Research Refresh: from the sparks of creative practice to a future vision for IL?

Enys, Rosie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5216-0389 (2023) Research Refresh: from the sparks of creative practice to a future vision for IL? In: LILAC: The Information Literacy Conference, 25-27 Mar 2024, Leeds Beckett University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract / Summary

Students studying creative subjects are often reticent about the role of the library in their practice, often not recognising its relevancy (Smyth et al., 2022). At Falmouth University we observe many of our students from the creative disciplines overlook the role of the library in supporting their practice. The library and ‘research’ are often seen as requirements for their written assignments alone.

There seems to be a dichotomy between the nature of practice and its organic creation, and the processes and systems involved in the organisation of the library’s (and wider) information landscape. Cowan (2004) explored this and called for an expanded view of information-seeking in the creative process, recognising that it “begins and ends outside the walls of [my] the library” (p.19).

The act, or process, of researching may be seen as something entirely different from activities the students are primarily engaged with during their studies. In my experience, the students can feel that exploration of the physical and digital spaces of the library is at odds with the immersive creativity of their studio practice.

Through information literacy (IL) sessions I have developed ways of exploring these observations and I have heard clearly the dissonance between the established frameworks for IL and the needs of creative practitioners.

My colleagues have had similar reflections from their teaching, and the team’s shared experiences of supporting these students fuelled us to develop a standalone ‘bitesized’ session focussed entirely on research for creative practice. This optional sign-up session is in its second year and has been popular with students and academic staff alike.

This presentation will review our attempts to reframe core information literacy skills through this session to help connect practice-based students with the value of research. It will draw on student feedback as well as my own reflections on the session and my wider teaching experiences and will include opportunities I see for enhancing engagement and expanding on research support for students of creative practice courses.

In conclusion, the process of adapting information literacy support for creative practice students can serve as a model for navigating complex information landscapes in various disciplines. By exploring how information literacy can be tailored to the specific needs of creative practice students, we can gain insights into how to better navigate the increasing complexity of information for ourselves and our students across all disciplines.

CARTER, Sarah, Heather KOOPMANS and Alice WHITESIDE. 2018. ‘Crossing the Studio Art Threshold: Information Literacy and Creative Populations’. Communications in information literacy 12(1), 36–55.

COWAN, Sandra. 2004. ‘Informing Visual Poetry: Information Needs and Sources of Artists’. Art documentation 23(2), 14–20.

SMYTH, Laura, Ian MOORE and Kodi SAYLOR. 2022. ‘“Looking for Pictures of Clouds”: Defining the Unique Research Needs of Creative Communities’. College & research libraries 83(3), 393-415.

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