Guide to Locating
Teaching Resources in the Library

Periodical Articles

Andersen Library has several subscription databases that will assist you in locating journal, magazine, newspaper, etc. articles for a project or research paper. While the database used will depend on the topic, the main databases used by preservice teachers are:

• ERIC
• Education Full Text
• Professional Development Collection
• PsycInfo

After searching a database, either use the links to HTML or PDF text in the database or use the Find It button to locate the full text of the article.

Books

Books provide practical information about instructional design, curriculum development, and evaluation. They often include lesson plans, activities, experiments, ideas for bulletin boards and similar classroom aids. Most methods books are located on the Main Collection according to the call number representative of the subject matter. For example, mathematics books are shelved in the QA section. Methods books for mathematics will be found in that same area. Once a call number has been identified as pertinent it can be used in collections all over the library. Curriculum guides, games, textbooks and other materials will also be shelved according to a QA number. The term "methods" is an informal designation and should not be used as a limiter in a keyword search.

The Government Documents section of the library also contains a wide variety of materials useful for the classroom. The only way to be sure of a comprehensive search of library resources is to use the library catalog.

Curriculum Guides

K-12 Textbooks

K-12 Textbooks are in the Curriculum Collection on the 2nd floor. Most textbooks are the "teacher's edition" and may contain activities and questions for class discussion. Find textbooks by doing a keyword search and using the Quick Limit "Curriculum Collection:in the catalog. For Example:

mathematics and textbook?

Changing to the <Full View> when looking at a record shows the grade level of the different volumes in a textbook series.

Children's fiction and non-fiction books

The children's collection is arranged by the Dewey system to reflect the call numbers most often used in school and public libraries. The books in this collection are mostly from lists singling out especially outstanding books. Easy books are picture books aimed at children from birth to grade 4. Juvenile Fiction and Non-Fiction are for grades 5 and up. Easy books, Juvenile Fiction and Juvenile Non-Fiction are located in the Curriculum Collection on the 2nd floor. Use a keyword search and the Quick Limit "Curriculum Collection" to find children's books on a particular topic. For example:

divorce and fiction
frogs

The catalog record for most juvenile fiction includes a summary of the book's contents. This summary is found by clicking on the <Full View> button at the top of the catalog record.

Books about children's literature are in the reference collection on the 2nd floor and in the main collection on the 3rd floor.

Kits, games and models

Kits, games and models are found in the Curriculum Collection on the 2nd floor. Some models are in the Reserve collection behind the Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor. The location will be indicated on the catalog record. Kits include items like mathematic manipulatives and flannel board sets. Games include activities that support learning in the classroom, like the BrainQuest® series of flashcards, as well as more popular games like Squint, Jr. and Apples to Apples.

Reference Collection

Reference collection books aid in finding useful material for the classroom. Bibliographies lead to titles of books on particular subjects for specific age or grade level. Many of the bibliographies in the Reference collection are annotated with brief description of books, etc.

Other resources in the Reference collection provide reviews of children's literature or help in designing curriculum. Although the library catalog should always be used to assure a thorough search there are certain areas of the Reference collection which can be browsed. They are as follows:

LB1028 - LB1762
PN1009
Z1037

Tests - Achievement, Behavioral, Diagnostic, etc.

This is a small collection of tests to be used to by the individual to become familiar with and to evaluate. These tests are not for administering in a classroom. Tests are located in the Curriculum Collection.

Websites and Internet Resource