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Learning with Objects in the Main Library Gallery: Home

This guide contains resources designed to engage visitors with Main Library Gallery objects and exhibit content.

Overview

The following resources were developed in collaborations with University of Iowa librarians, faculty, instructors, and teaching assistants. Resources can be used for self-guided learning or incorporated as classroom activities and course assignments. See individual resources for learning objective and activity descriptions. 

All resources are made available through a Creative Commons Share Alike License and we encourage you to revise and reuse these materials. While each resource was developed to meet learning objectives specific to individual courses, they can be modified to fit most courses. 

Instructors: Please contact Sara Pinkham (Exhibition and Engagement Coordinator) to discuss how to incorporate these resources into your courses or to discuss other ways to engage your students with Main Library Gallery exhibit content. Please also direct class visit requests to Sara Pinkham.

Reading an Object in the Main Library Gallery

Estimated Completion Time

40 - 50 minutes; approximately 20 - 30 minutes for worksheet completion + time to explore exhibit materials*

*This activity can be completed during a visit to the current Main Library Gallery exhibit or with digitized images of past exhibits. 

Learning Objectives

Completing the activity, students will:

  • Practice documenting research and inquiry
  • Name and describe cultural objects and information
  • Reflect upon the characteristics of cultural objects that indicate the underlying creation process
  • Articulate how individual objects relate to exhibit themes and topics
  • Recognize rhetorical strategies

Activity Preparation Checklist for Instructors

  1. Schedule your class visit using the Class Visit form on the Main Library Gallery Contact Page. Schedule at least one week in advance to ensure the date/time are available.
  2. Visit The Gallery prior to your session to familiarize yourself with the space and content.
  3. Print copies of, 'Reading an Object in the Main Library Gallery,' for students. Word document available for download below. 
  4. Provide students directions for finding the Main Library Gallery the day of your visit. 

Activity Documents 

The 'Reading an Object in the Main Library Gallery' activity is available in Canvas Commons and UI faculty and instructors can import this activity into their ICON courses. If you would like to arrange a time for your class to visit the Gallery as part of their completion of this activity, please contact Sara Pinkham (sara-pinkham@uiowa.edu).

From Gallery Object to the Stacks

Estimated Completion Time

50-60 minutes + pre- and post-class work for students to complete outside of class time

NOTE: This activity is developed to be completed in sequence, after students have completed the Reading an Object in the Main Library Gallery activity. The activity described in the following resources is designed as an individual activity. Instructors in the past have developed this into a small group activity wherein students with related objects form small groups and complete the pre-class activity together. During the in-class portion of the activity small groups will search for items in the Main Library together. 

Learning Objectives

Completing the activity, students will:

  • Practice documenting research and inquiry
  • Name and describe cultural objects and information
  • Reflect upon the characteristics of cultural objects that indicate the underlying creation process
  • Locate physical library materials using InfoHawk+ and in the stacks 
  • Practice forming research questions and connecting a rhetorical object to an issue

Activity Preparation Checklist for Instructors

  1. Arrange for your students to complete the Reading an Object in the Main Library Gallery Activity. 
  2. Visit The Main Library stacks and The Perch prior to your session to familiarize yourself with the space. 
  3. Print copies of, 'From Gallery Object to the Stacks,' for students. Or make available in ICON for students to download. Word document available, below. 
  4. Print or provide existing copies available at the Main Library of the Main Library floorplan for students to use as they navigate the stacks and The Perch during the in-class activity. 
  5. Assign students complete the Pre-Activity portion of the activity prior to your Main Library visit. 
  6. NOTE: You do not need to schedule your class visit to the Main Library for this activity. However, it is essential that your visit be arranged in a manner that respects the daily labor of library staff. Printing off Main Library floorplan maps and familiarizing yourself with the Main Library prior to your visit will ensure that library staff, especially those working the Service Desk, do not become inundated with questions and needs from your students. If you would like to arrange for an instruction librarian to be present during your visit, please contact Sara Pinkham to connect with Undergraduate Engagement.

Activity Documents