The Milbank Memorial Library supports teaching and research at the masters and doctoral levels for Art and Art Education. It also supports faculty and other scholarly research in the fields. Materials collected include those works pertinent to the philosophy of art, multicultural arts, international art education, comparative education in the arts, museum education, teaching of aesthetics, artistic development across the life span, curriculum design, teaching methodology, structures in the visual arts, children's art, teaching and administration of the arts at the school and college level, and evaluation of arts programs in traditional and nontraditional settings. The Library also collects materials at the instructional support level on art theory and studio art.
With the support of the Florence And Eugene E. Myers Charitable Remainder Unitrust, Teachers College Milbank Memorial Library has enhanced its collections of contemporary materials on art and art education. Research level art books as well as curriculum materials that support K-12 art instruction are acquired from notable publishers and distributors, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Institute, and the National Association for Art Education, among others. A number of videos have been acquired from Public Broadcasting Corporation, the Educational Video Network, and the Roland Collection, a major learning resource of films and videos with enduring importance made available by international filmmaker Anthony Roland. These materials help fulfill national standards in the teaching of art from kindergarten through grade twelve and beyond. Subjects cover painting, drawing, graphics, sculpture, architecture and design, and photography and video art from early cultures through the present day.
Educational Software and Multimedia Resources also strengthen research and curriculum resources in art and art education. Electronic titles are accessible by broad subject area from the Library's personal computers.
Special Collections in art education include archives and manuscripts, books and ephemeral publications, and original works of art by children and students. These collections are part of the library's Center for Visual Resources, a major program that is currently under development. When fully realized, the Center will combine distinctive collections of visual materials and archives of art education with spaces for exhibition, conservation, and research.
