For K-12 instructors

The James Ford Bell Library welcomes students of all ages, but our resources are best suited to third grade and above.

It also is possible to schedule a show-and-tell session at your school. To schedule a class visit, contact us at jfbell@umn.edu

Bring your class to the Bell Library

We encourage class visits, but due to space limitations and the nature of the material, visitors must be limited to groups of 20. However, it is possible to divide larger groups and schedule two alternating presentations, or a presentation and an exhibit tour, depending on the number of adults available for supervision and the number of staff members available.

Visits of younger students, 3rd-4th grade, are best scheduled in conjunction with an exhibition.

Visit content can be tailored to a subject your class is studying or can be general; we'll work with you to create the learning experience that best suits your students.

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Arrange a show-and-tell visit to your school

A "show and tell" visit to your school by a Bell Library curator would introduce students to primary source materials such as maps, rare books, and manuscripts, through the use of teaching copies, facsimiles and reproductions.

Using an online connection, the curator also can instruct students in searching for images from the collection and other information. A power point presentation of particular items in the collection also is a possibility. We'll work with you to tailor the presentation to your needs.

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History Day

We actively support Minnesota History Day by working with instructors and students to find primary sources suited to their History Day project needs.  Our friends group, the Associates of the James Ford Bell Library, also provides topical prizes for the state competition.  Curators will work with you and your students to find resources that will meet the prize criteria.

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