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Spanish Collection Development Policy

Subject Librarian: Peggy Warren

Programs Supported

The Scott Library collection supports an undergraduate B.A. in Spanish studies. In conjunction with the Frost Library, it also provides support for an undergraduate program in Spanish Studies offered at York University’s Glendon College. The collection provides tangential support for Latin American studies.

Description of Current Collection
The current collection provides adequate support for the courses in Spanish language, linguistics, and literature studied at York, and comprises materials on both Peninsular and Spanish-American literatures. Emphasis is placed on the Golden Age, the 19th and 20th centuries, and on modern and contemporary Latin-American literature.

Students of Spanish may also wish to consult related collections in the social sciences and humanities purchased by subject librarians in those areas.

Languages
Primary works of literature are purchased in Spanish. Only the works of major authors or prize-winning titles are purchased in English-language translation. Literary criticism is purchased in Spanish or English, as available. Material on dialect studies (e.g., Catalan) is, for the most part, not purchased.

Geographical Coverage
Priority is given to publications from Spain and Latin America, as well as North America. While the current collection includes materials on the literature of Spain, emphasis is now given to the literature of Latin-American.

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.

Types of Materials

  • Books: Books represent the major part of the collection and annual expenditures. Paperback is the preferred form. Lama binding is performed selectively on high-use materials.
  • Journals: The Spanish-language journal collection is exceedingly small.
  • Electronic Materials: Periodical indexes are available as networked databases, Few full-text electronic materials have been in Spanish have been purchased to date.
  • Rare books: These are not purchased in Spanish literature and language.
  • Sound recordings: Readings by well-known authors are occasionally purchased.

Resources Elsewhere in Toronto
The University of Toronto’s Robarts Library houses a fairly extensive collection of Spanish-language materials.

Collecting Levels

LC Class Description Current Level Desired Level
PC 4001-4977 Spanish language 3a 3a
PQ 6001-8929 Spanish literature
Medieval era 3 3a
Golden Age 3b 3b
18th c. 3 3a
19th c. 3b 3b
20th c. 3a 3b
Spanish-American literature 3a 3b

Last updated 2001