[This web page has been superceded by a later document, available on the Web at http://www.lib.msu.edu/sowards/colldev/refcds.html.]
The SSHR unit serves the MSU faculty, students and other researchers' needs for reference materials in the social sciences and humanities so they can complete term paper, thesis, and dissertation research, do research for publication or presentation, or prepare for teaching. SSHR contains and makes available all major reference tools to support the instructional programs at every level, and to provide for the general information needs of the academic and local communities.
A reference library has existed for the MSU Libraries since its inception.
In 1968, when the East wing was opened, the various subject divisions in the building (which included reference material) were consolidated in the Research (social sciences and humanities) Library, Science Library, and Undergraduate Library. The incorporation of reference materials from several subject divisions considerably enlarged the Reference Library at this time. While it was intended that undergraduate users should be served by the Undergraduate Library and its reference materials, because the Reference Library was located in a central spot on the main floor near both entrances, the Reference Library ended up serving users at all levels. The Undergraduate Library book collection was integrated into the Research and Science Libraries' collections in 1983 to save space. The Undergraduate Library reference service was terminated at this time.
The Public Services Study undertaken in 1983-84 revealed that these reference services were missed and Information/Reference was created in the location of the former Reference Library to serve basic reference needs in all subjects. The self-study also indicated that in-depth reference services were needed as well, and SSHR was set up on the Ground floor to serve these needs. SSHR contains the social sciences and humanities reference materials formerly part of the Reference Library that were not chosen for inclusion in Information/Reference.
In the Libraries' reorganization of 1993-94 it was decided to further abbreviate the services of the Information/Reference unit in the interests of efficiency and economy. It became the Information Referral Center and virtually all reference services for the social sciences and humanities went to SSHR and its collections were weeded/expanded to best meet the anticipated needs of the entire academic community. The IRC retained some "public library" functions such as responsibility for travel, careers, telephone books; Science Reference continued as before to function as a separate reference unit.
SSHR's existing strengths are its extensive collection of indexes/abstracts, subject dictionaries/encyclopedias, guides to other libraries/collections, guides to reference sources, subject bibliographies, general and demographic statistical compendia and indexes, and miscellaneous bibliographic finding aids. The following disciplines are particularly well represented: philosophy, religion, history, women's studies, law, criminal justice, education, psychology, sociology, social work, literature, language, grants/foundations, performing arts, biography and ethnic and area studies. In addition to the resources physically located in the SSHR collection, the staff has access via computer to periodical and report literature, as well as other electronically retrievable information.
SSHR collects all currently published periodical indexes and abstracts in the social sciences and humanities, in either paper or electronic format, that are necessary to support the academic programs of Michigan State University. Indexes that have ceased publication or are of very narrow interest may be moved to Main; indexes published in both paper and CD-ROM versions will be examined case by case in order to decide whether to cancel the paper copy. In any event, duplicate copies of the index or abstract will be cancelled.
Indexes for subjects in areas for which we have a special library (e.g., Labor and Industrial Relations, Art, Business) are housed in that location. Exceptions to such special interest periodical indexes are those which have wide undergraduate usefulness such as most Wilson indexes (e.g., Education Index and Business Periodicals Index).
Selection of reference materials in electronic format will be based upon numerous factors:
When electronic formats supersede paper formats, decisions to cancel paper formats should be made after the first year of use by the appropriate reference specialist(s). Guides to the use of any reference item in electronic format should be produced by the subject specialist responsible for the initial order following existing guidelines and formats.
English language multi-volume general encyclopedia sets are acquired and updated regularly. SSHR collects one or two foreign language multi-volume general encyclopedia sets for each major world language.
No attempt is made to collect all bibliographies for reference. By their very nature bibliographies are generally out of date by the time they are published. The reference unit will collect those bibliographies that are determined, through review, to be the most comprehensive for the field. Bibliographies that are neither comprehensive for the field nor annotated should be considered for the Main collection. Bibliographies with annotations, especially evaluative annotations, should be considered. While current bibliographies are important in many disciplines, sensitivity to the value of older bibliographies in some fields (history, literature, etc.) should be a consideration. Single author bibliographies should be avoided
Directories are used to identify persons, organizations and companies, and their addresses and phone numbers. Often, many directories offer additional information. It is important to have the latest possible information to insure contact can be made. The reference collection will maintain the latest editions of most directories (exceptions for some directories that are held by the Business Library and the Information Referral Center). Directories older than five years will not be kept in Reference. Membership directories will not be purchased. Purchase of new directories should be based on:
SSHR collects language dictionaries for the Classical, Celtic, Romance, Germanic, Slavic, Oriental, Indo-Indian, African, Asian, and American Indian languages. We also collect historical language dictionaries, such as the Oxford English Dictionary and Middle English Dictionary, as well as regional dictionaries, and dictionaries of new words, slang, synonyms, antonyms, quotations and pseudonyms. Pictorial dictionaries are collected for major Western European and Oriental languages.
Handbooks, manuals and guides are collected primarily in English. For those topics which are not satisfactorily treated in English, or for which an exemplary resource exists in another language, a work will be purchased in another language, most often French or German.
Handbooks, manuals and guides are meant to provide an introduction, or an introductory level of resources or bibliography, to an unfamiliar topic for undergraduates or beginning graduate students. In some cases, a research strategy may be outlined or suggested. In other cases, summary information may be outlined or suggested. In other cases, summary information on a topic or specific names, theories, works, etc., may be presented. Those reference books which treat esoteric topics, or present a level of scholarship which may be useful primarily to doctoral students or faculty, will not generally be purchased for SSHR, as the user will probably wish to use the resource in depth, and desire to check it out.
Concordances for major English versions of the Bible are collected, along with copies of those versions. Concordances for other principal scriptures are acquired as available. Concordances for individuals are limited to the most important historical and literary figures.
Biographical tools are selected from standard collection tools following the same criteria used for selecting general reference titles. Those titles which are selected for the Biography Collection are generally of the following types:
Specifically not collected in the Biography section:
The geographic emphases are on the law of the United States and Michigan. Sources which survey law of other countries are collected, but not the laws or cases themselves. This collection encompasses handbooks, guides to the literature, dictionaries, encyclopedias, periodical indexes; reporters for the Supreme Court, Appellate court, regions, and Michigan; law codes for the U.S. and Michigan; and digests (indexes) to cases at all levels. SSHR does not collect legal records or briefs.
Most of the sources in the Statistics area are part of SSHR's collection. These include guides and indexes to statistics contained in other publications; demographic and economic statistics sources which classify in HA-HF, such as statistical abstracts of states, regions, and countries; compilations of economic indicators; population projections; trade and transportation statistics; commodity statistics; historical statistical compendiums; and Michigan statistics. When microfiche of statistical publications becomes available in ASI, SRI, and ISI, standing orders for paper copies of the publications are cancelled unless the publication is very heavily used or is a depository item. Basic statistics volumes, such as U.S. Statistical Abstracts, may be duplicated elsewhere in the Library system to begin helping users find statistical material, but all users are referred to this location for in-depth information. The Government Documents Library provides many statistical sources to this area.
The Foundation Collection, established in 1978, is maintained in cooperation with the Foundation Center, New York City, which provides several hundred dollars worth of directory material and the annual tax returns for the Michigan foundations each year. SSHR collects additional directories and publications detailing grant-making policies of foundations, the federal government, and the business world. The Collection contains materials on proposal preparation and other grantsmanship techniques, U.S. federal and Canadian government documents, directories about grants available from different agencies, foundation annual reports, and vertical file materials of interest to the users.
SSHR selectors are expected to confer with librarians throughout the Libraries' system as the need arises to determine the most appropriate location for reference sources. The following list of branch libraries contain over-lapping subject areas with SSHR and should be consulted when materials are considered for purchase which could be utilized in these specialized locations:
Africana Library --- SSHR collects a wide range of bibliographies and dictionaries/encyclopedias, and indexes and language dictionaries.
Business Library --- SSHR's Foundation Collection does not include materials on the management of non-profit organizations. These works are collected by the Business Library.
Fine Arts --- SSHR collects only a few basic dictionaries and encyclopedias covering art and music.
Documents Library --- Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the Government Documents Library's collections, there are many areas in which its collections overlap with those of SSHR. In fact, Government Documents supplies SSHR with several crucial titles in the law collection, as well as some Michigan-related and miscellaneous materials. As a general rule, SSHR does not acquire materials issued by the State of Michigan, the federal governments of the US or Canada or intergovernmental organizations unless the materials are in high enough demand to justify a second copy.
Labor and Industrial Relations Library --- SSHR collects bibliographies on labor and industrial relations, but not dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, or periodical indexes.
Maps Library --- SSHR collects basic general atlases and gazetteers, and general, non-country specific historical atlases.
Science Libraries --- SSHR collects social science-related bibliographies, dictionaries and encyclopedias on health-related topics, speech, psychology/psychiatry, and the environment. History of science materials are collected if they will be more useful to and more used by humanists and social scientists than by hard scientists.
This text was prepared for us by Linda Driscoll on 8 September 1998 from two incomplete "draft" documents; additions and changes can be added should anyone discover other versions in their desks!
URL=http://www.lib.msu.edu/sowards/colldev/sshrcolldev.html
Page editor: Steven Sowards
Updated: 9 September 1998; modified 19 February 2003.