Curriculum Library

Gifts and Donations

Gifts to the collection are generally accepted, but are only included in the collection at the discretion of the acquisitions librarian. Gifts are reviewed for physical condition and value to the collection. Donors must sign a release form indicating whether unwanted materials should be returned to them. Those donations released to the library may be accessioned, offered to other libraries, sold, or disposed of.

Requests & Suggestions

To suggest new materials for the Curriculum Library use the Suggestions for the Collection form.

Scope

The curriculum library contains resources appropriate for early childhood through secondary education. A representative selection of materials related to infancy through early childhood are also available, and some secondary materials may be appropriate for use at the college level and are available as resources for the larger college community.

Language

The primary language of materials in the collection is English, although materials used to teach foreign languages or in bilingual/multicultural environments are also included. There are also some materials on teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Emphasis of Collection

The emphasis of the collection is on teaching materials of current significance. Some older items of historical or research value are retained. Literature from all historical periods is retained.

Region

Educational methods and approaches used in the United States are emphasized in the curriculum library collection. Surveys of educational methods used in other parts of the world may be included in the curriculum library, but are most likely to be located in the Education section of the general library collection. Materials related to New Hampshire and the greater region are collected. The curriculum library collects United States educational standards for all disciplines of elementary and secondary education.

Diversity

Materials in the curriculum library should reflect cultural diversity and promote respect and appreciation for specific cultures and the global community. Juvenile literature from around the world is particularly sought for the collection.

Collection Formats

Textbooks in all curriculum subjects, grades K-12, may be selected. Emphasis in the textbook collection is on materials published within the last ten years, although some older texts may be kept for research value. College level textbooks are not collected. Basal readers are collected, and the library will provide at least two publishers’ versions whenever possible.

Juvenile Literature

The library attempts to collect a broad range of juvenile literature. Award winners, honor books, and notable books are collected comprehensively. Books appropriate to preschoolers through young adults are collected. This includes formats such as books/tapes combinations, board books, and big books. Other examples of juvenile literature in the collection include children’s classics, beginning-to-read books, picture books, wordless books, folk literature, fairy tales, mythology, fantasy, realistic fiction, historical fiction, and biography. Some materials which may be considered controversial or inappropriate for children are also collected, in order to provide examples of what is available.

Factual Material

Factual works in a variety of areas are collected. These include history, biography, autobiography, natural science, anthropology and archaeology, psychology, sports, child development, and author studies. Materials support the study and teaching of art history, fine arts, crafts, music, movement and dance, physical education, cookery, drama, puppetry, and technology, as well as traditional subjects such as mathematics and science.

Other materials address special populations, such as the gifted and talented, children with special needs, ADD, physically handicapped, visually or hearing impaired children, discipline and classroom management and social problems. Materials on creative and critical thinking, learning styles and skills, and the use of children’s literature in all areas of the curriculum are also included in the collection.

The curriculum library will collect professional literature, standards, and publications produced by national educational organizations and associations.

Other materials collected may include idea and activity books, sources about children’s and young adult literature, teaching methods books, books on preparing lesson plans and assessing student performance, curriculum guides, and bibliographies of children’s books.

Non-Book Formats

Videos collected include adaptations of children’s literature, children’s programs, educational programs, and videos used to help instruction in various areas.

CD-ROM and software programs will be collected and installed on the Macintosh computer in the curriculum library, for in-house use only. A representative selection of programs will be offered to allow students to become familiar with hardware and software use.

Other non-book materials collected include sound recordings, kits, games, charts and pictures, and boxes of activities. A vertical file provides pamphlets and free materials, author and literature guides, and some sample teaching units.

A selection of children’s periodicals will be available in the curriculum library on a non-circulating basis.