The library collections for Religious Studies include an estimated 50,000 titles, of which some 270 are currently-received serials, all housed in the Rockefeller Library. There is much overlap here with resources for the Program in Judaic Studies, although support which the Library gives solely to Judaic Studies is excluded from this report. As is true of most disciplines, Religious Studies also benefits from other resources in the Library, notably philosophy, history, and classics. It should also be noted that these programs also benefit from the support for Religious Studies.
Support for Religious Studies has increased steadily since the last review, as is evident from the table below, showing the expenditures for the past two years compared with those for 1987-88 (the last year reported in the 1989 review):
| Library Support | 1987/88 | 1991/92 | 1992/93 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line item allocation | $8,000 | $7,413 | $8,621 |
| Approval support | 6,592 | 9,670 | 17,277 |
| Serial support | 9,982 | 20,258 | 23,939 |
| Total Support | $29,574 | $37,341 | $49,837 |
Expenditures for 1992/93 comprised 1.39% of the Library's total materials expenditures.
According to the Collection Development Policy Statement (attached) prepared for Religious 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/abstract services.
The Library has endeavored to achieve a RESEARCH level collection in most of the major areas of interest to Religious Studies. At the same time, we focus especially on the two areas of primary interest to the Department: early Christianity and Western religious thought. 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 Religious Studies, it is in the area of 19th and 20th-century religious thought. Here, more than in any other area, the Library needs the input of the faculty to help us determine which figures and movements are important to their teaching and research. Publishing in the field of religion is very prolific, and it is often difficult to separate the scholarly work from that aimed at a more popular audience. Overall, our collections are quite strong and have always received strong budgetary support.
William S. Monroe, Head Collection Development
Department of Religious Studies
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