University of Washington

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY STATEMENT
SUBJECT: Scandinavian Studies
PRINCIPAL SELECTOR: A. Gerald Anderson

You may start from the beginning and read the entire Collection Development Policy Statement for Scandinavian Studies for the University of Washington Libraries or you may choose from any of the specified categories below:

1. Subject Definition
2. Departmental Statement
3. Scope
4. Location Statement
5. System Coordination
6. Resource Sharing
7. Databases
8. Collection Levels

• General statement
• Scandinavian Studies is an interdisciplinary area study encompassing the study of the Scandinavian countries, their literatures (both classical and modern), archaeology, art, folklore, geography, history, languages, linguistics, music, philosophy, and political science.
• Subject classification analysis
• Library of Congress Classification (LC): Material is classified in B, philosophy; DK, history; E, American-Scandinavian history; H, social sciences; J, political science; M, music; N, art and architecture; P, PD, and PH, languages and linguistics; and PT, literature.
• Dewey Decimal Classification: 100's, philosophy; 300's, political science and social sciences; 325, Scandinavian-American immigrant history; 439 and 494, languages; 700's art, architecture, and music; 839, literature; and 948-949, history.

The Department of Scandinavian Studies offers academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy. The Bachelor of Arts program has three main emphases: 1) a general program which has traditionally emphasized the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Scandinavian countries; 2) a program emphasizing a teaching major or minor, carried out in cooperation with the Department of Education; and 3) area studies program with expanded emphasis in the humanities and social sciences, designed to facilitate students' entry into such fields as business, foreign service, etc. The Master of Arts program provides students with increased specialization in their chosen fields (language or literature) and periods (e.g., Old Norse, medieval, 19th century, etc.) as well as expanded knowledge of related subjects (e.g., history, linguistics, folklore, mythology, etc.). M.A. degrees may be taken in Scandinavian Languages and Literature or in Scandinavian Area Studies. Students who choose the Area Studies track can emphasize study in Scandinavian Folklore, History, or Politics.  The Doctor of Philosophy program prepares students for academic professions.

In addition to the subject areas described above, the Scandinavian programs also include course given in such areas as mythology, f olklore, Scandinavian history, American-Scandinavian immigrant history, film, children's literature, and gender studies. There is a growing interest in other areas in the humanities and social sciences, both in the Scandinavian Department itself and in such other academic faculties on campus as political science, business, health sciences, etc.

• Chronologic: The Scandinavian collection encompasses the entire scope of Scandinavian civilization, with the greatest emphasis being placed on the period of time from ca. 500 A.D. to the present. Of particular importance are: the age of the Vikings and early Scandinavian history, the medieval period, and the modern period (ca. 1500 to the present). Materials relating to the prehistorical periods, while not excluded, are not actively collected unless they have some direct bearing on the primary period (e.g., materials on runes, Germanic and proto-Scandinavian philology and language development, archaelogical materials relating to the Viking and pre-Viking ages, etc.).
• Geographic: The major geographical orientation to the Scandinavian collection is Scandinavia (Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) and North America. Of secondary emphasis are the areas of Europe which were touched by Scandinavian influence (e.g., England, Southern Europe, Russia, and those Mediterranian areas such as the ancient Turkish empire, affected by the Vikings).
• Language: The Scandinavian languages are the primary languages for Scandinavian belles lettres, as well as primary and secondary source materials. They include: Old Norse: old and modern Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and some Finnish. English is a primary language for translations and secondary source materials. Other major European languages are relevant for important secondary source material.
• Format: Monographs, serials, manuscripts, and microforms.
• Exclusions:
• Subject areas: The Scandinavian collection excludes agriculture, science, medical sciences, and technology.
• Format: The Scandinavian collection generally excludes text books except for selected titles which directly support departmental instruction.

• Scandinavian collection: Suzallo Library is the primary location for Scandinavian materials.
• Other related collections: OUGL is an important auxiliary location for English language materials in the subject areas of literature, language, history, and general culture. English language materials in other pertinent subject areas may be located in collections within Suzallo (Archives and Manuscripts, Government Publications, Maps, Pacific Northwest, and Reference) and in such branch libraries as: Art, Business Administration, Drama, Geography, Music, and Political Science.

Primary responsibility for the Scandinavian collection as defined in Section 3 above resides with the Scandinavian selector. The Scandinavian eollection has traditionally had close coordination with selectors in the following areas: archives and manuscripts, art, drama, geography, history, music, OUGL, Pacific Northwest, philosophy, and political science. For materials in these areas the primary responsibility for acquisition of materials resides with the selectors in those areas. Ultimate responsibility for retention decisions involving materials used in support of the Scandinavian program resides with the Scandinavian Librarian.

• Related University of Washington information sources: The Language Learning Center provides access to language learning materials, particularly audio aids. The Law Library maintains a selective collection of Scandinavian laws and related legal materials.
• Related local and regional collections: The Seattle Public Library maintains the region's best collection of Scandinavian-American genealogical materials and also acquires journals and literature of a more popular nature. The Seattle Genealogical Society provides restricted support in the area of Scandinavian-American genealogy. Pacific Lutheran University possesses significant holdings of Scandinavian (primarily Norwegian) and Scandinavian-American materials. Access to these holdings is through Interlibrary Borrowing Services.
• Cooperative loan arrangements: The Center for Research Libraries serves as an extension of the Scandinavian collection for expensive microform collections and for infrequently used research journals.

• Computerized databases: Computerized searching services within the field of Scandinavian are particularly well-covered in the areas of science and technology. In the area of the humanities and social sciences, the major databases in those areas provide access to English language material. At present, there are no databases which access Scandinavian language material.
• Special features: Not applicable.

 

	Danish	Faroese	Finnish	Icelandic	Norwegian	Swedish
American-Scandinavian History2	C	C	C	C	C	C
History2	C	E	D	C	C	C
Language, Early and Medieval Modern	B B B	B C C	E E D	B B B	B B B	B B B
Linguistics	B	C	D	B	B	B
Literature, Early and Medieval Modern	B B B	B B C	E E B/C1	B B C	B B B	B B B
Pacific Northwest American-Scandinavian History2	A A	A A	A A	A A	A A	A A
Political Science2	C		C	C	C	C

¹Finnish literature in Finnish = B (6/11/93).
 Finnish literature in Swedish and English translations of Finnish literature = C.

²Subject areas which require coordination with and approval of other selectors.

A. Comprehensive level. A collection in which a library endeavors, so far as is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge (publications, manuscripts, other forms) for a necessarily defined field. This level of collecting intensity is that which maintains a "special collection"; the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness.
B. Research level. A collection which includes the major published source materials erquired for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as an extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services in the field.
C. Study level. A collection which supports undergraudate or graduate course work, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, or of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs, complete collections of the works of important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographical apparatus pertaining to the subject.
D. Basic level. A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.
E. Minimal level. A subject area in which few selections are made beyond very basic works.

A. Gerald Anderson, Nordic Area Librarian
Reference and Research Services Division, Suzallo Library
University of Washington Libraries, Box 352900
Seattle, WA 98195-2900
Telephone: (206) 685-1433
FAX: (206) 685-8049
E-mail: aga@u.washington.edu
URL:  http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/Nordic/nordspecialist/index.html