Collection Development Policy
Slavic Language and Literature

PROGRAMS AND CLIENTELE SUPPORTED:

The Russian language and literature major is offered within the Department of German and Russian Languages and Literatures. The collection currently supports a small but growing number of undergraduate majors as well as students engaged in the study of comparative literature. The collection also supports two full-time faculty whose research interests include: Russian prose between 1750 and 1850; the Russian Decadence (1895-1910); Early Soviet Modernism (1920-1930); the novel; Russian prose fiction; and parody. Two other instructors are associated with the Russian aspect of the department; their appointments are those of "adjunct instructors," and their positions do not hold research obligations. Courses offered include beginning through advanced Russian language and grammar; surveys of Russian literature; Pushkin; Tolstoy; and twentieth-century Russian literature.

SUBJECT LIAISON:

David Jenkins
123D Hesburgh Library
(574) 631-9036
Jenkins.31@nd.edu

GENERAL COLLECTING GUIDELINES:

Languages:  The Church Slavic collection is overwhelmingly in Russian. The Baltic languages and literatures collections are primarily in their respective languages. The Polish language predominates in the Polish language and literature collection, while English predominates in existing Czech, Slovak, and Albanian collections. Because of the undergraduate teaching focus, a large portion of the Slavic collection is predominantly in English (with translations into English and English texts actively sought); The Russian language materials approval plan, however, is introducing an increasing number of Russian texts into the collection.

Chronological:  All dates, from earliest Russian literature to the current, are represented.

Geographical:  Russia and the CIS predominate; much lesser representation from the Baltics, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.

Treatment of subject:  Scholarly works and literary texts are acquired; popular treatment is generally avoided and juvenile works are not collected.

Types of material:   The collection is principally monographic. It includes literary works, literary critiques, selected grammars; selected conversational and composition texts; twentieth-century emigre literature; some general reference sources; and conferences and symposia. Serials are collected on a highly limited basis.

COORDINATION INFORMATION:

Our collecting assumes a heavy use of interlibrary loan for research purposes, where we rely greatly on institutions such as the University of Illinois at Urbana. The English fund purchases some translations of literary works; the history fund contributes to selected classical and cultural materials.

COLLECTING LEVELS:

 

Subject	LC Class	Collecting Level
Church Slavic	PG 6011-6705	1-2
Russian Language	PG 2001-2826	2-3
Russian Literature	PG 2900-3560	2-3
Russian Literature- to 1700		2-3
Russian Literature-18th Century		2-3
Russian Literature-19th Century to Revolution		2-3
Russian Literature-20th Century; Soviet Period		2-3
Russian Literature-Soviet Drama and Poetry		2-3
Russian Literature-Folklore and Folk Literature	PG 3100-3155	0-1
Czech	PG 4001-5146	1
Slovak	PG 5631-5689	0
Polish	PG 6001-7446	2
Baltic Languages and Literatures	PG 8001-9146	1
Baltic Languages and Literatures-Lithuanian	PG 8501-8772	1
Baltic Languages and Literatures-Latvian	PG 8801-9146	1
Albanian	PG 9501-9678	0

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

English-language Russian literary criticism is collected in great part through the Blackwell North America approval plan, which covers major scholarly publishers and university presses. Exceptions include G.K. Hall, Slavica, Ardis, some overseas distributors and minor publishers. Gifts contribute to the collection on a sporadic basis.

See also: Russian and Polish approval plan documents.

 

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