Collection Guidelines: Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies: Scope

a. Chronological

Although GWSS topics span history, the emphasis for building the collection is on the contemporary period (the past 25 years). We purchase works reflecting earlier histories in consultation with the History Librarian and archivist-curators.

b. Geographical

Primary emphasis is on the scholarship, creative works, and related criticism from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Materials from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa are collected selectively. Other geographic areas, not major producers of GWSS scholarship in English, are collected selectively and in consultation with International Studies librarians.

c. Language

Primary and secondary works are in English, historical forms of the English language and selectively, the Celtic languages.  Secondary materials in other languages are included on a selective basis.

d. Format

Electronic and print monographs, serials,databases, facsimiles, microforms, audio and video are included in the collection.

e. Exclusions

Literature of a purely popular nature, workbooks, non-UW dissertations, and anthologies of primary works containing material already in the collection, are generally not collected. Textbooks are not collected unless by faculty request.