French Literature
BIBLIOGRAPHER: Merry Burlingham
OTHER SUBJECT RESPONSIBILITIES: South Asian Studies, Italian Literature
ADDRESS: Research Services Division PCL 3.13
PHONE: 495-4332
- I. Purpose:
- To support teaching and research through the doctoral level
in the literature of French-speaking people. Interest in French literature
is centered in the Department of
French and Italian. The subject is of interest also to students and faculty working in the fields of medieval studies, comparative literature, and linguistics.
- II. General Collection Guidelines:
-
- A. Languages: The primary language of collection is French. English translations of literary texts are acquired selectively. Critical works are acquired in the major European languages (French, English, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian) and in other languages if the work is of significance. Translations of critical works are acquired selectively.
- B. Chronological Guidelines: From the appearance of the first distinctively French text (circa the 10th century) to the present.
- C. Geographical Guidelines: Primarily France, but including those areas of Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, the United States, Africa and Southeast Asia in which French is spoken and literature in French is written. For French literature of the West Indies and South America see the statement of the Benson Latin American Collection.
- D. Treatment of Subject: Literary biography and history are acquired. Studies of literary techniques are acquired if they deal with writing at an advanced level. Textbooks such as grammars are purchased selectively and anthologies are purchased when they contain material unavailable elsewhere. Juvenile literature is acquired rarely and only if the author is an important literary figure. Popularized versions of literary texts are not acquired.
- E. Types of Material: Included are literary and biographical dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, and the proceedings of literary associations, conferences and symposia. Festchriften are purchased extensively. Dissertations and theses are not ordinarily acquired.
- F. Date of Publication:Both current and noncurrent material is purchased, with emphasis being placed on current publications. New editions of important works are purchased when new explanatory or critical material have been introduced, or when copies already held by the library become too brittle to circulate. First and rare editions are acquired only if the work is of great importance and no reprint is available.
- G. Other General Considerations: The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center contains many works by and about French authors, including the Artinian Collection of Guy de Maupassant material, the papers of the Princess Bibesco, the Surrealist archive of reviews and original documents, the largest single collection of pages from the Rousseau manuscript of Mme. Dupin's Ouvrage sur les Femmes, the Desmond Flower Voltaire Collection, and the Carlton Lake Collection of 19th century French literary manuscripts. For the French language, see the Linguistics Statement.
- III. Observations and Qualifications by Subject and LC Class:
-
| Subject |
LC Class |
Location |
CDP [NCIP] Collecting Level |
Bibliographer |
| Provencal Literature |
PC 3300-3366 |
PCL (MAIN) |
C[3] |
French |
| Langue d'Oc Literature |
PC 3381-3495
|
PCL (MAIN) |
A[2] |
French |
| French Literature |
PQ 1-2686
|
PCL (MAIN) |
C[4] |
French |
| French Literature Outside
of France |
PQ 3800-3999
|
PCL (MAIN) |
C[3] |
French |
| Exception:
French literature of the West Indies and South America |
PQ 3940-3959
|
BLAC |
- |
See Benson Latin American Collection Statement |
Return to Subject Policies List
