Papers Panel 1. Partners in Pleasure: Special Collections and the Humanities

Abstract

As universities grapple with student debt and the need to turn out career-ready graduates, the humanities have felt increasingly isolated. This panel will argue that special collections and the humanities should be “partners in pleasure,” co-advocates for the intangible goals of higher education, such as beauty, justice, and indeed, pleasure. It will also challenge special collections librarians and archivists to step beyond the “show and tell” paradigm. As the humanities take an archival turn, we have the opportunity to inform the future of the humanities research and teaching.