Information Services

Collection Development Policy

Gender & Women's Studies

Purpose

The library collection at Connecticut College seeks to adequately support the broad instructional and research needs of the undergraduates and faculty in gender and women's studies.   The Library seeks to collect materials that study gender and women as discrete subjects as well as overlapping topics of many other academic disciplines.   Historically, Connecticut College Library was had a strong collection of women's studies resources.   More recently, this discipline has been broadened to include all issues of gender and sexuality.   There is a current emphasis on transnational feminism and social movements which the Library aims to reflect in its' collection building.   Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this subject much overlap can be found in other subject areas within the library.

General Subject Boundaries

The Gender and Women's Studies Department has research and teaching interests that are broadly based in the following areas:   transnational feminism, social movements, gender studies and sexuality studies.   The library's collection attempts to reflect these areas of interest at the undergraduate level.   Faculty research needs will be accommodated within the scope of the general guidelines and limits of the materials budget.   In general, the Library does not collect textbooks or multiple copies of materials.

Faculty are invited to submit purchase requests and make recommendations to the departmental liaison.   The liaison, in consultation with the Director of Information Resources, will make the final purchasing decision.

The periodic removal (weeding or deselection) of extraneous and obsolete materials from the shelves will be conducted using the criteria outlined in the Collection Development and Information Access Policy.   Faculty are encouraged to give consultation in this process.

Types of Materials Collected

The primary types of materials that support undergraduate research and teaching include monographs, journals, databases and indexes relevant to gender and women's studies, general reference works, audiovisual materials and government documents.   While monographs will provide the bulk of research materials, the Library will maintain its collection of journals relevant to this discipline and will provide additional full text electronic journal access when feasible.   Currently, a new journal will be added to the collection only if a title of equal or greater value is cancelled.   For all types of materials, the emphasis will be on current materials published in English.

Format of Materials Collected

Monographs and general reference works will be acquired in print format.   The Library also has a subscription to a growing electronic book collection that covers many different subjects with an emphasis on currently published works.   Generally, the Library will subscribe to journals in one format only, and preference will be given to electronic format when available with the exceptions listed in the Collection Development and Information Access Policy.   Preference will also be given to electronic indexes with full text access to journal articles when coverage is comparable.   Audiovisual materials are an increasingly important part of the collection of gender and women's studies resources. Emphasis has been given to strengthening and maintaining this collection.

Languages

Most materials, regardless of format, should be in English to facilitate use by the majority of students.  

Geographic Areas

There are no geographic limitations to purchasing gender and women's studies materials. Transnationalism and the globalization of women's studies is emphasized.

Chronological Guidelines

Having been a women's college originally, the Library collection reflects the history of women in the United States .   Currently, the collection seeks to be more broad encompassing the study of gender and women's studies from ancient times to present day issues in all parts of the world.

Special Collections and Manuscripts

The acquisition of primary source materials, rare books, codices and other special collection materials will be determined by the Special Collections Librarian.

Other Resources Available

At Connecticut College , current students, faculty and staff have access to monographs, audiovisual materials and government documents from Trinity College and Wesleyan University through the CTW Consortium.   Interlibrary loan provides access to monographs not held within the CTW Consortium as well as journal articles not available at Connecticut College .

Creation Date And Revision History

Draft document created March 2005 by Ashley Hanson, Library Liaison to the Gender and Women's Studies Department.

Draft forwarded to Mab Segrest, Department Chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department for review and comment.

LC Class Ranges

HQ, and other LC classes depending on the academic discipline.

Ordering Library Materials

Recommendations and requests for purchase of gender and women's studies materials should be addressed to Ashley Hanson, Shain Library.

Collection Development and Information Access Policy

The Collection Development and Information Access Policy can be viewed at: http://www.conncoll.edu/is/info-resources/colldevpolicy.html

Liaison

Ashley Hanson
Research and Instruction Librarian
Charles E. Shain Library
Connecticut College
(860) 439-2653
Ashley.hanson@conncoll.edu