ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL News ■ M arch 2002 / 207 ACRL STANDARDS & GUIDELINES Guidelines for curriculum materials centers A draft by th e EBSS A d hoc C urriculum M ate ria ls Centers Standards/G uidelines C om m itte e Introduction Curriculum materials centers are essential to the instructional and research needs of stu­ dents and faculty in programs preparing edu­ cators for P -12 schools. These guidelines describe essential elements of administration, services, and collections for curriculum ma­ terials centers. These guidelines are intended for admin­ istrators at all levels of post-secondary edu­ cation, particularly education deans and de­ partment chairs; library deans; librarians re­ sponsible for curriculum materials centers; and accrediting and licensure agencies. D efinitions P-12 refers to preschool through twelfth grade. • Curriculum m aterials are educational resources that provide curriculum and instruc- tional experiences for P -12 students. These materials are used by educators to develop curricula and lesson plans and may also be used in actual instructional situations with P- 12 students. These materials also provide in­ formation for those doing research. • Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) refers to a physical location of a curriculum materials collection. Curriculum materials cen­ ters are often housed in a main campus li­ brary, a branch library building, or in an aca­ demic building housing the campus educa­ tion academic programs. CMC u sers are education students and fac­ ulty, and may also include P -12 educators, other students, and community members as defined by the CMC’s mission. Adm inistration Mission/goals The CMC sh o u ld have a w ritten m issio n statem ent w ith articulated goals • Collaboration— The mission statement, goal setting, and planning should be jointly developed by the CMC director, an adminis­ trator from the unit to which the CMC admin­ istratively reports, and faculty representatives. • Review— The mission statement and goals should be regularly reviewed and up­ dated as needed. • Compliance— Goal setting should be in compliance with this document of CMC guide­ lines and appropriate accreditation standards. Evaluation The CMC sh o u ld have a p lan in p lace for evaluating th e a ch ievem en t o f its m issio n and goals • Plan— The plan should focus on how well the CMC is meeting its goals and objec­ tives relative to its collection, administration, facilities, and service. • Frequency—The evaluation should take place on a periodic basis. • Methodology— The method used could be accomplished through focus groups, sur­ veys, questionnaires, or other evaluation strat­ egies and should include participation by all user groups. • Results—The results of the evaluation should be recorded and used in reviewing the 2 0 8 / C&RL News ■ M a rc h 2002 Developm ent o f th e Guidelines Curriculum materials centers (CMC) have been present in libraries and in departments or colleges o f education as resources to sup­ port educators since the early part of the 20th century Calls for standards for CMCs have been made almost from those beginnings. Since these centers have developed from a variety of origins and may serve many differ­ ent groups and needs, providing guidelines for such centers has been a challenge. In 1999, the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section o f ACRL suggested the for­ mation o f an ad hoc committee to develop standards or guidelines for curriculum ma­ terials centers. An informal survey o f state education agencies and accrediting bodies was conducted by the Curriculum Materials Committee to determine if such standards already existed. None were found. In 2000, the committee was formed and charged with “developing published stan­ dards or guidelines for curriculum materi­ als centers in the areas of, but not limited viability of the cuιτent goals and objectives with changes being made where appropriate. Budget The CMC sh o u ld h ave a b udget that ad­ equately ad dresses its n eed s • Funding responsibility—The CMC direc­ tor and the administrator(s) responsible for bud­ geting the unit to which the CMC administra­ tively reports should jointly plan the CMC bud­ get. • Funding level—-The CMC budget should be adequate to ensure compliance with state department o f education and other accredit­ ing bodies’ standards, college/department of education program needs, as well as particu­ lar guidelines in this document in the areas of collection, facilities, services, and person­ nel. • Funding so u rce — T he CMC budget should be funded as part o f the unit under which the CMC is administered. This does not preclude additional funding from other units or sources. • A d m in istratio n — T h e CMC b u d g et should b e administered by the CMC director. to, collection, services, management, bud­ get, personnel, and facilities." Feedback on this draft document is requested through postings to electronic discussion lists or may be directed to the committee cochairs: Gary Lare, University of Cincinnati, Gary.Lare@ uc.edu or Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois Uni­ versity cfaeb@eiu.edu. Other members o f the committee are Elizabeth Broyles, Georgia Col­ lege and State University; John Hickok, CSU- Fullerton; William Meloy, University of Maine; Elizabeth Raum, Concordia College (Minnesota); Yvonne Roux, William Patterson University; and Dorothy Schleicher, Baylor University. The Ad hoc Curriculum Materials Centers Standards/Guidelines Committee will also conduct an open hearing regarding the draft at the 2002 ALA Annual Conference. Com­ ments will be considered for incorporation into the final document, which will be pre­ sented to the Standards and Accreditation Committee o f ACRL for recommendation of final approval by ACRL and ALA. Publicity The CMC sh o u ld h ave a p la n fo r p ub liciz­ in g th e CMC, its services, and its collection. P ub licity sh o u ld b e d irected to w a rd all CMC u ser g rou p s an d sh o u ld in clu d e b o th form al an d in fo rm a l m ea n s • Web site— A Web site should be used to publicize the CMC and should be linked to and from the library site and the education site. The Web site should include, but not be limited to, the resources and services o f the CMC and links to appropriate curriculum ma­ terials sites, such as teaching activities, stan­ dards, children’s literature, publishers, etc. • Printed brochures/guides— CMC bro­ chures/guides should be available in the li­ braiy publicity area, the college/department of education office area, and appropriate distance locations. • Informal campus contacts— The CMC di­ rector should make use of faculty liaison ac­ tivities mentioned in this document to infor­ mally publicize the CMC. • School contacts— The CMC should be pro­ m oted to appropriate p ersonnel in local schools/districts. mailto:cfaeb@eiu.edu C&RL News ■ M arch 2002 / 209 Personnel The CMC staff sh o u ld in clu d e a director and support staff sufficient to m aintain the CMC and all services • Director—The CMC director should have a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited pro­ gram and have preparation in curriculum, teaching methodology, media, and technology. The director should be assigned no less than half-time to the management of the CMC. • Support staff—The CMC should have sufficient support staff to maintain the CMC and all its functions. The support staff may consist of paraprofessionals or clerical aides, with at least one being a permanent staff mem­ ber, and graduate assistants and student assis­ tants. Support staff should have sufficient train­ ing to provide a basic level of assistance to CMC users or refer users as appropriate. • Continuing education— The CMC direc­ tor should have regular opportunities for con­ tinuing education so that the CMC reflects cur­ rent trends in curriculum materials and tech­ nology. Continuing education opportunities should extend to support staff as needed. Facilities The CMC sh o u ld b e a distinct facility that p rovid es fo r effective u se o f its resources • Location— The curriculum materials cen­ ter should be located in proximity to the edu­ cation holdings of the college or university li­ braiy, or alternatively it should be in the build­ ing that houses the college/department of edu­ cation. The location should be completely ac­ cessible as detailed in the Americans with Dis­ abilities Act (ADA). • Hours—The CMC should, if housed in the college or university library, be open the hours ofthat facility’s operation. If housed sepa­ rately, or with the college/department of edu­ cation, it should be open enough hours to meet the needs of its users. Evening and weekend hours should be included, if needed. • Size— The size of the public area of the facility should be adequate to comfortably hold all materials, associated equipment, user study areas, and workstations. Room for collection growth should be available. Staff workspace should be adequate to complete work activi­ ties efficiently and effectively, including tech­ nical libraiy functions, when necessary. • Seating—There should be enough seat­ ing in the CMC to allow users to work indi­ vidually or collaboratively. Sufficient seating should be available to accommodate the stu­ dents in an average-sized class in the teacher education program. A variety o f seating types may be available, including, but not limited to, study tables, carrels, and lounge seating. If the CMC will be used by small children, appropri­ ately sized seating for them may also be avail­ able. • Maintenance— The facility should be maintained in such a way as to ensure the se­ curity and safety of materials, staff, and users. There should be an adequate number of elec­ trical connections and computer ports to meet user and staff needs. • Classroom— The CMC should have its own classroom or have a convenient space available for formal instruction. This classroom, or its equivalent, should have adequate seat­ ing for the average-sized class in the teacher education program. It should be equipped with technology appropriate for demonstration (and, if possible, hands-on practice) of electronic and media resources. Services Reference The CMC sta ff sh o u ld p rovid e reference service to its users • Delivery of service— Reference service should be available during all hours the CMC is open, and may include face-to-face, tele­ phone, e-mail, or other appropriate methods of delivery. • Staff—CMC staff should be trained to conduct an effective reference interview. They should also have knowledge of the CMC’s col­ lection and of external resources in order to provide both ready-reference and in-depth re­ search assistance. CMC student assistants should be knowledgeable about the CMC collection and be trained to provide basic assistance. A professional librarian located in an adjacent area may be called on if the curriculum materials center is not otherwise staffed. Instruction The CMC sh o u ld have a program fo r in ­ struction in th e u se o f curriculum -related resources • Collaboration— The instruction program should be developed in collaboration with education faculty, librarians, and others as ap­ propriate. 2 1 0 / C&RL News ■ M arch 2002 • Setting—Instruction may take place within the CMC, in the classroom, or in a virtual envi­ ronment. • Delivery— Instruction should include all appropriate techniques, such as guides, lec­ tures, Web pages, tutorials, bibliographies, workshops, orientations, tours, and point-of- need instruction. • Content— Instruction should include the use of the CMC collection and services, re­ search strategies, selection and evaluation of resources, and where applicable, instruction in production skills and the use of equip­ ment. Faculty liaison The CMC staff should seek out and m ain­ tain professional contact w ith teacher edu­ cation instructional units and w ith indi­ vidual faculty m em bers • Faculty contact— Faculty contact should be maintained through both formal and infor­ mal means, including, but not limited to, tele­ phone, e-mail, attendance at faculty meetings, instruction sessions, and specialized program­ ming. • Accrediting bodies— CMC staff should prepare documentation for visiting accredit­ ing organizations as needed and requested. • Collection development—In collaboration with faculty, CMC staff should develop the CMC collection to meet instructional and curricu­ lum materials research needs of both faculty and students. Outreach The CMC should have a program for serv­ ing off-campus users • Collaboration—The off-campus program should be developed in collaboration with off- campus faculty, librarians, and others as ap­ propriate. • Users— Off-campus users should include d istance learning faculty and students, whether courses are offered in an off-cam- pus classroom, through teleconferencing, online, or by other means. Other off-campus users may include students of other universi­ ties, P-12 educators, those who home-school, and other community members. • Services— Services offered should be equivalent to services at the main campus and should include reference, instniction, and ac­ cess to CMC materials. • Delivery—Off-campus services should be provided by various means as appropriate. Elec­ tronic means are particularly well suited to off- campus situations and should be used to their best advantage. These include, but are not lim­ ited to, Web pages, CMC online catalog, online CMC instruction, e-mail/mailing lists, online dis­ cussion groups, and access/subscriptions to online databases. Other means should be used as appropriate and may include librarian visits to off-campus classrooms, interlibrary loan, document delivery, and agreements with other libraries/CMCs. Production The CMC m ay provide m odern, high-qual­ ity equipm ent and supplies to m eet user needs for production o f instructional m a­ terials • Equipment—The equipment provided for production should allow users to create instruc­ tional materials similar to those currently be­ ing used in schools, utilizing both traditional and emerging technologies. The equipment should be kept updated, well maintained, and in sufficient quantity to meet typical demand levels. • Supplies— Supplies necessary for produc­ tion of instructional materials should be pro­ vided to users, either for free or on a cost- recovery basis and in sufficient quantity to meet demands. • Assistance— CMC staff should provide ideas and basic assistance to users, although the responsibility for creating the materials re­ mains with the users. Collection General characteristics The CMC collection supports the college’s or university’s education curriculum w ith an organized co llec tio n o f current and h igh-quality ed u cational m aterials cre­ ated for u se w ith children from P—12, and adult education m aterials, w h e n appro­ priate • Selection—The selection of curriculum materials should be the responsibility of a pro­ fessional librarian specifically charged with building the curriculum materials collection. • Collection development policy—The CMC should have a written collection development policy, as described in the policy section of these guidelines. C&RL N ew s ■ M a rc h 2002 / 211 • Organization—The CMC collection should be organized in accordance with current na­ tional standards and practices, as described in the access section of these guidelines. • Location— All of the collection should be available in the CMC. • Size—The size of the CMC collection should be sufficient to meet the needs of its users, as well as to ensure compliance with state department of education standards. • Format— These resources should repre­ sent a variety of formats, including print, non­ print, and electronic. • Funding level— Funding level for collec­ tion materials should reflect the enrollment of education majors and pre-service teachers in comparison to other majors within the institu­ tion. Collection categories The CMC sh o u ld co llect m aterials in a va­ riety o f categories, in clu d ing, but n o t lim ­ ite d to , t e x tb o o k s , c u r r ic u lu m g u id e s, ch ild re n ’s literature, p ro fessio n a l litera­ ture, referen ce m aterials, ed u cation p eri­ o d ic a ls, m ed ia m a teria ls, sta n d a rd ized tests, and Web sites • Textbooks— Current textbooks in all ma­ jor curricular subjects and in levels P -12 should be collected. Several publishers should be rep­ resented for each grade level in major curricu­ lum areas. This collection may reflect the texts used in the public schools in the region, and schools in which the teacher education stu­ dents receive field placements. The scope and depth of each subject area should depend upon each institution’s needs. • Curriculum guides/courses of study— Cur­ riculum guides, preschool through grade twelve, should be collected annually on the local, state, and national levels. All major cur­ riculum areas should be represented, with em­ phasis on the certification programs of the col­ lege/department of education of the institu­ tion. • Children’s and young adult literature— This collection should include fiction, non­ fiction, picture books, folk and fairy tales, plays, and poetry appropriate for P -12. The collection should be consistent with the rec­ ommendations o f standard reviewing tools and include annual acquisition o f award b ooks, such as Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King. • Teaching activity materials— Professional teaching materials that provide ideas and ac­ tivities for lesson planning and curricular de­ velopment should be collected. All major cur­ riculum areas and grade levels should be rep­ resented in accordance with the needs of the college/department of education. • Reference materials— Current reference materials, in print and electronic formats, should be acquired. These include materials related to other resources in the CMC (children’s lit­ erature indices and bibliographies, educational software directories, etc.), as well as reference works intended for use by children and young adults. • P -12 magazines— Magazines intended for use by children and young adults should be included. Professional education periodicals that provide teaching ideas and review cur­ riculum materials, educational media, and children’s and young adult literature may also be represented. • Media materials— A variety o f formats, in both traditional and emerging technologies, should be acquired annually. A range of cur­ riculum concepts, skills, topics, and trends in P -12 curricula should be represented. Materi­ als collected may include instructional games, posters, kits, transparencies, models, flat pic­ tures, videorecordings, sound recordings, com­ puter-based instructional materials, and mis­ cellaneous instructional materials, such as pup­ pets, mani-pulatives, rock collections, etc. • Standardized tests— Standardized tests that support education courses may be collected. • Web sites— The CMC Web site should include links to the vast array of online re­ sources available to teaching professionals for lesson planning and curricular development. Collection development policy The CMC sh o u ld p ro v id e a w ritten c o llec­ tio n d ev elo p m en t p o lic y that gu ides th e se lec tio n a n d a cq u isition o f m aterials • Mission statement—The policy should re­ flect and support the mission of the curricu­ lum materials center. • Users—The policy should include a state­ ment concerning those served by the curricu­ lum materials center and the extent o f that ser­ vice. • Collaboration— The policy should be de­ veloped in collaboration with the education faculty. 212 / C&RL News ■ M arch 2002 • Objectives— The policy should identify the scope and objectives of the collection. • Format— The policy should identify the formats in which materials are to be collected. • Tools and criteria—The policy should identify selection tools, criteria, and processes to be used in choosing materials. • Categories and balance— The policy should set forth the categories in which mate­ rials will be collected, such as textbooks, me­ dia materials, periodicals, etc., and give guid­ ance for allocating budget resources among the categories. • Compliance— The policy should address compliance with state standards and appropri­ ate treatment of gender, racial, ethnic, and cul­ tural issues. The policy may address mainte­ nance of a collection of less appropriate mate­ rials for research and teaching purposes. • Maintenance and weeding—The policy should address regular maintenance of the col­ lection and weeding as appropriate. Access— Physical Organization The CMC co llectio n sh ou ld b e displayed in a n organized m an n er that m akes it eas­ ily accessible to users • Arrangement—The collection should be arranged in the CMC in a systematic pattern with some materials inter-shelved, while oth­ ers are shelved as distinct collections within the CMC. • Access— The collection should be orga­ nized in such a way as to make it physically and easily accessible and Americans with Dis­ abilities Act (ADA) compliant. All collection ma­ terials, except reserve or historic, should be openly available rather than remotely stored. • Storage—The shelving should be appropri­ ate for the various types, sizes, and shapes of materials and sufficient to accommodate all items. • Signage—Adequate and appropriate signage should be clearly posted and visible to direct CMC users to the various areas of the collection. Processing The CMC co llectio n sh o u ld be p rocessed to p rom ote ea sy access • Preservation—The collection items should be processed with appropriate reinforcement so that the items are preserved for multiple circulation transactions, yet convenient enough for easy access. • Integrity of unit— Packaging of multiple- piece units should be sturdy and easily main­ tained to keep the various pieces intact; the multiple-piece containers should be labeled with numbers and types of items contained within; when appropriate, individual pieces should be marked with identifying call num­ bers so that they can be readily returned to their appropriate container when separated. • Item labeling— Collection items should be clearly and consistently labeled to promote easy retrieval from shelving areas. • Security—Theft detection devices should be used whenever possible. Circulation policy The CMC sh o u ld provide a w ritten circu­ lation p o licy • User groups—-The policy should identify the various user groups served, noting restric­ tions and privileges for each group. • Circulation periods— The policy should identify circulation periods and restrictions for each type of material. • Penalties— The policy should state the penalties, if any, that are imposed. • Other policies— The policy should state other regulations, including, but not limited to, those concerning holds, recalls, interlibrary loan policies, and distance learning students. • Automation— The policy should support or encourage use of an automated circula­ tion system. Equipment The CMC sh o u ld p rovide updated, appro­ priate equipm ent, in close p roxim ity to the CMC n o n p rin t m aterials and in sufficient num bers to m eet th e n eed s o f users to ac­ cess all o f th e various n o n p rin t m aterials available in th e co llectio n • Appropriateness—Appropriate equipment should be provided so all types of non-print media in the CMC collection can be accessed. • Quantity—A sufficient quantity of equip­ ment should be maintained to meet typical de­ mand levels. • Location— The equipment should be in close proximity to the CMC nonprint media collection so that access is convenient. • Maintenance— The equipment should be regularly maintained and kept in good work­ ing condition, with a budget and technical sup­ port to ensure this. C&RL News ■ M arch 2 0 0 2 / 213 • Updating—The equipment should be regularly updated to meet the needs of new technologies. Access—Bibliographic Cataloging The CMC collection sh ould be cataloged in accordance w ith current national stan­ dards, including full subject access • Description and subjects—The physical de­ scription of items should follow currently accepted models (i.e., AACR2R) to include uniform infor­ mation (title, author, etc.) and subject headings. • Classification—The call numbers on items should follow a nationally accepted classification scheme (e.g., Dewey, LC); the choice of scheme and call numbers can be tailored to fit the CMC’s needs. The CMC co llec tio n sh o u ld b e cataloged in a tim ely fa sh io n , w ith su fficien t lev els o f su pp ort • Cataloger support— Because CMC mate­ rials often require longer cataloging time, a model timetable and dedicated time/librarian should be provided for cataloging. • Equipment/supplies— Sufficient equip­ ment and supplies for cataloging and process­ ing should be maintained. Indexing Bibliographic and h oldings inform ation about th e CMC collection sh ould exist o n the sam e retrieval m echan ism as other li­ brary materials • Electronic and remote access—The CMC (and its parent institution) should have, or strive to have, electronic and remote access to the collection, with sufficient terminals in the CMC. • Indices for uncataloged items—The CMC shall have indices, preferably electronic, to access noncataloged items (e.g., curriculum guides on microfiche, etc.). ■