×

Common Searches

Resource Library

THERE'S A LIBRARY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AND BUSINESS BUILDING?
Yes, indeed! The UMSL Global Resource Library offers teaching and reference material on world cultures and global issues to educators and librarians throughout Missouri. Our collection includes books, films, music, posters, curriculum units, traveling exhibitions and cultural artifact kits.

Our goal is to internationalize education in our community by sharing university resources and expertise with K-16 schools and other civic and cultural institutions in the region. For more than 30 years, ISPRL has helped introduce students in the St. Louis region to the world's cultural diversity, global issues, and ecological interdependence, by bringing an international perspective to studies across the curriculum.

In addition to our lending collection, we offer professional development workshops. We also serve as a satellite location for the St. Louis Art Museum's resource materials, which provide for a few of our culture & touch kits.

WHERE ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOUR HOURS?
We are in Room 349 in the Social Sciences and Business Building on North Campus - UMSL Map

Please email cislibrary@umsl.edu before visiting. 

MAILING ADDRESS:
UMSL Global Resource Library
366 SSB (MC 58)
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63121-4400

WHAT IS THE BORROWING PROCEDURE?
Borrowers may contact the UMSL Global Resource Library by telephone, (314) -516-6455, or by email  cislibrary@umsl.edu. The normal loan period is two (2) weeks from date of pick up or three (3) weeks if material is returned by mail to our office. The normal loan period is two (2) weeks from date of pick up or three (3) weeks if material is returned by mail to our office. There is a $5 deposit each for borrowing culture kits (below). Up to 5 culture kits and 10 books may be checked out at one time. 

As with all curriculum materials, teachers are advised to preview the materials to determine suitability for their students and local community.

OUR COLLECTION: BOOKS, FILMS, MUSIC, CURRICULUM UNITS, CULTURAL ARTIFACT KITS, EXHIBITS AND POSTER SETS.


CULTURAL ARTIFACT KITS 

A kit is a collection of items representative of a country or culture and intended for hands-on use by students. Both traditional and modern aspects are presented. Typically, kits contain things like traditional clothing, crafts, games, artifacts, posters, coins, flags, books, and music. Some kits have consumable articles such as incense, tea and calligraphy ink. Some kits include lesson plans and item description cards. Please use the link above and click Culture & Touch Kits to see all kits, their respective inventories, and their availability. ***Please note: Grade levels assigned to kits are representative of the curriculum included in the kit. Most materials can be used with all age groups (Pre-K - 16).

EXHIBITS & POSTER SETS
Africa
Africa: Photos representing eight major countries
Nelson Mandela: A photo exhibit of his life
Asia
Asia (East): Photos representing eight major countries
Children's Art from China
Chinese Festivals
Children's Art from Japan
Middle East: From Turkey to Iran (6 posters)
Vietnam War
Australia
Australia: maps & posters
Americas (North, Central & South)
Columbus & the New World
New World Foods
Mexican Art
South America: Photos representing eight major countries
Others
1989-1990: A Taste of Freedom in South Africa, China, East Germany, Lithuania, Romania and Russia
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
Material World: A Global Family Portrait

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

The following workshops are presented in partnership with Springboard

Our Mission: Springboard provides programs in the arts, cultures, humanities and sciences to schools and community organizations. These programs inspire their audiences to embrace knowledge and new experiences that broaden their horizons.

For more information on Springboard programs please visit their website.

Cross-Cultural Story Telling
This teacher’s workshop will discuss how to effectively use children’s literature as a tool for developing cultural literacy among students. Possible questions that could be addressed include: Are some types of stories universal? If so, what makes them culturally unique? What can we learn about a culture from their stories? How might the story of Cinderella change if you heard it from an Asian perspective or an African perspective? What characteristics make a hero in a culture other than your own? This workshop can also be specified to a specific theme. Examples include: folk tales across Cultures, Heroes across Cultures, "Cinderella" across Cultures, Villains across Cultures etc. Presenter: Eleanor Taylor, Level: Teachers K-12

Cross-Cultural Character Education and Community Building
In this professional development workshop, examples of multicultural children’s literature will be presented for teaching culturally conscious character education and community building. Teachers will have the opportunity to discuss how to effectively use culturally based character and community building stories in the classroom to promote student character development, civic responsibility, and school community building. Special attention can be given to specific themes if requested (e.g. peacemaking and conflict resolution). Presenter: Eleanor Taylor, Level: Teachers K-6