Course support

Our staff collaborates with instructors to support student learning through the use of our collection of rare books, manuscripts, and artifacts.

All consultations and class instruction will be provided online while library buildings are closed.

We work with instructors to:

• assist in identifying appropriate materials from the collection relevant to course content,
• develop class assignments, projects, or activities that use the materials, and
• conduct a variety of instruction sessions ranging from a general introduction to resources to in-depth presentations on specific materials and their context and significance.

Our partnership with instructors lets students work with texts, historical images, manuscripts, and objects. Hands-on exercises and discussion help students analyze key curricular concepts, and address material culture and historiography in order to develop research, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Disciplines that use the collections include:

• anatomy and physiology,
• art and design,
• English, rhetoric, and communications,
• history and art history,
• French and Latin, and
• history of science, technology, and medicine.

These services are free to all UMN faculty, staff, and students. We also work with non-university groups, such as local higher educational institutions,  K-12 classes and community organizations.

Related staff

Emily Beck

Assistant Curator

Lois Hendrickson

Curator