Guidelines for History

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. Subjects and Collecting Levels

 

---

1. Purpose.

Collections in History support a research agenda consistent with research enterprise at a Carnegie Research Intensive (Very High Research) institution with bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the field.

The purpose of the history curriculum is to expose the student to a multi-dimensional analysis of the human past.  Knowledge gained through such analysis not only has the intrinsic appeal of any disciplined intellectual inquiry, but also constitutes an indispensable basis for active citizenship and for critical thinking about the society in which one lives.  Historical training at the undergraduate level therefore provides access to personal and social awareness within the rich tradition of the liberal arts; it is also an ideal means of preparing the student for a wide range of careers or for further professional study.

The Department of History offers the Bachelor of Arts in history as well as a minor area of concentration.  History majors interested in teaching early, middle, secondary, or special education may enroll in an Extended Teacher Preparation Program that results in the simultaneous awarding of a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in teaching.

The M.A. Program in History at Virginia Commonwealth University offers students diverse opportunities to further their education, to establish professional credentials, to prepare for entry into doctoral programs, and to enrich their knowledge of history.  Strengths of the program are in Southern US History and African-American History.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
English is preferred, but primary and secondary sources in Western European languages may be purchased selectively in support of faculty research.

B. Chronology.
No limitations.

C. Geography.
Collecting efforts focus primarily on the history of the Americas and Canada, the Caribbean, Western Europe, Eastern bloc countries, Africa, and Israel. There is selective collecting of material on the Near and Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Rim.

D. Publication Date.
In general, monographs with a publication date previous to 1900 are not acquired.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Works offering a critical, technical, historical, or biographical treatment of a subject are acquired. Theses are purchased only if they provide a unique source of information unavailable elsewhere. Juvenilia or popularizations are not acquired.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Most materials are in the form of books and periodicals. In addition to serials and monographs, these include dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and specialized bibliographies. Films, videos, slide collections, kits, and cassettes providing instructional support are selectively collected. Particular attention has been given to strengthening serial holdings through the addition of new titles and the purchase of corresponding backfiles, when possible. An effort is also made to remediate any deficiencies in retrospective monographic holdings. Unpublished theses and dissertations are collected on a highly selective basis, when they provide an unique source of information on a particular topic.  Major primary sources in electronic formats can be acquired funds permitting.

Excluded are textbooks, juvenile or popularized treatments of material, and maps.

3. Area Resources.

Notable among area resources are the Virginia State Library and Archives, the Virginia Historical Society, the Valentine Museum, and the Museum of the Confederacy.

4. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

History is collected at a research level (4).