Washington University in St. Louis
Collection Development Policy
Library: Olin
Subject: African and African-American Studies
Collection: General
Date revised: 04/14/2014
Subject Librarian: Rudolph Clay
1. General purpose
The Libraries seek to support research in the African, African diaspora, (including the Caribbean and South America), and the African-American experiences. This is primarily in the humanities and the social science disciplines. The collection is intended to support the needs of undergraduates, masters and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, post-docs, and other researchers.
Areas of established specialization: Courses (both undergraduate and graduate) dealing with the African, African diaspora, and African-American experience are currently being offered in the following academic departments and programs:
Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection and current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, for African Studies and African-American Studies are at the
Instructional Support Level. Its collecting goal, however, is at the research level.
2. Subjects excluded:
Except as specified in individual policy statements Olin Library does not collect the following subjects: agriculture, law, and medicine.
3. Overlap with other collections or subjects
4. Languages included and excluded
English language materials are collected extensively and other languages are collected selectively.
5. Geographical limitations
Emphasis is placed on Africa and the African diaspora (i.e., the movement of peoples from Africa to the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East).
6. Chronological limits
There are no topical chronological limits.
7. Retrospective acquisition
Primarily, current publications are acquired through our African and African-American approval plan and subject librarian firm orders. Request from faculty and graduate students for retrospective acquisitions are reviewed on a case by case basis.
8. Types of material collected and excluded
Primarily the library collects monographs (print and eBooks), annuals, reference tools, periodicals, audio CD-ROMs, other electronic collections. Dissertations and newspapers are acquired selectively. The library does not normally collect textbooks though undergraduates utilize interlibrary to borrow these materials.
9. *LC Subject areas and Collecting Levels
3 Philosophy Africa
B 5300-5684
3 Religion African
BL 2390-2499
BL 2428-2454 Ancient Egypt
4 BL 2490 African religions in America
3 Africa
DT 1-6 General
DT 7-12 Description and travel
DT 13-16 Antiquities. Social life and customs
DT 17-42 History
DT 43-159 Egypt. Sudan
DT 160-347 North Africa
DT 348-364 Central Africa
DT 365-469 East Africa
DT 470-1000 West Africa. West Coast
DT 1001-3415 Southern Africa
4 African-Americans
E 184.4-185.98
3 Ecology – Africa, Human Ecology Africa
GF 701-800
3 Anthropology – African: Arab, Islamic
GN 640-641 Arab groups. Islamic groups A91012
GN 643-661 African ethnic groups
2 Folklore of Africa
GR 350-359
2 Manners and Customs – Clothing of Africa
GT 1580-1589
3 Economics – Africa
HB 127-128
2 Economic History – Africa
HC 800-1085
2 Communities – Slavery
HT 851 Slavery
3 Civil Rights
JK 1781
3 Political Science – Africa
J 704-902
2 Political institutions and public administration: Asia. Africa. Australia
JQ 1-6651
JQ 1870-3981.4
2 Local Government – Africa
JS 7525-7999
2 Education – History Africa
LA 1500-2099
2 Education Special – Africa
LC 2701
3 Languages and Literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
PL 1-8844
PL 8000-8844 African languages and literatures
3 Minorities, women in armed forces
UB 416-419
3 Bibliography Africa
Z 857-869
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10. * Collection Levels definitions:
These values were developed by the Research Libraries Group (RLG) according to the follow scheme:
