Services

Library instruction on research techniques and library resources is available for individuals, small groups, or entire classes for general or subject-specific content. Instruction may be held in a single session or a series of sessions online, in the Reference Room, in a computer lab, or in the classroom. 

You will receive confirmation of the session within 24 hours of the request.  If you do not receive confirmation, please email Carolyn Oakes with your request.

Instruction sessions are designed to teach students important concepts in Information Literacy.  You can read the College's definition of Information Literacy below, as well as the six frameworks of Information Literacy provided by the Association of College & Research Libraries.

Gordon College Definition of Information Literacy
Information literacy is a set of abilities equipping individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.​ (Approved by the Gordon College Academic Programs Committee on March 24, 2011.)

ACRL Frameworks for Information Literacy
The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) defines Information Literacy according to six core frameworks: 

1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
   Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.
2. Information Creation as a Process
   Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.
3. Information Has Value
   Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.
4. Research as Inquiry
   Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.
5. Scholarship as Conversation
   Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.
6. Searching as Strategic Exploration
   Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

The ACRL Frameworks for Information Literacy for Higher Education was filed by the ACRL Board on February 2, 2015 and adopted by the ACRL Board, January 11, 2016.  Learn more about the Frameworks by visiting the ACRL Frameworks website.