Collection Guidelines: Political Science: Subject Info

Photo: Timeless Books by Lin Kristensen

These are the guidelines by which materials are purchased for the Political Science collections of the UW Libraries (Seattle Campus). For questions or more information, please contact Emily Keller, the Political Science and Public Policy Librarian.

The UW Libraries envisions our collections as a purpose-built service and aligns collection development with institutional research and curricular requirements to "advance discovery and enrich the quality of life by connecting people with knowledge." Collections as a service is grounded in sustainability and our responsibility to be good stewards of the cultural and scholarly record that we are committed to preserving, as well as the budgets and spaces that have been entrusted to us by the University of Washington. 

Political science is the study of governments, public policies and political processes, systems, and political behavior. Political science subfields include political theory, political philosophy, political ideology, political economy, policy studies and analysis, comparative politics, international relations, and a host of related fields (APSA). 

Public policy and governance, or public administration, prepares students for careers in the public sector, including all levels of government and non-profit organizations.    

Collections supporting Political Science and Public Policy range widely and can be found among many Library of Congress (LC) classes. The primary LC classes are:

• J: Political science 
• JF-JN: Political institutions and public administration

Additional LC classes with substantial related materials include:

• D: World history
• E: History of the Americas
• F: History of the Americas
• H: Social sciences
• K: Law
• U: Military science