Towards a More Collaborative Experience: Connecting Library and Departmental Faculty to Improve and Expand Archival Instruction

摘要

This case study will examine how tenure track faculty archivists in Special Collections at Mississippi State University worked to improve undergraduate primary source instruction through collaboration and outreach. Between 2015 and 2019, requests for archival instruction at Mississippi State University increased from an average of one class per semester to ten or more classes per semester. Special Collections faculty encouraged and supported this growth through multi-pronged outreach to Research Services faculty and commitment to innovation in instructional practice. Outreach methods included Teaching with Primary Sources workshops. Special Collections tours, interactions at New Faculty gatherings, Library meetings, and targeted email campaigns. Innovations included working with Research Services faculty to develop protocols for collaborating with departmental faculty on long-term instruction projects for English and History department research skills classes, developing new instruction tools, such documentary analysis assignments, and creativity and flexibility in choosing primary sources to complement instructional materials and goals.