Navigating the Future: A Survey of Curriculum Materials Centers and Collections in U.S. Academic Libraries
Part 1: Information Literacy, Technology, & Collaborations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26443/el.v48i1.398Abstract
Curriculum Materials Centers (CMCs) play a vital role in supporting teacher education programs by providing instructional materials, educational technologies, and professional development resources. However, despite their importance, CMCs remain an underexplored area of academic research; specifically, there is a lack of quantitative assessment of CMCs’ practices. This study employs an exploratory survey design to examine trends in curriculum materials centers and collections within U.S. academic libraries, focusing on information literacy instruction, instructional formats, technology integration, and faculty collaboration. Findings indicate that CMC librarians and education liaison librarians are actively engaged in information literacy instruction, particularly for undergraduate and master’s students, typically through in-person sessions. Differences across institution sizes were observed in access to educational technologies, use of instructional formats, and collaboration between librarians and education faculty. Respondents reported only partial alignment between CMC technologies and PreK–12 classroom practices, and larger institutions were more likely to provide dedicated technological infrastructure and more frequent, targeted instructional sessions. Although many respondents described collaboration with education faculty, perceptions of equal partnership were mixed. This study contributes to understanding CMCs’ evolving roles and underscores the need for strategic adaptation to enhance their continued relevance in teacher education programs. The article represents Part One of a two-part analysis, reporting on the structural and demographic aspects of CMCs, information literacy, technology, and collaborations.
Keywords: CMCs, curriculum materials centers, education libraries, survey, educational technology, information literacy, teacher education programs
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