Critical Social Inquiry 0263 - Library as Laboratory: Experiments in Eco-Geo-Cultural Research

This course is held in the Harold F. Johnson Library at Hampshire College and we will use it as our laboratory-not simply a resource for research, but an active site for creation. With our attention increasingly shaped by algorithms and mediated by screens, aisles of books offer an opportunity for open exploration, serendipity, and non-linear curiosity. While making use of short assignments in the stacks and a longer self-directed project through the semester, we will also consider the roles that archiving and arrangement can play in generating new knowledge. Our research in this course will focus on connecting ecology, geology, and culture in novel ways, with visual approaches strongly encouraged Keywords:research, transdisciplinary, environment, libraries This course could be used to fulfill the Division II Project requirement

Lab/Materials fee:$15 Field Trip fee: (mileage, admission fees, etc.)$25 Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time