UTSA Libraries Special Collections librarians and archivists collaborate with faculty to incorporate rare books, manuscripts and university archives into the classroom.
Special Collections instruction sessions are tailored to the needs of particular courses. From short, orientation sessions that address research with primary sources to specialized sessions that incorporate course or assignment based activities and materials, Special Collections staff are available to provide a variety of instructional support that is customized to meet a range of learning objectives.
Instructional Support
Course guides identify Special Collections resources and tools (digital and printed) specific to courses and assignments. Please contact Special Collections if you would like to have a specific guide created for your upcoming course.
“Show and Tell” Sessions
Show and tell sessions expose students to archival materials related to the subject of your course. Special Collections staff selects appropriate materials and displays them in our reading room for a hands-on experience.
Primary Sources Orientation Sessions
General introduction to archival spaces, collections, policies and procedures. Students are introduced to finding aids and the use of Special Collections materials. Sessions can be tailored to specific course topics or subjects.
Hands-On workshops
UTSA Special Collections staff, in collaboration with the instructor, selects course appropriate materials for active, inquiry driven experiences with primary source materials and objects.
Reading Room Space
UTSA Special Collections provides reading room space for instructors interested in leading class sessions focused on Special Collections materials.
Faculty Teaching in the Archives Grants
Special Collections offers Faculty Teaching in the Archives (FTIA) Grants aimed at instructors who would like to design or invigorate an undergraduate or graduate course with unique content from Special Collections to generate innovative primary source assignments and projects for students. Grant applications are accepted once a year in the Spring semester.