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Library Instruction Activities: Scholarship as Conversation

For librarians only

Finding sources from sources

Scholarly Dinner Party

For this activity, imagine that you and your group are organizing a party, specifically a scholarly party around a theme. You and your group will invite guests (sources), who should have interesting things to say to each other, particularly related to your theme. You will invite guests who have things in common with each other as well as guests with varying opinions, so that everyone isn’t just saying the same thing. It’s okay to have different perspectives and even a little disagreement too – that’s what makes for interesting conversation. Although you will invite many guests to join the discussion, your group gets to direct the conversation.