While no formal academic program exists at MSU in popular culture, the Nye Collection serves and supports numerous University departments whose faculty and students pursue interests in the study of popular culture. These include American Thought and Language, history, psychology, anthropology, art, racial and ethnic studies, political science, education, literature, communications, and American studies.
Besides providing for the research needs of MSU's faculty, graduate, and undergraduate populations, the Nye Collection also serves as an excellent resource for visiting researchers and leisure readers.
By 1974, the collection had grown to such dimensions that a plan for growth and control became imperative. The strengths of the collection as it then existed were appraised and advice was sought from Professors Russel B. Nye and Larry Landrum, both in the Department of English at MSU, and both active in popular culture studies It was decided to constitute four principal categories within which the collection could be organized for research and collecting purposes.
These categories are, of necessity, not fixed. An opportunity to acquire important materials for the collection can--and does--alter the original plan. Changes in the direction of popular culture studies will doubtless dictate future changes of emphasis. The adoption of a coherent plan has meant, however, that MSU's popular culture collection, while not the largest of its kind, is one of the most usable. The principal categories into which the collection is presently organized are: 1) comic art; 2) popular fiction, including dime novels, story magazines, pulps, juvenile series books, detective fiction, mystery fiction, science fiction, western fiction, and women's/romance fiction; 3) popular information materials, including almanacs and etiquette manuals; and 4) materials in print relating to the popular performing arts.
In 1978, the popular culture collection was named the Russel R. Nye Popular Culture Collection in recognition of Professor Nye's work in the field and his unceasing devotion to the growth of the popular culture collection in the MSU Libraries.
Today the Russel B. Nye Popular Culture Collection in the MSU Libraries includes over 150,000 items. In addition, the collection is supported by a growing vertical file collection incorporating leaflets, pamphlets, unpublished papers, and other ephemeral material in a wide range of popular culture subjects.
2. There are a number of fine special libraries in Michigan and the region which support research in popular culture. In 1990, the Consortium of Popular Culture Collections in the Midwest was established, a co-operative between the libraries at MSU, Ohio State, Bowling Green, and Kent State dedicated to the development, access, promotion, and preservation of special research collections in American culture.
B. Languages of resources collected: Exclusions/emphasis/translations. (See IV.)
C. Geography of the subject: Emphasis/restrictions. (See IV.)
D. Format of the resources collection: Restrictions if any. (See IV.)
E. Date of publication of resources collected: Emphasis if any. (See IV.)
1. Juvenile Fiction
Emphasis is on juvenile series fiction of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with nearly 200 girls and over 300 boys series represented. Nineteenth and twentieth-century "Sunday School" books and periodicals, and both fiction and non-fiction scouting books are also included.
Acquisitions will continue to fill in remaining gaps in the juvenile series fiction collection. Purchases will be made for Sunday School/Christian literature.
Collecting intensity: 3b.
2. Western Fiction
An exceptionally fine institutional collection, with over 3,500 novels (most published between 1900 and 1950), almost all hardbound and in dust jackets, and nearly 500 pulp magazine issues representing more than fifty titles. The most important pulp runs are Street and Smith's Western Story Magazine and Warner Publications' Ranch Romances.
No purchases planned. Gifts may be accepted on a case by case basis.
Collecting intensity: 1.
3. Women's/Romance Fiction
Circa 4,000 novels and almost 1,500 issues of romance, confession, and movie magazines and pulps from the 1920's through 1995. Most of the novels are in the romance category, with over 3,000 Harlequin novels, a good representation of other modern best-selling romances, and several dozen from late nineteenth-century romance series.
No future purchases are planned. Harlequin novels and romance/confession magazines may be accepted as gifts on a case by case basis.
Collecting intensity: 1.
4. Science Fiction
Circa 11,000 books and periodicals. MSU is a depository for the Science Fiction Writers of America, which contributes review copies of new books. It also serves as a depository for the James L. Tiptree awards and nominations made every year. A large part of the collection is periodicals, with over 150 titles represented. Most issues come from the 1930's to the present. The collection subscribes to most major science fiction magazines and holds a fanzine collection which now numbers over 2,500.
A small number of primarily paperback science fiction items will be acquired.
Special Collections will continue to accept gifts from the Science Fiction Writers of America and the Tiptree Awards.
All gifts which do not duplicate current holdings, including fanzines and foreign language science fiction, will be accepted.
Some science fiction is acquired for Browsing/Main primarily based on request and budget priorities.
5. Detective-Mystery Fiction
Circa 4,500 novels, in paper and hardback, and pulps representing twenty- eight titles from 1920-1950. Complete runs of the London Mystery Magazines and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine are included, along with a large sample collection of the more sensational detective and crime fiction magazines from the thirties through the present.
No purchases planned. Gifts may be accepted, particularly crime fiction magazines, on a case by case basis.
Collecting intensity: 1.
6. Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgender Fiction
Circa 1,000 volumes, mostly pulp paperback fiction published between 1950 and 1980. About two-thirds of these titles were written for a gay male audience. Of those with lesbian themes, some were written by lesbians (often under a male or neutral pseudonym) for lesbians; others were marketed to a mixed audience. About a hundred titles of more recent gay and lesbian fiction represent the gay/lesbian small presses. Many titles are genre fiction: romance, western, science fiction, or detective fiction featuring gay men or lesbians. The collection also includes about a hundred volumes of transvestite/transsexual fiction, mostly dating from the late 1980's to the present. Further acquisitions in all these categories are planned. Donations are also welcomed.
Collecting intensity: 3.
Special Collections is currently acquiring and building a collection of etiquette, advice, and success manuals published by religious published houses. General advice, etiquette, and especially books on sexuality are being acquired.
A representative number of twentieth century American textbooks are collected in the fields of health, social studies, and literature.
Gifts in Popular Information may be accepted on a case by case basis.
Collecting intensity: 3a.
Only a minimal number of new purchases planned, primarily encyclopedias and histories of movies, television, and popular music.
Gifts may be accepted on a case by case basis.
Collecting intensity: 2.
Strong representative performing arts collections in the Information and Referral Center, SSHR, and Main support this area in Special Collections.
Collecting intensity: 3.
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