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Although resources for historical research are available in ways not imagined a few years ago, making use of them effectively and efficiently is more difficult than ever. In a recent article in the New Yorker, Future Reading: Digitization and Its Discontents, historian Anthony Grafton discusses the new world of digital research and the challenges it poses for historians. According to Grafton:
The supposed universal library . . . will be not a seamless mass of books, easily linked and studied together, but a patchwork of interfaces and databases, some open to anyone with a computer and WiFi, others closed to those without access or money. The real challenge now is how to chart the tectonic plates of information that are crashing into one another and then to learn to navigate the new landscapes they are creating.
The Yale University Library and the Yale history department have created a two-part program to ensure that Yale history majors have the skills to navigate the increasingly complex world of print and digital library resources. Participation in the program is mandatory for undergraduate history majors, and the requirement is fulfilled by completing the following two sessions:
This class focuses on two skill sets essential for historians: performing literature reviews of secondary sources and finding primary source collections for original research. The history department requires students to complete this requirement by the third week of their junior year and/or before they can pre-register for a junior seminar. This 90-minute session is not a general introduction to the library, and although it is not required, we suggest that students complete the freshman library workshop before attending this class so that they understand the organization of the Yale library system, can perform basic searches in Orbis, and can order books through Borrow Direct and Interlibrary Loan.
The final two sessions for this semester are Tuesday, April 8th and Wednesday, April 16th; 7:00-8:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Each fall the library schedules 30 different sessions, arranged chronologically and topically, for history senior essay writers. Within these general areas, the focus is on individual paper topics and finding primary source materials for students' projects, both in the Yale collections and beyond. Students' statements of intent serve as guides in designing the content of these classes, and instructors often bring specific resources and tools for individuals to these sessions. We often follow up with these students throughout the remainder of the academic year via e-mail, telephone calls, and personal appointments. Classes are offered in late September and early October of each year and participation in at least one colloquium is mandatory.
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