Abstract

This paper highlights an innovative approach taken by Special Collections at the University of Colorado at Boulder to collaborative teaching and learning in the humanities. Working with the instruction librarian and a professor of Italian, ten Italian majors and minors curated an exhibit in Special Collections titled "The Printed Page and Early Modern Italy". Students were responsible for all aspects of the exhibit including selection of materials, intellectual content, the writing of captions (bi-lingual), preservation of materials, layout, design, and installation. The goal was not just to help the students hone their language skills but to provide them with a 'global' learning experience, one in which new knowledge and skills were put to immediate real-world use. The outcome was overwhelmingly successful and suggests a new and exciting area for collaboration between special collections and departments in the humanities.