(850) 644-7161
Available 24/7/365
Office Hours: M-F 8-5
https://dsst.fsu.edu/vap

University Counseling Center
Askew Student Life Center, 2nd floor
942 Learning Way
(850) 644-8255
https://counseling.fsu.edu/

University Health Services
Health and Wellness Center
(850) 644-6230
https://uhs.fsu.edu/

Syllabus Change Policy

This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advanced notice.