Designing an Immersive Library Research Experience in Spain | Dartmouth Libraries

Share

December 15, 2025

three students in Dartmouth's Madrid FSP program read aloud from research materials

A Unique Offering Enriches Dartmouth Student’s Research Experience

It’s a rare privilege to co-teach a research session in Madrid with a romance languages specialist librarian; rarer still that students in Associate Professor of Spanish Noelia Cirnigliaro’s Madrid Foreign Study Program (FSP) experienced this firsthand in the Biblioteca María Zambrano, part of the Universidad Compultense de Madrid. During fall term, those rarities became a reality for librarian Jill Baron, Noelia, and the FSP students. After accepting an invitation from the Trade Commission of the Embassy of Spain to the LIBER International Book Fair in Madrid, Jill’s presence in Madrid meant she could collaborate with Noelia on a unique research session for the FSP students. “Jill's participation in our Madrid program (FSP Fall 25) was exceptional—a highlight for our students and faculty alike. I sincerely wish that all off-campus programs at Dartmouth could benefit from such expertise,” shared Noelia.

The specialized Biblioteca María Zambrano provided the perfect setting for this mid-term session. The timing was ideal not only because students were beginning to prepare for their final projects but also because students had settled into their FSP experience. They were grasping essential cultural issues, increasing their understanding of major literary and political figures, and becoming comfortable in the city, their classes, and among their peers and host families.

It was a rare privilege to hold a library session in Spain led by our very own Dartmouth specialist librarian in Romance Languages. I sincerely wish that all off-campus programs at Dartmouth could benefit from such expertise.

Noelia Cirnigliaro, Associate Professor of Spanish

assoc professor Noelia Cirnigliaro teaches Madrid FSP students in the Biblioteca María Zambrano, part of the Universidad Compultense de Madrid

Considering the timing and context, Jill and Noelia designed an exercise for students to research the biography and work of María Zambrano, the eminent and trailblazing Spanish philosopher, writer, and activist, and the university library’s namesake. Their objectives for the students were to experiment with the kind of in-depth research required for their final presentations.

To prepare for the session, Jill and Noelia paged books from the Biblioteca’s collection of primary and secondary literature by and about Zambrano and prompted students to explore questions related to her writings on exile, her relationship with Federico García Lorca and other members of the Generation of ‘27, and her place among female intellectuals, for example. The session offered an essential conclusion to the class’s course unit on the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath. By studying Zambrano’s writings and related secondary sources, students connected with a narrative that honored Spain’s silenced, disappeared, and exiled voices.

This was truly active learning on display, the kind of library research session we librarians aim for.

Jill Baron, Research & Learning Librarian

Using mostly print primary and secondary materials, as well as Jill’s research guide for Hispanic Studies, students made “fascinating discoveries that ignited their curiosity and mine!” said Noelia. This session was a catalyst for intentional reading and research, empowering students to engage with an array of physical materials before them. Working in small groups, students expressed an appreciation for slowing down and reading to better understand the subject. “It was powerful to see students thumb through books that were new to them, stop and linger over certain pages, read passages aloud to each other, and share their remarks with the full group. Their observations about Zambrano, and the connections they made to what they had been learning throughout the FSP, were stunning. This was truly active learning on display, the kind of library research session we librarians aim for,” Jill recounted.

Noelia highlights how they all benefited from physically interacting with the research materials while listening and learning from each other. “It was a memorable day that deepened our connection not only to a prominent historical figure but also to the institution of the library itself—both at Dartmouth and Universidad Complutense.”