E-mail this pageSociology and Criminal Justice Collections Policies
Clientele:
The Library collects to support curriculum needs in the broad areas of general sociology, applied sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. In particular, the major requirements focus on social structure, community/group process, social institutions, and social theory. Also included are public policy and administration.
There are about 10 faculty members directly involved in teaching sociology. The Sociology and Criminal Justice programs have experienced growth over the past 5 years. In 1997/98 there were more than 250 Criminal Justice and Criminology majors. Together with the more than 50 Sociology majors, these students represent the largest single block in the Arts & Sciences division of this College. The following areas are also related to the collection: child/family services, social work, counseling, minority/intercultural studies, education, mental health/psychology, political science/law.
Existing Collections:
Plattsburgh's Sociology collection contains both older and current materials in English. The majority of materials are from the U.S., with a minor global focus.
The General Collection has good retrospective holdings in general sociology, social theory, and communism/socialism/anarchism. It also contains substantial material in the areas of child and family welfare, gerontology, substance abuse, sexuality (especially gay and lesbian), and criminal justice.
The Government Documents collection also provides a wealth of research and statistical information useful to students and faculty, particularly those in Criminal Justice and Criminology. The Reference collection includes several recently published encyclopedias and other relevant print monographs. We have web database subscriptions to Social Sciences Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Lexis-Nexis.
Current Collecting:
We continue to collect as above, with an emphasis on practical, issue-oriented materials. Attempts are being made to correct weaknesses in the book collection in the areas of sociology of disabilities and the environment. The criminal justice collection needs strengthening in general, due to large student participation in the program. A need for more criminal justice periodicals has specifically been stressed.
Within the past decade, collection development of the H and HM-HX areas has focused on developing three areas: selected portions of the HV schedule that cover criminology; selected areas of the HV and HQ schedules that cover social work and counseling; and areas of the HQ schedule that cover topics related to women and feminism. Purchasing in the first two of these areas has been spurred by curricular needs in relatively new and developing programs. The third subject area has experienced a publication explosion, with large numbers of both scholarly and popular titles available.
Monographic acquisitions funds have been adequate to support collection development in these three areas. All three areas, however, need additional periodical titles.
Subjects Covered:
- LC classes H-HA, HM-HX, (except HQ)
Publisher Information:
Formats:
Materials in print and electronic formats are collected. Paper is preferred over cloth. Microform is collected for periodicals.
Notes:
CCD money for women and minority studies have helped to improve the collection in related areas.