Education: General

Purpose: Education materials acquired at Washington State University primarily support students, staff, and faculty at the College of Education. Other members of the WSU community, especially those in administration and student affairs may also draw on these materials for their professional growth, as may also teachers and other education professionals in the local community and/or Washington state, in accordance with Washington State University’s land grant mission.

The College of Education is comprised of two departments, the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology and the Department of Teaching and Learning. Both departments offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology includes programs in Educational Psychology, Counseling and School Psychology, Educational Leadership, Higher Education (also known as "Educational Administration) at the masters and doctoral level (Ph.D./Ed.D), as well as a Kinesiology (Athletic Training and Movement Studies) program at the masters and undergraduate level. The latter is supported primarily by the Sport Studies policy. The Educational Leadership program also offers an undergraduate minor and certification programs for principals and superintendents; the Counseling and School Psychology program offers a school psychologist certification program.

Washington State University is a member of the Center for Research Libraries, which gives students, staff, and faculty access to those collections, including historical and research materials in the fields of Education. Washington State University is also a member of several resource sharing consortia, which results in greater access to materials for its students, staff, and faculty.

Because of the close connection between pedagogy and the subject matter being taught, a wide range of materials in other disciplines are relevant to users of the Education collections. In general, collections pertinent to education at the kindergarten through high school are covered by the Education policies. Pre-school education in a formal educational context is covered by Education policies while pre-school education in the home, daycare center or other setting is covered by the Human Development policy. Adult and non-formal education at all levels is collected, but to a relatively lesser extent since there are no formal degree programs in adult and non-formal education at the College of Education. Professional education for educational personnel is collected while professional education in other areas is covered in other policies.

Reference materials are collected on a broad basis. They include indexes, abstracts, encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, handbooks, guides, and manuals. A complete file of ERIC microfiche may be accessed through the online ERIC database.

Other collections noted:

1. Curriculum Guide Collection: The Kraus Curriculum Development Library on microfiche includes an online database, KCDL. A hard copy index is available.
2. Juvenile Literature Collection: approximately 10,000 titles classified in abbreviated Dewey.
3. Test Collection: Uncataloged items filed in a Mental Measurements Yearbook format. Collections include the microfiche set, Tests on Microfiche with a hardcopy index.
4. Textbook Collection: a collection of textbooks and other curriculum materials classified in a modified-LC. The state of Washington does not mandate a state-selected textbook series; every effort is made to collect a wide variety of textbooks to reflect the many texts used throughout the state.
5. Kit Collection: approximately 500 cataloged items.
6. Assorted Media: records (approximately 200), videotapes, and software are purchased on a selected basis.

1. Languages: English is the primary language of the collection. Works written in other languages ordinarily are purchased only in English translation, excepting materials supporting ESL and bilingual education.
2. Chronological Guidelines: Emphasis is on ] education in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Materials on other periods are added on a selective basis.
3. Geographical Guidelines: A primary emphasis is on public education, K-12, in the United States. Materials on public education in Washington state are collected broadly followed by education in the Pacific Northwest and other regions. A secondary emphasis is on education in Canada, Great Britain, and Mexico. Materials on the comparative education of other geographic areas are added on a selective basis.
4. Treatment of Subject: Research and professional materials treating all aspects of curriculum, educational theory, counseling, administration, history of educational development, legal aspects of education, and research methodology are collected on a broad basis. College textbooks on education are collected selectively. Ordinarily, popular treatments are not acquired. Scholarly or professional treatments of popular issues are individually considered.
5. Types of Materials: Format is usually of secondary concern to content. Most materials acquired are monographs or serials in hard copy or electronic format. Educational games, tests, videos, movies, records, CDs, and software are generally collected selectively and in conjunction with College of Education faculty.
6. Date of Publication: Primary emphasis is on materials published since 1995. Retrospective purchasing is very selective.