Wellesley College Library

Collection Development Policy for Education

Subject Specialist: Pamela Bristah (x2076)
Collection Development Policies Home | Suggest a Purchase | Subject Specialists

The collection development policy for Education guides the development and management of the Education collection. This policy is for the use of the selector for this collection. The policy will be updated as needed. Faculty and students are encouraged to provide recommendations for library materials.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE COLLECTION
The Education collection primarily supports the undergraduate curriculum in Education and Education studies offered at Wellesley College. Wellesley offers a minor in Education, and prepares students for certification to teach in a variety of subjects. The Library's collection serves as both a reference and basic research resource for students, many of whom are teachers-in-training in area schools. Particular emphases of the Department are currently, and have traditionally been, on the history of American education, education theory, teaching practice, and education policy. The training of teachers was part of the College's original mission, and so the Education Collection at Wellesley dates back to the College's founding in 1875.

Current collecting interests in Education reflect curricular offerings which emphasize the history of American education, as well as ongoing issues in the field such as multiculturalism, bilingualism, literacy, school reform, urban schools, the role of the family, and urban education policy. The collection is strong in works by and about women educators throughout history, as well as being strong in works which put education at the center of social reform and social justice concerns. The emphasis in current collecting is on pre-school, primary, and secondary education.

The Education Collection includes a Curriculum Collection, which is separately shelved. The latter is used by teachers-in-training, and is open to members of the broader teaching community, to assist them with lesson planning. The focus of this collection is on presenting students with exposure to the types of materials that they will encounter as they do field work and those that will stimulate the development of creative class design.

The core collection comprises basic teaching texts and resource materials in elementary-level language arts, social studies and sciences. Books in the Curriculum Collection have shorter lending periods than the regular Education Collection, are often textbook in nature, or are designed specifically to provide teachers with ideas and strategies for lesson planning. Noteworthy parts of the Curriculum Collection are award-winning children's literature, and textbook series in English, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies from major publishers, along with their corresponding Teacher's editions. Standards for instruction in all subject areas and at both levels are collected. The focus of all materials is upon pedagogic practice in the United States.

DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Types of Materials: Materials are bought in all formats (paper, electronic, DVD) but this is still primarily a print collection. The Education Department houses relevant kits and other non-monographic aids for classroom instruction. Other publication types, such as conference proceedings are rarely acquired unless their topics overlap with current curricular offerings and are of a level appropriate to undergraduate scholarship. Materials supporting specific coursework such as audio-visual materials, and textbooks are evaluated with faculty consultation, and purchased as needed. The Education Department library allocation supports over 20 periodical subscriptions, current issues of which are found at Clapp Library's Reading Room. The Library supports electronic access to hundreds of other education titles.

Readership Level: Material is bought at all levels, with emphasis on upper undergraduate, early graduate levels for the general collection. Some elementary and secondary school textbooks, as well as children's literature is acquired selectively for the Curriculum Collection.

Languages Collected: The primary language of the collection is English. Some works of foreign theorists are available in the original language, although this is not current collecting practice.

Geographical Areas Covered (intellectual content or publication source): Most materials are published in and purchased from the United States, Canada, and sometimes the United Kingdom. Intellectual content primarily focuses on the many cultures of people of the United States. Materials on education practices in other countries are acquired selectively.

Chronological Periods Covered (intellectual content): Intellectual content of the collection is strong in nineteenth and twentieth century works.

Chronological Period Covered (publication dates): Current materials are the focus of almost all purchasing, but a strong retrospective collection is maintained particularly as it supports current course offerings and student research. Reproductions of historical documents as primary source material are acquired selectively.

Shelving Locations: This collection is mostly housed at the Clapp Library, although patrons will also find parts (with some duplication) in the Science Library. Electronic access to an ever growing number of relevant reference sources and electronic materials is now available. Clapp Library: Most Education books are shelved on the First floor. The Curriculum Collection is located on the Third floor. The current periodical collection is primarily located in the Reading Room on the Second floor. Science Library: Education books concerned with child development and psychology, or the teaching of Science in the schools, may be shelved at the Science Library, along with some periodicals. Knapp Media Center: Paper, electronic, and audio-visual materials for student reserves is handled by the Knapp Center in Clapp Library which oversees all reserves activity. Extensive access to technology supporting teacher training is available. A very limited number of print texts are purchased to support reserves.

Reference: Reference material for Education is purchased by the Reference Librarian for Research and Instruction and follows the general subject parameters of the Education collections policy. The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following types of material: a variety of specialized encyclopedias, style and/or literature guides, and occasional electronic search aids and directories which support curricular programs. The Science Library has a wide selection of reference tools on child and cognitive development.

RELATED SUBJECTS & INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONSHIPS
Although Education materials are used by a variety of disciplines, the Education Selector does not purchase all materials which may end up in the main Education collection. Following are a few useful distinctions which may assist in the delineation of collecting responsibilities shared by a variety of collection managers.

Wellesley College Information Services
 Library home | Information Services | Wellesley College
Knapp Center | Archives | Special Collections

Library Webmaster
Page Created: November 2005
Last Modified: September 21, 2007
Page Expires: June 30, 2007