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I. General Description of the Collection and Its Users

The Sociology collection is comprised of reference works, monographs, and journals which fall, generally, into the Library of Congress classifications"H' (social science history and theory) and "HM to HT" (sociology history and theory, social psychology, history of social problems, marriage, sociology). Medical sociology, classified under Medicine "RA", is considered part of this collection although it is also used heavily in the Science, Technology, and Society curriculum. Similarly, Educational Sociology, classified under Education LC is considered here although it is also used by the Master's Degree School Psychology program. In all cases the core collection is built retrospectively around Books for College Libraries. The "HV" Human Services collection is not described in this section, since they are treated separately under Collection Development policies for Social Work and Criminal Justice.

The Anthropology collection is also based on the Books for College Libraries core collection but is more limited in scope and depth as fewer courses are taught in this area. Cultural diversity is the area with the greatest emphasis.

Both collections are used by the sociology/anthropology faculty of the College of Liberal Arts, the entire undergraduate RIT student body as they fulfill their core course requirements, the students and faculty of the Criminal Justice and Social Work B.S. degree programs, students and faculty of the graduate and undergraduate College of Business programs, and students and faculty of the M.S. program in School Psychology.

II. Description of the Programs Served by the Collection

A. Undergraduate Programs--Non-Credit

1. Counseling Center

The marriage/family/human sexuality areas are used by the Counseling Center staff for non-credit seminars on interpersonal relations and human sexuality.

2. ROTC

   In support of studies of the social context of the military.

B. Undergraduate Programs--Non-Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts-Behavioral Science Division, Sociology and Anthropology curriculum.

   In addition to an introductory sociology course, the Sociology/Anthropology faculty of College of Liberal Arts offer a concentration called Social Change in a Technological Society. This includes studies of social change, the American family, the American urban experience, and general problems of American work, health and society. Sociology/Anthropology faculty also contribute to three interdisciplinary concentrations: 1) Women's Studies and 2) Minority Relations, 3) Perspectives on Religion. Individual elective courses for Anthropology include American Culture and Cultural diversity, Sociology electives include Sociology of Leadership. Aging and Society, Juvenile Justice, Population and Society, Criminology, The Urban Experience, Knowledge Utilization, Deaf Culture in America, and Cultural Diversity in Education. Materials on various social problems are heavily used by English Composition students doing term papers each year. The collection also supports Senior Seminar coursework on difference and community.

C. Undergraduate Programs--Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts, Behavioral Science Division.

   a. B.S. in Criminal Justice and B.S. in Social Work

   The sociology collection is used heavily by both Criminal Justice and Social Work majors in the areas of marriage, family, parenting, aging, as well as for material on alternative lifestyles, American minorities, the role of women, urban problems, other social problems, and U.S. Census data.

   b. Economics B.S. Degree

   Economics students use materials on employment, family, minorities, urban problems, and lifestyles. In particular, they make heavy use of U.S. Census data.

2. College of Business

General social context for economic, political, and social issues or problems.

3. College of Continuing Education

   Introductory courses and electives involving social issues or problems.

D. Graduate Programs

1. College of Liberal Arts

   a. Master of Science in School Psychology.

   This program uses the collection covering family, parenting and the social development of children. Titles in Educational Sociology are also important.

2. College of Business

   a. Master of Business Administration

   Titles in social sciences theory and method are important to the M.B.A. program as our general social problems and their impact on the economic/business climate. The social psychology section, which includes group and organizational behavior, is of particular importance. U.S. Census data is also used.

3. College of Fine and Applied Art

   a. Master of Science for Art Education

   Uses the educational sociology materials.

III. Subject and Language Modifiers

A. Geographic Areas

The geographic focus of the collection is primarily on the United States, with sufficient background materials on other cultures to support internatinal relations courses and courses on U.S. ethnic groups.

B. Chronological Periods

Emphasis is on current developments or analysis of recent events.

C. Languages

No restrictions. Emphasis is on English-language materials.

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. Clearly biased materials representing a particular point of view on controversial issues will be balanced by representative material presenting alternatives. Biographies and popular/journalistic treatments will be selectively acquired.

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 of importance in this field to keep abreast of current perspectives and studies of social structures, groups, and problems.

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 Sources of Information in the Social Sciences and Books for College Libraries, should be retained in the collection.
2. Selective Weeding
   a. Monographs
   In general, sociology and anthropology 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 sociology and anthropology 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 scrutinized. Those that provide, primarily, timely information (industry 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. Manuals of practice
   3. Career guidance and professional information
   4. Standards and 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 RIT Library Bindery Policy:Monographs and RIT Library Bindery Policy: Serials)

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

 

	Support Level (see Introduction for key)
A. Anthropology	C-2
B. Social Science -Theory and Method	C-2
C. Population Policy (U.S. and World)	C-2
D. Housing Policy and Conditions (U.S.)	C-2
E. Sociology - History and Theory	C-2
F. Social Psychology	C-2
G. Social Problems (U. S.)	C-2
H. Sexual Relations	C-2
I. Marriage and Family	C-2
J. Women's Studies	C-2
K. Urban Sociology	C-2
L. Sociology of Education	C-1
M. Sociology of Medicine	C-2
N. U.S. Census	C-1

[rev. 7/94]

Maintained by Sheila Smokey