The library collections for French Studies include an estimated 30,000 titles, of which some 90 are currently-received serials, all housed in the Rockefeller Library. This includes only material supporting the study of language and literature. Because the interests of the Department of French Studies are broader, it benefits also from materials purchased for History, Political Science, Libguistics, Modern Culture & Media, History of Art, Philosophy, Women's Studies, Comparative Literature, and other fields.distributed over a range of classifications.
The table below shows the expenditures for the past three years:
| Library Support | 1995/96 | 1996/97 | 1997/98 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firm Orders | $10,022 | $11,204 | $11,478 |
| Approvals | 3,112 | 3,533 | 3,231 |
| Serials | 7,963 | 8,463 | 7,804 |
| Total Support | $21,097 | $23,200 | $22,513 |
These expenditures are similar to those for most of the other foreign language and literature programs, and the firm order expenditures have risen considerably since the last report (then between $3,000 and $6,000)
According to the Collection Development Policy Statement prepared for French Studies in 1983, the desired coverage in many aspects of the discipline is RESEARCH. A RESEARCH level collection is one which includes the major source materials required for dissertation and independent research, including primary sources and specialized journals. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as the major indexing/abstract services. In other parts of the field, the Library seeks to maintain a STUDY level collection. A STUDY level collection is one which supports undergraduate and graduate course work, but which may not hold the specialized primary sources and journals necessary for graduate or faculty research. The Library has endeavored to maintain its French studies collections at RESEARCH or STUDY levels, as indicated in the policy statement. This statement, however, needs revision to bring it up to date with current interests of the Department.
Last year we acquired access to ARTFL, a large database of French literary texts. Some faculty in the Department had wanted this, and the Department itself provided the initial funding. We think it has been very useful for both research and teaching.
The interests of the Department are quite broad, and not limited strictly to French language and literature. The support provided by other disciplines is thus very important. They have also added one new faculty member since the last report. As is always the case, start-up funds to build the collections for new faculty members would be very helpful. In light of what the graduate students have said about the library collections, we would also like to meet with them to determined more clearly what are their needs.
William S. Monroe, Head Collection Development
Department of French Studies
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