2006/2007 Information Literacy Project Report - It concerns the two sessions in my History 140 class with library consultant, Clara Hudson.

Monday, March 19 3:00-4:15 

The students were given a handout containing a correctly formatted bibliography of a variety of resource types to which there was a corresponding PowerPoint and set of hard copy resources for examination. The students were given time to go over the list and choose what they felt was the correct answer; primary, secondary or tertiary. The exercise was then reviewed and discussed by the entire class. The discussion required the students look at the handout and projection to identify what the resource was (article, book, electronic resource, website) and then whether it was a primary, secondary or tertiary resource. To aid the discussion the hard copies or electronic items were examined.

• Introduction
• Handout – while class begins
  • Viewing handout and projection of handout, determine material type
  • Primary - secondary – tertiary  (students define)
• LC subject headings
• Instruction on obtaining resources
  • Palci
  • WorldCat
  • ILL Link
  • Journal/newspaper search and article linker 

Monday, March 27, 2006

The following topics were covered:

• View requested ILL article from email.
• Catalog overview
  • Subject headings and subject searching
• Databases and search strategy
  • American History and Life and Historical Abstracts.
  • Project Muse
  • Jstor
• Internet Resources
  • Authority
  • Bias

The students came to the two sessions after they had begun to consider the topics for their class papers so they had pretty good ideas of how Clara Hudson’s presentations would apply to their own research.  Most of her talks aimed at satisfying the library project’s first and third standards – determining the nature of information needed, and critical evaluation of sources. I particularly valued Ms Hudson’s clear and provocative introduction to the problem of bias and the lack of scholarly standards that plague many web sites. It led to a very rewarding discussion.  Finally, I want to thank Clara Hudson for a thorough and a thoroughly fascinating two days in the library. My students took a great deal away with them and I look forward to doing this again.