The Curriculum Library has over 26,500 fiction and non-fiction books for preschool through early adolescence. The collection contains traditional and contemporary literature, including picture books, easy-to-read books, novels, poetry, folklore, nursery rhymes, biographies, and informational books. Small collections of juvenile books and cassettes, big books, and children's books in foreign languages are also available. Cataloged according to the Dewey Decimal classification, these books are listed in the Curriculum Library's card catalog and are entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog). All circulate and may be charged out at the main circulation desk of the library. 

The Xedia collection, a selection of children's books on microfiche, is housed in periodicals and is indexed in the Curriculum Library card catalog. There are 353 titles in this collection. These do not circulate. 

For nineteenth and early twentieth century classic children's literature see Special Collections, Ruth H. Carter, Class of 1924, Children's Literature Collection. 

Curriculum Library Reference Materials 

The Curriculum Library has a collection of over 700 reference sources including encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, and indexes. These are cataloged according to the Library of Congress classification scheme and do not circulate. They are listed in the Curriculum Library's card catalog and are entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog). Some of the resources include: 

A to Zoo 
Best Books for Children
Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators series
Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3
Children's Catalog  
The Children’s Literature Lover’s Book of Lists
The Comprehensive Signed English Dictionary
Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults 
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks 
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog
Multicultural Picture Books
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature 
Science Experiments Index  for Young People
Something About the Author Series
Teen Genre Connections

Textbooks, Activity Books, and Methods Textbooks 

The Curriculum Library houses a collection of 16,000 textbooks, activity or idea books, and selected methods texts for preschool through grade 12. Elementary and secondary textbooks, student and/or teacher editions, with accompanying materials such as workbooks, manuals, etc. are available in current editions. The collection contains numerous activity or idea books with information on bulletin boards, classroom management, creative activity and seat work, games, thematic teaching, whole language, multicultural education, assessment, etc. 

Selected methods texts designed primarily as teacher's manuals for a particular discipline or curriculum area are also available. Most methods texts, however, are housed in the main library. Curriculum areas represented include: Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Reading and Language Arts, Foreign Languages and ESL, Guidance, Social Studies, Mathematics, Music, Art, Health, Physical Education, and Safety, Science, Family and Consumer Sciences. These texts are cataloged according to the classification scheme developed by Lois Watt for the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. They are listed in the Curriculum Library's card catalog and are entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog). They circulate and are charged out at the main circulation desk of the library. 

Kits, Games, and Non-Book Materials

The Curriculum Library houses a sizable collection of kits, games, and other non-book materials to supplement classroom instruction for preschool through grade 12 in all curricular areas and subjects. Classroom kits contain manipulative devices, charts, reproductions of original documents, etc. and are designed for a) developing specific skills, b) as the beginning level in a sequential program within a specific curricular area, or c) as source materials for classroom discussion. The games are commercially prepared board games, puzzles, or simulations, etc. 

The Curriculum Library also has numerous other non-book materials such as activity cards, charts, filmstrips, models, maps, pictures, slides and videocassettes. These materials are cataloged according to the classification scheme developed by Lois Watt for the U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. They are listed in the Curriculum Library card catalog and are entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog). They all circulate and may be charged out at the main circulation desk in the library. 


CD-ROMs

The Curriculum Library has a small collection of educational CD-ROMs to supplement instruction for preschool through high school. They are listed in the card catalog and are entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog).


Cassettes & Records

The Curriculum Library houses a collection of 750 tapes and records for children containing folk tales, nursery rhymes, songs, dances and other educational activities. The collection is not classified but rather color coded as follows: 

Red Dot - Stories and Traditional Tales 
Blue Dot - Recordings of Books and Movies 
Tan Dot - Poetry and Nursery Rhymes 
Yellow Dot - Mythology, Myths and Fables 
Light Green Dot - Educational (Games, Movement Activities, etc.) 
Purple Dot - Songs 
Dark Green Dot - Dances and Instrumental Music 
Orange Dot - Seasonal and Holidays 

These are listed in the Curriculum Library's card catalog and are also entered in the library's OPAC (On-line Public Access Catalog). They circulate and are charged out at the main circulation desk of the library. 

Vertical File

The Curriculum Library vertical file or pamphlet file contains over 2,900 pamphlets, charts, booklets, and similar materials containing practical suggestions for classroom activities, bulletin boards, arts and crafts, etc. for use in preschool through grade 12 classrooms. They are arranged alphabetically by subjects and are housed in file cabinets. For a complete list of subjects currently in use consult the small card catalog located on top of the vertical file cabinets. These materials may be charged out at the main circulation desk of the library.