Special Collections: Learning and Teaching
Our Learning and Teaching Room 2024/25
During 2024/25 the Special Collections will be moving from the Wash Houses, Aldgate to our Holloway Road Learning Centre. To minimise disruption for students and academic staff we have created a Learning and Teaching Room on the 2nd Floor of the main Aldgate Library.
The Special Collections Learning and Teaching Room will provide a space for Inductions (by our team), Research Workshops for academic staff and students, and general browsing of selected material.
Please book your visit by email: specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk
Testimonials
“The Special Collections are a vital resource at our university, providing a distinctive added value to both the student experience and our research environment. I have had the pleasure of regularly engaging with the Special Collections, within a variety of contexts: our MA delivery in AAD, further opportunities for our BA Theatre & Performance and Theatre & Film, as well as our AAD Research Centres, CREATURE and CUBE. Students have engaged with archived material that would not be easily accessible otherwise, covering art, public space, performance and social history: this is fundamental in their journey of inquiry, benefiting from training in accessing rare primary sources."
Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso, Reader in Art and Performance
"I am an Illustrator and animator that loves working in a variety of mediums, but I always prefer working with my hands, the messier the better.
Art for me is simply, communication. Good communication takes you some place new, it helps you grow and feel more connected. This is why I was drawn to work with the Special Collections as their archive houses a number of voices and untold stories that not only deserve to be heard but could also offer insights to current events."
Freya (Illustration and Animation BA Hons) was our Artist in Residence during June 2024, and her creative response can be found on our catalogue.
Support for Students
As students at London Metropolitan University, you are welcome to visit the Special Collections Learning and Teaching room on the 2nd Floor of Aldgate Library, either for course research or personal interest. Before your visit, please book a session with our team via email: specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk
During this session you will learn:
- what material we hold and why
- how to search our online catalogue
- how to order items for research
- what to do if you would like to use material in your work
Special Collections are a proven resource for developing skills like information and digital literacy, and critical thinking. So why not start your research today?
Support for Academic Staff
To support teaching practice and encourage diverse learning environments, academic staff at London Metropolitan University can arrange group workshops or seminars with the Special Collections.
Each session will include:
- an introduction by a member of our team to the related material or collections
- a brief overview of how to search our online catalogue.
Our team will also be on hand to offer guidance on handling rare books and archival records, and advise on photographing material for reference use.
With a wealth of archive material on offer, we hope this will provide students an opportunity to engage with primary sources within dedicated sessions that may be embedded into modules.