mild/moderate disabilities (including learning disabilities, behavior disorders and mild/mental retardation)
severe disabilities (includes moderate to severe disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, chronic health conditions and multiple disabilities)
early intervention
gifted and talented
behavior management and positive behavioral support
applied behavior analysis
technology use with special populations
transition services
collaboration and consultation
language development of exceptional populations
parents and families of exceptional students
diversity issues in special education
inclusion efforts in schools
assessment issues.

The department offers the following degrees: M.Ed. and Ph.D., plus an add-on certification program in Special Education at the undergraduate level. Certifications are offered in: Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Educational Diagnostician, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Severe Disabilities, Early Intervention, Blind/Visual Impairments, and Gifted Education.

In addition to the support for the specific degree programs of the Special Education Department, the collection, especially in view of its broad interdisciplinary nature, also serves as a resource for other disciplines. Related departments and programs covering subjects of interest to Special Education include: Psychology, Educational Leadership, Counseling, & Foundations, Curriculum and Instruction, and Human Performance and Health Promotion.

Languages
The language of acquisition is English.

Chronological Guidelines
The primary emphasis of the collection is on current research and practice.

Geographical Guidelines
Primary emphasis is on special education practice in the United States.

Treatment of Subject
Publications on the theory, practice, and methods of teaching the various exceptional populations are of prime importance to the collection. Also important are works concerning the management and administration of special education and habilitative services. Materials dealing with the role of government in and the legal aspects of service delivery are also acquired.

Works that cover the psychological aspects of special education--primarily applied behavior analysis, and formal and informal assessment or evaluation instruments and intervention strategies are selectively acquired. Materials addressing use of technology in special education are also selectively acquired. Sources covering the medical aspects of hearing and visual impairments as well as other physical disabilities should also be occasionally considered for purchase.

Textbooks are acquired on a selective basis and usually at the advanced level.

Types of Material

Monographs and serial publications form the basis for acquisitions. Reference materials, including bibliographies, handbooks, directories, encyclopedias, and indexes are acquired. Theses and dissertations from institutions other than UNO are generally not acquired.

Publications of U.S. government agencies are acquired through the U.S. Federal Depository Program. Microforms, especially those supplied by the Educational Resources Information Service (ERIC), are also acquired. Serial backfiles and subscriptions are also considered for purchase in microform. Educational videos and books with accompanying material in media or electronic format may be also be considered for purchase.

Proceedings and publications of various special education related organizations are selectively acquired. Standardized tests and other evaluation/assessment instruments are generally not acquired although materials reviewing and evaluating them are considered for purchase.

Date of Publication
Current materials are most important. Emphasis is on materials published within the past five years.

Other Resources
The library's Multimedia Collection houses a major resource for Special Education & Habilitative Services, namely the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) collection on microfiche. This complete set is updated monthly and includes nearly all the research reports, bibliographies, curriculum guides, professional papers, conference proceedings, theses, etc. indexed by ERIC. One can also link to the full text of these documents back to 1996 by using the EBSCO version of of the ERIC database. Multimedia also houses a number of backfiles of special education related periodicals.

The Government Documents section of the library is also a resource for nearly every publication emanating from the U.S. Dept. of Education.