From introductory presentations to full-length classes, archivists and librarians at the Special Collections Research Center can design instructional sessions and help you craft research and creative assignments using our primary source collections. We are also happy to provide the materials and space for you to teach using primary source materials at the SCRC.
Requests for library instruction using primary source materials should be made two to three weeks in advance. Allow for more time if a new activity or customized teaching support is requested.
Instructional sessions at the SCRC are conducted in the Great Hall or the Ford Center Classroom. Please review the Special Collections “Security Policies and User Agreements” on our Collections Use Policy page with students before your scheduled session.
Integrate primary source materials into your classes.
Students from West Chester University discuss the impact of their experience using oral history collections from and technology developed by the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History in their Digital Storytelling and the Great Migration to Philadelphia course.
Materials from the Special Collections Research Center also provide rich sources of information and inspiration to create opportunities for high-impact learning experiences for students of all disciplines.
Our librarians and archivists partner regularly with faculty across campus and beyond to engage students in connecting past, present, and future using primary source collections in a variety of digital humanities projects.
Apprenticeships at the King Library Press and annual paid internships in our Learning Lab also offer students unique opportunities to "learn by doing." Have a student with a keen interest in developing their research or creative skills? Encourage them to apply.
A program unlike any other on campus, the Learning Lab Internship is a paid opportunity for undergraduates to pursue individual, long-term research projects, using rare and unique archival materials from our collections. Through hands-on training in archival management and research methods, interns get to know their chosen collection inside and out as they develop a creative research project showcasing their findings and promoting access to their materials.
A supportive peer environment and close mentoring make the Learning Lab Internship an invaluable personal and professional development experience.
Undergrads take their research to the next level in the Learning Lab.
The King Library Press offers apprenticeship opportunities to students and community members interested in fine printing and the book arts. Open to all majors at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as faculty, staff, and community members regardless of prior experience, apprentices gain hands-on experience with many aspects of the book arts, including type distribution, printing, book binding, and decorative paper design depending on their personal interests and the needs of the press.
Apprenticeships can last for as little as a semester or as long as several years, and we have extensive experience arranging for course credit both within and outside the university. To get involved, email KLP director Paul Holbrook at peholbr@post.harvard.edu or come visit the press on a Tuesday or Thursday morning.
Learn the art of fine printing at the King Library Press.
