Collections: Classical Studies Policy

Program Description

The scope of the teaching and research of the Department of Classical Studies extends beyond a focus on Greek and Latin languages and literatures to encompass ancient archaeology and civilization, including cultures of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, Greek and Roman history, and ancient religions. Among the specific areas of focus: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Near Eastern art, architecture, and archaeology; Greek legal history; Roman legal and economic history; papyrology; Greek and Roman popular religious traditions and practices; the development of early Christianity; Greek and Latin poetry and prose; and ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern languages and literatures.

The Department of Classical Studies, with eight faculty members, offers B.A. and M.A. degrees as well as a one-year post-baccalaureate program.

Affiliated Programs

Religious Studies: The Program Director and Faculty Liaison for the Religious Studies at Tulane Program is Adeline Masquelier, Ph. D., of the Anthropology Department (email: amasquel@tulane.edu). The interdisciplinary program, which offers a B.A. degree, is designed to provide students with the methodology used to study religion as a fundamental human experience and to introduce them to the history of religious traditions in a variety of cultures. Four Tulane faculty members specialize in religious studies and are assisted by numerous others, in the Anthropology, Art, Classical Studies, History, Philosophy and other departments. The offerings of the Religious Studies Program also overlap with those of the Jewish Studies and Asian Studies programs and the Latin American Studies Center.

Jewish Studies: See Jewish Studies Program collection policy.

Faculty members in the Department of Classical Studies also participate in other interdisciplinary programs such as the African and African Diaspora Studies Program (e.g., ancient Egypt and Nubia) and the Women's Studies Program (e.g., witchcraft in the ancient world).



Subject Resource Guide

http://libguides.tulane.edu/classicalstudies



Scope

Collection policy focuses primarily on the curriculum and research emphases of the Department of Classical Studies. Materials are acquired on the languages, literatures, and civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. Includes interdisciplinary interests overlapping with those of other departments and programs, including archaeology, art and architecture, history, Jewish studies, theatre, linguistics, philosophy, women's studies, and African studies.

The collection of materials in or about mediaeval and modern Latin, Byzantine and modern Greek, Renaissance humanism, and neoclassicism is left primarily to other departments and programs.

For the Religious Studies program, materials are collected on general and comparative religion as well as specific religions, with a focus on the history of religion and religion as an aspect of culture. Among a range of interdisciplinary areas, reflected in the curriculum and research interests of various departments, are religion and politics, religion in society, women and religion, science and religion, and religious art.



Type

Monographs, monographic series, serials, reference works, and conference proceedings are regularly sought, with particular focus on scholarly editions of primary source materials and archaeological reports. Anthologies, textbooks, non-Tulane dissertations, maps, and other media are sought selectively, except that most popular works, recordings, and manuscripts are excluded. For the Religious Studies Program, general and popular as well as scholarly works are considered.



Format

Primarily printed text and illustrations. Other formats are considered, including digital resources (online or CD) and visual materials, especially when the alternative format would improve access or utility. In certain situations, it may be appropriate to obtain online journals and cancel subscriptions to the corresponding print versions, provided that ownership or long-term access can be assured and image quality is adequate. For the Religious Studies Program, when ownership of the online version is not assured, online access at additional cost will be sought within the amount budgeted for religious traditions journals.



Language

Primarily materials in ancient Greek, classical Latin, and modern Western European languages. Selectively, some relevant materials in ancient Near Eastern languages, including ancient Egyptian, Hebrew, and modern Greek. Materials collected for the Religious Studies Program are primarily in modern Western European languages.



Chronological Period

Primary chronological focus ranges from the prehistoric period through 500 AD. The chronological range for the Religious Studies Program also includes the period from 500 AD to the present.



Imprint Date

Primarily twentieth century onwards. Collection focus is not limited to recent imprints; in fact, there is an ongoing effort, working with faculty, to identify and acquire series of primary source materials and secondary studies published since the later nineteenth century, filling in gaps to develop a basic research collection. Out-of-print materials are sought fairly routinely as part of this process. For the Religious Studies Program, emphasis is placed on items published during the last five years. Older materials are selectively purchased. Out-of-print materials are sought, generally, to replace lost materials considered indispensable to the collection, or upon faculty request.



Geographical Considerations

Focus is on the Mediterranean region, areas of Europe encompassed within the Roman Empire, the Near East, Egypt, and Nubia. For the Religious Studies Program, areas of interest include Europe, the Near East, the United States, Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and South Asia.



Related Collections

The Department of Classical Studies maintains its own small library, for the use of its faculty and students. An important online resource useful to students and faculty is the Classical Bibliography Database (DCB), available through the department. An additional resource is the Classical Arts Database of digitized images of classical art and archaeology. The Women's Center Library at Newcomb College includes materials on religious subjects relating to women's studies.



Cooperative Resources

The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library has purchased more than 40,000 ebooks, with records loaded into the library catalog and covering a wide range of subjects, through the LYRASIS library consortium. The library is also a member of the cooperative Center for Research Libraries (CRL) in Chicago, through which may borrow a wide range of rare materials for our users. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty may borrow materials directly from the main library nearby at Loyola University of New Orleans through a reciprocal agreement. Graduate students and faculty may borrow materials at other New Orleans area academic libraries through the CALL consortium and at other academic libraries throughout the state through the LALINC consortium. Faculty may in many cases secure temporary borrowing library privileges outside the state through OCLC. For more information about cooperative borrowing privileges inquire at the library's Circulation Desk.



Supply Sources

Approval plans with Blackwell's Book Services, Blackwell Oxford, Otto Harrassowitz, Touzot, Casalini, and Puvill provide materials according to profiles established for each plan. Standing orders, supplemented by firm orders, also play a significant role in providing journals, monographs, and monographic series; orders are placed with European and U.S. publishers of materials on classical studies and ancient history or, when necessary, with out-of-print book dealers.



Endowed Funds

Class of 04 (formerly Many fund): classics. Touro: Greek and Roman classics, and ancient history.



Selection Tools

Faculty and student requests; reviews in journals such as The Journal of Hellenic Studies, The Journal of Roman Studies, Gnomon, American Journal of Archaeology, Classical Review, and Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, as well as in ChoiceReviews.online and the Bryn Mawr Classical Review online. For the Religious Traditions program, tools also include reviews in journals such as Religious Studies Review and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.