Teaching with Primary Sources

This guide is intended as a resource for anyone interested in teaching with special collections or primary sources. The following sections point towards pedagogical models, teaching communities, case studies, and texts that together can serve as a foundation for teaching. The information is not meant to be a linear progression through the teaching process; rather, it is a collection of informational resources that provide necessary tools for constructing a successful teaching experience with primary source materials.

Broadly defined, primary source literacy is the combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, and ethically use primary sources within specific disciplinary contexts, in order to create new knowledge or to revise existing understandings.

Primary source literacy intersects with other “literacies,” including information literacy, visual literacy, and digital literacy, and concepts like collective memory, cultural heritage, and individual/cultural perspectives. Thus, users of primary sources, and those who seek to guide them in the process, are not working in isolation from other skills and disciplines.
 

The preceding information was taken from the ALA/SAA Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy created in 2018 by a joint task force of members from the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists. This document provides overarching explanations of core concepts and learning objectives that can inform teaching with special collections materials.

What is active learning? Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing. (Michael Prince. Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research. Journal of Engineering Education 93:3 (2004): 223-231.) All teaching at Rauner Special Collections Library utilizes this pedagogical model. An annual intensive workshop offered by the Librarians Active Learning Institute at Dartmouth teaches attendees how to employ active learning within the context of archives and special collections.

Further Reading:

Active Learning, Cornell University's Center for Teaching Innovation.

Introduction to Active Learning, University of Michigan's Center for Research on Learning & Teaching.

The TPS Collective Lesson Plans website contains numerous examples of actual classes that have been taught using special collections. Although the primary sources listed in each entry are particular to the institution where that class was held, the varied session structures and lesson plans are invaluable for generating fresh and creative approaches to using unique materials at your own institution.

Past or Portal?: Enhancing Undergraduate Learning through Special Collections and Archives was edited by Eleanor Mitchell, Peggy Seiden, and Suzy Taraba and published in 2012. This book contains 47 case studies from primary source educators at institutions of higher learning (including two from Rauner!).

Exploring the Collections

Dartmouth's special collections are discoverable through a variety of tools, including the general library catalog, the Archives & Manuscripts search tool, the Rauner weekly blog, and the Historical Accountability Student Research Program website.

Alma/Primo contains the vast majority of printed items in Rauner's collections. Conduct an initial search and then use the facets in the left-hand column to refine your search. It's worth noting that there are many items housed at LCSF that are relevant for teaching with primary sources, so don't rush to limit your search to Rauner Library until you've limited your search by subject, year, and other relevant factors.

The Archives & Manuscripts Search tool contains data related to most manuscript and archival collections. Searching by keyword will help you limit your search to within the non-printed collections at Rauner. An index of both the Dartmouth student newspaper from the 1980s to the present and the Dartmouth Review during the 80s can also be found here. For an index of earlier "D" issues, use the card catalog in Rauner's reading room.

"Cool at Rauner" is a weekly blog that highlights fascinating items from the collections. Rauner staff are the primary contributors but anyone is welcome to write an entry as long as it is centered on an actual item from the stacks. The blog is a great way to find interesting materials and to learn a little more about their context and significance. It was partially created to serve as a way to document important teaching elements of collections materials that didn't appear in the formal catalog or finding aid. 
 

The Historical Accountability Student Research Program offers research opportunities for Dartmouth undergraduates to explore primary sources in our collections related to issues of diversity and inclusion in Dartmouth history. Original student research is then converted into lists of materials or other formats that are more convenient for use in further scholarly exploration.

The RBMS Instruction and Outreach Committee exists to advocate for and advance the efforts of RBMS members and other librarians, archivists, and instructors who use special collections and archives materials in instructional or outreach contexts. The committee organizes regular seminars, workshops, and webinars that focus on teaching with special collections. (RBMS stands for Rare Book and Manuscript Section, which is the national professional organization for special collections librarians in academia).

The TPS Collective is an online hub that brings together resources, professional development, and support for those who teach with primary sources, including librarians, archivists, teachers, cultural heritage professionals, and anyone who has an interest in using primary sources in an educational setting. TPS stands for "Teaching with Primary Sources".

• The TPS Collective has an excellent selected bibliography of scholarly texts related to teaching with primary sources that ranges from soon-to-be-published articles to as far back as the 1980s.

• Ithaka S+R published a research report about teaching with primary sources in March of 2021 that relied upon a localized report created by Dartmouth Library staff as well as reports by twenty-five other colleges and universities.

• Peter Carini published a helpful article in 2009 that explore strategies for using archival documents in the classroom: "Archivists as Educators: Integrating Primary Sources into the Curriculum". Journal of Archival Organization, 7 (1-2), 41-50.