This document discusses creating classes to promote archival collections and connect with faculty. It provides tips for archivists to get out of the archives and into classrooms by developing reusable lessons showcasing collections. The archivist shares how they reached out to faculty via email to discuss incorporating archival materials. They structured hands-on class periods around specific collections and assessed the impact. Partnering with faculty increased collection usage, campus recognition, and reinforced the archives' role on campus.

1. Creating Classes To Promote Your Collections and Connect With Faculty Nicole Feeney, Associate University Archivist Moakley Archive and Institute at Suffolk University nfeeney@suffolk.edu www.suffolk.edu/moakley www.slideshare.net/MoakleyArchive 1

2. Talking Points Get out of the archives and into a classroom Addressing faculty and archivist expectations Using email to connect with faculty Structure of the classes Assessment of the class periods On the horizon 2

3. Venture Out Beyond The Reading Room Venturing out takes on different shapes but for the Moakley Archive it looks like this: Developing reusable lessons that: Showcase our department and collections Include a wide variety of primary sources Teaches students how to research Increase collection usage and patrons Improve campus-wide recognition and visibility Create opportunities to teach in other classes Sending emails Attending trainings and talking up our programs Hosting events Venturing out has led to: Reinforcing our role as a necessary and vital department Being more than “the office you can get old pictures from” Becoming a better bridge (to research) 3

5. Departmental climate/challenges

6. Publication/research quotas

7. Students Concerns are valid and shape expectations and career Faculty are not difficult to work with! 4

9. Dynamic and innovative courses and content

10. Feathers for cap

11. Exposure for our collections and services

12. Increased usage of collections

14. Students become experienced researchers

15. Collections used more6

17. Look for courses or depts. with a research component

19. Power point

21. “Digging Deeper” Questions

22. Additional collection informationHow will the class function and flow? 7 Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrstphre (accessed 7/8/2011)

24. Jargon

28. 4 government research methods8 Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmorochester/ (accessed 7/8/2011)

30. Archives (primary) vs. libraries (secondary)

31. Understanding and Using Archival Collections

33. Primary sources/not a textbook

34. Documents that are fun and mundane

35. Complex concepts through Exciting class discussion

36. “Responsible historical empathy”Primary source research methods class is discipline neutral! Can be recycled! 9

37. Research Methods Class: Joe Moakley and the Garrity Decision Power point: (20 min) Info literacy and research skills Archive resources Moakley overview Garrity Decision context/history Hands-on class exercise with study guide (40 min) Class divided into groups Pass out the guide Review and connect info literacy skills (5 min) Students read the guide (10 min) Pass out document cases Groups review and discuss documents (10 min) Groups answer questions in guide (5 min) Reconvene as class for discussion (10 min) 10

39. Selected documents to correspond with text

40. Taught classes

42. Taught classes

43. Created power points and questions to guide class discussion

44. Reference interviews and research help11 This faculty member is our greatest advocate. We have presented our unique partnership at several on-campus symposiums and brown bag lunches.

45. Evaluation and Assessment is Informal 12 Students are typically vague but positive: “thanks”, “that was neat”, “I didn’t know that” “Nicole, I just wanted to send you a quick email thanking you for your help a little over a month ago in the Moakley Archives. I ended up getting an A in the course, and I have you to thank for the success of my paper because if I did not have the assistance you provided I would have been very lost. Thank you again for your help, it is very much appreciated!” Faculty enjoy the partnership because content is informative and the diverse types of materials on sensitive topics and lead to thought provoking discussion. "[This class] provides students with a praxis between the legislative studies literature and the day to day reality of life in Congress… Without the willing partners at the Moakley Archive this class wouldn’t work.” “Working with the Moakley Institute has greatly enhanced the quality of the class and the quality of my teaching in it… [and] enhanced the quality of the ideas studied and end products produced by the students.”

47. Departmental meetings

48. End of the year reportsLooking Forward: “share” Create a ‘Digital classroom’: a Web presence that allows us to dynamically deliver current and future classes Create stipend as an incentive for Suffolk faculty to develop course using our collections Create survey for students and faculty and use stats to advocate for our involvement with other departments 13