Whats so Special about Special Collections Suzan Alteri

What’s so Special about Special Collections? Suzan Alteri Public Services Librarian/ Juvenile Collections Curator

Cultural/Historical Importance • • Special collections can put books and primary sources into a general historical context Can illustrate what ‘ordinary’ people read at a specific time Physical aspects of books can yield clues about regarding value placed To fully understand secondary sources, students must also understand primary sources

Importance in Humanistic Education • • MLA: Crucial to the future of humanistic study to make more widely understood the continuing value of artifacts Important for students to see books as cultural objects Learn relationship between primary and secondary sources Special collections should be humanities laboratories

Hidden Gems • • Special collections material may or may not be located in the catalog Many students have never had the opportunity to see these materials Important cultural materials that document the past These hidden gems can promote motivation in learning and intellectual curiosity

Myths about Special Collections • • • Predominately perceived as a place only for researchers Dual message of encouragement and restrictiveness Students see it as a museum Student handling of material diminishes value Special collections are solely for production of scholarship

Different Learning Styles • • • Special collections are especially useful for students who are – Independent oriented learners – Hands-on learners – Sight oriented learners Provides object-centered lessons are more effective Students see themselves as stewards of own learning

The Learning Experience • • • Special collections provides for collaborative learning experiences Provides students with discovering research, evaluating research, and critical thinking skills Can further interdisciplinary research Providers higher order learning Illustrates the “architecture of history and historical scholarship” Learn through experience

The Student Experience • • Allows students to engage with research materials and primary sources Other areas of research can be explored: censorship, authorship, publishing, drafts, what is meaningful Allows for collective learning and discussion Special collections are like a research laboratory

Special Collections: Undergraduate • • Often afraid to use special collections Have to be careful with terminology Provides an understanding of unique materials Want access to cultural, historical, artistic artifacts Rare books mean little if no one can interact with the material Will learn new research techniques Accessibility make these collections less intimidating

Special Collections: Graduate • • • Graduate students have higher learning skills Stress importance of these materials as building blocks of research Allows them to further hone their research skills Allows for creation of their own individual intellectual experience Materials require more analysis and evaluation of the ‘evidence’

Special Collections: Faculty • • • Accessibility is key Can create new teaching methods with the use of special collections Engage students in active, collaborative learning By guiding students through use of these materials you promote higher level learning Allow the student to take the lead and you be the guide

Special Collections @ WSU • Wayne State has over 25 special collections – 16 in Purdy/Kresge, UGL – 7 in Neef Law Library – 2 in Shiffman Medical Library – 2 in Science & Engineering Library

Special Collections @ WSU • • Most of these collections are closed and not available in the stacks Materials must be requested from curator Materials must be used in library Depending on curator, some materials may leave the library

What can the libraries do to aid in access? • • • Faculty can work with a liaison librarian to have materials pulled for a class Liaison librarians may be able to digitize small portions of material Liaison librarians can help you pull these resources into a class assignment

Office of Teaching & Learning • • • Training – Instructional design – Activities that engage students Website design & creation – Video editing – Camtasia training Development lab – Equipment loan – Document & book scanning

Bibliography • • • Gardner, J. & Pavelich, D. (2008). Teaching with Ephemera. RBM, 9 (1), pp. 86 -92. Schmiesing, A. & Hollis, D. (2002). The Role of Special Collections Departments in Humanities Undergraduate and Graduate Teaching. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2 (3), pp. 465 -480. Smith, S. E. (2006). From ‘Treasure Room’ to ‘School Room’: Special Collections and Education. RBM, 7 (1), pp. 31 -39. Sutton, S. & Knight, L. (2006). Beyond the Reading Room: Integrating Primary & Secondary Sources in the Library Classroom. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32 (3), pp. 320 -325. Toore, M. E. (2007). Why Should Not They Benefit from Rare Books? Library Review, 57 (1), pp. 36 -41