Plowshares Cooperative Collection Development Policy
February 11, 2005
The Plowshares grant to Manchester, Goshen, and Earlham Colleges has provided the opportunity for the three libraries to develop a policy for the cooperative development of peace studies collections at all three institutions. This policy describes the guidelines by which the three libraries will not only develop collections that best support their individual peace programs, but will be able to collect and share materials that expand the resources available to all three.
In considering the three peace studies programs, the libraries found that each curriculum had a unique focus (see below), and as a result, the peace collections of each school already have particular strengths. By building on these strengths and by taking advantage of established systems for sharing collection information and materials, each institution will be able to provide expanded and more specialized collections to serve the research needs of their students and faculty.
General policy
University library collection policies often speak of levels of collection. In consulting with several such policies (from McGill University, Illinois State University, the CONSORT Colleges, and Oberlin College), we find it useful to speak of these levels of collection depth:
- Introductory and intermediate study and instructional support, including
- a broad range of basic works
- classic retrospective materials
- the most important primary and secondary works
- the fundamental reference and bibliographic tools
- seminal works on secondary topics, especially in interdisciplinary areas as they relate to peace studies
- Advanced study and instructional support, including
- works to support honors undergraduate and early graduate level study
- a broader range of works than in the intermediate level
- works narrow in scope by either geographical or topical area
- collections of primary source materials in reproduced formats
- specialized works and expensive items
While many university policies also include a research level, that is not an appropriate depth for small liberal arts college libraries.
The libraries of the three Plowshares colleges will each collect materials at the introductory and intermediate study and instruction level in areas that best support their individual curricula. These areas will result in some overlap in the collections, due to similarities in the programs. In addition, each library will collect at the advanced study and instruction level for those areas of specialization that are unique to its peace studies program (see descriptions below). Using the PALNI consortial online catalog (which includes the holdings of Goshen, Earlham, and Manchester), librarians will be able to identify what titles are already held or on order by one of the other colleges. Using Interlibrary Loan, these materials can be exchanged among our schools to serve special research needs of students and faculty.
The extent and efficiency of InterLibrary Loan services makes it unnecessary for the three Plowshares institutions to hold as broad and unique a periodicals collection as possible. However, the loss of availability of a periodical title within the state of Indiana possibly would slow the ILL delivery of its contents; therefore, librarians at the Plowshares colleges should check the subscriptions and holdings of PALNI and statewide libraries before canceling a periodical that may have relevance to one of the peace studies programs.
Grant period activities
The Plowshares grant money for library resources is already making possible the expansion and development of peace studies collections at the three colleges’ libraries. Using data from the OCLC ACAS collection analysis, course syllabi, Choice reviews, and other bibliographic tools, we are able to identify areas of weakness or need in the collections, or areas where greater depth is desired, and make purchases to develop the collections appropriately.
Plowshares Colleges Peace Studies Programs Strengths and Focuses
Earlham College
Program focus: Global Studies
Areas of specialization and strength (for collection at the advanced level):
- International law
- Political philosophy
- Globalization
- Islam
- Environmental ethics
- Economics
- Quaker studies
Goshen College
Program focus: Conflict and Reconciliation
Areas of specialization and strength (for collection at the advanced level):
- Biblical/Christian bases
- Restorative justice
- Mediation
- Racism/Anti-racism
- National/Ethnic conflict
- Peace curriculum
- Mennonite studies
Manchester College
Program focus: Nonviolence and Pacifism
Areas of specialization and strength (for collection at the advanced level):
- World religions
- Civil rights
- Disarmament
- Philosophical bases
- Peace literature
- Gandhi
- King
- Church of the Brethren studies
