SAA 2017 Proposed Discussion Topics

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Below are some of the discussion topic ideas people submitted when they registered, but you’ll have an opportunity to propose other topics day-of as well.


Discussion Topic Ideas — Proposed by attendees at registration

I am interested in learning how faculty currently use primary sources in their classroom, and how we can aid in this effort.

Using primary source material to spark students’ larger (possibly online) research into a broader topic

Integrating flipped classroom elements into special collections/archives instruction; leveraging outreach events as education/instruction opportunities; using tools/creating guideposts for instruction, esp. for one-shots (i.e. LibGuides or other online tools students can refer back to at a later date)

Teaching the history of the Bible using our incredible rare Bible collection. How can I move this instruction info online? How can I improve the one-shot and course-length instruction I do, both for college classes and community groups?

I’m interested in learning more about ways to engage younger audiences, especially those in primary school, with primary sources and archives.

I’m particularly interested in applying critical theories (Queer theory, Feminism, Critical Race Theory, Post Colonialism, etc) to archives. Asking questions about who gets to create archives, who do they serve, who is excluded – where is the power? Also interested in indigenous concerns and protocols around “ownership” of tribal objects – when is collecting imperialistic? How can this indigenous lens be applied to other archives and museums?

My focus is multicultural perspectives in Social Studies (non white-eurocentric) / showcasing the perspective of traditionally marginalized communities throughout US history /

Interested to see other’s projects and work, especially in fields that aren’t immediately something that you think of as incorporating primary sources.

As I manage digital collections I’d like to know how to select projects and optimize things like metadata to help others teach with these primary sources.

Collaborating with educators/librarians; developing curriculum, esp. around specific topics; facilitating discussions with patrons/students; anything!

Right now am particularly interested in any information relating to student interns, but assume I’ll get good general information to use at any rate.

Using primary sources to address information literacy problems in first-year college courses.

How to best keep students engaged.

How others are doing the work

This seems like the best way to teach…How do show that it is? How do we send a message that will be loud and clear for a wide audience?

Collaboration with other institutions or people of varying backgrounds/interests that may or may not helped with development of teaching with collections.

Finding digital archive collections

Lifelong archival literacy–particularly in technical professions (design, construction, engineering, etc.)

I am interested in hearing about techniques that work across the curriculum (not just the humanities), across age groups, and across various lengths of classes from 30 minutes one-shot sessions to for-credit classes. Because we also collaborate with many departments across campus and in the community, I am curious about how we can better incorporate different perspectives into our curriculum.

How to teach primary source research in a very structured university environment that “matches” or is unified with the practices of reference librarians.

How much historical context do teachers need to use primary docs effectively?

As mentioned above, I would love to have a discussion about how to make archives materials relevant to students not in humanities-driven fields. How can we make the study of primary source materials engaging to students of science, engineering, medicine, etc.?

I’d be particularly excited to hear from other librarians who’ve taught primary source literacy in class during instruction sessions and the various methods they’ve employed to engage them.

Incorporating racial equity in lesson plans is my jam!

lesson planning, learning outcomes/goals, assessment/evaluation of instructions sessions

Active learning practice, primary source literacy and information literacy, teacher training, outreach and partnership

How do you use or teach artists’ books? or broadsides? How do you teach undergraduate students to curate?

Teaching object metadata, exhibiting (in person & online) primary sources (or their digital surrogates), engaging students in critical interpretation of primary sources…

I’m interested in hearing more about developing longer-term study or iterative projects that incorporate primary source materials, and how instructors who aren’t curators of such sources collaborate with curators regarding focused/repeated use of particular sources/collections.

active learning techniques in the classroom

Intersections between library, archive and museum collections – how to support collaboration on exhibitions, programming, etc

Theme based tours of the Portland Art Museum collection

Effective/innovative strategies for TPS for large classes (100+ students)

TPS instruction where the end product is a pop-up exhibit or symposium or TED Talk type of presentation

Would like to work with local resources

We’re doing our first embedded class – the course was created by the professor to specifically include not only our collections but to tap into our expertise, so I’d really like to hear others’ experiences and perspectives on that type of experience.

I’m planning to share our model, of course, but am interested to learn what other teaching methods people are using to speak to K-12 audiences.

I’m interested in topics including collaborative research projects and research room space planning that incorporates digital equipment and group research pods.

Utilizing primary sources in an academic library with non-academic user groups (e.g. community groups, K-12 students, etc.)

Want to hear more about critical pedagogy. Conducting outreach to community groups, outside of the university.

Declassified primary source government materials

How to be efficient in finding, filing, and being able to have on-going access in such a rapidly dynamic field of information/sources

How can we provide for distance learners (online programs, homeschooling students, rural schools, etc)?

Integration of digital content in teaching about primary sources

Integrating assessment is a huge challenge and I’d like to hear what others are doing.

Because I have a degree in history, that would naturally be my focus of interest, but I also have a great love and respect for books and would be attracted to libraries.

Suggestions for teaching about identity and intersectionality

Visual arts are my main interest as well as social justice.

Genocide, terrorism, war and disease. The disturbing topics no one wants to touch.

I am a rookie, so I am mostly hoping to learn from others, though I may be able to contribute anecdotally.

Collaborative instruction efforts across library department.

I’m particularly interested in discussing how active learning strategies could be employed to enhance learning and allow students to become comfortable with using finding aids to find relevant materials, and to learn how to evaluate and use primary sources in their research. Coming from a primarily academic archives background, I’d also like to see how colleagues in other types of institutions approach teaching how to use primary sources.

How do others use body parts, skulls, bones, etc. Also how to teach with sensitive and troubling artifacts such as pictures related to war-time injuries such as radiation scarring to which are attached social stigmas.

The use of primary source and archival literacies in developing projects, and how archivists work with faculty in an academic setting to develop instructional offerings.

I would like to discuss experiential learning methods and action research related to the use of primary sources in the classroom.

Innovative ways other repositories are integrating primary sources into assignments. In particular, I’m always interested in hearing about collaboration with courses outside the history and English majors.

At a very general level: Local history. Genealogy. History Day.

We have hosted instruction for undergraduate and graduate programs in history, modern languages and creative writing.

Hands on learning in the world and in spaces like museums, and making them accessible for all – maintaining reverence for historical/beautiful/sacred/special objects, and at the same time breaking barriers – financial, physical, theoretical – that keep people from learning with primary sources/objects.

Graphic novels and Visual Literacy

I’m particularly interested in building deep and long lasting learning experiences through fellowships and sustained projects. Also increasingly interested in learning assessment and in teaching with primary sources for audiences with sight and hearing impairments.

I’d like to know how folks are dealing with high schools that do not wish to come to visit the library, but want us to bring things to them.

I’m working on a few projects related to translating hands-on activities into a digital environment, especial CMS like Blackboard and Canvas.

How do you balance the protection of resources (archivist/staff time, physical collections, audience time) with exposure to collections/archival experience?

Manuscripts and education

I have zero background in teaching.

Our department needs to cut through the “show and tell” of primary source research. How can we get to faculty and develop curriculum based instruction. What does that look like? How is this related to marketing/outreach of our collections?

Teaching with born digital; incorporating class products into permanent collections and future resources.

I am very interested in hearing about active learning exercises that are a success. I am also interested in any assessment practices that are being used.

Public engagement initiatives that increase the public’s exposure to and revealing of primary sources

Informal education in archives

What do successful instruction programs look like? How do we talk about the importance of archives instruction to undergraduate learning? How do we work with our college librarians? What is the best “so what?” answer to why classes should come in to the archives? We struggle with connecting to our polytechnic departments when they are focused on new, and work in a very fast paced speed which makes them feel that they don’t have time for archives visits.

I would like to package some of them for reuse in K-12 classrooms and I would be interested in learning how to tie in primary sources with state standards.