Read on Twitter
If you're developing online classes: Don't lose time trying to get material digitized.
There are *so* many primary sources already digitized! It is much easier to adapt your class to what's available!
A thread (with threads) and maybe some ideas for #TeachingWithArchives:
There are *so* many primary sources already digitized! It is much easier to adapt your class to what's available!
A thread (with threads) and maybe some ideas for #TeachingWithArchives:
1/ Why not use #digitalarchives that challenge students to go beyond what they can 'see', and find those that are usually 'silenced' in archives.
This thread offers such examples: https://twitter.com/amaliasl/status/1245544256212807680
This thread offers such examples: https://twitter.com/amaliasl/status/1245544256212807680
2/ If you want more examples, there is a longer list here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YKndOKpUECMR_P1ObBq3f8v_-YlfuGxC9qjlBD8C-dY/edit
3/ Use aggregators such as @dLoCaribbean that offer not only primary sources and thematic collections, but also teaching guides:
https://www.dloc.com/teach
https://www.dloc.com/teach
4/ The @dpla offers ready primary sources sets and teaching guides. https://dp.la/primary-source-sets
5/ The @Europeanaeu also offers a wealth of teaching material: https://teachwitheuropeana.eun.org/
6/ You can use crowdsourcing projects as a way to teach (e.g., paleography skills, collaboration etc.), like the #genizascribes project by @judaicadh https://twitter.com/judaicadh/status/1118518294863020034
7/ Do you teach primary sources that are rich in spatial and geographical details? You can use the @PelagiosNetwork #Recogito tool to have students collaboratively annotate texts, produce graphs, and networks: https://recogito.pelagios.org/
8/ The @bl_eap offers more than eight million images and 25,000 sound tracks of over 400 endangered collections in over 100 languages and scripts. https://eap.bl.uk/
9/ You can also consider having students research digitized material to recover evidence.
For example, @CRRJ_NEUSL project mines digitized regional African-American newspapers to recover evidence of past injustices obscured. https://buttondown.email/dancohen/archive/humane-ingenuity-23-witness-and-withness/
For example, @CRRJ_NEUSL project mines digitized regional African-American newspapers to recover evidence of past injustices obscured. https://buttondown.email/dancohen/archive/humane-ingenuity-23-witness-and-withness/
10/ How can students 'see' mundane records differently?
For example, material from marginalized communities such as #LGBTQ were often confiscated as police evidence and preserved as 'criminal' records. https://twitter.com/UkNatArchives/status/1197479784638492672
For example, material from marginalized communities such as #LGBTQ were often confiscated as police evidence and preserved as 'criminal' records. https://twitter.com/UkNatArchives/status/1197479784638492672
11/ Have students better contextualize digitized material by involving communities to add ancestral knowledge, such as the work being done at @AmPhilSociety involving #indigenous experts. https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/finding-mrs-mahone-and-indigenous-experts-archives
12/12 Finally, a good exercise for developing critical abilities is to have students "read" digitized material alongside the finding aid of the physical collection:
-Has "everything" been digitized?
-What is missing?
-How can we update the finding aid to show marginalized voices?
-Has "everything" been digitized?
-What is missing?
-How can we update the finding aid to show marginalized voices?
Of course, these are only some of the things that we can do while classes have to be virtual. Please feel free to add to this thread other examples!
And of course, please talk to us (archivists and librarians) for any needs you might have! We'd be happy to help you choose or digitize more.
