Guidelines for Anthropology

Table of Contents

1. Purpose
2. General Collection Guidelines
    A. Language
    B. Chronology
    C. Geography
    D. Publication Date
    E. Treatment of Subject
    F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Related Subject Policy Statements
5. Subjects and Collecting Levels

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1. Purpose.

Collections in Anthropology support teaching and research consistent with the curriculum at a Carnegie Research Intensive (Very High Research) institution with a bachelor's degree program in the field.

The School of World Studies offers a Bachelor of Science degree. The undergraduate program emphasizes basic principles, theories, and techniques of analysis important in research oriented careers. In order to accomplish this mission, the department anthropologists have developed a strategic plan in coordination with the university strategic plan that intends to maximize the future success of our students.  This plan includes several components that focus on various aspects of applied anthropology, an international focus to the curriculum with a solid anthropological base, and a commitment to cross-disciplinary and area studies corroboration.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
English is the primary language of the collection. English translations of works in other languages are preferred. However, VCU Libraries acquires the original text of the writings of major anthropologists if the English translation is not available.

B. Chronology.
Works on all aspects of social history are collected. Emphasis is on the twentieth century, especially contemporary conditions.

C. Geography.
There is more emphasis on society in North America and Western Europe than on other geographical areas, but no area is excluded from consideration.

D. Publication Date.
Emphasis is on materials published in the past thirty years. Retrospective purchasing is selective and may involve reprints rather than the original format.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Biographies of anthropologists are collected selectively. Works of local and Virginia anthropology and archaeology are collected broadly.  There is a strong emphasis on theory, techniques, and research methods in anthropology and archaeology.  Materials on Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa are given higher priority than other world regions, though not to exclusivity.  Legal aspects of anthropology and archaeology are pertinent.  As a whole, undergraduate textbooks are not purchased though some upper undergraduate materials in field work may be selected.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Most materials acquired for the anthropology collection are in book or periodical format. Indexes, abstracts, proceedings, publications of private or quasi-public agencies, including foundations, and statistical materials of all types are collected. Purchases of dissertations and theses from other institutions is restricted. Other instructional and research formats for the collection may include microformed research collections, online databases, data sets, software, CD-ROM, film, and video and audio cassettes.

VCU Libraries is a partial depository library for U.S. government documents and a full depository library for Virginia state documents. In Richmond, numerous federal, state and local agencies are sources of statistical data and other information useful to the anthropologist.

3. Area Resources.

Students and faculty should be aware of other libraries in Richmond that also support this program. They are the University of Richmond Law Library, the Virginia Theological Seminary Library, the state Division of Criminal Justice Library, and the Virginia State Library. Faculty and students also have access to the specialized collections of the Center for Research Libraries. CRL is a cooperative research library that acquires, stores, preserves, and provides bibliographic access to a collection which supplements and complements the collections of the major research libraries of North America.

4. Related Subject Policy Statements.

Because of the interdisciplinary character of the field, publications in sociology and anthropology are of interest to many subject areas outside the disciplines themselves. Among these are social work, economics, statistics, business, education, urban studies, psychology, gerontology, history, political science, public administration, and justice administration.

5. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

Resources for Anthropology are collected at an instructional support level (3).