The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) is located in room 312 Bender Library. The CMC is open the same hours as Bender Library.
These are the types of materials you will find in the Curriculum Materials Center (CMC):
Larissa Gerstel Critical Literacy Collection (multicultural children's and young adult literature)
Teaching and Education Reference Collection (textbooks, encyclopedias, reproducibles, manipulatives, and teaching guides)
To find books and materials located in the CMC, conduct a search in the Library's catalog. Go to the "AU Library Location" section on the left hand navigation bar and choose "Curriculum Materials Center (American University)."
You can request CMC materials to be sent to the Circulation Desk on the first floor for pickup. To do so, search for an item in the library's catalog. Under "Availability," click on "Request for pickup."
From there, click on "Send Request."
The collections in the Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) are managed by the University Library and are curated by the Education Librarian for the School of Education's curriculum.
The CMC moved to 312 Bender Library in May 2022. From July 2016 to May 2022, the CMC was housed in American University's (AU) Spring Valley Building, in Room 418, where it was co-located with AU's School of Education. From 1992 through mid-2016, the CMC was housed on AU's main campus in Bender Library. The CMC collections may be used on site by community users. Only AU-affiliated users may borrow collection items. AU's teacher education candidates have priority for borrowing, as the collection is primarily for their curriculum and in-service teaching needs.
AU Library subscribes to the database TeachingBooks, where you can find thousands of resources about children’s and young adult literature. There are book readings and “meet the author” type multimedia content, as well as reviews and lesson plans. You’ll just need to remember to sign in with your AU credentials to get access to the content.
You can also check out your local public library to see what e-book content they provide for children and young adults. Anyone who lives in the D.C. metropolitan area (including Virginia and Maryland) can get a free library card through D.C. Public Library. You will need to fill out an application online to get immediate access: https://www.dclibrary.org/getacard. DC Public Library provides quite a bit of electronic content for children through their various databases, including Book Flix, Just for Kids Access Video, Kanopy Kids, Learn Zillion, OverDrive Kids, Ready Rosie, Science Flix, and Tumblebooks for Children.