Taking the Show on the Road: Special Collections Instruction in the Campus Classroom

Abstract

Introduction Teaching with primary source materials is unquestionably “hot” in higher education. Teaching faculty, administrative bodies, and even students are now beginning to understand what special collections librarians have always known: working with authentic rare books, manuscripts, or archival documents produces a particularly stimulating educational environment, and physically handling original materials fuels lively discussion, generates uncommon ideas, and cultivates critical thinking. Special collections librarians have spent considerable time and energy over the past decade building relationships and creating outreach programs that show how a visit to special collections to interpret actual primary sources can provoke an unusual level of critical . . .