Teaching with Special Collections: the visualiser / visualizer

October: Another term of teaching begins in the Weston Library for Special Collections. For many years the Bodleian Department of Special Collections has used visualisers to share library items with classes meeting in the library seminar rooms. The visualiser, or document camera, projects the ‘live’ image of a manuscript or printed book onto the screens usually used for slides. Physical inspection of books and manuscripts is an important part of the teaching that takes place here. The visualiser enables a lecturer to point out details to the whole group of students while the books are in the room. Meanwhile the item can also be seen on the table.

The visualiser power button is turned on and it is connected to the laptop using the USB connector.

When you select the ‘camera’ function of the laptop, and switch from the ‘face camera’ (as used for online meetings) to ‘Change camera’, the laptop software will recognize the visualiser.

Now the visualiser is positioned over a book, which is safely on its bookrests. The screen of the laptop displays the image from the visualiser’s camera, and when the laptop is plugged into a screen (with HDMI or USB) that image will show on the screen.

The adjustable neck of the visualiser, or use of the zoom buttons, enables the whole group to discuss details. (Apologies for streakiness of the projection screen: that’s my own camera.)

During Covid times, when students could not gather in the seminar rooms, the visualiser came in handy as a way of sharing books in internet meeting rooms; see a couple of previous posts.

Six medieval manuscripts, two laptops, a curator and a document camera – The Bodleian Conveyor

A virtual tour of Dante 1481 in multiple copies – The Bodleian Conveyor