Six librarians and archivists at the University of Dayton taught an archives “mini-course” to introduce students to archival theory and concepts while providing them with a deeper understanding of the history of the university and the city of Dayton. The one-credit class covered concepts including visual literacy, representation in the archives, privacy, and historical empathy. Students researched an archival collection from UD’s special collections, placing the collection within its historical context. They submitted a final project consisting of a poster presentation of their research, a bibliography, and a reflection.

Through this course, the librarians and archivists intended to increase students’ competence with primary source research by familiarizing students with collections directly relevant to their interests as members of the University of Dayton community. The students experienced firsthand the opportunities and challenges inherent in archival research and learned how to efficiently conduct such research.

Attendees left with ideas on how they could create a similar course on primary source research at their institutions, whether a one-shot session or a semester-long class. The presenters detailed how they planned the course, its successes and failures, and their takeaways for future iterations.