Connecticut College
Connecticut College is based in New London, CT and offers undergraduate
programs. Founded in 1911, the College is particularly known for
interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships,
student-faculty research and service learning. Connecticut College has an
enrollment of 1,900 men and women from 42 states, Washington D.C., and 41
countries.
The TEAGLE Interview
The interview for the TEAGLE project took place on January 17, 2006. The
following library staff and faculty participated in the interview:
1. Laurie Deredita, Director Special Collections and Archives
2. Nova Seals, Librarian for Special Collections and Archives
3. Linda Herr, Professor of Theater
4. Abigail Van Slyck, Dayton Associate Professor of Art History and
Architectural Studies
5. Ann Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics
6. Michael Reder, Director of the Center of Teaching and Learning
Connecticut College Special Collections include the Sheaffer O'Neill
papers on Eugene O'Neill, the William Meredith and Blanche Boyd Papers, and
Linda Lear Rachel Carson Collection, the Conservation and Research Foundation
archive and papers of important historical figures such as Prudence Crandall,
Belle MOskowitz, Frances Perkins and Lillian Wald. The book collections
include many examples of fine printing and the Wies collection on the history
of printing, the Gildersleeve collection of children's literature and New
London history. SPewcial Collections also houses the Chu Griffis Asian Arts
Collection. See
http://www.conncoll.edu/is/info-resources/special-collections/index.html.
The library's special collections started with a donation of the library of
the Palmer family, early trustees and benefactors of Connecticut College.
All collections have a connection with either Connecticut College, or the
region, and in many cases, with both.
Management and housing of the Special Collections
Laurie Deredita is the current Director, Department of Special Collections
at the Charles E. Shain Library. Ms. Deredita is also the curator for the
Special Collections, except for the Chu-Griffis Asian Art Collection. Because
the Chinese scrolls need special expertise, an endowed curator / professor
position has recently been created within the Art History Department for this
collection. The special collections are housed in the Palmer Room in Shain
Library, in part in the reading room, and part of it is in closed storage
(adjacent). The Chu collection is housed in scroll cabinets in the Palmer
Room but displayed in a separate room (the Chu Room), which is also used for
functions.
The Librarian for Special Collections and Archives, Nova Seals, works with
the College's Archives. The Archives room is not integrated physically with
the Special Collections Palmer Room, but all possible efforts are made to
always provide access to both collections.
Development of the Special Collections
There is no formal collection development policy in place for the special
collections; new acquisitions build on the strengths of the already existing
collections. Part of the collection is built by receiving gifts; in addition
there are several endowed acquisitions funds available for purchases.
The library will try to acquire items that faculty asks for in addition to
selecting materials that would make a contribution to the already available
special collections. Extending the collections by reformatting materials
(e.g. digitization) is done on request-basis by the library, and on a small
scale. Larger digitization projects would require external funding.
Other ways of reformatting are done by students as assignments for their
courses; examples are creating architectural models from sketches, or
scanning postcards of New London scenes. The results of these assignments are
not intended as 'expansions' of the already existing collection and are
consequently not preserved for re-use by the library.
The role of the Special Collections at Connecticut College
To faculty, apart from the role these materials play in their teaching,
the special collections add to the 'intellectual atmosphere' of the College.
Linda Herr, Professor of Theater who teaches a seminar on Eugene O'Neill,
indicates that the existence of the Eugene O'Neill collection at the College
adds to the prestige of Connecticut College, among external colleagues.
The use of the Shain Library Special Collections and Archives
The director Special Collections indicates that the Palmer room gets a
satisfactory level of use. It is important to reach a balance between opening
up the collections for use in teaching (why have these materials otherwise?)
and preserving materials at the same time. Intensive or overuse is being
prevented by reformatting the needed documents for use in the classroom.
The collections are open for use by students of other schools.
Marketing Special Collections
Outreach to faculty whose courses could be enriched by use of original
sources, is done on a one-on-one basis primarily. In addition, advocacy is
done in a variety of informal ways to enhance awareness of the local
collections, like use opportunities to talk about the special collections at
informal gatherings.
An example of what could be seen as an underused collection, according to
Ms. Deredita, is the Lear-Carson collection on environmental advocacy, which
would lend itself perfectly for use in undergraduate teaching.
The Center for Teaching and Learning is interested to play a role in
furthering the use of primary sources in teaching through organizing
activities that connect the library with faculty.
The use of other special collections
Students would be referred to collections in the State if appropriate. The
College Archivist is part of an archivist network which she uses for helping
students find materials in other archives. Examples of other collections used
include special collections at Yale University, the New London Historical
Society, the Custom House Maritime Museum and the New London Public Library.
Students may experience some difficulty in identifying collections of
interest, or getting access to historical societies and support from
teachers, librarians or archivists is sometimes needed. In some cases help is
offered in the form of contacting institutions on behalf of the students.
Selected examples of using primary sources in undergraduate
teaching
Senior Lecturer Ann Robertson uses special collections items like the
'Owen Jones' 1856 Grammar of Ornament, in her course "Mathematics From a
Cultural Perspective'. In the course, students analyze the various symmetries
found in the decorations of the Alhambra.
Abigail van Slyck, Dayton Associate Professor of Art History and
Architectural Studies, offered her 'New London State Street course' to senior
students, who traced the architectural and social development of the street
from 1850 to 1950. An exhibition of the students' portfolios was organized as
a result. The materials the students used included maps, town records and
oral history resources. For more detailed information, see:
http://aspen.conncoll.edu/news/1999.cfm.
Linda Herr, Professor of Theater, co-teaches a course using the library
Eugene O'Neill collection: Eugene O'Neill and his America. The seminar is
offered every other year to senior students. Video is a very important format
in which materials are used.
The added value of using primary materials in teaching
All interviewees would agree that working with original documents is
crucial in teaching students the basics of doing research. Not only do they
learn how to handle these materials and get an appreciation for older
materials, students learn to make the 'creative' leap from uninterpreted
materials to the creation of knowledge. The original materials trigger
curiosity, and help develop an idea of what research really is. In the case
of the Eugene O'Neill seminar, working with the materials that the biographer
Louis Shaeffer gathered, students have the opportunity to 'see' a researcher
at work.
Working with primary sources in teaching provides the opportunity to
provide a multi-disciplinary view on for example historical artifacts or will
demonstrate different aspects of a specific period of time.
Abigail van Slyck adds that creating publicly available results for a
course, like an exhibition, adds to the inspiration of the students and the
quality of the assignments.
Assessment of student learning
The success of teaching with primary sources is measured by indicators
like how inspired students conduct their work, or their enthusiasm for taking
non-credit courses like the course on dormitory design. Course surveys are
used to assess how students evaluate the different courses. All interviewees
agree that the added value of learning using primary materials might be
difficult to measure. "You just know it works when you see the light go on in
some student's eyes…"
Website:
http://www.conncoll.edu/is/info-resources/special-collections/index.html
Contacts
Information Services: Special Collections /Archives
Laurie Deredita
Director of Special Collections and Archives
(860) 439-2654
laurie.deredita@conncoll.edu
Nova Seals
Librarian for Special Collection and Archives
(860) 439-2686
nova.seals@conncoll.edu
