Classroom Experiences

Book a unique educational course for students.

Collaborate with the Center. Primary source materials help students make a personal connection with history, offer research opportunities, deepen understanding, and spark questioning and creativity. We've got dedicated staff available to teach collaboratively with you virtually or in person, or you can choose to teach on your own with a selection of materials that can be displayed in one of our dedicated seminar rooms.

Bring your class for a single visit or schedule several throughout the semester. We're also available to consult on assignments and to help your students as they plan and undertake their research visits. If you have any questions, requests for staff presentations, or need help planning a classroom visit, contact us at instruction@hrc.utexas.edu.

We look forward to seeing your students get inspired at the Ransom Center.

Request a Class

• Educational experiences

  Classrooms can accommodate up to 31 students (32 inclusive of the requesting instructor) and are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Our virtual sessions have no occupancy limit and are available during the entire extended class day, Monday through Friday. As these sessions are both limited and in great demand, we encourage you to make reservations at least four weeks in advance of your proposed class session.

  • Teach onsite with a Ransom Center educator and collection materials - Not sure how to incorporate primary source research into your curriculum? Let our educators collaborate with you to design a lesson plan that complements your syllabus! Our team is ready to teach your students on the basics of primary source literacy by guiding students through the process of examining, evaluating, and interpreting archival materials.
  
  
  • Teach virtually with a Ransom Center educator and digital surrogates - Do you have more than 30 enrolled students in your course, does your class run outside of the Center's normal operating hours, or are you concerned about the distance our physical building is from your usual classroom? Then let us teach with you in a virtual classroom environment! Our team is skilled at delivering the same caliber of in-person instruction through synchronous and asynchronous methods alike.
  
  
  • Teach onsite on your own with collection materials - Already know how you want to introduce your students to primary source research with the Center's collections? Reserve one of our dedicated seminar classrooms to teach on your own! One of our educators will be available nearby to assist you with any instructional needs that might come up during your session, and we're always happy to help with curating materials ahead of time if you'd like guidance on other Ransom Center collections relevant to your course syllabus.

• Prepare for your visit

  To select materials for your visit, you will need to create a research account and watch a brief orientation video. You can find information about our holdings by using the library catalog, searching our finding aids, and perusing our research guides.

  Requests for materials are limited to 15 items and must be submitted two weeks before your class session in order to allow us time to page the materials, consult with curators, and suggest substitutes for fragile items. To learn more about how to request materials, please visit Research and Access.

  Please plan to visit the Reading and Viewing Room the week before your class visit to consult the materials, select page openings for books, and determine manuscript pages for display.

• On the day of your visit

  In-person sessions: Students may assemble in the second-floor lobby until the scheduled class time. A staff member will welcome the group and provide an overview of the classroom policies. If you or your students have any special needs or considerations, please inform the staff when making your reservation. Please keep in mind:

  • No food or drink is permitted in the classrooms or Reading and Viewing Room.
  • Personal belongings must be stored in the supplied cubbies.
  • Instructors must be in the classroom when students are present.
  • Instructors and students are asked to bring only those items needed for instructional use. Only yellow paper and pencils (provided) may be used in rooms where classes meet. Laptops should be removed from cases. Course textbooks are permitted with staff approval.
  • Only the instructor may handle collection materials in the classroom.
  • Collection materials will be displayed on the tables or in the cases. Items must not be held up for display or passed from person to person. Instructors are encouraged to inform students that they may register for a research account online through the Center's website.
  • Reference photography of materials may be permitted if arrangements are made ahead of time. Please see our Camera Use Policy.

  
  

  Virtual sessions: For synchronous sessions, an Instructional Services educator will join your scheduled virtual class and provide access to the digital materials at the start of the session through a shared link in addition to screen-sharing. Asynchronous sessions can be created in advance and may also be supplemented by live "office hours" with one of our educators depending on availability. If you or your students have any special needs or considerations, please inform the staff when making your reservation.