Access & Participation with Cambridge University Libraries
Here are some examples of previous study skills sessions run by Cambridge libraries with school groups, to illustrate some of the varied types of study skills sessions libraries can offer. These case-studies demonstrate the ways in which library staff can work with students, academics and others in the University to offer engaging events for school-age students. Library staff may be well-placed to bring people together in order to provide an event which connects student experience, research and libraries in a new and exciting way. Sessions listed:
If you have questions about the sessions below, or wish to enquire about bespoke sessions or topics, please contact us for more details.
Black History Month – African Studies LibraryThe Black History Month workshop at the African Studies Library was a result of collaboration and partnership between Jenni Skinner, the African Studies Librarian and an MSt student in Social Innovation. They designed a half-day event which focused on the power of stories and how stories create narratives in history. Through a series of exercises, the group reframed historical Black stories and discussed the power of narrative types. This was coupled with a tour of the African Studies library and a photography exhibition.
On another occasion, Jenni collaborated with Newnham College and the same MSt student to offer an event including mini-lectures, discussions with academic staff, a chance to visit the library and the opportunity to explore some of its amazing collections. In addition, current African and Black British students, at all levels of study and across a variety of subjects, were invited to speak to the school groups about their experiences of university, what they were studying or researching, and their routes to Cambridge.
Alan Stevens, the Librarian at Sidney Sussex College, ran this research exercise with the HE+ Wigan/Warrington Residential, a subject-specific residential for 120 Year 12 students interested in a wide range of subjects. They were split into groups of about 40. Each pupil was already working on a research question, and after a short introduction, they used catalogue searching and shelf browsing to find relevant books. They were assisted by the Librarian, the Schools Liaison Officer, and some of the students who had been their guides around the College. They made notes relevant to their work, based on what they had found.
Feedback from students was that this was one of the best aspects of their visit, and they appreciated getting an insight into using the working Library of the College as they would if they were Cambridge students.
The Genizah Research Unit hosts school visits on a regular basis as part of the Littman Genizah Educational Programme. Year 9 students from the Hasmonean High School in London, an Orthodox Jewish School, come each year for a session with the Genizah Research Unit. Sessions last for around an hour featuring a lecture-style presentation and a chance to examine a selection of manuscripts, including Jewish religious texts as well as items of social history from the Middle Ages. The students leave with a booklet with images of manuscripts and translations.
The hands-on examination of the manuscripts invariably proves the most exciting part of the visit. Teachers report that the students are "fascinated by the exhibition and are excited to learn about the relevance of its discoveries to their own lives".
The Historical Printing Room at Cambridge University Library contains a replica wooden printing press, several nineteenth-century iron presses and a large collection of printing type and blocks. Some items are rare and of considerable significance in the history of printing.
Visitors to the room learn how books were printed during the letterpress period, from the mid fifteenth until the early nineteenth century. They may also have an opportunity to print their own keepsake as a memento of their visit. For further information contact the Unlocking Libraries team.
Following a series of successful escapes for current Law students, the Squire Law Library Team designed and ran a code-breaking 'escape room-style' session for a group of Year 12 students. The session was developed to introduce students 
to a wide range of legal resources such as judgements, case reports and textbooks in a fun environment. Students worked in 3 groups - with each group completing a series of puzzles that required logical reasoning, research and lots of teamwork - but no prior knowledge of Law! Once all the puzzles were solved, each group could open their locked safe and solve The Courtroom Conundrum.
Students were very enthusiastic and need no encouragement to start hunting for clues - and Lizz and Sarah from the Squire Law Library were on hand to provide hints if needed. Feedback from the students and Student Ambassadors was very positive and the session provides a different way to explore skills such as skim reading and attention to detail. The Courtroom Conundrum session can easily be modified to include more or less puzzles and we normally anticipate that it will take students around 30-45 minutes to solve.
This session can be arranged to fit in with residential groups visiting the University and colleges
. Ideally this session can be combined with a tour of the University Library and a visit to our most recent exhibition. Over the course of this 45-minute interactive session, we consider greenwashing and responses to it in different formats. Students will also:
This is a popular session for 6th form students and residential groups.
Whatever their discipline, critical reading is a skill that all university students will develop over the course of their degree. But what is it, exactly? How does it differ from normal reading? This hour-long workshop is aimed especially at 6th form students to give them a taste of academic critical reading before embarking on university studies. Over the course of the session, we consider the transition into academic reading, talking about note-making and organisation along the way, with an opportunity to try out a focused approach to an academic article. We also discuss the presentation of academic publications and the different forms their findings take for academic and general audiences. It is an opportunity for students to sharpen up their skills as well as learn new ones. For more information about this session, please contact the Unlocking Libraries team.
Bespoke study skills sessions for groups of EPQ students take place at Cambridge University Library, focusing on the skills students most want to develop while undertaking their projects. Topics can include:
When visiting the UL for an EPQ training session, we can also arrange a tour of the University Library. Please contact the Unlocking Libraries team for more information.