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Collection Development Manual > Libraries & Collections > Central Library > History

History

The History collection includes historical works about regions of the world, the ancient history of Europe, Asia, India, and Mesopotamia, and general works on archaeology. Materials about the history and contemporary culture and society of the native peoples of North America are a part of this collection as well.

For the most part, materials in the History collection focus on the military and political history of regions and nations of the world. Materials that will be of interest to adult history enthusiasts and to high school and college students and other researchers are emphasized. The collection includes many reference works such as encyclopedias, bibliographies, and guides to specific time periods or events.

Some regions of the world are better represented in the collection than others. The History collection is strong in materials that deal with the United States or its western regions generally, and materials that discuss the history of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Oregon Territory, Multnomah County, and the city of Portland. The library is seeking to increase its collection of materials about the history of Vietnam, Korea, and the countries and regions of Latin America and Africa.

The library produced its own index to local newspaper articles in card file format, covering the years roughly 1930-1987. The Newspaper index focuses on articles about Portland and Multnomah County news and events, local businesses and local people.

The collection of materials discussing the history of the native peoples of North America includes works on American Indians from all parts of the continent, but focuses on the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Works on the ancient history of China, Egypt, Palestine, India, Mesopotamia, and Europe are kept with this collection, and the library is expanding the collection in this area. The History collection also contains general materials on archaeology, including reference materials such as encyclopedias and collections of bibliographies.

High school and college students, independent learners, amateur historians and genealogists all use the History collection.

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Many materials relating to the history of slavery, political movements and parties, legislation, and other aspects of political history are part of the Political Science collection. At Central Library, this collection is kept in the Science & Business room.

Histories of particular fields are kept with the other materials on those fields. This means that histories of the theater would be with the Art and Architecture collection (in the Humanities rooms at Central Library), and histories of the American labor movement would be with the Business and Economics collection (in the Science & Business room at Central Library).

Though some materials dealing with physical anthropology are with the History collection, most works on paleontology and physical anthropology are in the Natural Science and Physical Science collections, and general anthropology materials are part of the Social Science collection. In addition, forensic anthropology materials are part of the Medicine collection (they are with other materials on forensics). Older reference materials on anthropology are in the Natural Science collection. At Central Library, all of these collections are kept in the Science & Business room.

Materials that deal extensively with Oregon and the history of the Oregon Territory are kept in the Oregon Collection.