Collection Development

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Collection Development

Subject Policy Statement - COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

 

A. Purpose and Program Description

The Libraries seeks to support research and teaching in all aspects of literary, theoretical and cultural studies . Programs and courses include undergraduate and postgraduate (by coursework or research) courses up to Ph.D. in visual cultures and f ilm s tudies, cross- cultures: literature and theory, feminism and gender studies, colonial / postcolonial / Hong Kong / China studies, and new media and global studies. A broadening course is also offered to students from other faculties. Research focuses on Chinese and Western literary cultural studies with specific interest on Hong Kong and on genres such as film, literature and pop music, European and American literature marked by an interest in theory: Marxism, deconstruction, gender-theory, psychoanalytic criticism and the debates activated by discussions of modernity, modernism, postmodernism and postcoloniality, urban issues in an era of globalization, cultural policy and the politics of institutionalization, media and popular culture, and critical theory.

Areas of established specialization are the classic works of British, American, European literary, cultural and film studies, media, critical theory and gender studies.

The Collection supports the needs of undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and many visiting researchers.

 

B. General Selection Guidelines (See Classed Analysis)

Overall, the Libraries' existing collection and acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collection goal for Comparative Literature are all at the beginning graduate level.

 

C. Specific Delimitations

  1. Formats collected: We collect monographs, annuals, reference tools and scholarly series extensively; periodicals, audio-visual materials, CD-ROMs and other electronic tools, and dissertations (other than HKU dissertations) selectively.
  2. Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications extensively and earlier publications selectively.
  3. Chronological Focus: We collect materials focusing on the current period extensively and earlier periods selectively.
  4. Languages Collected: We collect English language materials extensively and non-English language materials selectively.
  5. Place of Publication: We collect American, Western European, Chinese and Hong Kong materials extensively and materials published elsewhere selectively.