











































Primary Source Instruction in Theological Libraries through Rare Book Collections


PaPers  73

Primary Source Instruction in 
Theological Libraries through Rare 
Book Collections
Collaborative Initiative in Credit-Bearing Library Labs 
Marta Samokishyn, Collection Development Librarian, Saint Paul University
Jérémie LeBlanc, Chief Librarian, Saint Paul University

ABSTRACT This paper addresses how students perceive primary sources 
instruction in the credit-bearing information literacy labs and explores the 
implications of this pedagogical practice on the development of students’ 
understanding of research. Through collaboration with the course instruc-
tor, library labs instructor, and Chief Librarian, the students visited the Rare 
Book Room and interacted with the rare and unique material as part of their 
course curriculum. The authors completed a thematic analysis of students’ 
reflections, exploring the impact of this visit on their research journey and 
their perceptions of how primary source instruction has impacted their un-
derstanding of other topics covered in the course. The authors share their 
lessons learned and recommendations for those who would like to adopt 
a similar practice at their institutions.

INTRODUCTION: STUDY BACKGROUND  

The need for primary source instruction for undergraduate students 
is often an issue of contention. Some educators claim that undergrad-
uate students are not prepared to interact with primary sources and 
need to engage with more pressing challenges, such as searching for 
relevant material in the library catalogue or understanding how to 
adhere to academic integrity regulations. However, this paper aims 
to challenge this notion by exploring the impact of primary source 
instruction on students’ learning. This paper will first discuss our 
research problem and research question, followed by a short litera-
ture review. Later we will explore the library labs’ delivery context 
and curriculum design. We will further highlight the main elements 



74  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

of the Rare Book Room visit provided to our students and present 
the findings of this study.

Primary source literacy can be challenging to define due to a 
variety of different methods that librarians or other educators 
might use to teach students about primary sources (Daines and 
Nimer 2015). However, one definition that provides a broad in-
sight into primary source literacy comes from guidelines for pri-
mary source literacy developed by ACRL (2018). According to these 
guidelines, primary source literacy can be defined as “the combi-
nation of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to effectively 
find, interpret, evaluate, and ethically use primary sources within 
specific disciplinary contexts, in order to create new knowledge 
or to revise existing understandings” (ACRL 2018, 2). This defini-
tion provides a comprehensive view on primary source literacy 
that applies to our research. According to Crisp (2017), primary 
source literacy is “a metaliteracy, incorporating elements of tradi-
tional information literacy, visual literacy, archival literacy, etc.” 
(8). This demonstrates the need for a wholesome approach to pri-
mary source literacy that considers all aspects of the information 
literacy (IL) curriculum and provides a contextual base for pri-
mary source literacy. 

This research will answer the following research question: How 
can IL skills of undergraduate students improve through primary 
source education using rare book materials? 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

New university students often have limited knowledge about the im-
portance of primary sources for their research (Sutton and Knight 
2006). According to Daines and Nimer (2015), many librarians fo-
cus in their instructions on how to “differentiate between types of 
sources, rather than teaching students about the access and use of 
these resources” (21). However, to be able to do it, librarians need 
to adopt a contextualized approach to IL education. Primary source 
education offers this opportunity since it is often cross-disciplinary 
and can be utilized in many contexts or subjects. It is essential for 
librarians to adopt a comprehensive approach to IL instruction that 
would benefit students’ long-term goals and should be centred in an 
understanding of the research process, rather than a simple dem-
onstration of library tools (Hubbard and Lotts 2013). To be effective, 



PaPers  75

IL should be integrated into the broader university curriculum and 
foster discipline-specific skills. Primary source literacy can promote 
this deeper learning of IL concepts through a contextual approach 
to IL (Daines and Nimer 2015). 

Primary source literacy requires special skills that “both build on 
and differ from those learned through more traditional secondary 
source library research” (Archer, Hanlon, and Levine 2009, 411). 
Integration of primary source literacy into an IL curriculum offers 
a variety of benefits for students. First, it allows students to get “ex-
cited about research” (Craig and O’Sullivan 2022, 95). Second, prima-
ry source literacy promotes critical thinking (Malkmus 2007; Yakel 
2004), increases students’ confidence (Hubbard and Lotts 2013), and 
promotes understanding of the research process (Jarosz and Kutay 
2017). Third, it can also increase students’ engagement and “promote 
historical empathy” — something that is not widely discussed in the 
literature (Malkmus 2007, 39).

Furthermore, primary source education provides many collabora-
tive opportunities between faculty members and librarians (Daines 
and Nimer 2015). Many faculty members highlighted that they ap-
preciated the collaboration with librarians and identified the impor-
tant role of information professionals in helping students to develop 
primary source literacy (Malkmus 2008). Daines and Nimer (2015) 
state that “coordination between librarians and faculty elsewhere 
in the university is critical for preventing instructional gaps when 
teaching information literacy skills — particularly in the context of 
primary sources” (22). 

Considering the benefits of primary source literacy for students, 
as well as the collaborative opportunities it provides, the authors 
decided to implement primary source education in their informa-
tion literacy library labs. 

DELIVERY CONTEXT: LIBRARY LABS

To better understand the context in which the primary source in-
struction was delivered, it is vital to explore the background infor-
mation about Saint Paul University (SPU) and the library labs. The 
university has approximately 884 FTE, with about 1,100 students (un-
dergraduate and graduate) in four Faculties: Human Sciences, Theol-
ogy, Philosophy, and Canon Law. The university is federated with the 
University of Ottawa, which is approximately 40 times larger than 
SPU. An officially bilingual university, SPU serves both English- and 



76  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

French-speaking students, who can submit their assignments in ei-
ther language. SPU also has a diverse international population from 
over 25 countries; this accounts for approximately 20% of the stu-
dent body. The university has approximately 125 professors (includ-
ing sessionals) and three librarians. The library’s physical collection 
holds over 520,000 books; within those, over 11,000 books and works 
were produced between 1450 and 1800.

The current library labs are part of a mandatory undergraduate 
course, HTP1105, “Critical Analysis: Reading and Writing Academ-
ic Works.” These labs are the result of years of development. The 
process behind the library lab goes back to 2015 when a discussion 
happened between the Deans, higher administration, and the Chief 
Librarian. A need was identified to further help students with infor-
mation and digital literacy. Based on those discussions, and with the 
support of the Deans and higher administration, the Chief Librarian 
proposed a library lab to focus on the ACRL Information Literacy 
Framework as its foundation in order to develop competencies found 
in the framework. An initial pilot was proposed in 2016, when the 
lab was offered as two 75-minute sessions for an optional 15 bonus 
points. These points would be added to the final grade if the student 
participated in all labs and submitted an assignment.

It was noted after reviewing the pilot term that only four stu-
dents out of a possible 32 students had submitted an assignment 
and participated in the lab. So, in 2017, the lab was offered as two 
75-minute sessions with a bonus of 25 points. Once the bonus points 
increased, more than half of the students participated and submit-
ted an assignment. Then, in 2018, after a comprehensive course 
review and revamping of the HTP1105 course, the course and lab 
became mandatory for undergraduate students in Human Sci-
ences, Theology, and Philosophy (HTP). At that point, the course 
was offered in both English and French by professors in one of the 
three faculties, and the lab was taught by a librarian. The library 
lab portion was modified to a 12-week, 12 hours lab requirement, 
with multiple assignments fully integrated within the scope of the 
course. The professor would have 75% of the final course grade, and 
librarians would have 25%. The course and lab are offered each fall 
semester at SPU. 

In 2022, the librarian teaching the lab portion (Marta Samokishyn) 
proposed a new concept and was fully supported by the professor 
teaching HTP1105 (English version, Professor Richard Feist). The 



PaPers  77

proposal included a visit to the Rare Book Room, with instruction 
and discovery of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources led by the 
Chief Librarian. The students could complete an additional lab as-
signment for bonus marks. Thematically, we noticed that when we 
offered extra incentives, students were more willing to participate 
and submit additional assignments. 

LIBRARY LABS CURRICULUM DESIGN 

As previously noted, the library labs were aligned with the ACRL 
framework and used the frame “Research as Inquiry” and its central 
overarching theme (see figure 1). The labs were grounded in inquiry-
based learning to foster students’ curiosity and engagement. 

FIGURE 1 Alignment of the course modules with ACRL frames

Other modules of the labs focused on the following skills and 
ACRL frames: 

1. Module 1: Searching as Strategic Exploration (included in-
formation about the elements of the research process, ques-



78  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

tion mapping, and basic and advanced search strategies). 
Students had to develop a research journal in this module 
(worth 20% of the final lab grade) with their search strategy 
and steps of the search process. 

2. Module 2: Information Creation as Process (included un-
derstanding the difference between primary, secondary, 
and tertiary sources, as well as understanding how to read 
scholarly sources, and the peer-review process). During 
this module, a visit to the Rare Book Room at SPU was or-
ganized. Students were offered to complete an optional as-
signment in the form of a one- to two-page personal reflec-
tion about the impact of the visit to the Rare Book Room 
on their understanding of research. This assignment was 
worth five bonus lab points.  

3. Module 3: Authority is Constructed and Contextual (evalu-
ation of sources based on the authority and ACT UP Frame-
work). Students had to prepare a literature review matrix 
worth 25% of the lab grade, evaluating their five sources 
based on authority, currency, main arguments, etc.  

4. Module 4: Information has Value (focused on academic 
integrity and citation skills). Students had to develop an en-
hanced literature map (20% of the lab grade), where they 
synthesized main arguments from the previous assignment 
and provided some paraphrases and summaries with prop-
er in-text citations and references.

5. Module 5: Scholarship as Conversation (focused on aca-
demic writing skills, structure of an academic paragraph). 
Cumulative literature review assignment (30% of the grade) 
where they demonstrated all the skills acquired during the 
semester.

A version of this inquiry-based IL course as a full semester course 
is available as an open education resource through Ecampus Open Li-
brary (https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/1e03382e-
3d4d-4f9b-b8d4-8b5893e75812?) with the accompanying reading 
guide (https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/efaf-
b3af-566f-4aa3-bf5a-1f48b76fa181?). The course implemented an 
iterative research process and scaffolding in both formative and 
summative assessment so that students built on the foundational IL 
skills throughout the semester in preparation for their final deliver-
able: a small-scale literature review.

https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/1e03382e-3d4d-4f9b-b8d4-8b5893e75812?
https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/1e03382e-3d4d-4f9b-b8d4-8b5893e75812?
https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/efafb3af-566f-4aa3-bf5a-1f48b76fa181?
https://openlibrary.ecampusontario.ca/item-details/#/efafb3af-566f-4aa3-bf5a-1f48b76fa181?


PaPers  79

VIRTUAL VISIT TO THE RARE BOOK ROOM AT SPU

The visit to the Rare Book Room was organized by the lab and course 
instructor during the course time and was led by the Chief Librarian in 
collaboration with the course instructor and lab instructor. It included 
a one-hour tour of the Rare Book Room, during which students had an 
opportunity to work directly with the rare books and other primary 
source materials (e.g., letters, manuscripts, facsimile editions, etc.). 
The following is a sample of resources that were presented to them: 

1. Thomas Aquinas, Catena aurea super quator Evangelis-
tas, 1475; the oldest book in the collection

IMAGE 1 Thomas Aquinas, Catena aurea super quator Evangelistas, 1475

In this book, students were instructed on early book printing 
(this book was printed during the first 30 years of the printing press 
in the Western World), shown early printing styles and stylization, 
discovered different binding practices, and learned about ink us-
age and various paper makeup (e.g., cotton rag paper as opposed to 
a modern pulp). 



80  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

2. Aristoteles, Ethica Nicomachea, 1565; marginalia

IMAGE 2 Aristoteles, Ethica Nicomachea, 1565, p.184

IMAGE 3 Aristoteles, 1565



PaPers  81

With this example, we were able to show students non-destructive 
additions to the text, called marginalia, and show notes coming from 
different individuals, commenting and interacting with one another 
about the arguments present in Aristotle’s work. The purpose was 
to highlight how marginalia can be considered secondary source 
material and how it creates additional value to the primary source. 

3. Bodmer papyrus, p. 75; Gospel of John & Luke

IMAGE 4 Bodmer papyrus, p. 75, Gospel of John & Luke



82  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

IMAGE 5 Caption: Bodmer papyrus, p. 75, Gospel of John & Luke

This work is a facsimile; however, it is a very important piece of 
written word for Christians worldwide. The papyrus facsimile, pro-
duced by the Vatican, includes parts of the Gospel of Luke and John. 
This piece is the oldest surviving text of Luke known and includes 
the Lord’s Prayer. In addition, this facsimile served a pedagogical 



PaPers  83

function to invite the students to notice that there are no separations 
between the letters in ancient Greek. This can make it more difficult 
for the modern undergraduate to decipher the text.

4. Nicolaus de Lyra, Moralla super totam Bibliam, 1481; il-
luminations

IMAGE 6 Caption: Nicolaus de Lyra, Moralla super totam Bibliam, 1481

This work was produced in the early printing period, incunabula; 
the coloring was the focus of the instruction, looking at the styliza-
tion of capital letters and coloring done in the book. 



84  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

5. Parchments of the hearings of the Trial against the 
Knights Templar (1308), Vatican Apostolic Archives, Ar-
chivum Arcis Arm. D208, 209, 210, 217

IMAGE 7 Trial against the Knights Templar (1308/2007)



PaPers  85

IMAGE 8 Facsimile of the Trial against the Knights Templar (1308/2007)

IMAGE 9 Facsimile of the Trial against the Knights Templar (1308/2007)



86  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

This multi-volume piece is a facsimile of the original (partly pro-
duced on vellum) produced from the Vatican Apostolic Archives, 
formerly called the Vatican Secret Archives. It shows the court pro-
cesses and documentation against the Knights Templar in the early 
fourteenth century, and contains additional resources added to the 
works. It was a good demonstration of an important historical work 
that carries a lot of historical and fictional references.

6. Solet annuere and texts written by St. Francis in his own 
hand, Lower Basilica in Assisi / Cathedral of Spoleto

IMAGE 10 Facsimile of the Pope Honorius III, Regula Bullata, 1223



PaPers  87

These documents are facsimiles that come from the Vatican Ar-
chives and were produced by Scrinium. The large document is en-
titled the Regula Bullata, produced in 1223, and contains the letter of 
Pope Honorius III, who has officially confirmed the Rule (the Later 
Rule) of the Franciscan order, written by St. Francis of Assisi for his 
community.

IMAGE 11 Facsimile of the St. Francis of Asissi, Assisi chartula

The two small documents have a very unique value. They are 
believed to be the only surviving texts with the handwriting of St. 
Francis of Assisi. The parchment document on the left is known as 
the Assisi chartula, St. Francis’s writing of Laudes Dei Altissimi. The 
document on the right contains the Blessing for brother Leo.



88  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

IMAGE 12 Facsimile of the Pope Honorius III, Regula Bullata, 1223, 
signature of the Pope

In this collection of documents, specifically on Regula Bullata, we 
can see the papal signature hidden in the first initial letter: if we look 
closely at the delta around the H, we will find the text Bene Valete, 
which was the papal signature. 



PaPers  89

7. Contractual agreements & letters 

IMAGE 13 Lease agreement from Angers, France dated 1738



90  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

IMAGE 14 Letters, 17th century



PaPers  91

IMAGE 15 Letters, 17th century

Various handwritten legal and contractual documents were 
shown to students, focusing on the content of the documents. Direct 
questions were asked: what can you learn and discover when you 
look at these documents? Students were also tasked with identify-
ing other important pieces in the documents, such as seals, stamps, 
signatures, and marginalia comments. They were invited to think 
about how they contribute to the significance/meaning/comprehen-
sive weight of the document.  



92  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

8. Indigenous languages dictionaries 

IMAGE 16 Late 19th-century manuscript dictionary in Cree-French



PaPers  93

IMAGE 17 Late 19th-century manuscript dictionary in Cree-French

The library also has a variety of manuscripts, and a few Indig-
enous dictionaries were shown to students. Here we focused on the 
languages, historical meanings, and discovery.  



94  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

9. Joannes Lucidus, Samothei viri Clarissimi, 1546

IMAGE 18 Joannes Lucidus, Samothei viri Clarissimi, 1546 (bookworm 
damage sample)



PaPers  95

IMAGE 19 Joannes Lucidus, Samothei viri Clarissimi, 1546 (bookworm 
damage sample)

This last piece was very much for the show. Since most under-
graduates do not realize that “bookworm” is not just a phrase but an 
actual pest, we took this opportunity to tell them about book worms, 
their quest for glue and eating paper, and how printers over the years 
have looked at addressing the issue. We discussed how, today, our 
rare book room is free of any literal bookworms that eat books, but 
we have several people on campus who are passionate about books! 

FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY 

Reflection Assignment 
After a visit to the Rare Book Room at the Jean-Léon Allie Library, 
students were asked to write a short personal reflection about their 
visit to Rare Book Room. This assignment was optional, and students 
who submitted it would automatically receive five bonus points in 
the labs. It was highlighted that students did not need to do any ad-
ditional research. The length of the assignment was one to two pages 
maximum, double-spaced. 



96  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

If students were not able to be present at the presentation, they 
still had an opportunity to submit this bonus assignment. They were 
presented with an alternative resource; see the tutorial from USC 
libraries (https://scalar.usc.edu/works/primary-source-literacy---an-
introduction/index and the video “From the Archives” (https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=QSUM1MYfMOc).

The guiding questions for students’ reflections included the fol-
lowing prompts: 

• What are some takeaways from your visit to the Rare Book 
Room? 

• Did the visit to the Rare Book Room change your perspec-
tive on research? How? 

• Why is it important to use primary sources in research? 
How did the visit to the Rare Book Room inform your opin-
ion on this issue? 

• How will this visit affect your research in the future? 
The goal of this assignment was to help students reflect on the 

importance of primary sources in research and help them to more 
deeply understand the concepts related to primary source literacy 
that will inform their studies at the university. 

Student demographics 
Out of 13 students who were registered in the course, 61.5% (eight 
students) submitted the reflections (see figure 2). All eight students 
attended the presentation in-person at the Rare Book Room.  

FIGURE 2 The number of students who submitted reflections

https://scalar.usc.edu/works/primary-source-literacy---an-introduction/index
https://scalar.usc.edu/works/primary-source-literacy---an-introduction/index
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSUM1MYfMOc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSUM1MYfMOc


PaPers  97

It is important to note that both high and low-achieving students 
completed the reflections. There is no correlation between their pro-
gram of study, age, or any other characteristics and competing their 
reflection assignment. A majority of students (75%), who completed 
the assignment were in their first year of studies, and a few students 
were in their second and third years of study (See figure 3). 

FIGURE 3 Year in the undergraduate program of those students who 
completed the assignment

Analysis of students’ reflections
Students’ reflections were analyzed using thematic analysis. The 
themes that emerged included: appreciation of the rare books, the 
importance of primary sources, the impact of the visit on their view 
of research, future use, and critical thinking skills. We will discuss 
these themes in detail below.

Appreciation of the rare books. Students have expressed a 
strong fascination with the rare books, as well as with the spaces 
that they visited. These “affective responses that come from engag-
ing with physical materials” play an important role in the develop-
ment of primary source literacy, as the students associate positive 
feelings with this experience (Kiser et al. 2023, 498). In total, 87.5% 
of students expressed strong feelings of fascination and awe about 
their experience (see figure 4). They have stated that this experience 
was “fascinating,” “eye-opening,” “cool,” and “interesting.” They felt 
awe and gratitude for this visit. Students wrote:



98  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

“Being visually able to see books that have such history to them 
(whether it be the content, the materials, or art work) was something 
that left me in awe.”   

“Before the visit, I was worried I would be terribly bored [...]How-
ever, when we got there, I felt the room was almost like a treasure 
chest with all the old books.

FIGURE 4 Analysis of students’ reflections

Importance of primary sources for research. Students high-
lighted that the visit helped them understand why it is important to 
go to a direct source and to properly identify the difference between 
primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, and 62.5% of students ex-
pressed that this visit helped them understand the importance of 
using primary sources in research (see figure 4). They stated that it 
was “invaluable for research” due to containing “first-hand informa-
tion,” it helped them develop critical thinking, and better understand 
authority. Students wrote:   

“Primary sources bring authenticity and authority to research, and are the 
best way to have a complete and accurate research paper.”

“We must understand the past to understand the present. These books 
allow students to develop critical thinking skills when considering their 
research.”



PaPers  99

“The visit to the Rare Book Room reminded me how important it is to get 
information from primary sources; these are stories and documents told 
from the perspectives of writers and authors who were experiencing these 
historical moments and cultural touchpoints and making observations that 
modern writers could not.”

This indicates that students see value in becoming familiar with 
these materials and can transfer this understanding to their course 
assignments.

Impact of the visit on students’ view of research. Many stu-
dents identified that this visit will change how they do research in 
the future, and 50% of students highlighted the importance of using 
primary sources in their research (see figure 4). They mentioned that 
the visit broadened their knowledge, helped them understand the 
importance of using primary sources in future research, and helped 
them appreciate the research that has been done so far. They wrote: 

“My visit to the rare book room changed my perspective on research by 
better defining what a primary resource is.” 

“In the future, I will be considerate of using the past to discover 
knowledge. It reminds me that there is a past in we must understand 
where some research starts and witness the progression of research 
first hand to get a broader lens to peer through when doing any type 
of research.”

Future use of the Rare Book Room. The use of rare books is very 
discipline-specific with 12.5% of students saying they will use the Rare 
Book Room resources in the future (see figure 4). This, however, does 
not indicate that the visit was unsuccessful. While many students did 
not see how they could use these books for their research in the fu-
ture, they noted this visit was still very eye-opening and left a signifi-
cant impact on their learning. Here is what the students had to say: 

“I am now thriving to tie-in the research involved in my life’s work to a ques-
tion answerable only by a rare-book, an option I had not considered until 
being in that environment.”

“While I personally don’t see myself ever heading down to the basement 
for research purposes, it has left a lasting impact on me, in terms of my 
research methods.” 

“In the future, I don’t think I’ll be visiting the room again to use the sourc-
es necessarily, [...] however, I would visit again just to be marveled at its 
contents.”



100  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

Critical Thinking and Evaluation. Students have also demon-
strated strong critical thinking about the source of information and 
authority. Students stated: 

“My main takeaways from my visit to the rare book room was how much 
social media and “fake news” has truly transformed our society. I had al-
ways thought “info is info” as long as it sounds good. But, I learned that is 
definitely not the case”.

“The data and studies for any research starts with finding the correct sourc-
es, and primary sources are by far the most valuable in terms of getting the 
thoughts and reflections of those who experienced or studied moments, 
people and events throughout history.”

This indicates that students learn to apply their understanding 
of primary sources to their current context by critically evaluating 
the source and understanding it before they read or work with it.  

CONCLUSION: LESSONS LEARNED 

This study allowed us to explore the impact of the Rare Book visit on 
the development of primary source literacy among undergraduate 
students. Through this visit, students learned to appreciate the his-
torical significance of these books, as well as understand the impor-
tance of these primary documents for academic research. Despite 
some students indicating that they do not see themselves using these 
books in the future, the evidence strongly suggests that students 
started to appreciate the importance of primary sources when it 
comes to their research. In addition, students improved their criti-
cal thinking skills and understanding of authority, an essential part 
of the IL curriculum. Primary source education can help in develop-
ing these core skills and help students appreciate the importance of 
looking at the original source of information. 

Library spaces and collections are essential for cultivating prima-
ry source literacy in undergraduates. The physicality of the rare book 
material is essential for the experience of students (rather than just 
accessing information online via library catalog or internet archives). 
The students identified the aesthetics of a rare book and hands-on ex-
perience as important in this process. It is also beneficial for students 
to have a little “field trip” to the library (Hubbard and Lotts, 2013). 
One student stated: “The rare book room at Saint Paul is a unique 
and special treasure cared for by intensely passionate people.” This 
was an acknowledgment of the importance of not only our well-cu-



PaPers  101

rated collection and spaces but also the personnel who invest time 
and energy into educating students about these resources. This also 
opens the door for students to use library spaces and consult librar-
ians in the future.

We have seen many benefits from introducing students to rare 
book materials, and we know that in-depth exploration and work 
with rare book materials could benefit certain students even more. 
While this visit provided only a brief introduction to the rare books, 
it is important to continue this work with rare books relevant to 
students’ various disciplines. One example of such work is Guided 
Resource Inquiry, offered by Jarosz and Kutay (2017). Additionally, 
Davis (2021) demonstrates how to do it with historical photographs, 
while Duncan and colleagues (2023) utilize text messages to teach 
students about primary source literacy. 

Overall, this study has demonstrated the immense benefits of pri-
mary source education through the collaboration between professor 
and librarian in the credit-bearing IL course. This collaboration has 
provided countless benefits to current students, who have developed 
primary source literacy and hopefully become better equipped to 
continue their undergraduate studies. 

If you would like to get familiarized with some of the rare book 
materials at Jean-Léon Allie Library, Saint Paul University, please 
consult the links below:

• Rare Books and Special Collections (SPU): https://ustpaul.lib-
guides.com/rare  

• Presentation-related files: https://tinyurl.com/primarysourc-
esATLA2023

REFERENCES

ACRL. 2018. “Guidelines for primary source literacy.” February 12, 
2018. https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/
standards/Primary%20Source%20Literacy2018.pdf  

Archer, Joanne, Ann M. Hanlon, and Jennie A. Levine. 2009. 
“Investigating Primary Source Literacy.” The Journal of 
Academic Librarianship 35 (5): 410–20.

Craig, Heidi, and Kevin M. O’Sullivan. 2022. “Primary Source 
Literacy in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond.” Portal: Libraries 
and the Academy 22 (1): 93–109.

Crisp, Samantha. 2017. “Collaborating for Impact in Teaching 
Primary Source Literacy.” SAA Case Studies on Teaching with 
Primary Sources 1: 1–11.

https://ustpaul.libguides.com/rare
https://ustpaul.libguides.com/rare
https://tinyurl.com/primarysourcesATLA2023
https://tinyurl.com/primarysourcesATLA2023
https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/Primary%20Source%20Literacy2018.pdf
https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/Primary%20Source%20Literacy2018.pdf


102  aTLa 2023 PrOCeeDINGs

Daines, J. Gordon, and Cory L. Nimer. 2015. “In Search of Primary 
Source Literacy: Opportunities and Challenges.”  RBM: A 
Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage 16 
(1): 19–34. https://doi.org/10.5860/rbm.16.1.433.

Davis, Daniel. 2021. “Using Visual Resources to Teach Primary 
Source Literacy.” Journal of Western Archives 12 (1): 1–17.

Duncan, Lisa, Feeney, Mary, Mery Yvonne, and Niamh Wallace. 
2023. “TTYL: Designing Text-Message Based Instruction for 
Primary Source Literacy.” In Forging the Futures, edited by D. 
Mueller, 502–510. ACRL 2023 Proceedings. Chicago: Association 
of College and Research Libraries. https://www.ala.org/acrl/
conferences/acrl2023/papers   

Hubbard, Melissa, and Megan Lotts. 2013. “Special Collections, 
Primary Resources, and Information Literacy Pedagogy.” 
Communications in Information Literacy 7 (1): 24–38. https://
doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2013.7.1.132.

Jarosz, Ellen, and Stephen Kutay. 2017. “Guided Resource 
Inquiries: Integrating Archives into Course Learning and 
Information Literacy Objectives.” Communications in 
Information Literacy 11 (1): 204–20. https://doi.org/10.15760/
comminfolit.2017.11.1.42.

Kiser, Paula, Larson, Christina, O’Sullivan, Kevin, and Anne Peale. 
2023. “Primary Source Pivoting: How Faculty Adapted Primary 
Source Instruction During the Pandemic and What is Here to 
Stay.” In Forging the Futures, edited by D. Mueller, 495–501. 
ACRL 2023 Proceedings. Chicago: Association of College and 
Research Libraries. https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/
acrl2023/papers   

Malkmus, Doris J. 2007. “Teaching History to Undergraduates with 
Primary Sources: Survey of Current Practices.” Archival Issues 
31 (1): 25–82.

Malkmus, Doris J. 2008. “Primary Source Research and the 
Undergraduate: A Transforming Landscape.” Journal 
of Archival Organization 6 (1–2): 47–70. https://doi.
org/10.1080/15332740802235125.

Sutton, Shan, and Lorrie Knight. 2006. “Beyond the Reading Room: 
Integrating Primary and Secondary Sources in the Library 
Classroom.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32 (3): 320–
25.

Yakel, Elizabeth. 2004. “Information Literacy for Primary Sources: 
Creating a New Paradigm for Archival Researcher Education.” 
OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library 
Perspectives 20 (2): 61–64.

https://doi.org/10.5860/rbm.16.1.433
https://doi.org/10.5860/rbm.16.1.433
https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/acrl2023/papers
https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/acrl2023/papers
https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2013.7.1.132
https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2013.7.1.132
https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2017.11.1.42
https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2017.11.1.42
https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2017.11.1.42
https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/PrimarySourcePivoting.pdf
https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/PrimarySourcePivoting.pdf
https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2023/PrimarySourcePivoting.pdf
https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/acrl2023/papers
https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/acrl2023/papers
https://doi.org/10.1080/15332740802235125
https://doi.org/10.1080/15332740802235125
https://doi.org/10.1080/15332740802235125

