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I. General Description of the Collection and Its Users

The Language and Literature collection is comprised of reference works, monographs and serials which fall into the Library of Congress classifications "P-PZ" (languages and their literatures) The commun-ication collection is comprised of materials in the "P" (human communication), "PE" (English language studies), and "PN 4001-5650" (Oratory and Journalism) classifications.

The primary users of these collections are the full-time and part-time Language, Literature and Communication faculty of the College of Liberal Arts and all RIT students fulfilling their composition and literature core course requirements. Users are also drawn from the students and faculty in the Professional and Technical Communication degree program, the students electing the language communication, foreign language/culture, and literature concentrations, and students in related areas, such as technical communication, business, public relations, political science, and advertising.

II. Description of the Programs Served by the Collection

A. Undergraduate Programs - Non-Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts

   The Language, Literature and Communication faculty teach a required English Composition course and an introductory Literature course as part of the Liberal Arts core. In addition they offer two concentrations. The Language Communication concentration consists of courses on writing, the English language, human communication, persuasion, small group communication, written argument, and mass communication. The Literature concentration consists of courses on literary forms (the short story, the novel, poetry, drama, the epic), great authors (Chaucer, Shakespear, Ibsen, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, James, Joyce, Twain, and Whitman) and special topics (Black literature, mythlore, literature of the Bible, film as literature, modern literature, Latin American literature, world literature in English, and the American Spirit).

   The Language, Literature, and Communication faculty also participate in 5 inter-disciplinary concentrations: Foreign Language/Culture with its courses in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish and intercultural communication; Minority Relations in the U. S. with its course in Black Literature; Peace Studies with its course in the Literature of War and Peace; Perspectives on Religion with its courses on literature and religion and literature of the Bible; and Women's Studies with its course on Women in Literature.

2. College of Continuing Education

   An introductory literature course is offered as a required part of the General Education AA degree. And several communication courses are offered as parts of the various specialization areas for this degree (ie, public relations, technical communication, managing communication services, business and career communication).

B. Undergraduate - Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts - Language, Literature & Communication Division

   BS degree in Professional & Technical Communication

   The PTC faculty teach required courses on the foundations and theory of communication, written argument, technical and professional writing, visual communication, public presentation, conference techniques, mass communication, persuasion, and research methods. Electives such as, newswriting, interviewing, public speaking, uses and effects of mass media, intercultural communication, organizational communication and small group communication are also offered. PTC also participates in three concentrations: Language Communication with its courses on human communication, small group communication, the history of the English language, persuasion, and mass communication; Foreign Language/Culture with its course on intercultural communication; and Peace Studies with its course on persuasion and social change.

III. Subject and Language Modifiers

A. Geographic Areas

The geographic focus of the collection is primarily on the United States and Great Britain.

A broad survey of foreign languages and literatures is also acquired.

B. Chronological Periods

Emphasis is on current developments and analysis of communication. Nineteenth and twentieth century literature is acquired predominantly. Current literary criticism and analysis of authors and their works are acquired. Earlier time period literature and related analytical studies are acquired in relation to special topics of study and as the curriculum shifts.

C. Languages

No restrictions. Emphasis is on English-language materials. Selected foreign language and multilingual dictionaries/encyclopedias are acquired to support the languages being taught. Limited foreign language literatures are acquired in their native language to support the culture component of the foreign language concentration.

IV. Date of Publication

General emphasis for acquisition of new titles is on current publications in all subject areas. Acquisition/retention of material older than ten years is based upon importance of the work to the discipline; usefulness for historical information/perspective; extent of current publishing in the discipline; curriculum needs for new program development; usage of existing material of same age; and physical condition of the material. Retrospective acquisition of serials to meet new program needs will be extremely selective and limited to the past five years. Document delivery will be utilized instead to meet these needs whenever feasible.

V. Treatment of Subject Matter

A. Level of Treatment

Emphasis is on a collection which supports curriculum driven needs of students(primarily undergraduate) and faculty. The special needs of the NTID students are considered where relevant. Major published source material appearing in core collection bibliographies or recommended lists will be included. Pertinent reference sources will also be acquired. Every effort is made to accommodate faculty requests for specific curriculum related titles.

B. Scholarly Works

Major scholarly works pertinent to curricula will be acquired, including the original writings of significant authors and the "great authors" studied in the curricula.

C. Textbooks

Textbooks are not routinely acquired unless useful as general surveys or handbooks for a particular area not otherwise represented.

D. Newspapers/Newsletters

Significant publications will be acquired.

E. Government Documents

Government publications are acquired when the content is appropriate to the subject scope of the collection, but not maintained separately.

F. Serials

Serials are of importance in this field for publication of literary analysis and communication studies. It is also the source of original literature.

G. Other

Pamphlets are selectively acquired if sufficiently important to warrant cataloging; no pamphlet/vertical file is maintained.

H. Multiple Copies

Multiple copies of monographic titles are acquired only when heavy use is anticipated or demonstrated or at the curriculum-based request of a faculty member.

VI. Cooperative Collection Development Arrangements

No contractual cooperative collection development agreements for this discipline have been made between RIT Library and any other library.

Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primary undergraduate curriculum- based scope of the onsite collection, access to this information will be provided through traditional, as well as, commercial document delivery services.

VII. Publication Formats

A. Microforms

Journals are routinely retained in microfilm with the exception of titles containing substantial graphical material or mathematical notation.(See Bindery Policy/Procedure-Periodicals)

B. Non-Print Materials

Acquisition of traditional non-print materials (slides, videotapes, video discs, image, films, sound recordings, slide/tape programs) is very selective and made in consultation with the Media Resource Center Media Specialist, usually at the request of a faculty member. Non-print materials are generally housed in the Media Resource Center.

C. Software and CD-ROM

Indexing and abstracting services and other specialized sources will be acquired in these formats where they meet subject collection criteria, as well as, the Electronic Resources Policy criteria (in process).

VIII. Collection Maintenance

Continuous maintenance of the collection is based upon systematic evaluation of materials in all locations in relationship to curriculum shifts, use statistics, core bibliographies, physical space limitations and the availability of information in alternative formats. Current periodical titles will be reviewed annually prior to their renewal. All other areas of the collection should be reviewed every three to five years. The collection maintenance process includes weeding of materials no longer relevant to curriculum needs, elimination of superfluous titles where information is duplicated in more current or authoritative sources, and ordering replacement copies of damaged and heavily used items still relevant to curriculum needs.

A. Weeding

1. Not Weeded
Works of "great authors" as designated by course of study. Worn editions will be replaced.
2. Duplicates Only Weeded
a. Monographs
At least one copy in good condition of standard and classic titles listed in major general bibliographies and special subject lists, such as Books for College Libraries, should be retained in the collection. One copy of anthologies represented in major indexing sources need to be retained.
3. Selective Weeding
   a. Monographs
   In general, communication materials should be reviewed every three to five years to remove materials no longer relevant to the curriculum, older materials where sufficient coverage is provided by more contemporary titles, and multiple copies of materials where high use is no longer a factor. For the literature collection, materials should be selectively weeded in order to maintain a representative collection of works to support genres and themes of study.
   b. Serials
   1. Indexing and Abstracting Services
      Indexing and abstracting publications need to be available to cover all curriculum-based topics and periods of study. Publications should only be discarded when equivalent or improved coverage is available through new sources, printed or electronic (i.e. covers approximately same or more pertinent journal titles in the field and/or provides enhanced search capabilities pertinent to our programs).
   2. Scholarly Publications
      Long runs of key scholarly journals in all aspects of language, communication and literature that meet the criteria given in the introduction to this section should be retained indefinitely. Priority for retention should be given to titles accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library and titles not available in any other Rochester-area library. Short runs and broken runs should be scrutinized more carefully and retention decisions should be based on the collecting levels assigned in Section IX: Subject Divisions, usage statistics, importance of title to the discipline, and alternative availability.
   3. Trade Journals
      Retention of trade journals should be carefully scrutinized. Those that provide, primarily, timely information (professional and organizational news, new products, etc.) should be discarded after a period of one to five years. Those that include articles of more lasting value should be considered for longer retention, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
   4. Annuals
      Annuals should be subjected to the criteria outlined in the introduction to this section and retained indefinitely where appropriate, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
4. Current Edition/Year Only Retained
   a. Monographs
   1. Textbooks
   2. Career materials
   b. Serials
   1. Newsletters, calendars, other current awareness services providing timely information about events and activities of organizations and institutions, and employment opportunities.
   2. Directories

B. Replacement of Materials

1. Lost or Mutilated

Every effort should be made to replace lost or heavily mutilated titles if they are judged to be of continuing relevance to the collection. When mutilation is confined to a few pages, replacement copies of these pages should be requested through the Information Delivery Service. (See Bindery Policy/Procedure-Periodicals & -Monographs)

2. Gifts

Gifts which duplicate existing holdings should be used to upgrade the condition of the collection by replacing worn circulating copies with more sound gift copies.

C. Stacks Maintenance

The condition of all materials should be monitored to ensure those in need of repair and rebinding are attended to before they are irreparably damaged.

IX. Subject Divisions

 

	Support Level (see Introduction for key)
A. Language (English) Includes: linguistics, philology, semiotics, history	C-2
B. Communication Includes: Writing, rhetoric, journalism, public speaking, mass media, persuasion, small group & organizational communication	C-2
C. Foreign Languages Includes: German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese	D
D. Literature Collection emphasis is primarily on the literary works and related studies; secondarily on literary history and criticism. An effort is made to maintain a core collection of the traditionally recognized classics.	C-2
1. Popular and General Interest	D
2. Collections; Anthologies	D
3. Genres: Novel, Short Story, Epic, Drama, Poetry	C-2
4. Folk literature; mythlore	C-2
5. Literature in English	C-2
a. British
1) Anglo-Saxon, Middle-English	D
2) Renaissance to contemporary	C-2
b. United States
1) Colonial and Federal	D
2) 19th & 20th Century	C-2
c. Other
1) Canada, Australian South Africa, etc.	D
6. Science Fiction; speculative literature	D
7. Non-English Literature in Translation Includes: classical, medieval, European, Asian, African, Latin American	C-2

[rev. 7/94]

Maintained by Sheila Smokey