Developing and Managing the Brown University Library Collections
Collection Policies by Subject:   Language Studies

• Library Liaisons:
  Dominique_Coulombe@brown.edu
  
  
• Departmental Library Representative (DLR): 
  Beth_Bauer@brown.edu

• Description of the Academic Program | Center for Language Studies Home Page
  The Center for Language Studies (CLS), established in 1987, "is the locus on campus for faculty and staff with interests in language teaching, learning, and research. The Center's mission is to strengthen language study through cooperation across departm ental lines. CLS promotes the development of curricula and teaching practices and resources which stress interdisciplinary study". As part of its mission to provide support for advancing knowledge in the learning, teaching and research of all languages o ffered at Brown University, CLS is responsible for the following programs:
  • American Sign Language
  • English for International Teaching Assistants
  • The Language Resource Center (LRC)which houses a growing collection of media such as audio, video, laserdiscs, DVDs, computer software and television news broadcast. Many of these titles are represented in Josiah, the Library online catalog. LRC is also responsible for developing electronic resources in support of the learning and teaching of languages.
  • Languages Across the Curriculum
  • Language Partners Program

  The Center for Language Studies promotes the development of excellence in learning and teaching languages, and supports undergraduate courses in Hindi/Urdu language, culture and literature, and in American Sign Language and deaf culture. It also encourage s the study and learning of languages which are not taught regularly on campus through Independent Study Projects. The Center for Language Studies organizes conferences, workshops, and serves as a liaison with the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning
• Database of Honors, Masters, and Ph.D Theses

• Overview of the Collection
  Until 1999, the Library's extensive collections in linguistics, comparative literature, modern languages, literature and culture provided support to various interdisciplinary aspects of the Center for Language Studies programs. In 1999, a collection devel opment Librarian was assigned the role of Library liaison to CLS and the Director of CLS took on the responsibility of Departmental Library Representative. This communication channel enabled the Library to gain an awareness of the specific needs of CLS, and library materials are now acquired in direct support of research and studies in the fields of language acquisition, English as a second language, American Sign Language, Hindi and Urdu language and literature, relationship between speech and communicat ion, and modern languages syntax and pedagogy.

  Resources which directly support Language Studies programs are classed primarily in the Library of Congress classifications of P, PB, PK and HV. Library resources for languages taught on campus are classed in their respective category: PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PL, and PM. Works on bilingual education are classed in LC3701-3740.

  To further the CLS mission of promoting excellence in language acquisition instruction and study, its members explore such research interests as: second language acquisition (SLA); the development of teaching practices based on SLA theory and research; foreign/second language pedagogy; sociolinguistics; pragmatics, and its role in language use and learning; film studies and the use of media in language instruction and learning; linguistics of the languages taught at Brown; the role and use of technol ogy in language instruction and learning; contemporary literatures; and historical movements in literature as these relate to language acquisition and use.

  See Library support statement for Academic cluster review process for the Center for Language Studies.

• General Collecting Guidelines The desired coverage is at the study level. A study level collection supports undergraduate and graduate course work, but may not hold the specialized primary sources and journals necessary for graduate and faculty research.

• Specific Collecting Guidelines
  
  • Language: English is the primary language for books on the topics of language acquisition and American Sign Language. Language and literary works are acquired in support of the Hindi and Urdu programs. LRC and the Library acquire audio-visual materials for specific language, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary courses. Western European languages represent the largest percentage of these holdings, followed by Eastern European languages, Arabic, Asian and African languages.
  • Chronological Span: Primarily contemporary works.
  • Imprint Date: Current imprints. Occasional purchase of retrospective materials in support of research needs.
  • Geographical Range: Emphasis has been traditionally on American and European imprints. In recent years, we have expanded the scope of the collections to include works in Urdu and Hindi.
  • Types of Material Included: Books, print periodicals and a growing number of journals in electronic format. The Library acquires feature films and documentaries on videocassette and DVD. Materials in electronic formats such as CD-ROM, DVD, DVD-ROM and networked resources used in the teaching and study of foreign languages are acquired according to their licensing agreements and their compatibility with the Library system. Heretofore audio-visual materials acquired by the Library have been housed at Media Services. The Library and LRC are currently reassessing their collection development and location policies for these materials
  • Excluded: For audio-visual and networked resources used in the teaching and study of foreign languages, consult the Language Resource Center (LRC).

• Areas of Distinction
  The Library has an extensive collection of dictionaries, encyclopedias, grammars, bibliographies and other tools in many languages. Library resources are purchased in support of the teaching and study of Hindi/Urdu and the program in American Sign Langua ge and deaf culture. Databases of interest to CLS include Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL), MLA Bibliography, ERIC, Arts and Humanities Citation index, Dissertation Abstracts, and Worldcat. Users can access some French dictionaries and a verb conjugation software through ARTFL (the American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language) and a CD-ROM accessible from workstations in the individual libraries on campus, L'Atelier historique de la langue franôaise.

• Breakdown of Subjects and Collecting Levels
  
  
• New Titles Cataloged

• Related Collections and Other Resources
  Brown is a member of the Center for Research Libraries, which "operates a global cooperative collection development program that assists academic and research libraries in making otherwise inaccessible and important research materials permanently available to scholars and researchers." CRL holds collections of international newspapers and dissertations. For further information, check with the Interlibrary Loan Office (Phone: (401) 863-2750; Email: Interlibrary_Loan@brown.edu.

• Internet resources:
  Language Resource Center's links for individual languages
  Ethnologue: Languages of the World
  Foreign Language Dictionaries