Collaboration at the Center: Librarian, Faculty, and Students Partner to Revive Their Curriculum Lab

Abstract

This article describes the ongoing impact of a class project on the library’s work to improve its curriculum materials center (CMC) and the students’ reflection on the impact of project-based learning (PBL) on their work as preservice teachers. Arcadia University’s Landman Library houses a Curriculum Lab, which provides materials and space to support the School of Education. Use of the space and collection was low, and many materials were outdated. An education professor and the liaison librarian partnered with students enrolled in the Designing Learning Environments course (ED411) to develop a plan to improve the Curriculum Lab. This real-world redesign project created an opportunity for students to apply and transfer theories they were learning about in their readings to an actual educational project. The students wrote a mission statement, drew up a blueprint, and gathered ideas for their vision of the Curriculum Lab. Students then presented their work to university administrators. Though the class has since ended, students still contribute to the project through a volunteer advisory group.