Developing a Basic Philosophy Collection- For Reference and Research

In academic libraries a philosophy collection is needed to support the philosophy curriculum of the host institution. and the librian may be pleased to learn that the cost of purchasing an adequate core collection in philosophy of enduring value is only about $57,000. In addition to supporting the philosophy curriculum, academic libraries will want to develop a philosophy collection to support faculty research in philosophy and other related fields. Indeed, philosophy lies at the root - both historically and logically - of almost every academic field of study, and so a good philosophy collection will be appreciated by everyone in the university. Similarly large public libraries will want to develop a philosophy collection to support research. Small and mid-sized public libraries may seem to have the least need to develop a philosophy collection. But here too the development of a core collection in philosophy may be important. Circulation statistics can be misleading. When considering the value of a philosophy collection it is necessary to recognize that even if circulation is relatively low, most items in a core collection are historical classics which will continue to circulate long after today's best-sellers have been forgotten, and even for much longer than the ten years that most scientific research remains useful. And besides, if a philosophy collection is carefully developed, it can be of great interest to the patrons of a small or medium sized public library, since many philosophical works address problems of universal human concern.