Exploring the Future of the Teaching Materials Center at Illinois State University: From e-Textbooks to Makerspaces

Abstract

In this project, co-investigators explored how college and university curriculum centers are addressing challenges with K-12 electronic textbooks (particularly acquisition, cataloging, and access) and implementing technology-focused services for pre-service teachers. The results of this research have provided guidance for planning the future of the curriculum center in Milner Library at Illinois State University, which comprises 2.5% of the library’s holdings and accounts for almost 25% of the library’s circulation. We identified service gaps and opportunities for improvement and are in the process of acting upon our findings, such as leveraging campus partnerships, integrating makerspace technologies, and exploring different models for ordering and processing the collection