Subject Librarian: Peggy Warren
Programs Supported
The collection in Italian language, linguistics, and literature supports an undergraduate degree (three-year and honours B.A.) offered by the Faculty of Arts in Italian studies. Courses range from language, dialect studies, linguistics, literature, and theatre to modern Italian culture, Italian in North America, and Italian medieval and renaissance civilizations. In addition to courses in language and literature, there is considerable interest in the social and cultural aspects of contemporary and historic Italian life, both in Italy and in North America. Courses are taught in both Italian and English.
Description of Current Collection Language: The current collection comprises materials supporting the study of Italian as a second language, dialect studies, linguistic structures, and language history.
Literature: The collection includes literature and criticism from the 12th century to the present, with an emphasis on the major authors of the 13th through 16th centuries as well as the 19th century. Major works of prose and poetry of the 20th century are also collected.
Students of Italian will also need to consult related collections in art h istory, film, music, politics, history, and sociology purchased by subject librarians in those disciplines. Other York libraries (SMIL) offer special format materials (e.g., videos, sound recordings) in support of specific courses.
Languages
The literature itself is purchased in Italian. English-language translations are purchased primarily for major authors and prize-winning titles. Materials dealing with the social and cultural aspects of Italian civilization are purchased in Italian or in English, as available.
Geographical Coverage
Priority is given to Italian and North American publishers.
Chronological Coverage
Literature: Emphasis is placed on the 14th-16th and the 19th centuries. A lesser emphasis is placed on the major authors of the 20th century.
Priority is given to contemporary standard Italian. Selected dialect studies are also collected.
Date of Publication
Recent publications are given priority.
Duplication
In general, single copies are purchased.
Gifts
Gifts corresponding to programs of study or research at York, or filling lacunae in the collection, are gratefully accepted and acknowledged.
Weeding
The inverse of purchasing, collection evaluation and weeding take place on a continual basis, as time permits.
- Books: Books represent the major part of the collection and annual expenditures. Paperback is the preferred form. Selected high-use materials are lama-bound.
- Journals: Journals represent the second-largest expenditure.
- Electronic Materials: Periodical indexes are available as networked databases, available via dial-in access. Full-text electronic materials (e.g., on CD-ROM), are purchased selectively for both the reference and the circulating collections, as they become available.
- Microforms: Occasional back runs of journals and theses are purchased in microform.
- Dissertations: Preference is given to dissertations revised for publication in book form, and these are purchased on a limited basis. Occasional unrevised dissertations on microform are purchased, upon recommendation of the faculty.
- Rare books: These are not purchased in Italian literature and language, although rare materials are occasionally donated to Special Collections.
- Sound recordings: Readings by well-known authors are occasionally purchased.
Resources Elsewhere in Toronto
The city of Toronto has more Italian-speaking citizens than any city outside of Italy. Consequently, the Italian collections of selected libraries in the Toronto area are relatively strong.
The University of Toronto's Robarts Library has an excellent book and journal collection in Italian language and literature. In particular, York researchers may wish to avail themselves of the Robarts journal collection to supplement Scott Library holdings.
The Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library also has a good collection of Italian literature. Smaller collections of Italian-language children's literature are held in public libraries situated in Italian-Canadian communities throughout the Toronto area.
Last updated 2001