Management of Technology (UNT)

Management of Technology 

Instructor: Carson Block (More about Carson and the course)

Sponsoring Institution: American Library Association

Course Structure/Delivery: The course runs for eight continuous weeks in spring and fall of 2011.  It is offered completely online in an asynchronous (“when you want”), collaborative environment.  You and your classmates will start the course on the same day, login at multiple times of your own choosing each week, work with classmates on lessons, and advance together week-by-week.

You’ll use your web browser to access the course through the WebCT Vista Learning Management System, hosted by the University of North Texas, a leading purveyor of online education in the U.S.

Course Description:

This course puts the full power of information technology into the hands of library’s managers and leaders. You’ll start with a clear vision and an understanding of technology policy.  Next, you’ll consider the nuts and bolts of managing technology.  Technology planning is next (which is so important we’ll devote two weeks to learning good approaches), followed by technology implementation, and finally, evaluation. The course is presented in plain language with many concrete examples and exercises.

Topics include: connecting your library’s goals to technological possibilities, monitoring and administrating technology budgets, assessing resources, drawing a line between efforts and impacts, evaluating those efforts and making course corrections, and understanding and using emerging technologies.

You will assemble your own Technology Planning Kit, which will help you create your own library technology plan. Course tools include spreadsheet and tally sheet templates for you to download to evaluate budgets, inventory populations served and electronic services provided, inventory hardware and software, and calculate the relationship between the cost and value of a technology investment.

As a resource for course activities, learners are asked to have the following ready to use, if available:

  • The library’s long-term goals
  • An inventory of the technology currently being used by the library
  • The library’s current capital budget
  • The existing technology management plan, if one exists

Enrollment Process: http://www.leadonline.info/index.cfm?pf=/2009/Courses&pfs=filtered&GroupID=1

Technology Requirements:

You’ll need a personal computer with Internet access, a Java-enabled Web browser, and Adobe Reader, plus have access to a printer. You will need to be able to turn off your pop-up blocker.

We can help you test your computer hardware and software before you begin the course at “Browser and Computer Settings.”

Contact: Kevin Haney, LE@D director, with your technical and financial questions at Kevin Haney, kevin.haney@unt.edu