Published:August 3, 2016 by Dr. Chris Hagar

The proposed Globalization and Information interdisciplinary course will examine issues of globalization within the context of an information society.

I was delighted to be awarded a Global Citizenship and Engagement Faculty Stipend from the SJSU, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, to aid the development of a Globalization and Information course. This interdisciplinary course will provide Master of Library & information (MLIS) and Master of Archives and Record Administration (MARA) students with a broad overview of the influence of globalization on the generation, organization, access, transfer, and use of information. It will examine issues of globalization within the context of an information society and focus particularly on political, economic, technological and socio-cultural issues. The course will engage students in global conversations, help prepare students to think globally, to be global citizens, and to play an active role in a multicultural world. It will prepare students to pursue alternative career paths as information professionals.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Critically analyse political, economic, technological, and socio-cultural issues of information in a global context.

• Explore the challenges of competing perspectives and expectations about the influence of globalization on information infrastructures, uses of information, knowledge, and power.

• Reflect on the roles and functions of libraries, information agencies and organizations, and information professionals in an increasingly global society.

• Experience cross-cultural communication by engaging in discussions with information professionals in different countries.

• Gain an understanding of globalization theory as it relates to information generation, organization, dissemination, and use.

The course will be offered in the Spring 2017 (subject to the approval by the iSchool Curriculum Committee).