Teaching with Special Collections

Both in person and online, the richness of Yale’s primary source and cultural heritage collections are available to support student learning through class visits of different kinds, course assignments, and student projects. Talk to us about how engaging with our collections can deepen students’ understanding of course content and broaden their perspectives.

Services and Resources

• Research and Teaching Support - Getting started with instruction using primary sources held in Yale’s special collections can be overwhelming. This consultation service aims to assist with finding resources across the various special collections to best support graduate students and faculty members. 
• New Faculty Library Orientation - This site serves as a resource for new faculty on all aspects of the library, including library policies, subject guides, and contact information for departments and services. Besides guidance, it can also provide inspiration on ways you can use primary sources at Yale with its updates on projects and events around the library.
• Digital Humanities Lab - Learn about utilizing primary sources in the arts, humanities, and social sciences with digital tools and techniques.
• StatLab - Part of the Marx Library, teachers, students, and researchers can learn about analyzing and manipulating primary source datasets in the sciences and social sciences. 

Examples of Instruction Use

Curated selections

• Colonial Period in American History

• What History Teaches

Digital exhibitions

• Ethics, Race, and Migration (Comparative Ethnic Studies): Global Influences, Local Actions: Student Activism at Yale

Subject guides

• Online Music Special Collections
• Beethoven and the Pastoral Symphony

Contacts

Librarians and archivists are available to suit your teaching needs and goals. Contact a specialist or library here or launch PDF.  [PDF]