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How to Find Teaching Materials in the Library

Books in the Professional Collection

The Professional Collection contains books with units of study and activities. Try a subject keyword search including the words "study and teaching." Example: mathematics study and teaching.

You may also want to look at children's books to use in the classroom. You can limit your search to picture books or easy (chapter) books. The Ready Reference area has many useful guides to children's literature.

The Textbook Collection

The Textbook Collection includes textbooks, basal readers, math manipulatives, science project equipment, curriculum units, workbooks, games, and oversized books. You may want to just browse the collection. You can limit your search in the catalog to textbooks. Any call number beginning with a lower case "t" is in the Textbook Collection.

Bank Street Independent Study Projects (Theses)

Theses are a very popular source for curriculum ideas. Using keyword search, type in theses and your topic. Example: theses and ecology. Theses may be checked out of the Library for one week.

New York State and New York City Curriculum Guides

The state and city educational standards and goals are located in this collection, as well as government-produced curricula and other teaching materials. See also the New York State website for the most up-to-date curriculum information at: http://www.nysed.gov/

Videotapes

The Library owns about 200 videotapes; most are children's videotapes. There are also some videotapes on education topics for graduate students. To look up videotapes in the Library Catalog, use keyword search and type in videorecording and your topic. Example: videorecording and blocks.

ERIC Documents

ERIC documents include teaching guides, curriculum units, and instructional materials (for learners). They also include state and locally-produced curricula on a wide variety of subjects and age levels. Use the ERIC database to look up ERIC documents, then locate them in the microfiche drawers on the south side of the Library. There is a microfiche reader where you can view the documents and print them (for 10 cents per page) using a copy card.

Journal Articles

The Library subscribes to twelve online databases which contain more than 15,000 journals in full text. These can be accessed from the Library or from home. Visit the Research Databases page to learn more. In addition, the Library subscribes to 450 journals in print. For articles older than 1980, you may need to use the print journals. Please ask a Librarian for help.

If you have a citation and would like to find the article, use the Online Journal Finder to determine which database will have the article you need.

Web Sites

For materials on the Web, see Teaching Materials on the Web. The Library also has collected the best websites on a variety of education topics. These are on the Recommended Links page.