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Library Orientation Module
Welcome to the Pelham High School Library!
To help you become lifelong learners, we would
like to orient you to how to use the library and what resources you can find at
our library. Once you are comfortable using this library, don't forget to
make use of your town library and, in the future, your college library.
Libraries are a great deal- so much information for free! And librarians
are always eager to help you find what you need.
So, here's where we
start:
Pelham High School Library Orientation
WHAT IS INFORMATION
LITERACY?
WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW IT?
Information Literacy is:
the ability to "recognize
when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use
effectively the needed information." -American Library
Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, 1989
Information Literacy is vital to becoming
a life long learner who enjoys exploring new fields of study and pursues
recreational interests.
Follow these easy steps:
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1. Brainstorm what information you will need based on what questions you are
trying to answer. Read the assignment thoroughly,
highlighting important requirements, discuss the assignment with your
teacher and your classmates. |
| 2.
Decide where you will look to find the information. Sometimes your
teacher will specify what sources you must use. Sometimes you'll
decide on your own based on your topic. It's best to start with
broad-brush tools such as encyclopedias in print and online, subject
dictionaries, the OPAC, and general search engines.
When you have developed a list of
keywords from your initial searches, dig in to some weightier
sources: subscription databases, reference materials, primary
sources, the web page created by the media specialist for your
assignment, subject specific search engines and online databases.
Remember to ask the librarian for help in finding the right
resources.
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| 3.
As you gather information, be sure to
evaluate
your sources for
authenticity, accuracy, timeliness, and relevance. Discard
information from unreliable or inaccurate sources. Do not rely on
material from wikis or blogs. (Wikis can be changed by anyone- for more
info, see
http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/;) |
| 4.
Analyze your material to determine whether you are missing any
information that will be necessary for a complete project, and to
determine if additional sources must be found. Consider using
expert interviews, invisible web searches, and interlibrary loan to
increase your information retrieval.
Click
here for more information on search engines. |
| 5.
Using the
MLA note card system, organize your research into your
own cohesive database. Construct an
outline and Works Cited from
the information you have collected. |
| 6.
Use your outline and notes to write your paper or complete your
homework assignment, taking care to attribute copyright and avoid
plagiarism. |
| 7.
Reflect on your efforts and the quality of
the final product. Did you meet your expectations? |
Brainstorm
Find
Evaluate
Analyze
Organize
Use
Reflect
What
else do I need to know?
Need more help? Ask the librarian.
And remember, when you have a paper
due in college, make an appointment with the reference librarian! You'll
be glad you did!
www.pelhamweb.com/library
Don't
forget to get a Pelham Public Library card, too! They are free!
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