Collection Policies

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY: Special Collections

Books and Manuscripts

Purpose

The library’s special collections in Virginia history consist of manuscripts, books, and other materials related to the nineteenth and twentieth century history of Norfolk and the Tidewater (Hampton Roads) area. The major components of the collection are manuscripts and papers of twentieth century Tidewater figures, a small oral history collection, and both current and retrospective books concerning Tidewater history.

These published and archival collections are intended to preserve and make available components of the historical record of Tidewater Virginia for researchers and other citizens. Within these limits, additions to the archives are made as opportunities to acquire appropriate collections occur, and books are acquired as published or on the out of print market as appropriate.

Other more diverse elements of the existing manuscript collection serve the history program, students in political science and urban studies, and other university personnel or citizens. As such, they constitute a laboratory collection for instruction of advanced classes in Virginia history and local history.

Languages: English language materials predominate.

Chronological periods covered: While printed material of all periods of Tidewater history is collected, the collection of manuscripts and historical records primarily documents nineteenth and twentieth century history. The collection strength lies in the Civil War, Military history, Norfolk politics and economic development, and Virginia politics of the post-World War II period.

Geographical areas covered: The entire Tidewater area is within the scope of contents of both printed and manuscript collections; however, Norfolk history is of special interest. There are no geographical limits to publication sources.

Formats collected:

• Books are collected as they become available, either on the used book market or as new publications. Limited or local editions, such as historical society publications, may be included. Books from the general collection in need of protection or special handling may be placed in Special Collections. Rare materials that are valuable for their illustrations, bindings, limited print run, or autographs may also be collected on a limited basis. Books from collections of personal papers may be kept in Special Collections.

• Videotapes, such as television documentaries, newspapers, and theses from other institutions will be considered, as will other formats on a individual basis. Microforms of newspapers or relevant collections of primary sources will not be part of the special collection but housed instead with other microform library resources.

• Other formats, such as personal papers, manuscripts, oral histories, and photographs are acquired where they complement or supplement existing collections, or support local history. Where possible, donors are asked to provide support for their processing.

Date of publication: Both out-of-print and currently published material on local history are collected. Newly published books on the history of Norfolk and the Tidewater are acquired for this collection as they are published. A second copy is obtained for the circulating collection.

Reference collection: Materials are acquired to support the provision of reference service to library patrons and to answer outside inquiries related to the scope of the collections. Reference materials include but are not limited to bibliographies, local histories, guides to archival and special collections at other locations, and genealogical materials.

Other considerations: Special collections in the Old Dominion University library contribute to the collective resources of the libraries of Hampton Roads. Relevant collecting emphases of the major public libraries and the other university libraries in Hampton Roads are summarized for reference here.

• Chesapeake Public Library: Records of the Norfolk County Historical Society of Chesapeake.
 
• College of William and Mary: Office files of Virginia’s political leaders of the twentieth century, representing a wide spectrum of political thought.
 
• Hampton University: Black literature and history, significant pamphlets, clippings, and photographs of African-American life, archives of the Hampton Institute.
 
• Norfolk Public Library: Private papers and family histories, county histories, court, church, and marriage records, ship passenger lists, and a picture file of nineteenth and twentieth century subjects. Local newspapers, some from 1736.
 
• Norfolk State University: Desegregation in higher education, papers of the Women’s Council for Interracial Cooperation (1945-1960)
 
• Portsmouth Public Library: City history from 1752, early materials on Norfolk County.
 
• Virginia Beach Public Library: Princess Anne County history.

Municipal documents of the city of Norfolk are collected selectively and maintained in the library’s circulating collection.

The University Archives consists of official papers and publications of the university collected to document the growth and development of Old Dominion University.

Records of the office of the President, all Vice Presidents, and the Board of Visitors are kept in the file order created by the sending office. A list of file names is created, and archival storage boxes are labeled by record group number for access.

Photographs created as a result of the work of University Relations will be collected on a continuing basis.

University publications to be collected are as follows:

• University Catalogs, three copies
• Class schedules, two copies.
• Mace and Crown (student newspaper), one bound copy.
• Courier (faculty—staff newspaper), one bound copy.
• Alumnews, one bound copy.
• Laureate (student yearbook), two copies.

Archival copies of the original, signed copy of Old Dominion University theses and dissertations are housed in Special Collections. A second copy is cataloged for the circulating collection.
 
 

Subject Division	Collecting Level
World War II Military Operations      The war effort in Norfolk (D769.85.V81N6)	3
Virginia History  Civil War (E456-E655)        emphasis on Virginia        emphasis on Tidewater  Societies, museums, gazetteers, guidebooks  pamphlets, historical monuments,  illustrative material (F221—227)  1775-1865 (F230)  1865-1950, Reconstruction (F231)  1951- (F231.2)	3  4  2b      3  3  3
Virginia Local History      Norfolk County (F232.N8)      Princess Anne County (F232.P87)      Norfolk (F234.N8)      Chesapeake (F234.C43), Portsmouth (F234.P8),         Virginia Beach (F234.V8)	3  2b  3b  2b
Norfolk Economic History and Conditions        HC108.N6	3
Norfolk Social History and Conditions     Includes social problems and social reform     HN8O.N688	3b
History of Education in Norfolk     LA381.N8	3a
Norfolk Social History and Conditions  Includes social problems and social reform     HN8O.N688	3b
History of Education in Norfolk     LA381.N8	3a
Old Dominion University     LD4331	4

 
 
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY COLLECTING CODES
key to collecting codes
 

LC CLASS	SUBJECT	COLLECTING CODE	COMMENTS
D769.85 .V81N6	Norfolk war effort (World War II)	3
E456-E655	Civil War (emphasis on Virginia)	3
F221-235	Virginia history	3
F232.N8/.P87	Virginia county history – Norfolk and  Princess Anne	3
F234 .C43 .N8 .P8 .V8	Virginia city history Chesapeake Norfolk Portsmouth Virginia Beach	2a 3b 2a 2a
HCl08.N6	Norfolk economic history	3
HN80.N688	Norfolk social history	3b
LA381.N8	History of education in Norfolk	3b
LD4331	Old Dominion University	4

Bibliographer:Pamela Morgan (pmorgan@odu.edu)