Collection Development Policies: Southern History Collection

Collection Development Policy

Subject: Southern History

I.  Scope of the Southern History Collection

 A.    To support the University of Texas at El Paso curriculum and to support student, faculty, staff, and community interest in the history and culture of the Southern United States and the state of Texas.

 B.     Subject:  Southern history and culture; especially the history of  population groups, the colonial period, the Civil War, the environment, politics, religions, business, art, tourism, sports, and agriculture in the American South.

 C.     LC classification numbers: A-Z, with the majority of materials classified in the D-F call numbers.  While most materials are housed in the Main Collection, some materials may be located in other collections such as Government Documents, Maps, Media and Microforms, Marshall Book Collection, Art Book Collection, Hertzog Book Collection, Rare Book Collection, Manuscripts Collection, and the Southwest Collection.

 D.    Materials of general interest are acquired.  An emphasis is placed on collecting reference works, first person accounts, and materials on the various population groups and regions of the Southern United States, including Texas.

 E.     Language:  Predominate language is English, but the collection may contain some materials in Spanish or French.

 F.      Types of Materials:  Books, journals, maps, manuscript and photograph collections, videos, and electronic resources.

 G.    Reading Level:  Usually within the general adult population level or undergraduate reading level but may include books in the advanced graduate reading level.

 II. Collection Parameters

 A.    Chronological Scope: Pre-history to the present day.

 B.     Publication Dates:  All dates.  Emphasis is placed on collecting materials published within the last five years.

 C.     Retrospective Acquisition:  Non-current materials on Southern history and culture may be added as donated or purchased from vendors.  Materials published before 1930 will be evaluated as possibilities for housing in the Rare Collection.

 D.    Geographical Scope:  Southern United States and Texas.