Notes from the Field highlights practical lessons from the front lines of teaching with primary sources in thematic series of open peer-reviewed articles. These short articles explore the theory and practice of teaching with primary sources, broadly relating topics to educators and practitioners from all types of institutions, teaching all kinds of students. Currently, Notes from the Field offers articles in two series: Practical How-To and Reflective Practice.
Calls
Here you can find our most recent calls for submissions and our annual calls for editorial applications. We post a call for submission per season, typically with two or three series to choose from. Our call for a new editor, each of whom is on a three-year rotating cycle, go out in late spring for a July 1 start.
The TPS Collective seeks a New Associate Editor for Notes from the Field
The Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Collective is seeking a new Associate Editor for Notes from the Field, a peer-reviewed blog that highlights practical lessons from the front lines of teaching with primary sources.
Reflective Practice Series
The Reflective Practice Series provides a space for thinking about our teaching in a broader context. Articles may relate to successes and failures in the classroom, or any other aspect of teaching with primary sources and how it relates to cultural heritage fields at large.
Teaching the Limitations of AI in Primary Source Research
By Alessandro Meregaglia / This post will discuss the current limitations of using AI to search digitized and born digital primary sources––like newspaper databases, the Wayback Machine, and archival digital collections. I will show examples of how AI fails to ...Engaging with Video Games in Primary Source Instruction
By Kyle Neill / In late 2018, the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Archives began curating a collection of video games. After recognizing an on-campus need for video game related research and receiving much support from faculty and students, ...Integrating Primary Source Research in Collective Syllabus Design: A Model for “Play” in the Archives
By Elizabeth Coen and Mary Manning In the winter of 2023, I (Elizabeth Coen) partnered with my colleagues in the University of Houston Libraries, Mary Manning (Performing Arts Curator) and Madelyn Shackelford Washington (Head of Information and Access Services) to reimagine ...Sustainably Teaching Outreach through Book Arts Demonstrations
By John Henry Adams / One of the things that we often try to convey in special collections instructional sessions is the concept of the “book as object” rather than as a vessel for text.Tales Out of School: Special Collection Instruction in Middle School Field Trips
By Clare Starkey, Haley Lykins, and Kelli Hansen Introduction The University of Missouri’s division of Special Collections holds over 100,000 items, dating from the eighth century to the modern era, and focuses on books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps, posters, printed ephemera, and artifacts. ...
More from the Reflective Practice Series…
Practical How-To Series
The Practical How-To Series offers advice and instructions that are directly applicable to any classroom environment. From document camera usage to communication strategies, learn more about how your colleagues approach their work in the classroom.
The Purpose of the Presses: Teaching the Fine Press Movement with a Tactile Timeline of Primary Sources
By Miah Clark / The phrases “fine press” and “book arts” don’t always give students something to hold on to, but luckily as primary source educators, we can! When teaching ...Lesson Planning 101: Primary Source Instructional Design for Archivists
By Mae Casey / Requests for instructional sessions are common in special collections libraries, but archivists with teaching experience are often not. The idea of instructing can be daunting, and ...Art and Creative Making in Primary Source Instruction: English Majors, Making Pamphlets
By Caitlin Goodman / In May 2025 I taught my first book-making workshop for a Special Collections class visit.Teaching between Digitized and Physical Primary Sources
By Alexandra Wieland / In recent years, educators in archives and special collections have added online teaching to their instructional offerings. As educators, we are supported in this work by ...Primary Source Literacy in Practice: An Instructional Management Tool for TPS
By Anne Bahde. As part of a recent effort to streamline instructional development and delivery in my own practice, I designed a comprehensive instructional management database. Several goals drove its ...
More from the Practical How-To Series…
Author Guidelines and Peer Review Process
Contributors to Notes from the Field will write about the theory and practice of teaching with primary sources, broadly relating topics to educators and practitioners from all types of institutions, teaching all kinds of students. The various series within the section will explore issues and concerns relevant to practitioners at all levels. Read more about the Author Guidelines and Process…
See Also: Primary Source News & Notes
While distinct from Notes from the Field, another publication that may be of interest is Primary Source News & Notes. The Instruction and Outreach Committee of the ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section published this monthly themed newsletter compiling short essays, professional development opportunities, and more in the world of teaching with primary sources. View these information-packed newsletters.