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ReligionCollection Development Policy
Sylvia Tag, Librarian
The religion collection is primarily funded through the Liberal Studies fund allocation. This being said, there are examples of religious texts, criticism and subject specific materials that are purchased with other funds. The breadth of religious materials within the library collections is due to the fact that religious subjects and topics may be found in a variety of department programs and courses. Indeed, an argument can be made that any department on campus may use the religion resources. For example, the intersection of science and religion, society and religion and art and religion is present in many disciplines. In addition, faculty and students may access these materials for personal use, although this is out of the scope of the collection development parameters. New Age religions are a recent area of study and scholarship (late twentieth century) and are under represented in our collection.
The scope of the collection is very broad due to a number of factors. WWU does not offer a religion major or minor. Religion is integrated into various courses, primarily but not limited to courses taught by the department of Liberal Studies. There are core courses in religion, for example, Introduction to Religion, Religion in America, and Religion and Society in India. There are few courses in Judaism and this is reflected in low collection totals. The lack of a major also impacts the focus of the collection. Courses that may include religion are taught within Humanities or Social Science courses and encompass societal values and traditions as well as theology. Recent priorities in the collection are materials that support New Age and Islamic religious traditions as well as religious practices in African countries. Expanded subjects impact the already thin collection and stretch it even further. The combination of all these factors account for the present collection levels.
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Chronological Limitations: Due to the nature of selected texts, religious expression, historical context and exegesis there is no time period that is expecially significant. The chronological emphasis is based on the unique timeline of each religious history. During the twentieth century there has been a proliferation of sects, cults and new religions. Whether this reflects an actual increase in new belief systems and revised dogma or is a result of increased global awareness is debatable. Regardless, the impact on the library collection is the need to obtain materials that include an ever widening definition of religious expression.
a. Journals
Thie budget contractions of the last several years have impacted the core list of journals for Religion. The Liberal Studies department faculty reviewed journal titles in 2004 and the current subscription list is the bare minimum to support undergraduate research. In addition to print subscriptions, the library has electronic access to journals through the American Theological Library Association, ATLA. While we do not own these titles, the available resources do benefit our students and faculty. Proquest Religion is a subset of the Proquest database that aids in isolating journals and magazines for research on religious topics.
There are three journal lists that provide information to users on our periodical holdings.
The reference collection includes the 2005 Macmillan, 15 volume, Encyclopedia of Religion. Reference materials are representative of a wide breadth of religions and related religious subjects. The materials are up to date. Materials on Islam, while marginal in the larger collection, have adequate depth in reference in terms of currency and coverage. As with the larger collection, religion is a topic that is captured in other disciplines.
c. Film:
Videos and DVDs are an important part of the religion collection. Annually a portion of the Liberal Studies allocation is spent on media materials. A selected list of Africana Films is available on the library web site.
2005 Macmillan, 15 volumes, Encyclopedia of Religion was a joint purchase of the Reference Humanities fund and the Liberal Studies fund. There have been joint purchases with the social sciences but there are no long term collaborative or coordinated collection projects or policies.
Primary Database:
ATLA is the primary database for Religion. 2005 database use statistics show that the ATLA averages approximately 1200 searches per month indicating that this is an active database.
Secondary Databases:
Currently, the library does not have a database for Islamic Studies although there are a number of courses taught that examine Islamic culture. The Bibliography of Asian Studies Online (BAS) includes coverage of Islam in Asia, but this excludes significant geographic areas in Africa and the Middle East.
The scope of the collection is very broad due to a number of factors. WWU does not offer a religion major or minor. Religion is integtrated into various courses, primarily but not limited to courses taught by the department of Liberal Studies. There are core courses in religion, for example, Introduction to Religion, Religion in America, and Religion and Society in India. There are few courses in Judaism and this is reflected in low collection totals. The lack of a major also impacts the focus of the collection. Courses that may include religion are taught within Humanities or Social Science courses and encompass societal values and traditions as well as theology. Recent priorities in the collection are materials that support New Age and Islamic religious traditions as well as religious practices in African countries. Expanded subjects impact the already thin collection and stretch it even further. The combination of all these factors account for the present collection levels.
In general, the collection is not strong in late twentieth century and current (Western) religious practices. Biographical materials, while not targeted for religious studies, support the collection. For example, British biographical resources are critical to religious history and the study of colonialism in Asia but are not considered part of the religion collection. In the same vein, American history and culture is interwoven with the study of Protestantism. The relationship between church and state is inseparable in European medieval history. There are many other examples, but the primary point is that the religion collection serves a broad base of courses and curriculum.
The budget contractions of the last several years have impacted the core list of journals for Religion. The Liberal Studies department faculty reviewed journal titles in 2004 and the current subscription list is the bare minimum to support undergraduate research. In addition to print subscriptions, the library has electronic access to journals through the American Theological Association, ATLA. While we do not own these titles, the available resources do benefit our students and faculty. Proquest Religion is a subset of the Proquest database that aids in isolating journals and magazines for research on religious topics.
The department of Liberal Studies oversees the Mammitzsch Fund. This fund provides additional resources for large purchases and is not intended as a fund for the ongoing maintenance of the collection. Recent acquisitions include, Religion Past and Present, Creeds & Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition, the Library of Latin Texts, and The Collected Works of Frederick Nietzsche.
Strategies to move the collection towards desired levels: 1) Maintain the current journal collection in electronic format and selected archival print journals. 2) Conduct an annual review of the reference collection with the goal of purchasing highly recommended titles in American Reference Books Annual, Choice Reviews and leading publishers in the area of religion (Brill, Eerdmans, Cambridge, Yale, etc.). 3) Intentional and thoughtful integration of scholarly electronic resources that are provided free of charge by universities and organizations. 5) Provide an electronic database for Islamic Studies. 6) Increase representation in the area of new religions. 7) Increase sysstem coordination and resource sharing to more accurately reflect the broad use of religion materials.
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