Connections 1

Recommended content for CNX 1 library and information literacy engagement:

• Introduction to the F&M Library:
  • ​collections: nature of, physical arrangement, and methods of
       discovery and access
  • services: Circulation, Reference/Research Assistance, EZ Borrow,
       Interlibrary Loan, Reserves
  • librarians: the role of the librarian, who they are, how to contact

• Introduction to scholarly communication/scholarly sources:
  • scholarly communication: from peer review to publication
  • the variety of formats:  journals, monographs, edited collections, &c.
  • effective searching in catalogs and indexes
  • interpreting bibliographic data and citations
  • evaluating sources: for quality and relevance to the research need
  • citing sources: how to cite and why citing sources is important
  • the contextual nature of primary and secondary sources

Many first-year students have little to no experience with academic libraries, as evidenced by the following questions asked by multiple CNX 1 students:  

• “How do I rent books from the library?”
• “Is there a directory to go to where you can search books written on a certain subject not just in a broad sense?”
• “Can I make any highlights and notes on some of the books I borrowed?”
• “How is the library organized and how can I find a certain book by myself?”
• “What is a reference librarian?”
• “Are we on our own for research or does the library aid us in some way?”
• “If we have a project/paper and are looking to do research, but don’t know where to start, what should we do?”