Class visits

Rare Books and Special Collections welcome students of all ages to explore our collections through class visits. We host undergraduate and graduate classes from Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ and other institutions. We welcome students from CEGEP, high school and K-12, and community groups. We collaborate with instructors to design hands-on sessions that integrate primary sources into teaching, from a single visit to a series of related classes to build and develop students' skills.

What we offer

a library staff member shows details of a manuscript to a group of visiting students

Sessions are collections-based and take place in our teaching space, the Colgate Room, or in our Book Arts Laboratory.

Sessions might include: 

  • Orientation to using rare books, archives, and special collections (e.g., reading room practices, finding aids, catalogues)
  • Subject-specific sessions using collection materials (e.g., book history, history of printing, culinary history, visual culture, artists’ books)
  • Hands‑on primary source activities (e.g., small‑group document analysis or object‑based learning exercises)
  • Support for course assignments that require students to work with rare books or archival materials

We are happy to collaborate on activities or assignment ideas that align with your course content.

How to request a class visit

To request a class visit or instructional session, .

Please contact us at least one month in advance to allow time for planning and selecting materials. For classes over 30 students, we may split the group into multiple sessions.

Preparing for your visit

We recommend that you are your students review our Visit page before attending a library session. It provides an overview of the reading room, outlines basic handling guidelines, and includes a short introductory video to help them feel prepared and confident.

Tours

Interacting with distinctive collections is an unmatched experience. Exhibition spaces are open and free to tour on a walk-in basis during opening hours. Come and explore!

Browse our current exhibitions to plan your visit.

We welcome visits from community groups, classes, and campus groups. For group visits and tours of our spaces and exhibitions, contact us by email at rarebooks.library [at] mcgill.ca (rarebooks[dot]library[at]mcgill[dot]ca) to inquire about availability.