Collection Guidelines: History: Scope & Location

• Suzzallo and Allen Libraries are the major locations for the history collection in print.
• Electronic resources may be found on the History Research Guide.
• Microform collections including historic newspapers are in the Microforms-Newspapers Section.
• There are some duplicate and related titles in the Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Bothell and Tacoma libraries. Various libraries collect selectively in their discipline/language focus.
• Rare books, manuscripts and historic photographs especially those related to the history of the Pacific Northwest may be found in Special Collections.
• Specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, and bibliographies may be located in the Reference Section in Suzzallo Library.

Photo: Suzzallo Reading Room courtesy of Curtis Cronn

a. Chronological

History collects material covering all periods of history from ancient to the present. Materials dealing with the very recent past are collected by Political Science and Sociology. Prehistory is generally the domain of Archaeology.

b. Geographical

There are no geographic limitations though there is less emphasis on parts of the world that are not actively taught or researched by UW history faculty.

c. Language

Primary and secondary works are primarily in English with some selected material in other western European languages. History material in other languages falls under the purview of the international studies areas.

d. Format

Electronic and print monographs, serials, facsimiles, as well as microforms are included in the collection.

e. Exclusions

Material of a purely popular nature, textbooks, travel guides, workbooks, dissertations, historical fiction, most genealogical sources, juvenile literature, and reprints of material already in the collection, are generally not collected.