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Religion and Culture

Policy Last Updated: June 23, 2019

Purpose

The Collection Development policy is used as a guide to shape relevant collections and to ensure consistency in collection development. The decision to purchase library materials is primarily the responsibility of the Collections Librarian in consultation with faculty in the Department.

This policy has been developed by Greg Sennema in cooperation with Dr. Ashley Lebner.

Focus

To support teaching, study and research up to the doctorate level, as well as to support faculty research

Scope

  • Language: emphasis is on English, French and German. Secondary emphasis is on other western languages.
  • Place of Publication: primarily North American, European, Indian and Far Eastern sources are collected. Publications from other countries are acquired as necessary.
  • Dates of Publication: emphasis is placed on recently published works
  • Chronological Period: both contemporary and historical works are acquired
  • Geographical Areas: no area is excluded
  • Publishers: works from scholarly and academic publishers are emphasized

Types, formats, and readership of materials collected

  • Materials with academic-level readership are selected
  • Web-based formats for reference sources, journals and indexing sources are preferred. Print and microform are considered for reason of cost, availability,expected use or long term access.
  • Single copies of books in print formats are generally selected. Web-based formats are selected on a title by title basis, especially if the title is of interest to users at multiple Laurier campuses. Duplication of print across Laurier campuses is generally avoided.
  • Excluded types include textbooks, abridgements, study aids, limited editions,works by vanity presses, reprints and partial contents (eg. single issues of journals, electronic versions of single chapters of books).

Subjects collected and collecting priorities

Collecting priorities are categorized into 3 levels:

A - highest emphasis

The collection includes major published materials required to support the core teaching and research at the highest degree level offered by the Department.

B - secondary emphasis

The collection includes a selection of materials to complement the discipline as a whole, although it may not be a primary focus for courses.

C - selective emphasis

Materials, including reference materials and basic journals and indexes are collected to introduce and define an area.

Subjects collected

Classification

Collecting priority

History of religion, general

BL75-BL87; BL96-BL98

B

Methodology in the study of religion

BL41

B

Early Near Eastern religion and mythology

BL1610-BL1710

C

Greek and Roman religion and mythology (also collected by Classics Department)

BL780-BL820.V8

C

Jewish religious history and thought, general

BM150-BM155.3

B

Old Testament/Hebrew Bible

BM165-BM175

B

Extra-Biblical Literature

BM480-488.8; BS1691-BS1830

C

Inter-Testamental, Talmudic

BS1830.T74

C

Medieval Judaism

BM180-BM185.4.S533Z

C

Modern Judaism

BM190-BM199

C

Islam, general

BP1-BP63

A

Islamic history, theology and philosophy

BP50-68; BP166-BP166.94; BP100-BP134.W6; BP188-BP190

A

Contemporary issues in Islam

BP60

A

Iranian religion, ancient

BL2270-BL2280

C

Baha'i

BP300-BP395

B

Christianity, general

BR1-BR55

A

History, History of religious thought (also collected by Martin Luther University College)

BR160-1725

A

New Testament

BS1901-BS2970

A

Contemporary religious issues

BR115

A

African Religions and Caribbean Religions, general

BL2390-BL2490; BL2550-BL2592.X36

A

African Diaspora and other Diasporic Studies

DT16.5

A

Caribbean Religion and Culture

BL2565; GN564

B

African-American Religion and Culture

BL2490; BR563.N4; E185.86

B

African-Canadian Religion and Culture

FC106

B

Modern religious movements (cults and sects), non-Christian (emphasis on North America, Europe, South America, Africa, India and the Far East)

BL2700-2780; BL550-BL619

B

Asian Religions, general

BL1000-BL1035

B

Buddhism, emphasizing origins, South East Asia, East Asia, history, and development

BQ251-BQ799; BQ4000-BQ4060

B

Confucianism and Taoism

BL1830-BL1942.85.X58

C

Shintoism and modern Japanese Religions

BL2200-BL2228

C

Jainism, Parseesm (Zoroastrianism) and Sikhism

BL1300-BL1380; BL1500-BL1590; BL2017-BL2018.7; BL2520-BL2525

A

Asian religions in North America

BL2520-BL2525

A

Indian Religions

  

Hinduism, emphasizing classical period and modern Reform movements

BL1152.3-BL1153.5

B

Devotional movements, Tamil studies

PL4758

B

Temple tradition, temple art, Indian art

BL1243.72

B

Gandhian studies

DS481

B

Indigenous Religions

BL380

A

Native North American

E98

B

Hispanic religions

BL2540

C

Special Topics

  

Anthropology/Ethnography of Religion

BL41; BL256

A

Medical Anthropology, Religion and Healing

GN296

C

Mysticism

BL625

C

Myth, Ritual, Symbol and Imagination

BL603

A

New Immigrants and Religion

BL2525

A

Psychology of Religion

BL53

B

Religion and Contemporary Society (Racism, economic relations, technology, politics, ecology, violence, etc)

BT734-BT734.3; BR115

A

Religion and Gender Studies

BL65

A

Religion and the Arts

N72.R4

B

Religion and Popular Culture

BR115

A

Religion and Science

BL289-BL290

B

Religion and Sexuality

BT708; BL65.S4

C

Religion and Therapy

RC489

C

Ritual Studies, especially rites of passage

BL600

A

Spirituality

BX1407.S66(US)

B

Women and Religion

BL458

A

Ethics (also collected by Philosophy Department, Martin Luther University College)

BJ1188-BJ1395

C

Related programs and support

Consortial purchases with the Ontario Council of University Libraries, and on a national level, are pursued.

Efforts are made to coordinate Religion and Culture collections with those purchased by other departments/schools at Wilfrid Laurier University, including Classics, History, Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Work, and Martin Luther University College. In those disciplines, the university offers programs at the graduate level in History, Philosophy, psychology, Social Work, and Martin Luther University College.

The University of Waterloo library collection supports programs to the Ph.D. level in Religious Studies. In addition, library holdings of St. Jerome’s University, Conrad Grebel, University College, and Renison College, which are affiliated with the University of Waterloo, are also included in Omni.