University Libraries houses a diverse array of special collections materials that help to preserve the voices and visions of people from across time and cultures, from Babylonian cuneiform tablets and medieval manuscripts to modern photography and from cartoons and zines to political and performance archives.
Unlike many private collections, University Libraries’ collections materials do not simply sit in boxes or on shelves hidden away from public view. They are instead actively utilized by our curators and staff who use these objects to create unique opportunities for students and teachers—both at Ohio State and beyond—to engage with collections materials in unique ways to promote deep, experience-based learning.
Teaching with Special Collections: From Vault to Classroom explores how Ohio State’s different Special Collections units have deployed primary sources in a variety of educational settings, including course-integrated sessions focusing on a single item or topic; term-length courses embedded in a particular collection; undergraduate- and graduate-level guided Individual Studies programs; summer research fellowships; M.A. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation work; and even instructional activities aimed at audiences from K-12 schools and other colleges and universities across the region.
Living up to the land grant mission of The Ohio State University, Libraries’ Special Collections units provide access to these unique materials not only to Ohio State students, but to anyone interested in learning about their past, present and future. Through open access and utilization of these materials, students learn by direct, hands-on connections with the people and perspectives of the past.
Special Collections featured in the exhibit;
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center
- Hilandar Research Library
- Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute
- Ohio Public Policy Archives
- Rare Books and Manuscripts Library
- The Ohio State University Archives
- Medical Heritage Center (Health Sciences Library)
- Historic Costumes & Textiles Collection (College of Education and Human Ecology
Additional Coverage
- Teaching with Special Collections: From Vault to Classroom, Part I
March 28, 2024 | Mary-Allen Johnson | Scriptoriaslavica Blog
- Teaching with Special Collections: From Vault to Classroom, Part II
March 29, 2024 | Mary-Allen Johnson | Scriptoriaslavica Blog
- Teaching with Special Collections: From Vault to Classroom, Part III
April 1, 2024 | Mary-Allen Johnson | Scriptoriaslavica Blog
Kristin Rodgers
Gayle Strege
