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From top-left to bottom-right, Aim\u00e9e Boutin, Jonathan DaSo, Kelly Grove and Rachel Duke have received the Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize for developing “Paris World Capital,” an innovative course that integrates cultural study with digital research skills.\t\t<\/p>\n
Four Florida State University scholars have received the\u00a0Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize<\/a>\u00a0from the Modern Language Association\u00a0(MLA)\u00a0for their partnership in developing\u00a0\u201cParis World Capital,\u201d\u00a0an innovative course that invites students to critically examine Paris as a\u00a0cultural and global icon while strengthening research and digital literacy skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n The national award was presented\u00a0last month\u00a0during the MLA\u2019s annual convention in Toronto,\u00a0Canada, and recognizes exemplary collaborations between faculty and academic librarians that integrate information\u00a0literacy\u00a0into coursework in literature,\u00a0language\u00a0or related fields.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis award celebrates a truly interdisciplinary effort that brings together expertise from across the university to deepen students\u2019 engagement with one of the world\u2019s most iconic cities,\u201d said\u00a0Reinier Leushuis,\u00a0department chair\u00a0and professor\u00a0in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. \u201cIt reflects FSU\u2019s commitment to innovative teaching that equips students with the critical thinking and research skills essential for success\u00a0in a globalized and information\u2011rich world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The initiative was led by\u00a0Aim\u00e9e Boutin<\/a>, professor of French in the\u00a0Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics<\/a>, in close collaboration with an interdisciplinary team from\u00a0FSU Libraries,<\/a>\u00a0including\u00a0Rachel Duke<\/a>, research and engagement program director for Special Collections and Archives;\u00a0Kelly Grove<\/a>,\u00a0STEM program director and GIS and\u00a0Earth\u00a0Sciences\u00a0librarian;\u00a0and\u00a0Jonathan DaSo<\/a>, arts and humanities program director and modern languages and linguistics librarian.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boutin, whose scholarship focuses on 19th\u2011century literature, urban studies and cultural history, designed the course to help students move beyond familiar images and stereotypes of Paris. Through an immersive, media\u2011rich approach, students explore how the city\u2019s iconic status has been shaped by literature, history, monuments,\u00a0tourism\u00a0and digital platforms across time.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost people\u2019s image of Paris is constructed through media, including books, social media, websites and platforms like TripAdvisor, which makes it a powerful focus for digital literacy,\u201d Boutin said. \u201cThe course combines practical information with critical thinking about how cities become global destinations while teaching students how to move beyond Google to find accurate, peer\u2011reviewed sources.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Aim\u00e9e Boutin is a professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics. (Devin Bittner\/FSU College of Arts and Sciences)Rachel Duke serves as the research and engagement program director for Special Collections and Archives at FSU Libraries. (FSU Libraries)<\/p>\n Rather than relying on traditional guest lectures, the course was built and taught through an equal partnership between faculty and librarians, with jointly designed instruction, multiple integrated library sessions throughout the semester and\u00a0collaboratively developed assignments that embed information literacy throughout the curriculum.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Students learn to recognize underrepresented and marginalized perspectives within systems that produce and\u00a0disseminate\u00a0information, drawing on viewpoints ranging from\u00a0author\u00a0Victor Hugo to filmmaker\u00a0Ladj\u00a0Ly. By the end of the semester, students independently formulate research questions,\u00a0identify\u00a0gaps in\u00a0scholarship\u00a0and organize information in meaningful ways,\u00a0demonstrating\u00a0research as inquiry and searching as strategic exploration.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe classroom is really my favorite place to see our materials come alive,\u201d Duke said. \u201cBeing able to watch students experience that moment of discovery when primary sources or rare materials suddenly click is incredibly rewarding.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cParis World Capital,\u201d\u00a0first taught in spring 2025,\u00a0also fulfills\u00a0CoreFSU\u2019s\u00a0digital literacy requirement and aligns with the Association of College and Research Libraries\u2019 Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Kelly Grove is the dedicated STEM program director and the GIS and Earth Sciences librarian for FSU Libraries. (FSU Libraries)Jonathan DaSo is the arts and humanities program director and serves as the modern languages and linguistics librarian. (FSU Libraries)<\/p>\n Hands\u2011on activities include working with archival materials in FSU Special Collections and Archives, such as the Turgot map and Haussmann\u2011era guidebooks, and creating interactive\u00a0StoryMaps\u00a0that visualize spatial relationships among Parisian landmarks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInteractive\u00a0StoryMaps\u00a0allow students to engage creatively with their research and explore ideas at their own pace,\u201d Grove said. \u201cEven if they don\u2019t use this exact tool later, the experience helps them connect abstract concepts to real, physical places.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Students range from experienced French learners to those new to academic research. By the end of the course, students\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0an increased ability to critically evaluate sources and move beyond stereotypical representations of Paris while\u00a0being\u00a0introduced\u00a0to the role artificial intelligence is beginning to play in academic research.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rather than treating AI as a shortcut, instructors guide students in understanding how these tools fit into the research process, emphasizing the importance of questioning outputs, verifying\u00a0sources\u00a0and\u00a0maintaining\u00a0responsibility for their own work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cKnowing where your information comes from goes a long way in judging whether it\u2019s accurate and reliable,\u201d DaSo said. \u201cInformation literacy is about developing the ability to find, assess and use information in a wide range of contexts.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Learn more about the Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize at\u00a0mla.org<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information about FSU Libraries and the FSU Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, visit\u00a0lib.fsu.edu<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0mll.fsu.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From top-left to bottom-right, Aim\u00e9e Boutin, Jonathan DaSo, Kelly Grove and Rachel Duke have received the Collaboration for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":171558,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[56742,66174,28,30,29,50913],"class_list":["post-171557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-department-of-modern-languages-and-linguistics","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-fsu-libraries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171557\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MD0A2141-1.3.jpg\")
The \u201cParis World Capital\u201d course distinguishes itself through a semester-long collaboration between faculty and librarians that replaces the standard guest-lecture model while teaching students to deepen their engagement with one of the world\u2019s most iconic cities. (Logan Lowery\/Florida State University)<\/p>\n