The Ph.D. Program in Political Science at Brown University offers specialties in four areas - American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory. It is estimated that the Library holds (based upon Library of Congress classifications for core Political Science - JA through JX), approximately 28,500 titles, of which about 182 are current serials. It can also be assumed that students and faculty in Political Science utilize the collections of other disciplines for their research, e.g., history, social development, or political economy.
Below is a breakdown of expenditures for the past three academic years
| Library Expenditures | 1993/94 | 1994/95 | 1995/96 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firm Orders | $3,113 | $3,478 | $3,560 |
| Approvals | 20,000 | 30,000 | 37,652 |
| Serials | 15,671 | 15,212 | 14,413 |
| Total | $38,784 | $48,690 | $55,625 |
Overall, the Library has been acquiring materials at the RESEARCH and STUDY level for Political Science, based on the Collection Policy Statement developed in 1984 (currently being revised). The Chairperson of the Political Science Department reported that he has received no feedback from the faculty about major gaps or serious omissions in the collection. He noted that like other departments, more funding for serial subscriptions or electronic products would be welcomed. The Chairperson did observe, though, some possible shortcomings in the collection regarding 'Area Studies", i.e., the study of Western European, Asian, East European, Latin American, or African Politics. Since the Collection Policy Statement specifically states that primary focus is given to U.S. politics and English language material, more collection development effort might be required here. He also stressed that continuing access to the Lexis-Nexis databases be maintained. (The Library plans to do so, but the cost is expected to increase drastically over the next few years, with a restructuring of the rates. Fortunately, along with the change in prices comes a more liberal access policy.)
In general, it appears that the Library is adequately supporting the research needs of graduate students in Political Science.
Michael Jackson, Collection Development Librarian for Political Science
Department of Political Science
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