The Institute on Primary Resources is sponsored by Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School and the Department of Special Collections, Young Research Library at UCLA. The purpose of the Institute is to introduce teachers to primary resources and how they can be used in the K-12 classroom. Teachers may use any of the materials from the extensive holdings of the Department, however the main focus of the Institute is on the use of primary source material.

Primary Resources provide firsthand evidence of historical events. They are unpublished materials such as manuscripts, photographs, maps, artifacts, audio and video recordings, oral histories, postcards, and posters. In some instances, published materials can also be viewed as primary materials for the period in which they were written. In contrast, secondary materials, such as textbooks, synthesize and interpret primary materials.

The Department of Special Collections includes one of the finest collections of historic children's literature in the nation, as well as rare books, historic pictures, early diaries and historic government records.

The faculty of Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School, working jointly with the Department of Special Collections staff, helps teachers explore primary resources to enhance their work with children in K-12 schools in California.

History of the Institute

The Institute on Primary Resources has been funded since 1993 by benefactors to the Department of Special Collections and Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School. The Institute is always pleased to discuss the variety of contributions that can be made to develop Institute programs.