Information Literacy at Bowdoin

As we navigate the messy, ever-changing system of information, we need to reach out to collaborators and guides to understand structures and contexts and make discoveries and connections. The ecosystem is interdependent. No part can act alone.

To think for ourselves is not to think by ourselves. Research activity is not a one-way process, but is the creation of a network designed to support the health and sustainability of the scholarly ecosystem. Our network is more expansive, both in size and in style, than we may expect.

No tree lives forever, and not every plant will survive, but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t contribute to the ecosystem, or that the next tree to grow in that place won’t benefit from its existence. If something doesn’t work, learning why can help us try again.

When the forest floor gets overgrown and cluttered, the entire ecosystem is at risk from pests, wildfires, and competition for nutrients. Similarly, when our work is overgrown with preconceptions, rote habits, and fear of failure, we are less likely to engage in creative inquiry. If we give our curiosity space to breathe and grow, then we can begin to see research as joyful exploration.

The healthiest forests host a wide range of organisms (not just trees). They grow according to nature – a manifestation of the intermingling of plants, fungi, animals, weather, and geology. The more we align with this intermingling the healthier the ecosystem becomes.

Part of being in a healthy, sustainable ecosystem is connecting to the different sources of support, nutrition, and other forms of care vital to development. Which voices, texts, and data we connect to will have an impact on how our ideas develop. Naming these connections help us and others to understand more about our place within the ecosystem and honor the origins of our ideas.

As we spend more time in the forest and cultivate our own ideas and connections, we begin to give back to the ecosystem – sharing with those with whom we are in conversation and those who are just getting started.

It is easy to grow when the conditions are favorable, but some plants require wildfires to thrive. It is easy to accept things we agree with or that make us less frustrated or more comfortable, but we may learn more from discomfort and challenging ourselves. We can’t separate ourselves from feelings we have during research. Feelings may sway what we look for, how we look for it, and how we interpret what we find.

A healthy ecosystem is made up of many different organisms, all with different parts to play. Information sources have different roles as well – some provide context, analysis, or theory; others are subjects of analysis or interpretation. By exploring the connections and relationships between these different types of sources, we can gain an understanding of the underlying structure of the larger ecosystem.

To understand a forest is to look at its history, geography, ecology, and the way that human activity may have impacted it. In order to understand how information fits within an ecosystem, we have to understand the history, evolution, and interdependencies that have shaped the discourse it is a part of.

We should see our places within the information ecosystem as one of both giving and receiving. We gather what we need from thinkers who came before, but we do so thoughtfully and ethically, while also making our own contributions.

Many factors lead to the amplification of certain voices and perspectives, while silencing others. Forests are most healthy and sustainable when they are ecological diverse. Similarly, the consideration and inclusion of a wide range of ideas enriches our understanding of the world.

Content created by generative AI can act like invasive species. The ecosystem’s connections and pressures affect invasive species to a lesser degree than native species, allowing them to take over a forest quickly. In the same way, AI-generated content can rapidly proliferate, spread, and attract more attention, choking out more carefully prepared human-created sources.

We may hope for a simple and smooth research process, but often the desire to avoid complication means we miss the wonder of exploration, discovery, and getting just a little lost. Learning enough about the forest to navigate our way through, even if we change paths or go off trail, can lead to amazing discoveries – but it takes experience and time to gain that comfort and confidence.

Our questions can help us trace the connections in an ecosystem and find new opportunities for growth. Sometimes these findings will prompt us to adjust our path, refine our questions, and shift directions in order to discover what we didn’t even know we were looking for.

As a tree’s connections to the mycorrhizal network and its place within the ecosystem are complex, it is essential that we consider the multiple ways that ideas can extend and connect.

Sources that are central or foundational to a discipline, theory, or area of inquiry become a mother source in the scholarly discourse. By identifying these mother sources and recognizing them as an entry point into the connections, relationships, and conversations around them, we can use them as a map for our exploration much more effectively than just digging a hole in the ground and hoping for the best.

By spending time digging deeper into sources, we can find their place in the ecosystem and understand how they speak to each other and how those relationships may lead us in new directions.

If we never go deeper than the surface level, we will miss many of the most crucial and formative connections within the ecosystem. These connections can stretch extensively and make sense of the ecosystem in ways that are unclear when we’re not looking beneath the surface.

It takes time to explore an ecosystem. After we get our bearings, how do we learn from others who may have knowledge of the forest?

By intentionally exploring the ecosystem, we can make better choices about which organisms contribute to its health and which hinder growth. These choices will help ensure that all of the conditions are met for the successful growth of an idea.

The more time spent exploring our ecosystem and its structure, the more confidence we will have in making choices about where new opportunities for growth may be. It is more comfortable to plant a seed if we feel confident that it has access to the nutrients, water, sunlight, and support that it needs.

Looking single-mindedly for a particular answer can limit what we find. Asking questions can support exploration and experimentation, allowing us to find connections and relationships we may have missed that ultimately give us a better sense of the topic.

A field guide, binoculars, a compass, and a map are all tools that aid with understanding the forest. They provide information in different ways, just as reference texts, article databases, archival collections, and search engines do in research. Use the right tool for the right task and use it well.

The best fruit is often not the most accessible. By moving past the obvious and digging deeper into the materials and research platforms, we can explore the complexity of the topic and make better discoveries.

A search with no relevant results can push us to reimagine and try again in a new place. Things that seem like barriers may be used as supports and help us grow by finding better information further afield.

The language we use to search will lead us to texts and sources that also use that language. Learning the language different disciplines or discourse groups use will help us connect and communicate with people in those conversations. Varying language and iterating our search with different terms ensures that we are not missing voices in the conversation.

Recognizing which species are native and which might be invasive can be difficult if we haven’t spent a lot of time in the forest. Likewise, determining whether text generated to sound trustworthy actually is trustworthy may require expertise we’re still developing. We should rely on trusted guides, or trusted sources, to help us learn to recognize good information until we have more experience.

Insects live under stones and in fallen logs. Some plants only grow when running water is nearby. Understanding how systems work can help us locate what we want to find. We often search databases to find scholarly journal articles, but dictionaries and bibliographies can also point us toward helpful sources. Paying attention to these structures can help us navigate even if we don’t have a map.

We have developed a multi-faceted, collaborative program by incorporating traditional, innovative and interactive instruction services to assist students in developing skills to find, evaluate, analyze, and ethically use research resources.

First-year library instruction at the seminar level provides an essential foundation for students’ understanding of how academic literature is organized and used. This solid grounding will serve students throughout their entire Bowdoin careers and form the basis for developing more advanced library research skills in their major fields of study.

Librarians work with faculty to develop sessions that enrich the learning experience. Students will work with a librarian to critically engage with information throughout the research process.

Grounded in the Bowdoin College Library Research and Instruction Services learning outcomes, the education program of Special Collections & Archives emphasizes active learning for information, archival, and visual literacy. We work with faculty across all disciplines to meet a wide variety of learning goals and support teaching with our unique materials. Our emphasis on active learning places the student at the center of our instruction design, providing the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning to build transferable skills that directly promote students’ academic growth and development.

Learn more about SC&A instruction.

Designed for general subject areas or customized for specific classes, the guides present 24/7 access to the most relevant research resources, research strategies, and information about the library’s services and resources.

We encourage students and faculty to meet with librarians individually to get targeted assistance with projects large or small, assignments, locating materials, questions, or suggestions for re-invigorating the research process, or just extra support.

Throughout the year the Library offers various workshops and events designed to provide opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to explore skills, technologies, ideas, and collections.

Contact your research librarian to schedule a class, appointment, or simply to find out more about our instruction program.