Services
The Education Resource Centre (ERC) is a unique space, tailored for Bachelor of Education (BEd) students. With specialized instructional resources, the ERC is where BEd students can find materials to support their teaching and practicum experiences.
The ERC offers:
| K-12 textbooks and Teacher's Guides |
For elementary and secondary school curricula. Includes current and past editions, and aligns with the Trillium List of approved textbooks. |
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| Children’s storybooks |
Picture books on a range of topics suitable for school-age kids. Western students can also access the TumbleBookLibrary, a database of e-books that take existing picture books and add animation, sound, music and narration for an online experience. |
| Curriculum resource kits |
Kits are teaching aids that promote learning across a variety of subjects that BEd students can use in their practicums. Kit items include math puzzles, literacy games, STEM, robotics, and puppets. |
| Instructional textbooks |
Textbooks to help you teach in the classroom. These range in topics and methods for instruction. |
| Course readings pickup and returns |
One-day course readings assigned by professors can be picked up and returned using the ERC self-serve cabinet. |
| Holds locker |
Put in requests for materials from any of the Western Libraries locations, including the ERC and the Affiliate University College Libraries, and pick them up at the ERC holds locker. The holds locker is located in the hallway outside of the ERC and is available anytime Althouse College is open. |
| Onsite support |
Western Libraries staff are onsite to help drop-in users find materials in the ERC physical collection and support online searching in Omni and other research databases. |
Educational researchers can access materials for their work by searching the catalogue and request for physical materials to be at any of the other Western Libraries locations, including at the Service Desk and the holds locker at ERC, or one of the Affiliate University College Libraries.
Education students and faculty are also welcome to visit and make use of library services provided at other campus library locations.
Collections
ERC Indigenous Collection
The Education Resource Centre Indigenous Collection is a small sub-set of the Western Libraries collection that aims to highlight books authored by Indigenous, Canadian writers. Most of the titles are at the juvenile reading level, and brought into primary and secondary school classrooms by Western B.Ed students. The collection was initiated by librarian Denise Horoky in 2010, and has been guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)’s Final Report and Calls to Action.
Feedback for growing and maintaining the collection is very much welcomed. If you would like to provide feedback, contact us at library@uwo.ca.
Forest of Reading Collection
The Forest of Reading Collection is Canada’s largest recreational reading program. This initiative offers ten reading programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators.
Questions
For questions about the Education Resource Centre services and collections, contact library@uwo.ca or Ask a Librarian chat service.
