The Real McCoy

Handling old books and rare materials opens a new world to students

By Michelle Visser -- School Library Journal, 12/1/2005

Imagine the impact of your lessons on students if they could see an original Ansel Adams print or a handwritten letter by Mark Twain. Media specialists in my area are able to share old books and rare materials like these with their students by reaching out to me—a librarian in the special collections department at the University of Colorado.

I’m amazed at how few school librarians realize what a great resource they have in their public university libraries. I’ve spent the last four years creating successful programs on a range of subjects for local elementary, middle, and high school students. Most kids never come in contact with objects of antiquity, so the chance to study original manuscripts, prints, and books firsthand is an educational experience that generates both discussion and awe.

After studying the horrors of World War II, for example, one high school class said the war was more tangible to them because they were able to touch a book that Adolf Hitler held and signed. And the teacher of a group of fourth graders who came to see our illustrated medieval manuscripts said she’d never seen the boys in her class so engaged in a lesson. One school librarian brings his seventh- and eighth-grade after-school writing club to examine handwritten poems by Emily Dickinson.

For our visits—which typically last an hour—we ask teachers and school librarians to book their dates early to ensure they get a slot. Teachers must provide information on the grade level and number of students attending. Since elementary school classes have shorter attention spans, we divide students into groups of twelve and meet with them for 30 minutes each. We also ask their teachers to provide additional supervision—parents or assistants—so that the ratio is roughly one adult to every four students. All students are asked to leave their coats and backpacks to the side when viewing our collections.

Bringing old materials together with kids can pose some challenges. Since it’s difficult to create an interesting, nonintimidating environment with fragile objects, we tell them in advance about the extra care that’s required in handling these items. We place delicate matter like a page from the Gutenberg Bible under glass but always make sure to have some materials they can handle.

School librarians are in a perfect position to educate teachers about the materials available at academic libraries. Syracuse University, Michigan State University, and Washington State University are some of the institutions that are willing to host school visits. Organizing these trips is easy—and it doesn’t cost a thing since these public institutions are committed to community outreach. To get started, visit your local university’s Web site to see if their special collections are of any interest to your students. Many places don’t advertise class visits, but most are willing, so call and ask.

Contact the special collections library months in advance of your anticipated visit. Make sure to provide a copy of all assignments that students must complete following their visit. When I learned a high school photography class was planning to stop by, I pulled 19th-century daguerreotypes and ambrotypes and photo books by photographers such as Edward Weston and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Suggest some dates and times for potential visits, along with your contact information, the number of kids who plan to attend, their grade levels, and the number of accompanying adults. Inquire about parking for school buses, places to eat, and other events on campus that may be of interest to your class. Prepare your students by discussing what they’ll be seeing and the importance of handling the items with extra care.

Our program was such a hit that there was no need to publicize it—schools across our district heard about it strictly by word-of-mouth. It’s a great way to take advantage of free resources, enhance your lessons, and collaborate with teachers—but most of all, it’ll make your students’ visit to a university library memorable.