The collection is maintained by the Modern Languages & Linguistics Library.
The German Language and Literature Collection supports teaching and research in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, through the doctoral level in the languages, literature, and culture of the German-speaking peoples and, to a lesser extent, of the Dutch-speaking peoples. The field is also of interest to faculty with students in comparative literature, Western European, Africana, and Jewish studies. German language and literature materials have been routinely acquired since the inception of the University in 1867 with ongoing book selection, fortuitous bequests, and large en bloc purchases of several collections around the turn of the century. The library’s holdings of both primary source materials (standard definitive editions, original editions, manuscripts, etc.) and works of secondary criticism are very strong for almost all time periods and genres. The collection is composed of 136,425 volumes.
Version Date: May, 2007
Statements
I. Collection Description
Purpose:
To support teaching and research in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature, through the doctoral level in the languages, literature, and culture of the German-speaking peoples and, to a lesser extent, of the Dutch-speaking peoples. The field is also of interest to faculty with students in comparative literature, Western European, Africana, and Jewish studies.
History of Collection:
German language and literature materials have been routinely acquired since the inception of the University in 1867 with ongoing book selection, fortuitous bequests, and large en bloc purchases of several collections around the turn of the century (Meier, Heyne, Karsten, Rattermann, et. al.) accounting in part for the library’s outstanding strengths in these areas. From 1913 until 1930, the collections were administered by the librarian of the Germanic and Romance Seminar located in Lincoln Hall. Since 1930, the Modern Languages and Linguistics Library has been located in Room 425 of the Main Library.
Estimate of Holdings:
136,425 volumes.
State, Regional and National Importance:
The German language and literature collections are nationally preeminent, certainly ranking, according to users of the collection, among those of the top five libraries in the field. Opinions expressed by many faculty members indicate that the library’s holdings of both primary source materials (standard definitive editions, original editions, manuscripts, etc.) and works of secondary criticism are very strong for almost all time periods and genres. There is an outstanding Rilke Collection.
Unit Responsible for Collecting:
Modern Languages and Linguistics Library.
Location of Materials:
The majority of materials are in the Bookstacks. Reference works with a core collection are held in the Modern Languages and Linguistics Library. Many materials are also found in the Reference Library, the Rare Book and Special Collections Library, and the Undergraduate Library.
Citations of Works Describing the Collection:
The following publications list and discuss only selected collectors, donors, faculty emeriti, etc., from whom major collections were acquired. No definitive statements regarding the collections have been located.
Downs, pp. 83-84, 93, 113.
Major, pp. 22, 27, 34, 35, 44.
Sixteen Years at the University of Illinois: a Statistical Study of the Administration of President Edmund J. James. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1920.
II. General Collection Guidelines
Languages:
Primarily German, Dutch, and English, with acquisition of criticism in other Western European languages. Translations of primary sources when considered of value for comparative literature studies.
Chronological Guidelines:
No restrictions.
Geographical Guidelines:
East Germany, West Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and, to a lesser extent, the Netherlands.
Treatment of Subject:
Standard statement. Materials have subject focus on some aspect of the German and Dutch languages and literatures. In addition, juvenile literature is acquired selectively and is given greater emphasis when the authors are important literary figures.
Types of Materials:
Standard statement.
Date of Publication:
Standard statement. In addition, special efforts are made to acquire first and rare editions of the classics in the field.
Place of Publication:
No restrictions.
III. Collection Responsibility by Subject Subdivisions with Qualifications, Levels of Collecting Intensity, and Assignments
Below is a table that lists specific subject subdivisions within the collection. Each row in the table lists a specific subject subdivision, followed by three columns noting: Collection Strength, Primary Assignments and Secondary Assignments. The Existing Collecting Strength column notes how well the existing collection covers that topic on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being very strong. The Primary Assignments column lists departmental libraries that have the greatest collection intensity of subject materials, respectively. In the case of 2 or more libraries listed, the collection intensity is comparable. The Secondary Assignments column list departmental libraries where additional materials may be found.
| German Language & Literature Collection | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SUBJECT SUBDIVISIONS | EXISTING STRENGTH | PRIMARY ASSIGNMENTS | SECONDARY ASSIGNMENTS |
| GERMAN LANGUAGE: | |||
| Gothic | 4 | German | |
| Old High German | 4 | German | |
| Old Saxon | 4 | German | |
| Middle High German | 4 | German | |
| History of the German Language | 4 | German | |
| German for science, technology, business, etc. | 3 | German | |
| Dutch | 3 | German | |
| GERMAN LITERATURE: | |||
| History, criticism, general studies | 4 | German | |
| ORIGINAL LITERATURE WORKS: | |||
| Old High German (to 1100) | 4 | German | |
| Middle High German (1100-1500) | 4 | German | |
| Reformation | 4 | German | |
| 17th Century | 4 | German | |
| Classical | 4 | German | |
| Post-classical | 4 | German | |
| Modern | 4 | German | |
| Yiddish (Germanic) | 1 | German Studies | Jewish Studies |
| Yiddish (Slavic) | 1 | Slavic | Jewish Studies |
| Yiddish (Other) | 1 | Jewish Studies | |
| Dutch literature | 3 | German | |
| Flemish literature | 1 | German | |
| Frisian literature | 2 | German | |
| Afrikaans literature | 1 | Africa | German |
| Surinam (Dutch Guiana) literature | 1 | German | Latin American / Afro-American |
| German dialect literature | 3 | German | |
| Juvenile literature | 2 | German | Instructional materials |
| German translations into English | 3 | Undergraduate | German |
| into other languages | 3 | German | |
| GERMAN CULTURE AND THOUGHT: | |||
| Scholarly works | 4 | History | German |
| Popular treatments | 4 | German | Undergraduate |
| International cinema: German and Dutch | 3 | German | Undergraduate |
| German Americana | 4 | History | German |
Version Date: November 2005