STAFF RESOURCES

Collection Development Statement
Political Science

A. SYSTEM-WIDE SUBJECT OVERVIEW

1. Programs Supported at Each Campus

New Brunswick: PhD, MA, BA; academic year 1993/94: faculty--20 full professors (2 jointly with Eagleton), 9 associate professors (1 jointly with Eagleton), 4 assistant professors and no lecturers; courses--128 undergraduate courses and 31 graduate courses; students--700 undergraduate majors and 103 graduate students; and degrees granted--320 BAs granted, 7 MAs granted and 8 PhDs granted.

Newark: MA, BA

Camden: BA

2. Selectors

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library: Political Science Selector

Newark:

Dana Library:

Camden:

Robeson Library:

3. Purpose

To support undergraduate and graduate instruction and faculty research in the fields of Political Science on all three campuses. At Rutgers University, Political Science is divided into eight fields: political theory, political economy, women and politics, mass politics, international relations, comparative politics, public law and American political institutions.

Selectors of Political Science materials for each library work independently of one another. Each selector selects according to the needs of faculty research and/or the programs of its campus and/or college; the selectors in Newark and Camden select for their BA and/or MA programs, and the selector for the Alexander library selects for a collection supporting BA, MA and PhD programs and for faculty research. Duplication is unavoidable and is justifiable; important primary and secondary works are needed at all three campuses.

In support of instruction and faculty research, the Political Science selector at the Alexander Library must communicate and coordinate with the Government Publications selector, for Political Science relies greatly upon the Government Publications collection; the primary collections of Government Publications are located in the Alexander Library and the Library of Science and Medicine. Selectors for Political Science in libraries other than the Alexander and LSM must select government publications on an individual basis. Unfortunately, the collections of Government Publications in the Alexander Library and LSM are not accessible through IRIS.

Though the Political Science selectors do not coordinate with the selectors of the Law Libraries in Newark and Camden, students and faculty of Political Science utilize the legal collections of the Newark and Camden Law Libraries. Unfortunately, the collections of the Newark and Camden Law Libraries are not included in IRIS; however, recent holdings of the Newark Law Library are accessible through the campus network.

The interdisciplinary nature of the study of Political Science also requires the reliance upon and support of the selectors in virtually all the fields in the Social Science and Humanities and of foreign language materials. In addition, amongst the selectors in each of the libraries, there is cooperation and coordination of the buying of interdisciplinary materials.

4. Resource Sharing Arrangements or Limitations

Standard Statement.

5. History

New Brunswick:

Newark:

Camden:

6. Location of Materials

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--primary collection for New Brunswick and the RUL system. 1990 shelflist total: 28,283 monographs. In addition, there are significant collections of international, foreign, New Jersey, state (other than New Jersey), legal (state and federal) materials and federal government publications and microform collections in the Government Publications collection of the Alexander Library.

Douglass Library--Primary collection in Women's Studies. 1990 shelflist total: 6,618 monographs.

Kilmer Library--1990 shelflist total: 8,557 monographs.

Newark:

Dana Library--supports Master's level and undergraduate programs in Political Science. 1990 shelflist totals: 10,396 monographs.

Camden:

Robeson Library--supports Master's level undergraduate programs in Political Science. 1990 shelflist totals: 9,581 monographs.

B. COLLECTION GUIDELINES

1. Languages

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--primarily, an English language collection. Foreign language materials will be acquired very selectively; oftentimes, foreign language selectors will be consulted, and the foreign language selector will acquire Political Science materials.

Newark:

Dana Library--non-English language materials are seldom purchased.

Camden:

Robeson Library--only English language materials.

2. Chronological Guidelines

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--no restrictions.

Newark:

Dana Library--emphasis is 19th and 20th century

Camden:

Robeson Library--no restrictions

3. Geographical Guidelines

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--no restrictions

Newark:

Dana Library--in the past, primary emphasis was on the Unites States, Great Britain and Western Europe; recent emphasis includes Middle East, Third World countries and significant works on non-Western countries.

Camden:

Robeson Library--no restrictions.

4. Treatment of Subject

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--Seeks to acquire the major journals in the various fields of Political Science to support faculty and graduate student research. Seeks to be comprehensive in the acquisition of primary and secondary works published by university presses and major publishers; treatments from other publishers will be acquired very selectively. Popular treatments will be acquired very selectively. Publications from "think tanks" will be pursued aggressively.

Kilmer Library--collects in the fields of Political Science in the following order of emphasis: American institutions, public law, comparative politics and political theory.

Newark:

Dana Library--collection is geared towards meeting the needs of the Department; emphasis is on political theory, international relations and public administration.

Camden:

Robeson Library--close attention is given to the needs of individual courses in the Department: especially, upper- division seminars.

5. Types of Materials

Standard Statement.

6. Strengths and Weaknesses

New Brunswick:

Alexander Library--There are no great areas of strength in the Political Science collection. At best, it is an adequate research level collection. The monograph collection is adequate to support instruction and faculty research. While the journal collection could be strengthened, it is adequate to support instruction and for most of the faculty's research, but cuts in the journal collection will quickly make it inadequate for faculty research.

There are areas of weakness. More Political Science journals need to be added: an area of immediate concern are area studies and international law journals. Erosion of the present journal collection will soon make it inadequate for many areas of faculty research. Government Publications not being in IRIS is a glaring weakness. New Brunswick Political Science faculty and graduate students having to go to Newark or Camden in order to use legal databases is a problem. The political theory collection (monographs and journals) should be an area of strength in the future. Not having an area of strength or excellence in the collection is a weakness.

C. COLLECTION RESPONSIBILITIES BY SUBJECT SUBDIVISION

SPECIAL COUNTRIES
SUBDIVISIONEXISTINGCURRENTASSIGNMENT
General Legislative and Executive Papers33ALEX/Dana/Robe  
United States Documentss33ALEX
President's Messages and Other Executive Documentss33ALEX
Collections and General Workss33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Political Theory; Theory of the States33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Nationalisms33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Symbolism; Emblems of the States22ALEX/Robe
Forms of the States33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Purpose, Functions and Relations of the States33DANA/Robe/Alex
State and Individual; Individual Rights; Liberty; Constitutional History and Administrations33ALEX/Dana/Robe
General Works; Comparative Works33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Organs and Functions of Government33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Federal and State Relations23DANA/Alex/Robe
Political Rights and Guarantees, including Citizenship, Suffrage, Electoral Systems, Representation, the Ballot33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Government; Administration33DANA/Robe/Alex
Political Parties33ALEX/Dana/Robe
United States33ALEX/Dana/Robe
State Government23ALEX/Dana/Robe
Confederate States of America23ALEX
British America; Latin America23ALEX/Dana/Robe
Europe33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Asia; Africa; Australia; Oceania23ALEX/Dana/Robe
Local Government23ALEX/Dana/Robe
Municipal Government23ALEX/Robe/Dana
Local Government Other than Municipal23ALEX/Dana/Robe
Colonies and Colonization; Emigration and Immigration33ALEX/Dana/Robe
International Law; International Relations33ALEX/Dana/Robe
Collections, Documents, Cases23ALEX/Robe/Dana


 
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