University of Liverpool Library

Title: University of Liverpool Library

Description: The University Library has collections in all the subject areas taught and researched in the University. The main arts, humanities and social science collections, including Special Collections and Archives, are housed in the Sydney Jones Library, apart from Law, Education, Continuing Education, Civic Design (town planning), and Music (classical), which are held in separate departmental libraries.
The main science, maths, engineering and medical collections are housed in the Harold Cohen Library, apart from Veterinary Science, Marine Biology, Physics and Oceanography, which are held in departmental libraries (the first two off campus).
Material in Chemistry is shared between the Harold Cohen and departmental Chemistry Library. Material in Archaeology is shared between the Sydney Jones, Harold Cohen and departmental Archaeology Library.
The total stock amounts to around 1.5 million items including books, dissertations and over 4000 current journals. Most of the stock is printed material, but there is an increasing amount of audio-visual and digital material, including around 80 networked subscription databases in online or CD-ROM format and access to 1600+ electronic journals.

Most of the material relevant to the Caribbean is in the Sydney Jones Library, which holds the main arts and social sciences collections. The Caribbean material was acquired primarily to serve the needs of the Institute of Latin American Studies. The historic strengths of the Caribbean collection in the University lie in the literature, history, politics, sociology and economics of the region, particularly for Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. However, changes of emphasis in teaching and research over the past ten years have led to a scaling down of resource provision for the English-speaking Caribbean area, with the current emphasis being on Cuba.
Specialised material in health and medicine is bought by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Library, which is not part of the University, but whose holdings are recorded in the University Library Catalogue.
In all subject areas the material consists of 3000+ books and pamphlets (including the literatures of the Spanish-, French-, and English-speaking Caribbean), alongside 11 current and 15 discontinued serials (which include the recently cancelled Economic Intelligence Unit country reports and profiles for the region). All are classified by Library of Congress. There is no named collection in this subject area, but our Special Collections and Archives hold several 17th century, a number of 18th century and a significant number of 19th century imprints for the Caribbean. All holdings are recorded in the Library catalogue at http://Library.liv.ac.uk/. Audio-visual resources in this area are insignificant.
The Library has a number of digital resources, which impinge on the Caribbean. These are listed on the Electronic Databases and Networked CD-ROM page for Latin American Studies at: http://dbweb.liv.ac.uk/library_resources/arts/las.asp. They are available only to members of the University of Liverpool.
Collection development in the subject area is designed primarily to meet the teaching and research needs of the Institute of Latin American Studies.

Strengths: The main strengths of the Library's holdings in relation to Caribbean studies are resources covering the history, geography and sociology of the Anglophone Caribbean. Literature, history and social science resources for Cuba also feature prominently in the collection.

Size: Caribbean studies resources: 3000+ books and pamphlets; 26 serials (11 active).

Catalogue: INNOPAC

Catalogue URL: http://Library.liv.ac.uk

Main URL: http://www.liv.ac.uk/Library/libhomep.html

Access: Full details about access conditions and lending policies for the University of Liverpool Library are available online at http://www.liv.ac.uk/Library/info/libinf05.html.
Students registered on taught courses at other higher education institutions whose libraries are members of the Standing Conference of National and University Libraries (SCONUL) may have access to the Library during the vacations of the University of Liverpool, as part of the SCONUL Vacation Access Scheme. Proof of current membership of a university or College of Higher Education (e.g. a current library card) should be presented.
Members of the public wishing to make use of the Library's resources may register as consultation users (i.e. for reference access only) on completion of the appropriate application form, available from the Library's Information Support Desk. Individuals who are not registered on a taught course at another educational institution may also apply to borrow from the Library, on payment of an annual subscription fee. Please visit the web page http://www.liv.ac.uk/Library/info/libinf05.html for further information.

Acquisition dates: 1465- present, mainly acquired during the 20th century

Note:

Interest: Caribbean

Complete: Complete

Subjects

Sociology

Social policy

Literature

Politics

Geography

Economic history

Personal/Corporate names

Places

Trinidad and Tobago

Puerto Rico

Jamaica

Guyana

Cuba