ABSTRACT
This chapter presents two case studies of applying expertise in Austen book history and the public humanities to undergraduate pedagogy. In addition to enriching students’ experience, these endeavors aimed to raise awareness of the Jane Austen Collection at Goucher College, especially within the Jane Austen Society of North America. The author’s longtime goal of presenting a Goucher undergraduate’s research at the society’s Annual General Meeting was realized in 2022 with a joint presentation on Sense and Sensibility. In 2023, a course on “Austen, Adaptations, and Archives” resulted in the first-ever student-curated Austen exhibit at Goucher, “Emma Across Media.” The chapter includes reflections on the challenges and rewards of teaching with artifacts and archives, and, with an orientation toward public audiences, concluding with practical advice to those considering doing so for the first time.
