ARLIS/NA 49th Annual Conference

Creating space for rethinking existing collaborative models and points of engagement within libraries and archives offers possibilities for everyone involved to learn and grow. Libraries can be an important driver of cross-disciplinary approaches to learning and this session will focus on expanding the ways librarians approach collaboration and teaching to encourage student growth and experimentation. The perspectives and projects are varied, which reflects the same spirit of exploration they seek to inspire. Examining models of publishing, such as those developed and employed by visual artists and visual arts theorists; rethinking how independent study can empower students as co-designers in their coursework; and using digital humanities tools and methods to encourage creative production, experimentation, and further research will provide the foundation of discussion. We will present imaginative approaches to project development, along with practical steps to implement outreach that leads to more expansive thinking about what is possible in undergraduate education.   

Moderator: Jenna Dufour

Not Another Internship: Developing an Independent Study in Librarianship for Undergraduate Art History Students

This paper is presented as a case study of a semester-long course created by the Fine and Performing Arts Librarian in collaboration with an undergraduate art history student and with oversight from Art Historians at a Hispanic serving, public, state university in the Spring of 2020. Presenters will discuss the origination of the collaboration, the course design, and learning outcomes. They will share how the independent study differs from most intern experiences because of its structure as a credit bearing course and the commitment required from the librarian to provide a valuable educational experience. They will also introduce the ways in which library professionals can partner with Art History faculty to introduce undergraduate students to the field of art librarianship and provide opportunities for students to develop important networking and collaboration skills.

Speakers: Anna Harper and Brianna Morales

Publishing as Concept: An Examination of Artist Publishing Practices and Their Value to Undergraduate Library Publishing Programs

This presentation explores the value of introducing publishing practices and strategies developed by artists and theorists into a curriculum designed for an emerging library undergraduate publishing program. While traditional undergraduate research can be nurtured and developed by traditional models of scholarly communication, such as academic journals, what of undergraduate interest in modes of production that fall outside or wish to interrogate more conventional scholarly communication parameters? Sharing with students some of the extended and varied discourse of artistic publishing production and critique allows for the consideration and inclusion of additional perspectives on the process and practice of publishing and has the potential to expand the reach of and interest in undergraduate publishing initiatives, both in terms of student participation and campus partnerships.

THIS PRESENTATION WILL NOT BE RECORDED

Speaker: Dana Ospina

Curators and Active Participants: Archives, Exhibits, Engagement, and Outreach through Teaching

This presentation focuses on how a set of digital humanities workshops offered to university faculty helped them incorporate new resources and methods into their teaching. The first workshop was an overview of digital tools that focused on getting started without feeling overwhelmed, ways to incorporate art and archival resources into projects, and approaches to facilitating meaningful experiences in the classroom. The second workshop refined this material by focusing on how the same idea and content could be used to create three different digital humanities projects—a collection database and map, an online exhibit, and a digital publication. The exhibitions and digital publications created for use in teaching this workshop, along with subsequent student projects, in turn became resources for additional outreach beyond the university setting. Specific strategies for planning and delivering these online workshops will be covered, including next steps that led to collaborations and additional faculty and student engagement.

Speaker: Rebecca Fitzsimmons