The document outlines the role of special collections in academic research, highlighting unique and distinctive materials available at the UCC library. It emphasizes the importance of hands-on experiences in utilizing these resources effectively for projects in various disciplines, including music and history. Key learning outcomes include ethical use of sources, engagement, and the significance of drafts and fact-checking in the research process.

1. Special Collections & Class Projects
Elaine Harrington | Special Collections Librarian
UCC Library
TEL Tasters 2017 – UCC | 29 August 2017

2. Contact Details
Elaine Harrington, Special Collections Librarian | UCC Library
e.harrington@ucc.ie | 021 4903484 |
@walkerabroad
The Riverside: @theriversideUCC
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/
http://libguides.ucc.ie/specialcollections

3. Special Collections
What is it?
“Unique and distinctive” collections of rare books, and many other
media, including born-digital and digitised documents (Cullingford)
“Elements of distinction that serve to differentiate an academic or
research library from its peers” (Dooley & Luce)
Formats:
• Early Printed Books
• Books from Presses
• Collections from individuals
• Newspapers
• Maps
• Pamphlets
• Literary Manuscripts
• Digital Files

4. Special Collections as a ‘Lab for the
Humanities’
Special Collections shapes research & results.
At the beginning of a project:
• Imagining benefits & challenges
• How to manage challenges
• Knowledge, skills and further projects that emerge.
What we learn that we (and others) can take for the
future?

5. Randy Bass
Which learning outcome is the one thing that
students would retain from this module after
leaving?
Could I honestly say that I spent the most amount
of time in the module teaching to the goal I valued
most?
Understanding how Special Collections could work
for their project without compromising the integrity
of material in Special Collections.
Bass, Randy. “The Scholarship of Teaching: What’s the Problem?” Creative Thinking About Learning & Teaching Feb. 1999 1.1.

6. Working with Special Collections
Slide Credit: http://approachanxiety.com/2011/11/what-success-looks-like/

7. Community of Learners
Shawn Day
Melanie Marshall
Helen Bradley
John Hough
Jillian
Rogers
Malgorzata
Krasnodebska -
D'Aughton

8. Case Studies
Music
• MU1003: Studying Music at University
• MU6031: Sound Studies & Musicology
History – MA in Medieval History
• HI 6091: Skills for Medieval Historians
Events
• Lecture: Shakespeare’s Sources and the Boole
Library's Resources (English)
• Conference: Paper Manuscript (Modern Irish)
• Exhibitions
• A variety of promotional activity.

9. Using Primary Sources: Hands-on Instructional
Exercises. Santa Barbara, California : Libraries
Unlimited, An imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2014].
MU1003: Studying Music at University

10. MU1003: Studying Music at University
Henebry O’Neill Wax Cylinder Collection:
http://epu.ucc.ie/henebry/

11. MU1003: Studying Music at University
UCC Music History
https://youtu.be/QpMaNfmKi5U
https://twitter.com/uccmusichistory

12. MU1003: Studying Music at University
Henebry Wax Cylinder
https://ucchenebrywaxcylin.wixsite.com/waxcylinders
https://twitter.com/HWaxCylinders

13. MU6031 Sound Studies & Musicology
Slide Credit: William Beauford’s 1801 Map of Cork.

14. MU6031: Visiting Special Collections

15. Slide Credit: 1890s Guy’s South of Ireland Pictorial Map
Slide Credit: 1921 Purcell’s Almanac

16. Video as Experimental Source

17. Sound Editing and Recording Tools

18. MU6031:
Burning of Cork

19. HI6091: Skills for Medieval Historians
The River-side Blog: http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/ https://twitter.com/theriversideUCC

20. HI6091: Skills for Medieval Historians
Blogging
Selecting sources
Handling
Photography
Copyright
Marketing & publicity

21. Slide Credit: https://youtu.be/nxL-UNlqRdE
HI6091: Skills for Medieval Historians

22. HI6091: Skills for Medieval Historians
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/tag/student-exhibition/

23. Lessons Learned
Range of projects possible even in a narrow
time frame due to wide range of sources.
How to use sources ethically and meaningfully.
Importance of drafts.
Importance of fact checking. Importance of
public engagement.
Slide credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/4961717384/in/album-72157620363366377/

24. For full account: Semple, Edel. “Culture Night: Shakespeare’s Sources & the Boole Library’s Resources.”
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/2016/10/05/culture-night-shakespeares-sources-boole-librarys-resources/
Lecture: English

25. Paper Manuscript Conference: https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/modernirish/documents/2017-The-Paper-Manuscript-
programme.pdf
Conference: Modern Irish

26. Exhibitions
Further Information: http://libguides.ucc.ie/exhibitions

27. Seasonal Guides
http://libguides.ucc.ie/
harrypotter
For more on engagement:
http://libguides.ucc.ie/speccoll
soutreach/home

28. Shush! Sounds from UCC Library
For more: http://shush.ucc.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/ShushRadioUCC/
https://twitter.com/Shush_radio
UCC’s Special Collections on Shush! Sounds from UCC Library
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/2017/01/31/uccs-special-
collections-shush-sounds-ucc-library/

29. Contact Details
Elaine Harrington, Special Collections Librarian | UCC Library
e.harrington@ucc.ie | 021 4903484 |
@walkerabroad
The Riverside: @theriversideUCC
http://blogs.ucc.ie/wordpress/theriverside/
http://libguides.ucc.ie/specialcollections