Special Collections welcomes and encourages the use of our material by classes and individual students. As the repository for rare books and manuscripts at an undergraduate liberal arts college, part of our mission is to support the Augustana College curriculum and to assist in faculty teaching and student learning.
Working with Special Collections materials gives students a unique experience using original primary source documents. Special Collections has conducted instruction sessions for a wide range of classes, from first-year Liberal Studies classes to Senior Inquiry seminars, and in a wide variety of disciplines including English, history, women's and gender studies, art history, anthropology, and geography. Both introductory and in-depth instruction are available, and include hands-on use of the materials in Special Collections. Instruction sessions are planned in consultation with the course instructor.
This single class session introduced students to the space, policies, and materials held within Special Collections. Additionally, students learned to read, identify, analyze, and evaluate primary sources. By analyzing multiple perspectives from Augustana College, students also walked away with a better understanding of their own ideas surrounding a liberal arts education.
If you are interested in scheduling a class session in Special Collections, designing an assignment using Special Collections materials, referring a student to Special Collections, or are wondering whether Special Collections has materials relevant to a class you are teaching, please contact Special Collections Librarian Micaela Terronez at micaelaterronez@augustana.edu. You may also schedule a class utilizing our Instruction Session form.
