Skip to Main Content

STEM Library Resources

This guide introduces students to the SME librarian and available STEM resources while providing guidance on basic information literacy skills.

Use this section of the guide to help you learn new research and information literacy skills. The focus is on effectively performing scientific research.

What is information literacy?

Information literacy is concerned with finding, consuming, and using information well.

According to SLCC's General Education student learning outcomes,

"[Information literacy] includes the demonstrated ability to find, synthesize, assess, create, engage with, and cite information in a professional and ethical manner; to conceive that the research process is reflective and iterative; and to understand how information is produced and valued. These abilities and dispositions are rooted in the Framework for Information Literacy developed and adopted by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)."

When do I use information literacy skills?

You use information literacy skills every day, whether or not you realize it. When you read reviews to decide whether to buy a new product on an online shop, you are evaluating the site's and the company's credibility. When you write a paper and cite an academic journal article, you are entering into a scholarly conversation. When you learn more about a topic that really interests you, you engage with research as inquiry. When you use one of the Library's databases to access proprietary magazine articles, you demonstrate that information has value.

Want to learn more about information literacy skills?

Contact the Science, Mathematics and Engineering liaison librarian: Amy.Scheelke@slcc.edu.