F&M College Library

Connections 1

Information Literacy in the Connections Curriculum

Creating Library Experiences for CNX 1 Courses

Consult with the course librarian to design and schedule library experiences best suited to the content and flow of your course.  

If you have not yet connected with your CNX librarian, and/or if you have any questions, comments, etc.,
concerning information literacy in the Connections curriculum,
contact Lisa Stillwell, Associate Librarian for Research Services, 717.358.3844 or lisa.stillwell@fandm.edu

Introducing first-year students to the library

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

Why do we need to introduce students to the library?

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?”

Customized Library Guides for CNX 1 Courses