The University of British Columbia

The Education Library collections serve as the foundation for teaching and research in the Faculty of Education. The library’s development is unique and changing. For nearly twenty years, materials supporting practica and basic pedagogical courses comprised the core holdings of what was a Curriculum Laboratory. Now, the Education Library collections comprise children's books, school texts, and multimedia for K-12, as well as, professional monographs, serials, microfiche, electronic resources dealing with teaching strategies, ideas and research in Education.

The relationships between practice, theory and research result in building a unique collection. Materials in Education can almost never be viewed as suitable only for specific levels of users. Children's literature, for example, is as useful for graduate students as it is for elementary teacher education students. A high priority is placed on materials that reflect Canadian content and approach and materials pertaining to BC Education.

180,000 monographs
10,000 bound periodical volumes (750 separate subscriptions)
7,000 historical textbooks
15,000 French curriculum, textbook and literature volumes
1,000 Kits
5,000 Pictures
200 Jackdaws
1,000 Posters
1,000 Transparencies
100 Maps
600 Filmstrips
1,000 Audiotapes
3,000 Videocassettes
200 Slide sets
40 CD ROM Databases
120 Juvenile CD-ROMS
230 Microcomputer Discs
600, 000 Microfiche
30 Microfilm Reels
185 Juvenile Music CD’s

There are three professional librarians in the Education Library. Each has in addition to a library qualification teaching credentials together with experience and/or a background in education. Librarians are responsible for reference and instruction, collection building, and liaison with faculty departments. There are eleven staff members responsible for circulation, reserve, acquisitions, document delivery, processing, media booking, gifts and exchanges, photocopy service, information and orientation, and maintenance of the collection.

The Library has a Library Advisory Committee chaired by the Education Librarian with representation from all the Education Departments, graduate and pre-service teacher education programs. In addition, there is an Information Sources and Services Committee which is chaired by the Associate Dean of Education which includes the Education Library, Education Computing Services, Education Audiovisual Services and Faculty. The purpose of this committee is to share information between the information services units in the Faculty of Education.

Ensuring access both at UBC and within public education, the library is a major gateway to the world's growing store of complex information. A fully integrated electronic information system will employ electronic sources of information coordinated with more traditional modes of access such as printed materials. Those educational technologies available in schools must be available within the Education Library providing preservice teachers with experience planning for the use and integration of a wide variety of multimedia resources. Cooperation between the Education Library and Faculty of Education Audiovisual Services, and Education Computing Services has always been important but with the advent of the virtual library and multimedia resource networks, collaboration has become even more necessary. Keeping abreast of technological developments within the education community in British Columbia and ensuring that the Education Library staff are knowledgeable concerning technology is imperative in order to help students gain the necessary skills and expertise to work effectively with teachers.

The Faculty of Education consists of 140 full-time faculty organized into five departments: Counselling Psychology, Curriculum Studies, Educational Studies, Educational Psychology and Special Education, Language Education. In addition several sessional instructors and teaching assistants are hired each term to teach winter and summer session courses offered by the five departments. Approximately 700 students are enrolled in UBC's teacher education programs: a Two-Year Elementary Teacher Education Program (135), a Twelve-Month Elementary Teacher Education Program (170), a Middle School Teacher Education Program (35), and a Secondary Teacher Education Program (170). The Native Indian Teacher Education Program is a five year concurrent program of liberal and pedagogical studies open to persons of First Nations ancestry.

Admission to the teacher education programs is highly competitive. Candidates have previous experience working with children, their average age is 26 years, and 40-60% are female. Those who successfully complete their program are eligible for the Professional Teaching Certificate from the BC College of Teachers. The programs prepare beginning teachers for only the initial phase of their career.