Rare Book Pedagogy Unit

Incorporate the rare books experience into your classroom
Use the Rare Books Pedagogy Unit to introduce archival research to undergraduates with customizable exercises and materials

Using the customizable exercises and materials on this website, faculty can teach undergraduates how to analyze and discern meaning from rare texts, and students can learn the conventions of rare book rooms and the ways to handle rare materials properly.

Faculty may use any or all of these exercises, depending on their specific course goals. These exercises are designed to be modular, so they are independent of one another, and each assignment can be adapted to the course's needs.

If you are new to the Rare Book Pedagogy Site, go to the Getting Started page.

All texts are available in the WVU Rare Book Room (6th Floor, Wise Library) and have been approved by the library staff for use.

The annotated bibliography provides useful references on book production, marketing, and literacy for the faculty. Copies of items listed in the bibliography are available in the WVU English Department office. A brief annotated list of Internet resources for faculty use is also available.

If you choose to incorporate a module from the Rare Book Pedagogy Unit, please fill out the attached form regarding the module and its effectiveness. Comments and suggestions to improve the modules are most welcome. Also, in order to improve these exercises, we ask that you send a transcript of your specific archive exercise to marilyn.francus@mail.wvu.edu

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marilyn Francus at marilyn.francus@mail.wvu.edu.