History Collection Development Policy

Purpose
The collection supports present and anticipated teaching and research in the field of history and its subdisciplines. At present, the central focus of the department and the chief interests of the faculty are encompassed in the following areas of teaching and research: Western European History; History of the United States, in particular colonial, civil war and reconstruction, and twentieth century, with some emphasis on southern and Louisiana history; Eastern European and Russian history; Latin American history; World Civilization in general; and urban history in general.

The department offers a B.A. and an M.A. degree, as well as a Master of Arts in History Teaching (MAHT). In conjunction with the Ph.D. program in urban studies, the department also offers graduate courses in urban history. The Department of History also administers the University's credit program in paralegal studies.

These programs allow a variety of concentrations. The Master of Arts in History allows a focus on U.S. or European History. Within the M.A., students may also choose an additional area of concentration in Internal Relations, which requires nine hours of course work in political science and economics.

The Master of Arts in History Teaching is a degree that requires the inclusion of nine hours of credits in the College of Education.

In addition, the History Department offers urban history either as a major or a minor field of specialization for the Ph.D. in Urban Studies, and interdisciplinary program administered by the College of Urban and Public Affairs.

In addition to the support for the specific degree programs of the History Department, the collection, especially in view of its broad interdisciplinary nature, also serves as a resource for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members in other disciplines. Related colleges, departments and programs covering subjects of interest to the History Department are anthropology, economics, fine arts, foreign languages, geography, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, political science, urban studies, and women's studies.

Languages
The primary language of acquisition is English. Materials in French, German, Russian, and Spanish relating to the curriculum are acquired on a selective basis. Materials in other European languages and in non-European languages are acquired rarely.

Chronological Guidelines
The history collection spans all periods of time, particularly for U.S. and European history, although there is a strong emphasis on the early modern and modern periods.

Geographical Guidelines
While courses in history treat all geographic areas at the basic level, there is primary emphasis on:

United States, with particular focus on Louisiana and the south;
Europe, in particular Austria, England, Frances, Germany, and Russia;
Latin America.
There is secondary emphasis on Asia, with minimal interest in other geographic regions such as Africa.

Treatment of Subject
The following treatments are collected in support of the overall history program, the urban studies Ph.D. concentration, and the international affairs concentration: history of, political aspects of, religious aspects of, role of government in, biographical treatment, popular biographical treatment (on a limited basis), legal aspects of, economics of, business aspects of, social aspects of, and psychological aspects of. Popular treatments, except in biography, are seldom collected. Only upper-level textbooks are collected.

In addition, the following treatments are collected in support of the MAHT: practice and methods of, teaching of/ pre-college, complications in, management and administration of.

Types of Material
Monograph and serial publications form the basis of acquisitions in history. Microforms, early newspapers, maps, atlases, and historical gazetteers are acquired as appropriate. Reference materials, particularly bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, encyclopedias, and dictionaries are important. Dissertations from other institutions are collected on a highly selective basis. Major research collections are acquired when funds permit.

Date of Publication
Current materials are most important. Emphasis is on materials published within the past ten years. Retrospective materials, if of seminal importance to an appropriate area of the history curriculum are collected.

Other Resources
Other resources in the Earl K. Long Library that are of importance to history are the Special Collections (including archives and manuscripts), the Louisiana Collection, the Microfilm Collection, and the Federal Documents Collection.

Additional resources for history may be found at the Tulane University Libraries, the New Orleans Public Library's main library, and the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Related Policy Statements
Other information related to history will be found in the following policy statements:

Anthropology: Archaeological studies
Fine arts: Art History
Political Science: History of political institutions and governments
Urban Studies: Urban history