Archives as Pedagogy: Reframing Undergraduate Research in the Archives

This chapter discusses the Learning Lab, an inquiry-based undergraduate internship program at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center. Known as a high-impact program that cultivates critical thinking skills and fosters student success in the archives, the Learning Lab scaffolds learning about archives and archival theory, and provides a year-long opportunity for students to conduct research using unprocessed archival collections. Students distribute their individual research through journal articles and conference presentations. Examples of student research are presented, and the author discusses the pedagogy and structure of the program that reframes the traditional role of undergraduate student workers in the archives.