Instructional Support
Instructional Support
Our interactive online module provides an overview of special collections and archives and teaches students how to identify, find and access our materials. The module can be embedded into Canvas or sent directly to students through the instructor.
We also offer hands-on specialized sessions that are tailored to course topics or assignments for targeted support of student learning and research. Students engage in a variety of experiential learning opportunities based on specific information literacy goals and outcomes we develop in consultation with the instructor.
Course guides are offered through the library's website and can be linked through Canvas. These guides identify and link to resources both at SDSU and elsewhere online that support specific course topics or assignments. Depending on physical condition, we may be able to place select materials on our hold shelves in advance of assignment due dates or for the semester.
We can also curate topical lists of resources that prompt students to visit SCUA independently so that they gain experience with how special collections and archival materials are requested and consulted. This provides them with valuable skills to prepare them for graduate-level research. For security and preservation reasons, we do not allow students to use materials in groups in the Reading Room. Students must follow our standard policies and procedures for visitors.
The department regularly curates exhibits both in our gallery space that is accessible during all open library hours and inside the SCUA Instruction Lab, where they may be viewed as a class or by request. We do our best to promote these exhibits to interested departments, instructional faculty and their classes, but please don’t hesitate to contact us if you find out about an exhibit we’re offering and would like to arrange a gallery talk or discuss curricular programming ideas.
SCUA Librarians are always available for individual consultation with students and instructors who are seeking in-depth research assistance. For general research assistance, please contact [email protected] and your request will be directed to the appropriate expert.
Use the Finding Aid Database to search archival collections
Instruction Policies
- Our instruction schedule fills up quickly in the weeks before each semester starts. To avoid scheduling conflicts, please request instruction sessions as early as possible and no later than the first week of the semester. Requests after the start of the semester will depend on librarian availability. Please plan ahead.
- Documentation such as course syllabi, required readings and assignment details helps us select materials we think would be relevant, appropriate and beneficial to the class. Please share whatever you can!
- We can comfortably accommodate up to 40 students in one visit. Anything larger becomes unwieldy to supervise and puts the materials at risk of damage. If you have a larger class, we can discuss other modalities that may equally suit your purposes. Instructors should normally plan to be present at all sessions.
- If you are planning an assignment using SCUA materials that you’re personally familiar with, please contact us in advance to discuss the details and to confirm the availability of those materials. Your students will be expected to follow our visitor policies and procedures, which they should review on our Access page.
- Instruction sessions often result in students seeking individual follow-up assistance from our librarians. We will emphasize this point during the session, but it is helpful if you remind them to plan ahead and request assistance well in advance of the assignment's due date. The schedules and availability of our librarians vary.
- We will do everything in our power to fully include persons with disabilities in all activities. Please let us know if you require any special accommodations for you or students in your course.