The library collections for Anthropology include more than 20,000 titles in those areas identified to be of most interest to our faculty. There are many more titles scattered throughout the Library of Congress Classification, especially in the D’s and the H’s, which are relevant to anthropology. In addition to the monographs, we currently subscribe to some 180 serial titles on behalf of the Anthropology Department.
The table below shows the estimated expenditures for the past three years, compared with those for 1993/94 (the last year in the previous report:
| Library Support | 1992/93 | 1993/94 | 1994/95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firm Orders | $8,153 | $6,328 | $9,221 |
| Approvals | 8,271 | 6,500 | 9,000 |
| Serials | 4,338 | 3,597 | 4,445 |
| Total Support | $20,762 | $16,425 | $22,666 |
The variation in expenditures from one year to another is due to the existence of a large pool of "start-up" funds. These funds are carried over from one fiscal year to another, and are spent only for materials identified by the new faculty for whom they are designated. I would like to emphasize the importance of receiving such funds, which come from the Dean of the Faculty. They are essential for improving the collections in areas we had not before collected, without straining the regular materials budget.
According to the Collection Development Policy Statement prepared for Judaic Studies in 1983, the desired coverage for most 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 materials containing research reporting, new findings, and other information useful to researchers. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, and an extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstract services.
The Library has endeavored to achieve a RESEARCH level collection in most of the major areas of interest to Judaic Studies. This represents a significant upgrade from the level of collecting ten years ago. We have certainly not attained Research Level in all areas, notably modern Jewish society and politics, and modern Hebrew literature. Until recently, we focused especially on the two areas of primary interest to the Department: Ancient Judaism and modern Jewish society and politics. These had been indicated as the doctoral programs. In most other areas the Library maintains a STUDY LEVEL collection. This is a level which is adequate to support undergraduate and graduate course work.
If there are any weaknesses in the collection supporting Judaic studies, it is in the areas of modern Jewish society, and modern Hebrew literature. When I took over selection in Judaic Studies this year, I was told that the program in modern Jewish society and politics was in abeyance. On the other hand, we have been building strongly in modern Hebrew literature, with guidance from the faculty. This is an area in which we barely collected at all when the collection policy was written in 1984.
William S. Monroe, Head Collection Development
Department of Judaic Studies
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