SFU Library Philosophy collections policy

Through its undergraduate and graduate programmes, its service to the intellectual and wider community, and its research, the Philosophy Department aims to exemplify and encourage the intellectual virtues of clarity, rigour, good judgement, scholarship, probative sensitivity, and creativity while advancing our understanding of ourselves, our world, and our place in it by engaging the central enduring issues of Western philosophy. Undergraduate courses and graduate courses leading to the MA and PhD are offered.

This Department’s course and research areas are:

• Epistemology
• Ethics (including medical ethics)
• Feminism
• History of Philosophy
• Logic
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy in Film
• Philosophy of Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Personal Identity
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Science
• Social and Political Philosophy

Collection development is the responsibility of the Philosophy Liaison Librarian.  Liaison with the Philosophy Department is maintained through the Departmental Representative as well as with other faculty members when required.  Regular contact with other liaison librarians and teaching departments is nurtured through the sharing of relevant review material.

SFU Resources

The WAC Bennett is the major location for the University’s philosophy collection.

Regional Resources

The University of British Columbia also has a large philosophy collection comprehending many branches of the discipline.

Consortia and Document Delivery

SFU belongs to three consortia (Electronic Library Network; Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries; and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries).  Document delivery agreements exist with all three of these consortia which allow delivery of journal articles and books from these libraries in a timely manner.  Holdings and direct requesting from over 40 libraries are accessible through the Interlibrary Loan webpage and from many databases.

General Collection Guidelines

Languages: the emphasis is on the acquisition of materials in English.
Types of materials: collecting is split between books and journals.  There is increasing emphasis on e-journals and web resources.
Date of Publication: emphasis is on current publications.  Retrospective acquisitions are normally only for the replacement of important titles which have deteriorated or disappeared.
Subjects and Levels of Collecting
The table below lists the main subjects collected by the Library in support the the Philosophy Department's teaching and research areas.. The subjects listed are collected to varying depths. The third column of the table indicates the method by which the Library selects books on each subject. The "Approval" designation means that books on this subject which meet the general criteria of the profile are sent to the Library on an approval basis. Most books which arrive on approval are added to the collection. At present, all books for this subject are selected from forms. The liaison librarian, with input from the faculty representative and/or other faculty members, selects books for purchase.