Murphy Library's Curriculum Center on the second floor is where you will find all of the children's books. This brand new space, officially inaugurated in November 2018, is a dedicated area for anyone interested in children's literature. Designed to be interactive and dynamic, it can be reserved for teaching purposes or seminars. There is a large wall monitor (wifi connectivity) and eight round tables on wheels with four chairs to a table, and extra chairs on hand if necessary. There is also a small enclosed seminar room that seats up to ten people, complete with a wall monitor.
To reserve these spaces, please contact the Curriculum Librarian at tholford@uwlax.edu, or tel 785-8944.
To learn more about what you can find in the Curriculum Center, please visit the boxes on this page.
High quality books--that's often what instructors want their students to find. Where do you go? How do you know if a books is "high quality" or not? The more children's literature you read and look at with deliberate eyes, the more comfortable you will be with the term high quality. These are exciting times to be interested in children's literature because we are seeing new trends, new voices, authentic perspectives and more diversity. There is still a definite need for more diversity though, and we have our role to play as consumers of children's books by letting publishers know.
Where do you go to find high quality books in the Curriculum Center? How do you know if it's a high quality book?
The Awards Children's Literature tab on this guide explains the different annual awards. They are the "best of the best" and you will find most of the winners and finalists in our collection.
The Evaluating Children's Books tab has suggestions and tips on how to recognize signs of authenticity and high quality, plus what to look out for.
The more time you spend with award winning children's books, the more comfortable you will be to quickly recognize signs of a good book, and a not so good book.
Read deeply. Read widely.