Special Collections accepted applications in May for the newly established Special Collections Coursework Development Grant. The grant was established in order to partner with faculty to develop assignments for Fall 2019 courses that will utilize rare books, fine books, facsimiles, maps, photography, archival collections, or other types of materials held by Special Collections. The two grant winners were announced on May 24th. The winners are:

• Dr. Kathryne Beebe, Associate Professor of Medieval History
• Dr. Liane Malinowski, Assistant Professor of English

Dr. Beebe’s project, Holding History in Your Hands: Medieval Fragments and Student Experiential Learning, is a semester-long, experiential learning project assignment that will ask students in HIST 4218: Early Medieval Europe to 1) become an “expert” on an item in UNT’s Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Leaves Collection, and 2) via several short workshops, to learn the techniques of the actual making of a medieval manuscript that is featured in that item (i.e. by writing calligraphy, gilding letters with gold leaf, or creating an illuminated initial letter). The final projects for the course will reflect this twinned approach: the envisioned student-written-and-created Library Guide to the Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Leaves Collection would showcase the students’ research and writing skills, while simultaneously bringing the collection to a wider public.

In Dr. Malinowski’s project students will be researching and creating a pop-up exhibit about the Denton Women’s Interracial Fellowship, a group of black and white Denton women who came together in 1964 to work together across differences of race, and to take on local projects related to infrastructure and housing.

Dr. Beebe and Dr. Malinowski will each receive $500 for their grant award which will be made available as research and professional development funding.

Congratulations Dr. Beebe and Dr. Malinowski! The Special Collections Team is looking forward to working with you on your coursework activities!