Library Help

The Institute of Education Library has a large number of textbooks that represent the resources used in state schools. Some of these are catalogued and can be found in the Library Catalogue. The instructions below outline the steps you can take to find these textbooks.

1. Start at Explore. 

2. Type in the phrase 'school textbooks history' as shown below and click Search

3. Browse the search results in case there are articles or books on textbook research that may be relevant for your research.

4. Refine your results first by Library - select IOE on the left-hand side of the screen:

5. Next, refine by date (in the example below, the search results will show you all the books published between 1945 and 1965):

6. Browse the list and make a note of the books you are interested in by clicking on location and taking down the shelfmark which will have the letters TXBK and a number or an IOE shelfmark made up of letters:

7. Email the list with the author, title and shelfmark to ioe.lib-enquiries@ucl.ac.uk and let us know when you are planning on visiting the Library so that we can make arrangements to fetch the materials in order for you to view them.

Please note: Rare and fragile books can only be viewed in the Reading Room which will require you to make an appointment. You will be informed of this and given further instructions.