When students work directly with unique primary source materials, like historic photographs and documents, they discover an excitement and passion not often generated by textbooks. Our collections can inspire, but they also teach about learning to verify sources, tracking down connections, and finding evidence from content and from physical clues.
Special Collections is dedicated to building an active instruction programme and we encourage University faculty and their classes to use our rich and diverse collections.
Special Collections offers a range of services for instructors interested in teaching with and about the books, manuscripts, and other resources in our collections. We can provide help with identifying appropriate materials and developing class assignments, and we also offer a variety of instruction sessions ranging from a general overview of the resources in the Special Collections and Archives, to in-depth presentations on specific materials and their historical contexts.
A formal introduction to Special Collections and Archives can help to remove common anxieties about requesting and handling rare book and primary source collections, and greatly enrich scholarly opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
If interested in arranging a class session in Special Collections and Archives, contact:
Ken Bergin, Head, Special Collections
Please allow several weeks for us to make arrangements before the actual instruction class.
