"Serendipity and Its Role in Information-Literate Behavior"

Type of Presentation

Individual paper/presentation (20 minute presentation)

Target Audience

Higher Education

Location

Room 1220 B

Abstract

In the ACRL "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" which was filed by the ACRL Board on Feb. 2, 2015, under the frame "Searching as Strategic Exploration," the word 'serendipity' is explicitly mentioned as one of the three aspects of searching. This paper will be a 'think piece' exploring the concept of serendipity and its role in information literacy. I have been thinking about serendipity a good deal lately as I have participated in my university's General Education and Core curriculum Committee and its development of a QEP on writing (and the inseparably related processes of researching and critical thinking). I am also trying to gel some of the things that I have learned about knowledge and thinking skills over the course of my own education and my career in academic librarianship. I will share my thoughts on serendipity - the discovery of knowledge by chance or from some realm of learning other than your own that turns out to be relevant to the problem you are working on - and I will relate these to the literature on serendipity.

Presentation Description

'Serendipity' is explicitly mentioned in the new ACRL Framework on information literacy. What is it, and what role does it play in information literacy?

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

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Sep 25th, 8:30 AM Sep 25th, 9:45 AM

"Serendipity and Its Role in Information-Literate Behavior"

Room 1220 B

In the ACRL "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" which was filed by the ACRL Board on Feb. 2, 2015, under the frame "Searching as Strategic Exploration," the word 'serendipity' is explicitly mentioned as one of the three aspects of searching. This paper will be a 'think piece' exploring the concept of serendipity and its role in information literacy. I have been thinking about serendipity a good deal lately as I have participated in my university's General Education and Core curriculum Committee and its development of a QEP on writing (and the inseparably related processes of researching and critical thinking). I am also trying to gel some of the things that I have learned about knowledge and thinking skills over the course of my own education and my career in academic librarianship. I will share my thoughts on serendipity - the discovery of knowledge by chance or from some realm of learning other than your own that turns out to be relevant to the problem you are working on - and I will relate these to the literature on serendipity.