A Quick Overview

• Location:  Curriculum Laboratory (Level 11 of the University Library)
• Information questions, general inquiries, or circulation questions:  Phone the Curriculum Laboratory Information Service Desk at 403-329-2288 or ask your question on-line.
• The Curriculum Laboratory is a learning resource centre designed to support the Faculty of Education's teacher education program.  It may help to think of the Curriculum Laboratory as a support for the practice of teaching, and the Main Library education collection as a support for the theory of education.  Multi-format materials relevant to the Alberta school curriculum are available for loan and/or preview. Equipment, including a paper cutter, hole punch, video machines, opaque and overhead projectors, a scanner, and a light table, is provided to assist users in the preparation of A/V materials.
• The collection and facilities of the Curriculum Laboratory are available to users during the Main Library's hours of operation. All circulating materials are checked in and out at the Library's General Services Desk.

FAQs (About Borrowing Materials)

The following are short, factual answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you need more detailed information or require in-depth reference assistance we will be pleased to assist you in person.

The main goal of our borrowing guidelines is to give the maximum number of student teachers the best possible access to our limited amount of materials.

• When is the Curriculum Lab open? Normally we are staffed Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. You have access to our collection and facilities all the open hours of the University Library.
• I don't go to the University of Lethbridge but may I use the Curriculum Lab? Yes, you may purchase a Community Borrower card from The University Library's General Services Desk. The cost is $30.00 for the general public, or $15.00 for alumni. For further details contact The University Library's General Services Desk at 403-329-2265.
• I don't go to the University of Lethbridge but I do have an Alberta Library (TAL) card. May I use this card to borrow materials from the Curriculum Lab? The Curriculum Lab is not able to participate in the TAL program due to limited resources. You may purchase a University Library Community Borrower's card from the University Library's General Services Desk. For further details contact The General Services Desk at 403-329-2265.
• Who can sign out Curriculum Lab material? Anyone with current borrowing privileges at the University Library may borrow Curriculum Laboratory resources.
• What is the loan period? Faculty, staff and students have a 3 week loan with the option to renew twice, subject to recall during the renewal period. Community Borrowers qualify for a 3 week loan with one renewal.
• How many items may I sign out? As a student, faculty or staff member there is no limit to the number of materials you may sign out. If you are a Community Borrower you may sign out five items, including items from the University Library collection.
• May I renew? Students, faculty or staff members may renew twice. However, materials are subject to recall. You may renew over the phone 403-329-2265, or in person with your card at the University Library's General Services Desk.  You can also renew on-line. Community borrowers and alumni may renew once, subject to a recall.
• What are the fines for overdue items? Fines on regular loans are 50 cents per day per item. For example four items one week overdue would cost you $14.00.  The maximum overdue fine per item is $15.00.  After that, you are billed for the item.
• What if an item I need is out on loan? Students, faculty or staff members may place a Hold or a Recall on the item. To do this go to University Library's General Services Desk in person with your card and the item's title. OR, You may choose the online Request button at the top of the screen once you have selected a specific title in the Library Catalogue, and then follow the directions given. Please note that you can only use the Request button if the item is "in process" or signed out to someone else. We always encourage students to browse the shelves for materials that are already available to be checked-out, BEFORE asking for items to be Recalled or a Hold put on them. You can always ask a Curriculum Lab librarian to suggest other alternate materials. A hold or a recall will be processed for you and when the item is available you will be notified. This service is not available to Community Borrowers. If an item you have out is recalled, you will be mailed a recall notice. Fines for overdue recalled material is $1.50/day.
• Before signing out a kit or a multi-piece item, check to make sure all the pieces are included. Lost items and missing pieces are subject to replacement charges.  If you are charged for a missing library item, there will be a $25.00 "processing" fee added to the charge.

Collection Information

• Is it possible to search the Library Catalogue and limit to items located in the Curriculum Lab? Yes, after you have completed your initial search, you may limit your search by location. For example, searching by the Keyword "Bears" you will get a hit of about 286 items. At this point select the button "Redo search," and then limit by " Location."Choose "U of L - Curriculum Lab" in that pull-down menu. Your search will be reduced to 192 entries located in the Curriculum Lab.
• How do you search the Library Catalogue for fiction on a specific subject? Using the Search by Subject feature on the Library Catalogue, enter your subject and add "fiction" to it. For example, Bears fiction.
• How do I find novel studies? Using the Search by Title feature in the Library Catalogue, enter the title of the novel you wish to study. You will find that in addition to the novel itself, we have material to support some novels. For example enter Charlotte's Web, and you will find the novel, activities and some novel studies. If you do not have a specific novel in mind the subject headings Fiction Study and Teaching or Children's Literature Study and Teaching, will assist you.
• What does it mean when an item I am interested in is either "in process" or "on order"? An item that is "in process" is a new acquisition and has not yet been fully catalogued and made ready for the shelves. Students, faculty and staff may Rush Request an item by filling out a request form at any Information Services Desk, to be handed in at the University Library's General Services Desk. OR, You may choose the online Request button at the top of the screen once you have selected a specific title in the Library Catalogue, and then follow the directions given. Please note that you can only use the Request button if the item is "in process" or signed out to someone else. You will be notified by e-mail when it is ready for pick up: this may take up to 3 weeks. Community Borrowers are not able to place a rush request on Curriculum Lab materials. We always encourage students to browse the shelves for materials that are already available to be checked-out, BEFORE asking for items to be Rush-processed. You can always ask a Curriculum Lab librarian to suggest other alternate materials. An "on order" message occurs when we are waiting for it from a publisher, and it cannot be requested to be Rush-processed since we do not have the item yet.
• What is the difference between Circulating and Non-Circulating resources? We order two copies of many textbook resources, one of which circulates and the other is available for use in the Curriculum Lab and is labeled Reference.
• How do I find out which textbooks are to be used for teaching a specific subject? The Curriculum Lab orders most resources which have been approved for use in the classroom by Alberta Education. We order these items from the Learning Resources Centre (LRC). To find out what resources are recommended by Alberta Education:
  • Go to the Curriculum Laboratory main webpage.
  • Click on the link "Alberta Education Authorized Resources Database."
  • You can select your "Curriculum Area," and "Grade Level."  The resulting long list of resources will include items such as student textbooks, teacher's manuals, student workbooks, blackline masters, test banks, other books, CD-ROMs, DVDs, distance education resources, etc.
  
  
  • If you only want to find out which resources are considered the basic textbooks for that grade and subject, do the same search as above, except choose "Student Basic " from the "Authorization Status" menu.
• Is it possible to find items for a specific grade level on a particular topic? Yes and No. Resources approved by Alberta Education have grade designations in the call number. Resources ordered to supplement the Alberta curriculum do not have grade designations. The best way for you to find materials is to do a Search by Subject using the Library Catalogue and limiting your search to the Curriculum Lab. Look at all the entries. Any entries that do not have a grade level designation in the call number need your perusal to determine appropriateness for the students with whom you are working.

Curriculum Publications

• A detailed overview of Curriculum Publications in the Curriculum Lab can be found under "Handouts."
• What are Curriculum Publications? Curriculum Publications are officially approved descriptions of prescribed curricula. In Alberta, these include the Program of Studies, which provides an overview of the prescribed curriculum for all subjects. Core curriculum documents such as Teacher Resource Manuals and Guides to Implementation provide suggestions for delivery of prescribed curriculum. These resources are subject specific and often limited by grade level (e.g.. Language Arts Gr. 7-9). The format and detail varies among subjects and there may not be a Curriculum Guide and/or a Teacher Resource Manual for each subject and grade. LearnAlberta.ca lists most of the online curriculum documents for most subjects, including some recent Online Guides to Implementation. Online lesson plans and resources can be found integrated with Alberta Program of Studies objectives, for some subjects. For more information, do not hesitate to come to the Curriculum Lab for personal assistance.
• Where do I find the Curriculum Publications? All of the Alberta Education Curriculum Publications are located in the 375 call number section. They are arranged by subject and further arranged by grade level. In addition to the curricular subjects, there are also documents which are in a General section (this includes the Program of Studies for Elementary, Junior and Senior High) or a Miscellaneous section (listings of schools in Alberta, and various Alberta Education documents). Many of the more recent curriculum documents are available online at  Alberta Education's Program of Studies section.
• My friend has a Teacher Resource Manual and a Curriculum Guide for her subject major. Why don't I have the same thing for my subject major? Curriculum publications are constantly changing, and not all subjects evolve at the same pace. Every year there are updates made to the General Programs of Studies and this in turn affects the Teacher Resource Manuals and and other core curriculum publications in specific subjects. To make things somewhat easier for you, we have come up with a reference chart that documents which are available in each subject. This includes references to grade levels. This Curriculum Publications chart is updated yearly and it is designed to guide you through the curriculum publications.

Top 10 Things You Need to Know

1. For information questions & general inquiries, phone the Curriculum Laboratory Information Service Desk at 403-329-2288, or ask your question on-line.
2. For Curriculum Lab circulation questions, call 403-329-2384.
3. All circulating materials are checked in and out at the Library's General Services Desk.  Students, faculty or staff members may place a Hold or a Recall on an item that is out on loan at the Library's General Services Desk, or online using the Request button.  You may renew online, or at the University Library's General Services Desk.
4. To find the titles of Alberta Education recommended resources and textbooks, make use of the"Alberta Education Authorized Resources Database," accessible from the Curriculum Laboratory home page.
5. Curriculum Laboratory materials are returned at the University Library's General Services Desk, NOT directly to the Curriculum Laboratory.
6. The Curriculum Laboratory consists of teaching areas, and group study spaces.  As such, it is not always a quiet study space.  However, upon leaving the Curriculum Laboratory, remember the library is a "quiet zone."
7. Note the Library's food and drink policy, especially around technology.
8. Do not reshelve materials in the Curriculum Laboratory.  Please leave items you are not signing out on the tables, or preferably in the book bins found around the Curriculum Laboratory.
9. You are responsible to return anything in the same condition as it was when you signed it out.  Before signing out a kit or a multi-piece item, check to make sure all the pieces are included.  If there is damage, or there are missing pieces, let Library or Curriculum Laboratory staff know BEFORE you sign it out.  Kits must be checked out as a complete set.
10. Returning materials from a distance -- Once a library user borrows an item, they are responsible for it, from the time it is checked out to the user, until the time it is put in the book returns at the University Library's General Services Desk.  Any mode of transportation to return an item, other than personal delivery, is at the user's own risk. Do not ask us to renew an item for you more than two times. We will not do it, as we need to make that item accessible to other students. Make arrangements to get the item back on time, especially if you are out on a school placement that is far away.