The strategic plan
adopted by Hamilton in 2002 sets this bold objective: "Hamilton will
strive to become the national leader among liberal arts colleges for
teaching students to demonstrate their knowledge and insights
effectively through written, oral and other forms of communication."
To
help achieve that objective, the Burke Library has collaborated with
Information Technology Services to create the Information Commons (IC).
Located on the first floor of the library in the Multimedia
Presentation Center, the new initiative brings together high-capacity
computing tools, the print and electronic resources of the library, and
the professional assistance of both reference librarians and the
information technology staff to provide a single point of service for
the campus.
"Hamilton students are expected not only to develop
critical thinking and research skills, but also to communicate their
understanding effectively within and across disciplines," said Randy
Ericson, the Couper Librarian. "We expect the IC to be a place used by
many faculty members and students with work areas that encourage
collaboration and modern computer technology for accessing,
manipulating, analyzing and presenting information."
All
students are required to take a Sophomore Seminar and complete a Senior
Project, both of which culminate in an integrative project with public
presentation. "The IC provides students with a place not only to
conduct research and use library materials to develop their ideas. It
also offers state-of-the art equipment used to produce their final
products, whether that be a printed paper incorporating graphic
elements, a poster or PowerPoint presentation, or a video," Ericson
added.
One of the driving forces behind the IC is the desire to
give students the skills necessary to adapt to what David Smallen, vice
president for information technology, describes as the
"information-driven society."
"The world our graduates will
enter is a diverse, complex and global society in which electronic
communication and access to information via computer networks will be
commonplace," he said. "Leaders in this world will know how to
collaborate with others, to access, evaluate, synthesize and analyze
information, make decisions based upon that analysis and communicate
those decisions in ways that will move others to action."
