About the Course

Instructors

General Syllabus

Course Modules

The Paper Trail

Survival Tools

General Education Integrated Skills

Academic Integrity

"Have you ever heard of Data Smog? A term coined by author David Shenk, it refers to the idea that too much information can create a barrier in our lives. This data smog is produced by the amount of information, the speed at which it comes to us from all directions, the need to make fast decisions, and the feeling of anxiety that we are making decisions without having ALL the information that is available or that we need.

"Information literacy is the solution to Data Smog. It allows us to cope by giving us the skills to know when we need information and where to locate it effectively and efficiently. It includes the technological skills needed to use the modern library as a gateway to information. It enables us to analyze and evaluate the information we find, thus giving us confidence in using that information to make a decision or create a product. "
      -- "Introduction to Information Literacy," Association of College and Research Libraries,
       http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/acrlinfolit/infolitoverview/introtoinfolit/introinfolit.htm.

"My guess is about 300 years until computers are as good as, say, your local reference library in doing search..."
      -- Craig Silverstein, Google's Director of Technology, on CBS News Sunday Morning,
       March 28, 2004.