Geography and Environment

Introduction
Selection criteria

• General scope
• Geographical area and language
• Format

Collection Strengths

• Official publications
• Archives and special collections

Collection development policy review for Geography and Environment

Introduction

The general policy for this subject is to collect to research level in all the social and economic aspects of human geography. Research level is defined as one where independent research with the published sources can be pursued. Other aspects of geography are collected more selectively to research level. In cartography and physical geography the need of the teaching programme of the School is the chief consideration, attention being paid to the collecting policy of other libraries in the University. Exclusions and qualifications to this policy are mentioned below and in the General Policy Statement: see Principles of collection policy and Criteria for selection.

The policy for developing the collections in geography needs to be seen within the context of the complete acquisitions policy. The interdisciplinary nature of the social sciences and its publications means that subject boundaries cannot always be easily determined and described in isolation. This is particularly true of human geography, the boundaries of which merge into politics, economics, and sociology.

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Selection criteria

General scope

An outline is given below, but in general terms the Library's overall policy in the "core" areas of specialisation ensures the creation of strong collections for research in the social, economic and political aspects of Geography.

The following is an outline of the subject scope and coverage of collecting policy for Geography:

Human geography. Population; social organisation; class, race, gender; social aspects of space.
Urbanisation. Planning; urban growth and decline; urban environment; housing, services.
Environment. Natural resources; environmental protection; environmental policy. Human environment development. Water policy.
Economic geography. Development; regional policy; industrial location and change; urban and regional economics; urban land economics; real estate economics.
Political geography.
Tourism.

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Geographical area and language

In the context of human geography the scope of the Library's collections is world-wide. Material is acquired in the major European languages ; works in non-European languages are not normally acquired.

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Format

No distinction is made regarding format of material. The Library will therefore collect relevant material in print, microform, electronic format (eg CD-ROM and datasets), and video. Maps are not currently acquired, and atlases only selectively.

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Collection strengths

Official publications

The Library's extensive collections of official publications from national governments world-wide and from the major intergovernmental organisations contain a wealth of material relevant to geographical research. The acquisition of statistical material is given high priority and census data is collected extensively for all countries.

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Archives and special collections

Of particular interest to geographers is the archive of Sir Derek Senior, which contains valuable source material on town planning and local government in Great Britain from the 1940's to 1980's, including Senior's membership of the Redcliffe-Maud Commission.

Of note also is an incomplete set of the original Land Use Survey Maps by Sir L. Dudley Stamp.

Please see the Archives Division's collection policy.

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Collection development policy review for Geography and Environment

This collection development policy will be reviewed on a regular basis in the light of the following: developments in teaching, the interests of the Department and other departments in the School, and relationships with other libraries with whom collaborative arrangements exist. Such reviews will be conducted in cooperation with the Department of Geography.

Reviewed 02/05

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