Collection Development Policy
Philosophy

PROGRAMS AND CLIENTELE SUPPORTED:

The University Libraries collect materials in philosophy to support instruction and research from the introductory undergraduate level through the doctoral level in the following general fields of philosophy: ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, modern philosophy, contemporary European philosophy, epistemology, ethics, formal logic, philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, and political philosophy.

PHILOSOPHY LIBRARIAN:

Alan D. Krieger
Collection Development Department
210 Hesburgh Library
University of Notre Dame
(574) 631-6663
Krieger.1@nd.edu
FAX:  (574) 631-6772

GENERAL COLLECTING GUIDELINES:

Languages:  There will be exhaustive coverage of English language material with additional strong interest in French and German scholarship and Latin and Greek texts and commentaries in ancient and medieval philosophy; major western works in other Western European languages are collected; works in other languages are collected very selectively, except that the original texts of all major philosophers are collected in the original language. For secondary works, the Libraries will not acquire foreign language translations of material available in English where the editions are equivalent in scholarly apparatus.

Chronological:  There are no limits as such although priority in acquisition will normally be given to current publications. Modern reprints are normally preferred to expensive original editions of older works.

Geographical:  Interest is concentrated in the United States, Canada and Western Europe with only highly selected works acquired from Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Treatment of subject:  Emphasis is on original texts, critical editions, scholarly commentaries, anthologies, reference works and bibliographies; textbooks are acquired very selectively and normally in English only. Exclusions: Popular works (except by important authors) and juvenalia.

Types of material:  For the most part, only printed materials are acquired,both with respect to monographs and journals. Microformpublications are acquired when the print form is unavailable or excessive in cost. Electronic products are acquired selectively, principally in response to major research needs. Theses and dissertations are acquired only to support immediate needs and in these cases microforms are preferred.

COORDINATION INFORMATION:

These collections support related work in a variety of areas of the University, including especially the departments of Government and International Studies and Theology, the Medieval Institute, the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science, the Institute for the Philosophy of Religion, and the Institute for the Philosophical Study of Artificial Intelligence. The collections are designed to support the work of undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty through the provision of appropriate bibliographic and reference tools, critical texts, secondary studies, and journal literature.

COLLECTING LEVELS:

Subject	LC Class	Collecting Level
History of Philosophy
Ancient, Renaissance, Modern	B 108-626, B 770-785, B 790-4695	3
Early Christian, Medieval	B 630-708, B 720-765	4
Arabia, Moorish & Islamic Philosophers	B 740-753	2
Jewish Philosophers	B 755-759	3
European Philosophers	B 756	4
Kant	B 2750	4
Religious Existentialists		4
Philosophy of language	B 840	4
Logic	BC	4
Metaphysics	BD 100-131	4
Epistemology	BD 143-236	4
Ontology	BD 300-450	4
Cosmology	BD 493-708	3
Aesthetics	BH	3
Ethics	BJ 1-1800	3
Ethics - Religious	BJ 1188-1500	4
Philosophy of Science	Q 174-175	4

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Alexandrian, early Christian, and medieval history and systems are supplemented by the Anastos collection (which arrived from Los Angeles in the fall of 1997) and microfilm of the Ambrosian Library (Milan) manuscripts; within modern history and systems, Kant, Descartes, and Maritain are collected at a 4 level; present range of coverage in metaphysics, epistemology, ontology, and aesthetics attained since the 1970's.

 

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