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Education and Curriculum Resources

Guide to authoritative resources in the field of education and curriculum development.

History & Purpose


Ms Ritchie

The Ella C. Ritchie Curriculum Library (founded in 1970 by FSU Alumna and 1st Curriculum Librarian Mary M. Burns and named in honor of early 20th century FSU Librarian Ellen C. Ritchie) provides resources and services to FSU faculty and students, with a particular focus on the Education Department.

The collection supports active, collaborative learning, and includes instructional materials for curriculum planning, lesson preparation, unit development, and assessment. Materials include juvenile and young adult literature books, textbooks, activity and idea books, curriculum guides, instructional manipulatives, content area games, audiovisual materials, educational technology, and reference materials for grades K-12.

Collection policies are based on the FSU Department of Education's curriculum, and the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework, incorporating the Common Core State Standards.

 (C'mon; you didn't think that the very first state teacher training school in the nation wouldn't have a robust learning resource collection and children's literature collection - progressive when it was established in 1970, still progressive today - for its Education and Children's Lit students...did you?)


Ms Burns

We have access to:

  • Curriculum Materials Collection (UM-16)
    • Current textbooks, lesson plan resources, kits and assorted items used for creating hands-on student lessons and projects
    • Print back issues of classic children's literature journals (e.g.:The Hornbook)
    • The Mary Burns Collection of Award-Winning Children's Literature [opens new tab]
      • A Reference book collection of winners of the following children's literature / illustration awards:
        • American Indian Youth Literature
        • Asian Pacific American
        • Pura Belpre'
        • Caldecott
        • Coretta Scott King
        • Newbery
        • Printz
        • Schneider Family Award
        • Sibert
        • Stonewall
        • Sydney Taylor
    • The Swider Collection (Shelving opposite Curriculum Library Offices)
      • A donated (static) collection of children's literature
  • Children's Literature Collection (Shelving between Curriculum Library Offices & the Rams Renew Space)
    • Arranged like a K - 12 school library collection
  • The Notable Collection (UM-18)
    • A collection of notable, non-circulating materials - contact Curriculum Library staff for more information

Find them:

  • All materials in the Curriculum Library Collection are listed in the Minuteman Network online library catalog.
  • Specific search tips for:
    • Curriculum Collection (UM-16)
      • Location will say: Framingham State - Curriculum
      • Call number will include Curric Lib
      • Searching for Textbook as a keyword, then limiting to FSU-only, then limiting the Library Collection to Framingham State - Children's will result in a list of mostly UM-16 teaching materials (although there will still be a few children's books there as well)
    • Swider Collection
      • To browse this collection (without having a book title in mind) via the Minuteman Catalog, choose Call Number from the pull-down menu next to the search box, then type in Swider Collection, then run the search.
    • Notable Collection
      • To browse this collection (without having a book title in mind) via the Minuteman Catalog, choose Call Number from the pull-down menu next to the search box, then type in: Notable Collection, then run the search.
    • Children's Lit Collection
      • Location will say: Framingham State - ERC
      • Call number will include Curric Lib
      • In general, limiting your search results to Juvenile Audience items held only by FSU will focus your results on just our children's literature collection