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Collection Development @ SJSU Library

Collection Development Guidelines -  Justice Studies

Last Updated: 2018

Programs Supported

Selection for this discipline is designed to support undergraduate teaching and research in Justice Studies through the Masters level. As of Spring 2018, the Department of Justice Studies offers the following degree programs:

  • B.A. in Justice Studies
  • B.S. in Forensic Science, Emphasis in Biology
  • B.S. in Forensic Science, Emphasis in Chemistry
  • M.S. in Justice Studies
  • M.S. in Criminology, Concentration in Global Criminology
  • Minor in Forensic Studies
  • Minor in Human Rights Studies
  • Minor in Justice Studies
  • Minor in Legal Studies
  • Certificate, Collaborative Response for Victims of Family Violence (CRFV)

Existing Resources

Faculty and students conducting research depend upon the many different resources of the University Library, offered primarily in print and digital formats. For the Justice Studies researcher, monographs, peer-reviewed journals, and audio-visual materials are especially important. These materials are included in the SJSU King Library’s online discovery system, OneSearch.

Coordination

Considerable overlap exists between Justice Studies and other areas of research. Thus, the Justice Studies Department also makes use of materials in the fields of African-American Studies, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Science, Health Sciences, History, Legal Studies, Mexican American Studies, Native American Studies, Nursing, Physical Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Women’s Studies, and others, depending on the curriculum taught and the research undertaken by the students.

As a result, responsibility for acquisition of titles in areas of overlap is decided in consultation with librarians responsible for collection development in the fields listed above. Acquisition of specific materials outside of the usually collected fields is considered on a case-by-case basis by the librarian responsible for the library’s Justice Studies collections.

Materials Collected

Materials are purchased in the format that most effectively delivers the information needed by the discipline.

Collection Strengths

The successive work of subject expert librarians trained in law, law enforcement, and forensics, has resulted in strong collections covering classic/traditional, more recent, and emerging fields of the profession.

The collections are further strengthened by a wide selection of electronic journal databases. A selection of the most relevant databases can be accessed here.

Additionally, the library offers streaming media with institutional licensing. The large selection of movies, documentaries, and related classroom media, can be accessed here for streaming video, and here for streaming audio.

To obtain materials not held by the SJSU King Library, students, faculty, and staff can use the following free-of-charge services: CSU+. Interlibrary Loan (ILL), and Link+. Please note that Link+ requires a San Jose Public Library (SJPL) card.

Evaluation of Collection

The overarching goal is to build and maintain a balanced collection of monographs, academic journals, electronic resources, instructional media, and related resources to support the department’s curriculum.

When acquiring new materials, special emphasis is placed on the cornerstones of the department’s programs and curricula. The liaison librarian selects materials primarily in consultation with teaching faculty, but also by consulting appropriate, professional resources.