From Classroom to Chapel and Beyond: Teaching, Learning, and Building Community with Special Collections and Archives

This webinar, hosted by Dr. Chris Anderson (Yale Divinity) and Dr. Brian Shetler (Drew University), will focus on how special collections and archival material can be incorporated into the teaching and learning objectives of theological and religious libraries. These rare and often one-of-a-kind items can become participatory contributors to the educational mission of the institution. In the classroom, these unique resources enhance the teaching and learning experience of faculty and students. They also provide opportunities for librarians and archivists to showcase their rich collections of primary sources in collaborative contexts.

This webinar will emphasize approaches to teaching and learning in theological and religious libraries by demonstrating how librarians and archivists can connect primary resources to both traditional and non-traditional classroom and learning experiences. Recent changes in pedagogical circumstances due to COVID-19 have prompted libraries and academic institutions to shift or rethink how they interact with students in an online environment. This webinar will focus not only on traditional, in-person interactions with material, but also provide examples and case studies of online learning opportunities with special collections and archival material. The intention of this blended approach is to offer realistic and easily applicable models for teaching with rare materials in a variety of settings both in-person and virtually.