News & Updates
When 1 + 1 > 2: The Creation of LITS
By Dave Smallen
August 26, 2014
In fall of 2013, the Library and Information Technology Services (ITS), two formerly separate (but collaborative) organizations, were strategically combined. Recognizing the rapid changes taking place in the way we access, utilize and analyze information, we believe that as one organization we can better support teaching, learning and college operations.
The mission of the newly merged Library and Information Technology Services (LITS) department is to empower students, faculty and staff to use information and technologies to engage in intellectual exploration, make informed decisions and create and share knowledge.
Students, faculty, and staff should expect the same high level of services they have always received from the Library and ITS. As a merged organization, we can more effectively support the academic program through tighter coordination behind the scenes and closer partnerships with members of the Hamilton community.
In our academic partnerships, we seek to understand and align with the goals of students and faculty members. At the College, throughout their careers, and in their personal and work lives, Hamilton students face many decisions. Students—mobile technologies have made it easy for you to find information on the Internet, but how do you evaluate the validity of what you find? How do you locate the most relevant sources for your needs? How do you analyze and synthesize information to create knowledge? Members of LITS can help you create a strategy for your research, find quality resources for papers and projects, and guide you in creating a video or poster to share your work with the community. In short, we can help you be successful at Hamilton and throughout your life. In a 2014 survey conducted by The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) two of the top three skills that employers looked for in college graduates were, the ability to make decisions and solve problems and the ability to obtain and process information. Partnering with LITS as you complete your courses can get you on the path to developing these skills.
Hamilton’s faculty members have unique research and course goals, and LITS is here to provide personalized support. Faculty—you might have ideas about incorporating new technologies into your courses, but you might be unsure of where to start. Are you looking to enhance your classes through the use of multimedia? Would you like your students to create a research paper or poster project? Whether it means assisting with creative course design and research projects, or identifying resources for your personal research, or incorporating cutting edge technologies into your curriculum, educational technologists and librarians are here to help you achieve your goals.
In the coming months we will be highlighting ways in which LITS can support innovation, achieve business process improvement, and expand access to information in all forms. We live in exciting times, filled with many challenges, opportunities and endless change. LITS is here to help you navigate this changing world.
