Women's and Gender Studies

Collection Development Policy Statement

Library's Collection Development Objectives

The Libraries seek to support teaching and research in Womens and Gender Studies throughout the university community. This primarily includes supporting Womens and Gender Studies faculty and student research and the curriculum through the Concentration and Minor degree level. However, because of the very interdisciplinary nature of this discipline, the libraries support faculty research and the curriculum through the PhD level in all disciplines affected by womens and gender studies scholarship.

Curriculum Program Descriptions

The Womens and Gender Studies Program is a division of the College of Arts and Sciences and has been in existence since 1991. It offers four core courses (listed below) and a variety of electives across the university. The core classes are:

• WGS2500 - Introduction to Womens and Gender Studies
• WGS3150 - Survey of Feminist Theory
• WGS4500 - Special Topics
• WGS4900 - Independent Reading and Research

Currently the program is offering fifteen electives, covering topics such as womens poetry, images of women, 19th century American womens voices, images of women in T.V., African American women, social protest, women of the African diaspora, religion and gender, the contemporary family, multi cultural discourse in education, and gender and theater performance.

The faculty are from many disciplines, including those outside of this college; the disciplines include: Accounting, Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Curriculum and Instruction, Education, English, French, History, Human Ecology, Landscape Architecture, Religious Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Speech Communication, and Theater. There are 60 faculty members in the program; fifty-one of whom have PhD degrees.

Listed below are the number of minor degrees awarded to students in Womens and Gender Studies for the past four years (since the programs inception). Because the Concentration is relatively new, there are no graduates in the program yet.

E (Empty String)      - (Info unavailable)

While these numbers appear small, it should be noted that all sections of Womens and Gender Studies courses are traditionally filled quickly, and many students enroll in these classes without registering in one of the WGS degree programs. Also, while their numbers are difficult to ascertain, students from classes across the university do research in womens and gender studies related topics, and benefit from the Libraries support of this discipline.

In the institutions history, there have been 191 theses written on the issues of women or gender, with 120 of these since 1970. There have been 70 doctoral dissertations written on these issues, with 62 of these since 1970.

New and Expanding Areas of Interest

• Bisexuality, lesbianism, and homosexuality
• Women and science

Areas of Specialization/Major Faculty Research Interests

• Women and popular culture
• Southern women writers
• Nineteenth century French literature
• Victorian literature
• Womens health
• Latino/a culture
• Family and society
• Womens literature and folklore
• Women and psychology
• Women and social change movements
• American womens history

CD ROMs, Electronic Books, Remotely Accessed Texts

LSU Libraries will purchase CD ROM works on a case by case basis when requested by faculty members or graduate students in need of enhanced capabilities afforded by CD ROMs. The LSU Libraries recognizes that electronic information, e-books, electronic paper, etc. merit attention. The purchase of access to remote data and texts, such as J-STOR and others, will be pursued when the ownership of remote products will benefit the greatest number of students, staff, and faculty at the best possible price. Purchase of remotely accessed texts must follow the policy and procedures set forth in Procedures for Acquiring and Processing Electronic Resources.

Classed Analysis

See Appendix C.

Prepared: January 15, 1998
Updated: March 25, 2003