LIS520 Janes

Autumn 2007

Final Project

Briefing Paper

This assignment will give you experience in examining, understanding and evaluating trends in the information environment. You are to work in groups of 2 or 3 on this assignment. You may find this Catalyst tool of some assistance in forming a group.

For this assignment, you are to prepare a briefing paper for some relevant information organization (library, museum, publisher, technology company, bookstore, scholarly society, etc) describing and analyzing the likely future trends of importance over the next 24 months, in the book or scholarly journal publishing domain.

Your report should include, at a minimum:

· an executive summary of your findings

· a brief description and background of the organization you choose

· a discussion of the environment and important trends which might include such elements as important organizations, technological initiatives to watch, recent successes and/or failures, etc.

· a recommendation of the single most important innovation that this organization could implement to take advantage of these trends (with appropriate justification)

What you submit should be a professional document, of at most 7 pages (plus citations and any appendices).

Your submissions will be evaluated on the depth of research, thought and analysis of your work, the strength of your recommendations and justification, understanding of the organization and clientele, the creativity and appropriateness of the recommended innovation, and the professional manner of presentation of your report. Please be sure that your submission has the last 4 digits of your student numbers and not your names in the upper right hand corner of the first page.

The Assignment is due in by noon on December 12. I will return projects with comments within a few days; please let me know how the easiest way to do that would be for your group. Please submit in print, either to me in person or in my faculty mailbox.