Collection Development Policy

Interdisciplinary Programs

I.          General Collecting Guidelines

Boatwright Library actively collects materials to support teaching, advanced study, and research at the undergraduate level in the University of Richmond’s many Interdisciplinary Programs. These programs draw on faculty, methods, and resources from a variety of disciplines and departments. While all Interdisciplinary Programs have a specific liaison librarian, all liaison librarians are aware of the needs and interests of these Interdisciplinary Programs and strive to acquire related materials in their areas accordingly. In addition to this Collection Development Statement for Interdisciplinary Programs, some individual programs have their own collections statements, which are linked below.

II.        Description of Programs

American Studies (Marcia Whitehead)

Arts Management (Jeannine Keefer)

Environmental Studies (Samantha Guss; see Environmental Studies Collection Development Statement)

Film Studies (Molly Fair; see Media & MRC Collection Development Statement)

Healthcare Studies (Melanie Hillner [clinical & bioethics], Samantha Guss [political science & policy], Sojourna Cunningham [anthropology & sociology])

International Studies (Samantha Guss)

Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL) (Carol Wittig & Samantha Guss)

Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) (Lucretia McCulley; see WGSS Collection Development Statement)

III.       Languages

English is the primary language of the collection. Purchase of foreign language materials will be highly selective.

IV.       Geographic Guidelines

There are no geographic limitations on the collection and materials dealing with international national and cultural contexts around the world are of interest.

V.        Chronological Guidelines

A substantial amount of the material will be twentieth and twenty-first century. Material providing historical context may be selected.

VI.       Types of materials covered

Monographs, serials, reference tools, audio and video materials, conference papers, and proceedings will be collected in the most appropriate format. In some instances, access to materials may be favored over collection.

VII.      Date of Publication

Current materials are emphasized. Retrospective purchasing is limited to historically significant works.