Label Copy Assignment
Introduction
For this assignment, students will examine materials in the Rose Library, selecting five objects to include in an imagined exhibit. Students write descriptive display labels of 200 words for each of their selected objects, and they will write a 500 word introduction to their exhibit. Students will arrange the labels in the order of their imagined exhibit.
After completing this assignment, students will be able to
- conduct archival research
- read library catalogue and finding aid information
- practice appropriate care and handling of archival materials
- write for a specific audience
- identify and write within given genre conventions
In order to make the most of your time during your Rose Library Session, please be sure to prepare your students in advance.
- Instructor should provide a clear goal of what students should accomplish during rotations
- Prior to the session, students should understand what they are looking for while examining the materials
- Students should have a clear sense of what they need to know about an object to complete the assignment successfully
Here’s what you can expect during your class session
- Introduction to the Rose Library (if this is the first class visit)
- Introduction to the materials in use
- Care and handling instructions
- Speed dating session format (recommended)
For this assignment, students produce five 200 word labels and one 500 word introduction.
Instructors may require students to create blog posts or other low-stakes writing as scaffolding activities in preparation for creating their labels.
Instructors may require students to write a reflection essay in which they explain and justify the selections they made for their exhibition and the rhetorical choices they made in crafting and arranging their labels.
Any collection, or combination of materials from different collections, can be used for this assignment. Relevant collections will vary with course topics. Please consult with Rose Library staff to determine how our materials can best serve your course goals.
Suggested collections:
- Langmuir Collection
- Danowski Poetry Library
- Civil War Collection
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference Collection
- Billops-Hatch Archive and Collection
- Yeats (manuscripts and books), Maude Gonne (collection and Yeats letters), Lady Gregory (papers and books), Cuala Press (collections and books)
- Emory University Archives
- Flannery O’Connor (collection and papers), Sally Fitzgerald Letters
- Yellowbacks
- Ted Hughes Papers and library
- Seamus Heaney Papers and Collection
- Alice Walker Papers
- Salman Rushdie Papers
This assignment works best if students have a strong sense of connection between the artifacts they are viewing, so in selecting materials for your students to see, try to find items that have a clear relationship, or consider how you can help your students find the connection.
It is also recommended that students develop a "curatorial statement" in their introduction label that articulates the argument or narrative of their exhibition. This spin on the thesis statement allows students to build on prior knowledge and leads to discussions about genre, audience, and purpose.
To cite this page:
Harsh, Sarah. "Label Copy Assignment," Rose Library Teaching with Archives Portal, [date of access], http://rose.library.emory.edu/instruction/portal/assignments/label-copy.html.
Please cite this portal and give credit to the creator when using this assignment
Creator
Sarah Harsh
PhD Candidate in the Department of English at Emory
Used In
ENG 101 Expository Writing: Writing about Travel
Intensive writing course fulfilling first-year writing requirement, with a focus on multi-genre composition and rhetorical skills. Travel was the topic of this particular class
Adaptability
Also used in an ENG 181 class. This assignment is highly flexible and adaptable for various topics and disciplines such as literature, composition, history, art history. It can also be adapted for use in upper-level classes.
Highlighted Materials
- Alice Walker Papers, Passports (MSS 1061, Box 224, ff 15)
- Flannery O’Connor Papers, Travel Documents (MSS 1305, Box 15, ff 1)
- Seamus Heaney Papers, Ireland of the Welcomes travel magazine (MSS 960, Box 86, ff 6)
- Freddye Scarborough Henderson Papers, Scrapbook of Sample Travel Brochures (MSS 1259, OBV1)
Course Materials
Printable Assignment Sheet