Autumn M. Johnson serves as the Special Collections Librarian and Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University, where she oversees instruction, outreach, and reference efforts for the Zach S. Henderson Library's Special Collections. She earned her Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina in 2011 and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgia Southern University (Armstrong) in 2009.
This poster will highlight a series of rare book instruction sessions led by an Instructional Special Collections Librarian. Students from two distinct disciplines participated in interactive classes, where they engaged in a hands-on exploration of rare books. Through guided exercises, students analyzed the materiality of rare books, considering their content, form, and the implications of these aspects on production and usage. Subsequently, students compared the physical rare books to their digital counterparts, uncovering insights into authenticity, accessibility, and usability of digital resources. This participatory approach unveiled an opportunity for students to bolster their information literacy skills, as they learned to critically evaluate digital materials they would more typically encounter in their own research. Rare books, therefore, can play a pivotal role in enhancing information literacy competencies. This experience may additionally prompt instructional librarians to integrate materiality considerations into their instructional methods.
