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I. General Description of the Collection and Its Users

The History collection is comprised of reference works, monographs and serials which fall into Library of Congress classifications "D, E and F" (Eastern and Western Hemisphere history) and parts of "C" (auxiliary sciences of history - ie, history of civilization, archives, national biography). Related areas include aspects of "U" and "V" (history of military science).

The Political Science collection is comprised of reference works, monographs, and journals which, in general, fall into the Library of Congress classification "J". Related areas are: "HX" ("communism, socialism, anarchism), aspects of "K" (law) and "KF" (U.S. law). The collection includes history and theory of various political systems. However, primary emphasis is on the United States political systems and United States constitutional law, civil liberties and court processes. The core collection for both areas will be built around the American Library Association's Books for College Libraries.

The primary users of the collection are the full-time and part-time Political Science and History faculty members of the College of Liberal Arts and all RIT students fulfulling their Social Science and Humanities course requirements. Other aspects of collection use are discussed below.

II. Description of the Programs Served by the Collection

A. Undergraduate Programs--Non-Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts

   The Political Science faculty teach two introductory courses (American Politics and Political Decision Making) and offer one concentration (American Politics). The American Politics concentration includes courses on the legislative process, U.S. presidency, U.S. foreign policy, political parties, public policy, judicial process and state/local politics. In addition, the Political Science faculty participate in three interdisciplinary concentrations; namely: Global Studies with courses on international relations and comparative politics; International Relations with courses on the cold war, government and politics of Russia, Germany and the Middle East, and American foreign policy; and Peace Studies with a course on international relations. Three elective courses are also taught: Politics of Developing Countries, Twentieth Century America, and Theories of Political Systems.

   The History faculty teach two introductory courses (Modern American and Modern European History) and offer one concentration (History). The History concentration includes courses on United States, German, Russian, Latin America, Asian, Japanese and African history. Courses on specific topics such as the Black Experience, Social and intellectual history, American Women, Immigration, and U.S. Community history are also included. In addition, the History faculty participate in 6 interdisciplinary concentration, namely: Global Studies with courses on Europe since 1945 and 20th century diplomacy; International Relations with courses on Modern Germany, Strategy and Diplomacy: Europe, and the Contemporary Middle East; Minority Relations in the U.S. with courses on minority group relations, Immigrant in American History, Black Experience in American, History of social discrimination and Black civil rights; Women Studies with a course on the history of American Women; Perspectives on Religion with a course on Christianity in the West; and Foreign Language/Culture with courses on Modern Germany, Asian civilization, modern Latin American history, Japan in the Modern World, History of Mexico, and the contemporary Middle East.

   There is much overlap between the two subject areas and materials are used by faculty and students in both areas.

   The Political Science current events materials and recent historical materials are used heavily by freshman students in the required English Composition class (for term papers). Students in the Science, Technology, and Society program and the Professional and Technical Communication program also call upon the resources of the Political Science collection. ROTC students use the collection for background information in courses dealing with political action, military policy and/or international relations.

B. Undergraduate Programs - Degree

1. College of Business

The College of Business, Department of Management and Marketing offers a major in international business. These courses require social and political knowledge of individualcountries.

2. College of Applied Science and Technology

School of Food, Hotel and Tourism Management has increasingly heavy emphasis on foreign countries. This is a popular major with a growing enrollment. As above, these courses require social and political knowledge of each country.

3. College of Continuing Education

CCE offers a certificate program in international business and culture which again draws on the political science and history collections.

C. Graduate Programs

1. College of Business

   The College of Business offers a Master of Business Administration degree with an option for an international business concentration. Political and historical as well as social climates of various countries are studied. The College is also considering a Masters in International Business, which would increase the use of these materials.

III. Subject and Language Modifiers

A. Geographic Areas

The political science coursework has an emphasis on the United States point of view, with enough material on other countries to explain the background of our relations with them. There is consistent emphasis on the former U.S.S.R. republics, China, the Middle East, and the Third World with selective purchasing for any region or nation currently at the center of U.S. foreign relations.

The Historical collection covers all countries of the world. Emphasis is on the U.S. but Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East are all subject of coursework.

B. Chronological Periods

For Political Science and History, classic titles, as defined in Books for College Libraries, will form the core collection. Beyond the core collection, emphasis for political science is on develop-ments in and analysis of recent political events. Historical works concerning international relations and diplomacy and the development of the United States' political system will be selectively acquired. Emphasis for history is on all periods of American History, but more strongly on the 19th and 20th century. Selections are made to give depth to subjects focused on in coursework, i.e., immigration, intellectual history, and women's history and to give background to areas of shifting focus from current events. Other periods not emphasized will be covered selectively and as a broad survey or analysis. The history of the rest of the world is covered in survey courses for particular areas. All periods are covered but emphasis is predominantly on the19th and 20th century. Selection follows this emphasis.

C. Languages

No restrictions. Emphasis is on English-language materials. Selected foreign language studies not available in English and some bilingual materials are purchased to support the Foreign Language/Culture concentration courses.

IV. Date of Publication

General emphasis for acquisition of new titles is on current publications in all subject areas. Acquisition/retention of material older than ten years is based upon importance of the work to the discipline; usefulness for historical information/perspective; extent of current publishing in the discipline; curriculum needs for new program development; usage of existing material of same age; and physical condition of the material. Retrospective acquisition of serials to meet new program needs will be extremely selective and limited to the past five years. Document delivery will be utilized instead to meet these needs whenever feasible.

V. Treatment of Subject Matter

A. Level of Treatment

Emphasis is on a collection which supports curriculum driven needs of students (primarily undergraduate) and faculty. The special needs of the NTID students are considered where relevant. Major published source material appearing in core collection bibliographies or recommended lists will be included. Pertinent reference sources will also be acquired. Every effort is made to accommodate faculty requests for specific curriculum related titles. Popular/journalistic treatment of current events will be acquired selectively. Clearly biased materials representing a particular point of view on controversial issues will be balanced by representative material presenting counter arguments.

B. Scholarly Works

Major scholarly works pertinent to curricula will be acquired.

C. Textbooks

Textbooks are not routinely acquired unless useful as general surveys or handbooks for a particular area not otherwise represented.

D. Newspapers/Newsletters

Significant publications will be acquired. An attempt will be made to represent the "alternative press" and both sides of controversial issues.

E. Government Documents

Government publications are acquired when the content is appropriate to the subject scope of the collection; not maintained separately.

F. Maps/Atlases

Acquired selectively when appropriate for specific representations.

G. Serials

Serials are importance in this field for analysis of current events and for new perspectives on historical events.

H. Other

Pamphlets are selectively acquired if sufficiently important to warrant cataloging; no pamphlet/vertical file is maintained.

I. Multiple Copies

Multiple copies of monographic titles are acquired only when heavy use is anticipated or demonstrated or at the curriculum-based request of a faculty member.

VI. Cooperative Collection Development Arrangements

No contractual cooperative collection development agreements for this discipline have been made between RIT Library and any other library.

Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primary undergraduate curriculum- based scope of the onsite collection, access to this information will be provided through traditional, as well as, commercial document delivery services.

VII. Publication Formats

A. Microforms

Journals are routinely retained in microfilm with the exception of titles containing substantial graphical material or mathematical notation. (See Bindery Policy/Procedure-Periodicals)

B. Non-Print Materials

Acquisition of traditional non-print materials (slides, videotapes, video discs, films, sound recordings, slide/tape programs) is very selective and made in consultation with the Media Resource Center Media Specialist, usually at the request of a faculty member. Non-print materials are generally housed in the Media Resource Center.

C. Software and CD-ROM

Indexing and abstracting services and other specialized sources will be acquired in these formats where they meet subject collection criteria, as well as, the Electronic Resources Policy criteria (in process).

VIII. Collection Maintenance

Continuous maintenance of the collection is based upon systematic evaluation of materials in all locations in relationship to curriculum shifts, use statistics, core bibliographies, physical space limitations and the availability of information in alternative formats. Current periodical titles will be reviewed annually prior to their renewal. All other areas of the collection should be reviewed every three to five years. The collection maintenance process includes weeding of materials no longer relevant to curriculum needs, elimination of superfluous titles where information is duplicated in more current or authoritative sources, and ordering replacement copies of damaged and heavily used items still relevant to curriculum needs.

A. Weeding

1. Duplicates Only Weeded
a. Monographs
At least one copy in good condition of standard and classic titles listed in major general bibliographies and special subject lists, such as Books for College Libraries, should be retained in the collection.
2. Selective Weeding
   a. Monographs
   In general, history and political science materials should be reviewed every three to five years to remove materials no longer relevant to the curriculum, older materials where sufficient coverage is provided by more contemporary titles, and multiple copies of materials where high use is no longer a factor.
   b. Serials
   1. Indexing and Abstracting Services
      Indexing and abstracting publications need to be available to cover all curriculum-based topics and periods of study. Publications should only be discarded when equivalent or improved coverage is available through new sources, printed or electronic (i.e. covers approximately same or more pertinent journal titles in the field and/or provides enhanced search capabilities pertinent to our programs).
   2. Scholarly Publications
      Long runs of key scholarly journals in all aspects of history and political science that meet the criteria given in the introduction to this section should be retained indefinitely. Priority for retention should be given to titles accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library and titles not available in any other Rochester-area library. Short runs and broken runs should be scrutinized more carefully and retention decisions should be based on the collecting levels assigned in Section IX: Subject Divisions, usage statistics, importance of title to discipline, and alternative availability.
   3. Trade Journals
      Retention of trade journals should be carefully scrutinize. Those that provide, primarily, timely information (organizational news, new products, etc.) should be discarded after a period of one to five years. Those that include articles of more lasting value should be considered for longer retention, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
   4. Annuals
      Annuals should be subjected to the criteria outlined in the introduction to this section and retained indefinitely where appropriate, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
3. Current Edition/Year Only Retained
   a. Monographs
   1. Textbooks
   2. Career guidance and professional information
   3. Policy guidelines
   b. Serials
   1. Newsletters, calendars, other current awareness services providing timely information about events and activities of organizations and institutions, and employment opportunities.
   2. Membership directories

B. Replacement of Materials

1. Lost or Mutilated

Every effort should be made to replace lost or heavily mutilated titles if they are judged to be of continuing relevance to the collection. When mutilation is confined to a few pages, replacement copies of these pages should be requested through the Information Delivery Service. (See Bindery Policy/Procedure-Periodicals & -Monographs)

2. Gifts

   Gifts which duplicate existing holdings should be used to upgrade the condition of the collection by replacing worn circulating copies with more sound gift copies.

C. Stacks Maintenance

The condition of all materials should be monitored to ensure those in need of repair and rebinding are attended to before they are irreparably damaged.

IX. Subject Divisions

Any work which is historical in nature might arguably be considered for inclusion here, but generally those which are histories of topics in other bibliographers' subject areas will be referred to the appropriate librarian, and first priority in this collection will be given to the needs of students and faculty engaged in currently offered History or Political Science courses in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Continuing Education .

 

	Support Level (see Introduction for key)
A. Political Theory	C-2
B. Constitutional History (U.S.)	C-2
C. Administration (U.S.) and Agencies (U.S.)	C-2
D. Congress (U.S.)	C-2
E. Judiciary (U.S.) and Judicial Process	C-2
F. Campaigns (U.S.)	C-2
G. Political Parties (U.S.)	C-2
H. Civil Liberties, Citizenship, Suffrage (U.S.)	C-2
I. Military and Naval Science - History	C-2
J. Communism, Socialism, Anarchism	C-2
K. Current Political Events (U.S. and International)	C-2
L. Political Systems - worldwide	C-2
M. International Relations - worldwide	C-2
N. United States - History	C-2
O. Europe - History
1. Early, Medieval	D
2. Renaissance through 17th century	D
3. 18th through 20th century	C-2
P. Latin America - History	C-2
Q. Far, Near, Middle East - History	C-2
R. Third World - History	C-2
S. Local History and Politics
1. New York State	C-2
2. Rochester, Monroe County	C-2
T. Folklore	D
U. Geography - Political & Historical - worldwide	D

[rev. 7/94, 2/95]

Maintained by Sheila Smokey