About the Collection
In college libraries, curriculum materials and juvenile literature collections typically support students who are majoring in Education. The Penn State Harrisburg Library's Curriculum Materials Collection (CMC) includes curriculum standards, school textbooks, activity guides, and other instructional materials for grades preK-12. The library's Juvenile Literature Collection (Juv) consists of supplementary fiction and nonfiction written for preK-12 audiences.
Teachers who want to try different methods in their classrooms can save money and preparation time by using CMC and Juv materials. Families and caregivers can also use them to reinforce or extend children's skills (especially during school vacations) or gain an understanding of what kids are learning in the classroom.
Location
The CMC and Juv collections are located on the south side of the third floor of the Penn State Harrisburg campus library, in Middletown, Pa. The Library Map includes floor plans that show the locations of collections and service areas throughout the library. For driving directions to campus, see the Directions to the Library Web page.
We use the Library of Congress Classification system to group items together by subject. Use The CAT to find the location and call numbers of materials.
Resources
The CMC contains about 2,000 volumes, and the Juv collection includes about 20,000 volumes. The collections focus on current material for grades preK-12, supporting Penn State Harrisburg's programs in Elementary, Secondary English, Secondary Math, Secondary Social Studies, ESL, Health, Literacy, and Special Education. Although the CMC chiefly consists of teacher's and student's editions of textbooks, we have a growing collection of games, manipulatives, models, puppets, and other items. If you use Pinterest, see the CMC's boards for examples. The Juv collection provides more award-winning books than popular series.
Other preK-12 resources are distributed throughout the library:
- DVDs and videos: First floor.
- Encyclopedias and other basic facts: First floor, reference area.
- Equipment, such as cameras, die-cutter, and laminator: First floor, circulation/reserves desk.
- Magazines and journals: Second floor, periodicals area, and online under "E-Journals" on the University Libraries Home page.
- Music and Audio: First floor.
- Online: See the library's Education (General) Research Guide.
- Professional books: Third floor, center of the building, especially call numbers L-LT.
If you have further questions about the library's preK-12 resources, contact the reference desk or Bernadette A. Lear, behavioral sciences and education librarian (bal19@psu.edu, 717-948-6360).
Events
At this time, the Penn State Harrisburg Library does not offer story times or other regular programming for children. Please contact your local public library for such activities.
Other programs are listed on the Library Calendar and the Penn State Harrisburg Events Calendar.
Using and Borrowing Materials
The CMC and Juv collections are open during the Penn State Harrisburg Library's normal operating hours. Customers who need help using the collections should visit the reference desk on the first floor of the library, or arrange a research appointment with Bernadette A. Lear, behavioral sciences and education librarian (bal19@psu.edu, 717-948-6360).
Since the primary purpose of the CMC and Juv collections is to help education students develop skills in selecting appropriate materials for children, we do not sort materials by award status or reading level. In support of Penn State University Libraries' policies on user privacy and the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read Statement, and other intellectual freedom policies, we do not censor or restrict access to materials.
Most items may be borrowed as described in the Penn State University Libraries's Borrowing Privileges page. Since some CMC materials are "kits" containing multiple items, users should be prepared to carry heavy boxes and bags. We strongly encourage Penn State Harrisburg faculty to place items on reserve if they wish to use specific textbooks or literature for student assignments. For more information about borrowing and reserves, contact the library’s circulation desk (717-948-6070).
Donations
Penn State Harrisburg's CMC and Juv collections thrive on donations from faculty, students, publishers, teachers, and the public. We welcome all gifts of recent materials (less than five years old), as long as they are in good condition and are not "review-only" copies that must be paid for or returned to the publisher. The Penn State Harrisburg Library will only retain a single copy of each item (no classroom sets or multiple copies).
Please consider donating to the library! Here’s why:
- We provide unique resources to the region.
- Your donation will help people throughout the state, because any adult resident of Pennsylvania can borrow Penn State's materials.
- If you are a publisher, you can expose future teachers and customers to your products by giving them shelf space in a college library.
For more information about donations, contact Bernadette A. Lear, behavioral sciences and education librarian (bal19@psu.edu, 717-948-6360).
Contact
For more information about the Penn State Harrisburg Library's Curriculum Materials Collection and Juvenile Literature Collection, please contact:
Bernadette A. Lear (bal19@psu.edu, 717-948-6360)
Behavioral Sciences and Education Librarian
Penn State Harrisburg Library
351 Olmsted Drive
Middletown, PA 17057-4850
