Intelligence, national security and information policy are explored in a recently published book co-written by iSchool instructor Dr. Susan Maret. These same topics are also covered in several courses she teaches in the MLIS program.

Intelligence, security and information policy are explored in a recently published book co-written by Dr. Susan Maret, an instructor at the San José State University School of Information.

Titled, “Intelligence and Information Policy for National Security,” the book is an expansion on other works addressing intelligence and government policies, including Maret’s “On Their Own Terms: A Lexicon with an Emphasis on Information-Related Terms Produced by the U.S. Federal Government.”

The new “one-stop reference tool,” as described by Rowman & Littlefield, includes terms and concepts derived from open-source U.S. and United Kingdom government publications, intergovernmental organization and non-governmental organization publications, scholarly articles, books, congressional hearings, legal briefs, Freedom of Information Act documents and the media.

Maret’s works are utilized in the courses she teaches in the iSchool’s Master of Library and Information Science online degree program. “In the INFO 281 Information Secrecy course, I select readings from [my] and Jan Goldman’s ‘Government Secrecy: Classic and Contemporary Readings’ and a dedicated volume on secrecy I edited appearing in Volume 19 of ‘Research in Social Problems and Public Policy,’” Maret said.

For MLIS students, she noted 16 member agencies of the intelligence community hire from a variety of backgrounds, and several courses taught at the iSchool would be relevant to those interested in a career in intelligence analysis.

“The INFO 281 Seminar in Contemporary Issues course topics (e.g., Information Secrecy, Information Ethics and Information Integrity) I teach at the iSchool may be useful to understand various aspects of intelligence culture, information policy, and ‘believability’ of information,” she said. “Moreover, INFO 234 Intellectual Freedom Seminar is foundational for any discussions of secrecy as information policy.”

Additional relevant courses are INFO 254 Information Literacy, INFO 210 Reference and Information Services, INFO 221 Government Information Sources, INFO 231 Issues in Special Libraries and Information Centers, and various INFO 282 Seminar in Library Management course topics (e.g., Social Media/Competitive Intelligence and Visual Literacy).

For more information about Maret’s “Intelligence and Information Policy for National Security” book or to purchase it, visit the Rowman & Littlefield website.