Teaching with Special Collections

Special Collections librarians are here to help you incorporate rare materials research and primary source literacy instruction into your teaching, whether as a brief guest lecture, a class session, reference assistance during student projects, or a full-blown series of workshops.

Our teaching philosophy

Our approach to teaching is based in three main tenets:

Primary source literacy: The materials in Special Collections come from many times and places, ranging from Mesopotamia in 4000 BCE to Columbia, Missouri in the 21st century. To use these materials effectively, students need to develop primary source literacy, that is, "the combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, and ethically use primary sources." We provide support through in-class presentations and reference outside of class to help students develop this skill.

Materiality: Texts do not exist in the abstract: They are always vested in a physical carrier. By examining the items in Special Collections as artifacts, students can learn more about the transmission and reception of information, particularly how readers engage with and adjust the texts that they encounter.

Diversity and inclusion: Special Collections' holdings reflect a diverse range of genres and media produced by authors from a wide array of backgrounds and perspectives. We seek to provide an inclusive perspective by drawing on materials that highlight the presence (and absence) of historically marginalized and oppressed voices. Highlighting these issues is important to ensure that students receive a multi-faceted perspective on our holdings as part of the history of both MU and the wider world.

In addition to these tenets, our teaching is also guided by the pedagogical practices outlines in the SAA-RBMS Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy (2018).

Teaching Resources and Services

Click below to learn more about requesting our teaching with Special Collections services and resources: