Yale University

Overall observations

The Yale special collections typically are open to users outside the university. In some cases, such as the Beinecke Library, the Babylonian Collection, or the Oral History, American Music project, opening up the collections 'to the world' is of strategic importance. At the same time, many special collections curators, librarian or archivists gear their collection developments towards the academic programs at Yale and have a sense that their holdings could be better utilized by the Yale students and faculty. They are eager to investigate and find ways in which they could participate more fully in the learning and teaching missions of the university. In some cases, however, other priorities (sometimes temporarily) leave less time for pro-active outreach activities. Examples show that where the use of the collections is made a strategic objective, the results show the efforts pay off (e.g. Manuscripts & Archives, Yale Art Gallery).

However different the conducted publicity activities are, all interviewees seem to agree on one thing: a personal approach works best. Use the catalog of courses offered; look for matches with the collection and approach faculty with relevant and customized offers for their classes. Networking is considered important to get to know faculty, and word of mouth will do its work to communicate successes. It is also good to realize that librarians have established good networks through representation on a variety of committees and can take advantage of that. To take away any existing barriers in reaching out to faculty, it is a good idea to take a course on 'how to converse'.

Outreach events not only serve the communication of library services to the academic community, but also provide information to the library about (potential) users. For example, awarding prizes might draw students to the primary sources, and librarians (archivists, in this case) learn about how students conduct research by reviewing essays.

The focus of library work for classes is on seminars, mostly junior and senior level, and sometimes freshmen. Individual students come back to the library after an introduction class to conduct research for term papers or essays. In some cases, students get assignments which include use of primary sources for lecture courses. Many of the classes where primary sources would be used, would be conducted by the instructor and the special collections librarian. And some of the work will always be about reassuring people who feel intimidated. A crucial element in inviting classes to any special collection is the existence of an in-house classroom.

The roles of the instructor and the special collections librarian or the curator differ for the different classes and collections. Curators working with art collections would argue that ideally, the curator is also the instructor. Other interviewees have the experience that seminars where faculty take the lead and explain the primary sources within the context of the class, work best. The role of the librarian or archivist is to use his or her expertise about what is available to provide relevant sources.

Working with original primary sources is essential to give students the 'real experience' with historic objects. For heavy and remote use, digitization of contents is ideal. Otherwise, digitization is mainly seen as a crucial instrument to make special collections visible, especially to new generations: what is not found on the Web is considered 'hidden'. Digitization efforts, even if not within the own library or concerning the local collections, are useful in bringing attention to special and historic collections. Therefore, enhancing access to special collections, preferably through the Web, is high on everyone's agenda. In 2004 Building a Collections Collaborative at Yale, a 3-year project funded by the Andrew Mellon W. Foundation, was started to address issues in this area. One of the main isssues identified was searching across Yale special collection databases. The project supports collaborative projects which will seek to enhance discovery and access, the integration of systems, and sharing of expertise. At this point in time, 7 proposals are reviewed for the first phase of the project.

Assessment of how to conduct research with primary materials impacts student learning is a challenging activity. Not much thought is yet given to how to measure success. If the research area is such that knowledge can only be derived from originals (e.g. questions about the production of the physical object), the acquired knowledge can be tested. In other cases, where the intended impact is a personal emotional experience (e.g. feel closer to a certain historic period, a historic person, etc), the impact is highly personal and requires different measures and instruments.

As part of the ELI project, an assessment model was developed and field tested in a collaborative setting with faculty, teaching center staff and librarians (see: Danuta A. Nitecki and William Rando, 'A library and teaching center collaboration to assess the impact of using digital images on teaching, learning, and library support', in Vine, Vol. 34 (2004), No. 3, pp. 119-125.). The model consists of different rubrics and tries to map the intended learning outcomes, the way the teacher actually uses images in teaching and appropriate library services.

The model is based on the principle that learning goals have to align with the way images are used in teaching, and with the level of library services. For example, if images are used as 'edutainment' and the students are expected to learn how to use visual resources in making a historical argument, there is a mismatch between methodology and learning outcomes. The approach particularly emphasizes the usefulness of assessment results for teachers.

The interviews below represent a selection of Yale's special collections.

Special Collection: Manuscripts and Archives
Interviewed: Diane Kaplan, reference Librarian

The Department of Manuscripts and Archives has seen an increase in use of materials since outreach to faculty and students was made a strategic objective in 2002: "fostering the use of our holdings to support Yale's teaching and research programs". A wide range of outreach activities takes place during the course of each academic year, including:

• Before the academic year starts, faculty receive a message reminding them of the M&A services available to them. The course catalog is used to find seminars for which M&A materials are especially relevant.
• At the start of the academic year, new faculty from selected schools (Humanities and Social Sciences) are invited for a lunch. Materials, relevant to the research field of the attendees, are displayed, and faculty and librarians meet. Usually, the group is about 10-12 people.
• At the end of the academic year, another lunch is organized for faculty who have used the collection for their own research, brought in classes for library instruction, or who supervised students who used the collection.
• Prizes (of $500) are awarded for outstanding essays.

In addition to these planned events, the department uses every possible opportunity to increase the visibility of the collection through hosting receptions at exhibition openings, organizing a film festival using M&A materials, etc . The outreach events not only serve the communication of library services to the academic community, but also provide information to the library about (potential) users. For example, awarding prizes might draw students to the primary sources, and librarians (archivists, in this case) learn about how students conduct research by reviewing essays.

The department believes that a personal approach is essential in order to be successful and part of it is about taking away barriers and putting people at ease. In addition, it is important to realize that 'what cannot be found on the Web', is perceived as hidden, especially by students.

The use of primary sources in undergraduate education takes on different forms but is usually focused around (mostly junior and senior) seminars and students research for essays. The experience is that those seminars are most successful where faculty takes the lead and uses the materials as illustration or evidence for a particular historical development or context. The role of the archivist is 'to know all that is available' and provide relevant materials from the collection. Heavily used materials are microfilmed or digitized.

Other examples of use of archival materials in the classroom, mentioned by other library staff with previous experience in archives, include:

• Bring your own special collection: what kinds of objects and documents tell something about you?
• Students read letters by students who were their age in the nineteenth century.

Although in many cases, additions to the collections are received through gifts, Manuscripts & Archives collection development is geared towards topics of special interest for research and teaching at Yale.

Special Collection: Arts Library
Interviewed: Susan Brady, Project Archivist, and Jae Rossman, Special Collections Librarian

The Arts Library consists of the Drama Library, Art and Architecture Library, and Arts of the Book Collection, which all have special collections that are accessible to undergraduates. The Arts Library is a good example of how hard it can be to balance activities: (parts of) these collections are in the process of being relocated or will be relocated soon, and so processing materials is a high priority at this point in time. Across all parts of the Arts Library, intense processing activities of this year are viewed as an important part of improving access in future years. With more materials described in a way that is easier to access by undergraduates, active promotion of the collections will be restarted.

While library staff may currently have less time for promotional activities, the collections benefit from the results of previous structural programs. At the beginning of each semester, faculty would be contacted, special attention would be paid to new faculty, and librarians would take advantage of all opportunity to network. Inviting a faculty member to come and see a new relevant acquisition has also been a successful way to draw faculty to the collection.

The sessions at the Arts of the Book Collection take place at the big table in the room, and students would typically work with materials previously selected by the librarian in collaboration with the instructor.

Digitization of objects could play a role in increasing access and showing what is available, but is challenging in many ways, one of them being copyright issues. A small portion of the collection of artists' ephemera are digitized and available. In addition, a digitization project recently proposed by a theatre studies professor in conjunction with YUL staff will include special collections materials from the Drama Library in addition to materials from other Yale libraries and museums.

Special Collection: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Interviewed: George Miles, Curator, Western Americana Collection

Half of the use of materials in the Beinecke Library is by outside researchers, and probably one-third of the usage comes from undergraduate Yale students. This reflects the 'broader' responsibility of the library with regards to providing access to primary resources. Within Yale, the library traditionally has a strong relationship with the English Department, but other disciplines increasingly find their way to the collections. The available classrooms are booked for classes for much of the time. In addition to a more general and extensive program of exhibitions, lectures, performances and conferences, outreach activities are based on a personal approach and relevancy of the collections to the disciplines.

If asked about how the library could best help Yale University achieve its teaching mission, one of the answers is: to have the relevant primary sources available. Despite the fact that collection development focuses on supporting the academic programs, delays in cataloging materials might wrongly evoke the impression of a not up-to-date collection.

Materials are digitized by request, so that they can withstand intensive simultaneous use of single documents by many students. Courses that would let each student use a different source (e.g. pioneers diaries, journals) on a specific topic show there is a way to have undergraduate students work with original documents, even for assignment for lecture courses.

Other examples of the use of Beinecke collections in undergraduate teaching were presented in the Teagle Workshop 'Eyes in Connecticut: Developing 21st Century Visual Literacy to Focus on Special Collections', held on March 3, 2006. Pericles Lewis explained that for his course Teaching Modernism in Literature and the Modern Arts, curators gave tours for the students and helped with 'reading' visual resources (interpretation); or he would design questions that allow students to take a look at the archive or artistic material. John Faragher was one of the first people to take advantage of the library services that included digitizing thousands of images from the Yale collections on Western Americana at the Beinecke library. This resulted in revising his course Teaching with Images from Yale Collection of Western Americana, in which he uses depictions of Native Americans by Europeans to provide insight in the European view on this continent and its inhabitants.

Assessment of how conducting research with primary materials impacts student learning, is a challenging activity. If the research area is such that knowledge can only be derived from originals (e.g. questions about the production of a document), the acquired knowledge can be tested. In other cases, where the intended impact is a personal emotional experience (e.g. feel closer to a certain historic period, a historic person, etc), the impact is highly personal and probably more difficult to measure.

Special Collection: Medical History Library
Interviewed: Toby Appel, Bumstead Librarian for Medical History

Short staffed as the library is, staff members have to balance tasks. There is not much time for publicity activities to draw in faculty with their classes, but of course tours are given for every class that wants to come. Senior students will sometimes use the collections for their essays. Exhibitions are organized throughout the year and parts of the collection are on permanent display. Overall, the use of the materials is perceived as satisfactory.

One of the challenges library staff face, is that classes usually given on the main campus (not near the library), there is no classroom available within the library and materials cannot be taken out.

Digitization efforts, even if not within the own library or concerning the local collections, are useful in bringing attention to special and historic collections. An example is the Index Catalogue of the Surgeon General, created by the National Library of Medicine. Within the Medical Historical Library, a Medical Library Digital Committee is established, which coordinates digitization initiatives for the Medical Digital Library. Current digital collections include a slides collection, the portrait gallery of the Peter Parker Collection, the Portrait Engravings Collection and a biography of Harvey Cushing. In addition, the library receives an increasing number of requests for images, which are scanned and saved.

Special Collection: Babylonian Collection
Interviewed: Ulla Kasten, Museum Editor

The Babylonian collection's primary materials, the clay tables, are very much in demand and more used than the secondary sources that are also available in the special collection. Researchers from all over the world, and instructors and teachers from within Yale and from local schools are interested. The curators give tours, and classes for the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations are held in the adjacent classroom. A special 'kit' has been assembled for use in classes, which includes cuneiform tablets, rare books and archaeological artifacts.

The catalog of the collection of clay tablets is still being built, but quite unique in the world (not many museums have a catalog of the artifacts). Exhibitions of materials are on display on the first floor in the Sterling Memorial Library.

Special Collection: Oral History, American Music
Interviewed: Libby van Cleve

The main goal of the Oral History, American Music project from the beginning has been to capture witnesses' experiences and stories related to 20th century American music to create an archive of oral history. This, and the more or less independent position within Yale implicates that a) the main activities concern building the collection and b) the intended primary audience was never restricted to Yale researchers and students. The various publications, written by the project's staff members, also speak of the outreach to a wide audience.

The repository, which contains audio and video materials, is used by individuals and organizations all over the world: the media (e.g. BBC), artists, documentary producers, and scholars, active in the field of 20th century American music. The materials have been used to produce films, radio documentaries, films, websites, presentations, newsletters, and teaching materials.

Doctoral candidates from a variety of universities have used the archive for their research. Yale undergraduate students wrote essays on blues, Oscar Hammerstein, and Willie Ruff. Graduate students prepared class presentations on Cage and Copland, and produced teaching materials for a Yale College seminar on Minimalism.

Special Collection: Yale Center for British Art
Interviewed: Scott Wilcox, curator of Prints and Drawings, and Graig Binkowski, Head Librarian

Although the Center for British Art and the Yale Art Gallery hold collections of a different nature than the library's special collections, many of the issues concerning the use of materials in teaching and learning are comparable. An incentive for outreach programs at both the Center for British Art and the Art Gallery was given by the Report on Yale College Education (2003), after which liaison positions were created at both institutions to "help faculty use Yale's art collections in the classroom".

The Center for British Art offers a fellowship program for postdoctoral research as well as for graduate students, and an extensive educational program. The curator of the Center's prints and drawings has seen an increase of use in recent years, due to policy changes and the interest of a few individuals. He has noticed a renewed appreciation for 'the physical object', or how the artifact was created. For these materials, the curator (who also teaches himself) believes the instructor and the curator ideally are one and the same person, who combines 'all' knowledge about the artifact and its different contexts.

The Center's library supports the use of the primary collection through a reference collection, a collection of rare books and manuscripts and a photo-archive. The library is active in contacting faculty to encourage usage of the reference materials on British culture.

The main issue regarding the use of the Center's collections is how to improve access, preferably through the Web. Digitization of drawing and prints is currently not a priority, because research would require working with the originals. However, intensive use of the originals will become a problem as use grows, which digitization might alleviate.

Special Collection: Yale Art Gallery
Interviewed: Pamela Franks, Curator of Academic Initiatives

To the Yale Art Gallery, education and expanding its role as an academic resource for Yale University is central to its mission. Pamela Franks, is responsible for developing programs and collaboration across the university, is working to expand contacts with faculty beyond the History of Art Department within the Humanities. She prefers to use the snowball method, use successes in one area to convince others of the added value of using art in the classroom. Pamela believes firmly in informal networking, and is able to use the infrastructure the libraries already have within the different departments. In this way, the Art Gallery benefits from the cooperation with the libraries.

Examples of how the collection is used in undergraduate teaching include the comparison of textual and visual sources and a foreign language course, where students used the collection items as conversation topics.

Both the Center for British Art and the Art Gallery offer a student guides program for undergraduates and internships. In addition, the Gallery offers internships for bursary students, and has a program where students prepare an exhibition.

Like other collections, the Art Gallery also has a need for improved access to be able to show potential users what is available. Another issue is the development of assessment instruments: so far, what is tested is knowledge. What is needed however, as visual sources are used in different disciplines, are instruments that measure synthetic thinking and understanding primary sources in different contexts.