Collection Guidelines - Other Collections

Curriculum Resource Collection (CRC)

The CRC collection provides resources to support the University’s courses in Education and Children’s Literature. Selection of this material is based on its relevance to the teaching programs of the University. The collection contains a range of material types, formats and subject content. The major focus is on current, relevant, quality resources that support a range of teaching approaches, activities and methods.

Material types

Fiction (including picture books)

The collection aims to provide resources to support the teaching and learning of children’s literature and to support education curriculum studies and teaching methodology units. The collection contains:

Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year shortlisted titles
a representative collection of the best contemporary Australian children’s literature
a small collection of children’s classics (Australian and International) i.e. titles of continuing interest and importance because their influence has been noted in the field or they mark a change in socio-cultural attitude or style of publishing
a small number of International fiction and picture book titles selected for their particular interest or relevance
specific titles included on unit reading lists

Non-Fiction

The collection aims to provide contemporary, up to date and accurate resources to support curriculum studies and teaching methodology units within the Faculty of Education. The collection contains:

the CBCA shortlisted titles for the Eve Pownall Award for information books
a limited collection of current non fiction on relevant themes suitable for use in lesson planning or preparation
a small number of children’s periodicals to support curriculum studies

Teaching Resource materials

The collection aims to provide contemporary, up to date resources to support education curriculum studies, teaching methodology units and school practicums. The collection contains:

a representative selection of current primary and secondary teaching methodology material
a representative selection of sets of class readers which cover a range of early literacy levels and strategies for the support of language development
relevant Victorian VCE curriculum support material and texts
Department of Education, and Early Childhood Development, Victoria, materials
a small selection of practical teaching resources eg. masters, classroom exercises, activities etc

Non book materials

The collection aims to provide contemporary teaching aides on relevant themes including:

a limited selection of contemporary posters on relevant themes of use in classroom practice
a small selection of relevant and contemporary teaching aids including kits, realia, big books etc
a small selection of relevant and contemporary audiovisual material eg. DVDs, CDs

Location

CRC collections are located in the libraries at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds, Melbourne Campus at Burwood and the Warnambool campuses.
The collection supports primary education programs and early childhood education at all three campuses, and secondary education primarily at Melbourne and to a limited extent at Geelong. The collection also supports Children’s Literature studies within the Faculties of Education and Arts at all three campuses.

Duplication

Some core materials and reading list materials are duplicated across the three campuses. Duplication of representative selections of resources is avoided in order to develop greater depth to the collection. CBCA shortlisted titles are acquired via an approval plan and are duplicated across all collections.

Exclusions

Academic works on teaching theory, methodology, pedagogy or research are located in the main collection
Academic works related to Children’s Literature are located in the main book collection
Class sets of material are not normally acquired but small sets (up to 5 copies) may be acquired on request to facilitate classroom small group work
Software/computing/audiovisual materials with licensing restrictions that prohibit their use by the Library

Acquisition

Collection development is facilitated using an approval plan profile with a specialist children’s bookshop.
Firm orders are placed for reading list titles or for specifically requested titles.

Collection Management

Hardback editions of fiction and picture books are preferred.
Dust jackets are retained on all fiction and picture books unless the original cover provides identical illustrations or content
A regular weeding or de-selection plan is followed to ensure the currency and relevance of the collection
Fiction and non fiction titles older than 10 years to be reviewed regularly for relevance

Related collections

The following related collections are held in the Library’s Special Collections:

Australian Schools Textbook Collection (link)
Children's Literature Research Collections (link)
Children’s Book Council of Australia, Victorian Branch Collection (link)