Classes in Special Collections

How to Use a Finding Aid Tutorial

Special Collections hosts approximately 20 classes a semester in the Evans Training Room. Our librarians and archivists can help faculty identify relevant rare and archival materials, develop in-class or out-of-class active learning assignments, and assist with teaching some courses.

• For faculty teaching with Medieval or Renaissance manuscripts, pre-1800 books, or archival collections, the librarian will be available in the classroom to help interpret and protect materials.
• For faculty who have taught in Special Collections at least twice and are using later period books, the librarian will give students a short tutorial on handling books at the beginning of class.
• For faculty who are new to teaching in Special Collections, the librarian can help design the class visit and be available in the classroom to help interpret the materials.

Scheduling class sessions takes place during the first two weeks of each semester. Faculty interested in scheduling a class should contact Julie Grob for more information.

The Evans Training Room includes an instructor laptop, a digital projector and screen, and a document camera which can project rare materials for viewing by the whole class. We can set up the room for group work, gallery style viewing, or individual assignments. This flexibility allows for the integration of outside course websites or digital collections with original primary source material, information literacy instruction on how to use Special Collections or read a finding aid, and combinations of viewing rare material with interpreting individual objects using hands-on assignments.