Presented at the CONUL Conference, July 2015, Athlone, Ireland by Elaine Harrington, University College Cork Abstract Prior to three years ago undergraduate engagement with UCC Library’s Special Collections was infrequent. However since then a culture shift has occurred as lecturers have deliberately engaged with Special Collections’ material with specific methodologies or for specific purposes. Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin (Modern Irish) created three research-focused hands-on approach modules dealing with manuscript material and the mechanisms for manuscript research for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates. These students are familiar with the printed book but less so with handwritten manuscript items. Dr Edel Semple (English) co-ordinates a problem-based enquiry module for 1st year undergraduates which focuses on the short story. These students use UCC Library’s short story collections to create magazines with entries on ‘the future of the short story’ and ‘a day in the life of a writer.’ CIT’s Crawford College of Art & Design 1st year Fine Art and Contemporary Applied Art students visit Special Collections through Cork PAL to view UDCs as physical objects. As the physical objects have a presence that no reproduction or digitised object can approach viewing and interacting with the items informs their artistic endeavours. When each group visits Special Collections librarian and lecturer work together to show the students procedures particular for Special Collections, non-Dewey classification schemes and items important for that module’s focus. There are difficulties for library staff and users alike which must be managed when such groups come to Special Collections. Library staff must know what resources users seek and how best to direct the user without interfering in the research process itself as the library staff members are guides not sages. Users may find the level of care and procedures required intimidating unless they realise the reasons for which these procedures exist. This paper explores the type and level of engagement required from module creation to assignment submission. Biography Elaine Harrington is Special Collections Assistant Librarian in UCC Library. This role includes managing and developing a team of three library staff through to collection management for reference, early printed books and unique & distinctive collections. In addition Elaine facilitates user engagement with these collections by liaising with academic staff and other institutions. As Elaine previously worked in UCC Library’s Customer Services, InterLibrary Loan and Health Sciences branch library she is very much focused on how users engage with the library, its services and collections. She is an active member of the LAI’s Rare Books & Special Collections Group and CONUL’s Collections, Preservation & Conservation Sub-Committee.

1. A Guide Not A Sage: Respect Not Fear for
Undergraduates Using Special Collections
CONUL 2015 | Innovation & Evolution
4 June 2015
Elaine Harrington | Special Collections Librarian
University College Cork

2. Widening the Lens
• Special Collections not just for post-grads, academics and
visiting researchers.
• Information Literacy programmes well-developed in main
libraries but gaining ground in Special Collections.
• Growing body of research on undergraduates using Special
Collections:
 Bahde, Anne et al. Using Primary Sources Hands-On
Instructional Exercises.
 Mitchell, Seiden & Taraba, eds. Past or Portal? Enhancing
Undergraduate Learning Through Special Collections and
Archives

3. Measuring Success?
How do we get our collection to be used and
loved as much as they should be, to be a place
where people want to visit, explore, and then
re-visit?
Cristina Favretto, Head of Special Collections
University of Miami

4. Collaboration with Faculty
Recent tweets from ALA 2015:

5. 06/10 FL 3013: Irish Folklore & Archives – Ciarán Ó
Gealbháin – 6 students
Worked examples from Schools’ & National Folklore Collections
(UCD)
23/10 MA in Medieval History – Damian Bracken – 6 students
Manuscripts in facsimile & microfilm, early printed books; sources
for: patristics, biblica, hagiography, cartularies; encyclopaedias &
dictionaries.
16/1/ MA in Early & Medieval Irish; MA in Celtic Studies – Riona
Doolin –10 students
Manuscripts in facsimile & microfilm, early printed books; sources for:
early Irish material, hagiography; encyclopaedias & dictionaries.
07/10 HI 3200: Communications, Culture and Identity in
Twentieth Century Ireland - Finola Doyle-O’Neill – 15 students
Print & microform sources for newspapers, radio, television,
internet.
31/10 HI 3200: History of Poland from 1918 – Bozena Czierlik
– 15 students
Comparative examination of Ireland & Poland through print &
microform.
6/2 AR 2045: Archaeological Field Projects & Research – Nick
Hogan – 12 students
Print and microform maps from 17th century to present; print sources
for buildings and local history.
08/10 MA in Local History – Donal Ó Drisceoil – 12 students
Print & microform sources for ‘the big house,’ travel, buildings,
Cork
3/11 MA & M.Res. in Archaeology – William O’Brien – 15
students
Print & microform sources for maps, towns, directories and
folklore collections.
9/2 FL 3015: Indigenous Knowledge: Herbs & Healing in Irish
Folklore – Rosarii Kingston – 7 students
Worked examples from Schools’ & National Folklore Collections (UCD)
09/10 HI 3200 The Irish Diaspora in Comparative
Perspective – Rory O’Dwyer – 15 students
Introduction to 19th century material in print & microform
relating to Irish diaspora in Ireland, England, North & South
America, Australia
17/11 HI 3200: Irish Foreign Policy – Mervyn O’Driscoll – 15
students
Print & microform sources for Northern Ireland, Great Britain and
America.
16/3 EN 1103: Problems in Literature and Film Edel Semple
- 25 students
Interrogation of primary and secondary sources for short
stories.
14/10 CIT Crawford College of Art & Design – Bill O’Flynn
& Collette Nolan – 25 students
Bindings, bookplates, types of illustration, artists, printing
presses.
18/11 HI2105: Case Studies in Research Skills: Franciscans
in Ireland – Malgorzata Krasnodebska - D'Aughton – 15 students
Examination of: Breviaries, papal letters, state papers, annals.
28/1 GA2013: Léann agus Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge – Pádraig Ó
Macháin – 25 students
Examination of Gaelic manuscripts; Print and microform
sources for Gaelic manuscripts.
17/10 HI 3122 Art and Religious Devotion in the Late
Middle Ages - Malgorzata Krasnodebska - D'Aughton – 15
students
Examination of: Books of hours, breviaries, mansucripts, papal
letters
20/11 PG6009 – Graduate Information Literacy 8 students
Principles & practice of information literacy for postgraduates.
18/3 GA3017 Léamh agus Litriú na Gaeilge – Pádraig Ó
Macháin – 22 students
Examination of Gaelic manuscripts; Print and microform
sources for Gaelic manuscripts.
20 & 22/10 HI 1004: First Year Inquiry Based Research
Project – Michael Dwyer – 15 students
Sources for finding newspapers in print and microform.
25/11 HI 3200: Irish Identities – Diarmuid Scully & Clare
O’Halloran – 15 students
Manuscript, print & microform sources for evolution of Ireland’s
identity.
16/10 GA3024 Tionscnamh Taighde – Pádraig Ó Macháin – 2
students
Examination of Gaelic manuscripts; Print and microform
sources for Gaelic manuscripts.
20/10 HI 2105: Case Studies in Research Skills: Irish
Medical History – Michael Dwyer – 15 students
Print & microform sources for 19th – 20th century doctors,
hospitals, workhouses.
26/11 MA in Irish Writing and Film; MA in Irish Studies –
Maureen O’Connor – 12 students
Print & microform sources for Irish art & architecture, music,
dance, theatre, presses, ogham and Vikings
25/11 MA in Irish – Pádraig Ó Macháin – 7 students
Examination of manuscripts. Print and microform sources for Gaelic
manuscripts.
30/10 HI 2105: Case Studies in Research Skills: Eastern
Europe – Bozena Czierlik – 15 students
Comparative examination of Ireland & Poland through print &
microform.
28/11 MA in Translation & MA in Languages – Helena Buffery
Print sources for German, Italian, French and Spanish. – 13
students
Examination of early printed dictionaries.
GA 3016 Filiocht na Nua-Ghaeilge Luaithe – Pádraig Ó Macháin
– 12 students
Examination of manuscripts. Print and microform sources for
Gaelic manuscripts.

6. Challenges in Special Collections
Finding a way to connect with users. Noise & competition of
social media.
Within Special Collections:
• Material for consultation only
• Different rules – ink, liquids, food
• Material in non-Dewey classification schemes
• Multiple formats: books, microfilm, pamphlets

7. Skills for Special Collections’ Users
• Timing – Access
• Returning to a mostly print-dominated environment
• Handling
• Reading & deciphering handwriting

8. CIT Crawford College of Art & Design
Scheme: CorkPal
Lecturers: Bill O’Flynn & Collette Nolan
Students: 1st year Fine Art & 1st year Contemporary Applied Art
Lens: Physical objects have a presence that no reproduction or
digitised object can approach.
Lens: Viewing and interacting with the items informs artistic
endeavours.

11. School of English, UCC
Module: EN 1103: Short Story in Literature & Film
Lecturer: Dr Edel Semple
Students: 1st year BA in English
Lens: Enquiry-based learning: A guide on the side, not a sage on the
stage.
Part 1: Using the catalogue & databases effectively (Ronan Madden)
Part 2: Special Collections & UCC Library Archives (Emer Twomey)
Interrogation of items both as primary and secondary sources
Reading original manuscripts and letters
Examination of Frank O’Connor Collection
Adaptations of short stories
Limited editions
James Joyce’s The Dead

16. Dept. of Irish, UCC
Lecturer: Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin
Students: 2nd – 3rd year undergraduates
Lens: hands-on approach to manuscript research
• Tracing the work of a scribe through manuscripts and
bibliographies
• Tracing copies of manuscripts in libraries
through catalogues.
• Creating catalogue entries for newly
acquired manuscripts.
GA 2013: Léann agus Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge
GA 30107: Léamh agus
Litriú na Gaeilge
GA 3016: Filíocht na
Nua-Ghaeilge Luaithe
GA3024: Tionscnamh
Taighde

18. Lss. 1

20. Lss. 97
Lss. 90

21. Lss. 199

22. Student Feedback
Positive feedback featuring the following:
Privilege
Deepest appreciation and enthusiasm
Care for collections
Insight into the people the authors were

23. Looking Forward
Special Collections not that intimidating.
EN 1103: Special Collections & UCC Library Archives in 1st
semester.
GA3024: roll-out for more students.
Potential for specific methodologies for other areas: History of
Art & curating displays.

24. Thanks!
Elaine Harrington
Special Collections Librarian
UCC Library
University College Cork
e.harrington@ucc.ie | @walkerabroad

25. References
Koczela, Andrea. “Libraries & Special Collections: An Interview with Cristina Favretto.” 22 March 2015.
http://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/libraries-and-special-collections-an-interview-with-cristina-favretto
Slide 7
Lss. 23: Trí bior-ghaoithe an Bháis (Three Shafts of Death)
Mss. 59: Manuscript of recipes, cures and household hints produced 1829-45.
U 354: Sibthorp, John. Flora Graeca. Londini: Typis Richardi Taylor et Socii [etc.], 1806-40.
Slide 9
Boyle, Robert. Experimenta et considerationes de coloribus. Amstelodami: Apud Gerbrandum Schagen, 1667.
Bentham, George. Handbook of the British Flora. London: L. Reeve & Co., 1924. [Bookplate of Cynthia Longfield].
Slide 10
Gibbings, Robert. The Wood Engravings of Robert Gibbings: With Some Recollections by the Artist. London: J.M. Dent,
1959. pp. 6 – 7.
Yeats, Jack B. Broadside Characters: Drawings. Introduction: Anne Yeats. Dublin: Cuala Press, 1971.
Milton's Paradise Lost. Ed. Robert Vaughan. Illustrated by Gustave Doré. London; Paris; New York: Cassell, Petter,
Galpin & Co., s.d.
Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Trans. Edward Fitzgerald. Illustrations by Edmund Dulac. New York;
London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1909].
Slide 12
O’Flaherty, Liam. The Short Stories of Liam O'Flaherty. London: Brown, Watson, 1961.
Mansfield, Katherine. The Garden Party. London: Penguin Books, 1951.
Lavin, Mary. Selected Stories. New York: Macmillan, 1959.
Short Stories From the New Yorker. London: Gollancz, 1951.
Laurence, Margaret. The Tomorrow-Tamer: Stories. New York: Knopf, 1964.

26. References (2)
Slide 13
Hawthorn, Nathaniel. “Goodman Brown.” In Mosses From An Old Manse. Boston & New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 1882.
Clarke, Austin. The Impuritans: A Play in One Act. Freely Adapted from the short story “Goodman
Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorn. Dublin: Dolmen Press, 1973.
Slide 14
Poe, Edgar Allen. Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Illus. by Harry Clarke. New York: Tudor, 1933.
Trevor, William. “Low Sunday, 1950.” London: Colophon Press, 2000.
Slide 15
Joyce, James. Dubliners. London: Jonathan Cape, [1946].
James Joyce’s Dubliners: An Illustrated Edition with Annotations. Ed. John Wyse Jackson and
Bernard McGinley. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, [1993]. “The Dead”: pages 157 – 199
Gilbert, Stuart, ed. Letters of James Joyce. London: Faber and Faber, [1957].
Slide 17
Lss. 1 (UCC) on Irish Script on Screen (ISOS). http://www.isos.dias.ie/
Slide 18
Lss. 1. Page 157.

27. References (3)
Slide 19
Bibliography of Irish Philology and of Printed Irish Literature. Dublin: H.M. Stationery Off. Browne
and Nolan. Ltd., 1913
Baumgarten, Rolf. Bibliography of Irish Linguistics and Literature: 1942-71. Dublin: Dublin Institute
for Advanced Studies, 1986.
Best, R.I. Bibliography of Irish Philology and Manuscript Literature: Publications 1913-1941.
Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the Royal Irish Academy. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co., [1926 - ].
Ó Conchúir, Breandán. Scriobhaith Chorcai: 1700-1850. Baile Átha Cliath Clóchomhar, 1982.
De Brún, Pádraig A. Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge: Treoirliosta. Baile Átha Cliath: Institiúid Ard-Léinn,
1988.
Ó Conchúir, Breandán. Clár Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge Choláiste Ollscoile Chorcaí: Cnuasach Uí
Mhurchú. Baile Átha Cliath: Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, Institúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath, 1991.
Slide 20
Lss.90: Life of St Finnchua in Irish. Scribe: Seosamh Ó Longáin.
Lss. 97: A collection of sermons in Irish made by Micheál Ó Longáin.
Slide 21
Lss. 199: Stanton, Patrick. Beatha Naomh Fionbarr. Evergreen Cork. 1894.