Current Collection Policy:

General Information

The Fondren Library anthropology collection supports the educational and research needs of the faculty, undergraduate and graduate students of the Rice University Anthropology Department. The materials are also used by students and faculty from other local colleges and universities and by the general public.

The Anthropology Department at Rice University offers a B.A., and M.A. (mainly interim upon approval for doctoral candidacy) and a Ph.D. in anthropology. Graduate students can specialize in either social/cultural anthropology or archaeology.

Faculty members, the majority of whom are cultural anthropologists, are diverse in their research interests. However, the department's focus is on a humanist anthropology. Area interests for the department include West Africa, Greece, China, and Argentina.

Formats

Books: Hard cover books are preferred, but paperbacks are ordered when hardbacks are not available.

Audiovisuals: U.S. VHS videocassettes are preferred. However, because of the interests of the faculty, foreign formats will be ordered when requested.

Serials: Journal subscriptions are ordered at the request of faculty as are back issues of journal titles.

Series: Standing orders are established at the request of faculty or when it appears that the library is receiving all or most of the individual volumes.

Microformats. Microfilm or microfiche is acquired when an item is unavailable or too expensive to purchase in paper.

Electronic formats: Electronic/digital formats will be acquired for reference sources, journals, or when published uniquely in computer format. Formats which provide for remote access are preferred.

Language English is the preferred language for all formats. Because of the intrinsically international nature of the field, items will be ordered in any language requested. At present, French and Spanish are the non-English languages most often requested.

Archaeological Site Reports Archaeological surveys (site reports) are received from the Texas Antiquities Committee as part of Fondren's state document depository plan. Only reports of sites in Harris and surrounding counties (Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers, Waller, Montgomery, and Ft. Bend) are added to the collection. These reports are useful as samples for undergraduate students taking archaeology courses.

Collection Levels by LC Classification:

*Materials in anthropology are often classified with their particular focus (legal anthropology with law, ethnography of Samoa with other materials on Samoa). Also, many materials on the products of cultures will be classified in the humanities. Thus, the LC classification schedules for archaeology and anthropology exclude many holdings and much of Fondren's anthropology collection will be classified with other subjects.