General Education sources cover a variety of basic information about education. This can be dictionaries and encyclopedias, directories, guidebooks, indexes and abstracts, statistical sources, or Internet sources as well. There purpose would seem to be to provide an overall view for the discipline. Some of these general sources may be the first place to look when trying to learn about various aspects of education, and provide a basis to pursue more information in some cases.
Educational Technology and Media covers the various forms of media available for educators. Sources in this area include books about videotapes that are freely available for teachers, usage of computers in education, or software evaluations. Continued use of the Internet provides electronic information for this field. There are also journals for this for this field including Educause, an electronic journal for people in this area.
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education sources provide users with information about these levels of education. Examples of sources in this group include directories for elementary schools or private schools, information about Catholic schools, and journals concerned with elementary schools or high schools. There are also books covering materials for teachers use. In addition, there are journals and other materials for principals.
Higher Education provides users with valuable information for students to use. Some examples of sources are materials about financial aid, materials for choosing a college (directories and rankings), and books about internships. There are many journals concerned with higher education as well. Topics include the community college, research, and new directions in teaching. In addition, there are materials concerned with development of college students.
Multilingual and Multicultural Education are increasingly important in today’s world. Materials in this area provide information for people from other cultures or multiple cultures. Sources include information for African-Americans about traditional colleges or financial aid. With the influx of Hispanics in the southwestern part of the United States, there are many instances of the need for Multilingual Education. Therefore, TESOL or Teaching English as a Second Language is becoming a larger part of the education discipline.
Special Education is an area of the discipline that provides information for educators in order to help students with special needs. The materials are also useful to students learning about this part of the discipline. Sources in this part of the discipline include materials on learning disabilities, gifted children, students at risk, and mentally challenged children. Several journals cover this area of education as well; it is a changing field, so educators must be able to access the most current information possible.
Adult, Alternative, Continuing, and Distance Education is an every changing field within the discipline. More adults are returning to college, as well as, many colleges providing more opportunities for adult students to attend college through distance learning opportunities. Journals are providing more information in this area as well. Adults provide new challenges for teachers because of different learning styles. Distance education provides its own challenges and educators must keep up with this ever changing field of education. It seems that Educational Technology and media is a closely related field, which would help keep users current with the information available.
Career and Vocational Education is an alternative to University Education for some students that prefer to find practical education in order to gain employment quicker and for a certain purpose, such as a beautician, secretary, or an LPN. Other career choices may be in business or agriculture. There are a few sources in this area, with most of them in journals that provide articles about this part of the discipline. Another source of information are college catalogs from community colleges and technical schools.
Comparative and International Education is an important area for researchers who wish to understand relationships among students on a world wide level or comparisons between two countries. In addition, information about International Education is an area that is becoming more available for users. This includes information from European sources, Canadian sources, Asian sources, and Australian sources. World organizations such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) also provide information in this area. In addition, directories provide information for students that want information about institutions around the world.
Curriculum and Instruction is a part of the discipline that provides sources for teachers. Some examples are books with resources for primary and secondary teachers, information with regard to reading, information for science teachers, or information for history materials. Many journals are available for the use of teachers, students, and researchers. These sources cover the various disciplines within teaching including, art education, biology education, English, history, reading, general science, and social studies to name a few.
Educational Administration sources cover materials for principals and school administrators. This includes information about finance issues, disciplinary issues, and laws affecting education. There are handbooks for this area of the discipline and a few key journals for administrators to follow. It would seem that the journals provide the latest information for this group of individuals. There is also a source for abstracts related to educational administration, which can be helpful for librarians in searching for relevant material for their patrons.
Educational History and Philosophy sources cover the changes in education over time as well as the theories behind the methods of teaching that have been used. This part of the discipline includes encyclopedias and dictionaries, as well as a few important journals for the field. These sources provide excellent pathways for information for researchers, students, or librarians searching for information for patrons. Once again, journals appear to play an important part in this part of the discipline.
Educational Research sources include directories with references to tests that are useful in educational research. Several guides provide much needed information for students learning about research in education. In addition, there are several journals, which are useful for information in this area. They cover research itself and review other researcher material. This can be very helpful for students to see examples of actual research articles. Furthermore, another source that is useful is a biographical source that covers key researchers in the field of education. It would seem to be a good place to start when looking for this type of information.
Educational Psychology is part of psychology, but it is an important part of the education discipline as well, so it seems necessary to cover it. There are encyclopedias that provide important information about this part of the discipline. Handbooks also provide much needed information for the professional educator and student as well. As with several parts of the education discipline, journals play a key role in providing information for users. In addition, journals would appear to provide the most current information.
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Prepared as part of the requirements for the Master of Library Science Degree
Department of Information and Library Science
School of Communication Information and Library Science
Southern Connecticut State University
