National Library of Australia


State Library of Queenland collection assessment
Physical education & recreation

Division report comments:

A total of 4508 monographs are held in this division. This represents 1.13% of the 397,000 monographs quoted for State Reference Library and Special collections in the 1995/96 annual report.

Coverage in this division is uneven. Material relating to Dewey 796 (Athletic and Outdoor Sports and Games) represents more than half of the total number of monographs in the division. However, holdings in relation to the standard bibliographies checked indicate that the quality of works held may outweigh the uneven numerical distribution. For Monographs, holdings are at 3a/b level. Overall, the Division is at Level 2b.

Collection strength is in the area of Athletic and Outdoor Sports and Games. This category includes a very broad range of sports and games.

Generally, statistics and records of major games and events are well represented, for example, coverage of the Olympic Games includes statistics, historical material, biographical material relating to competitors and administrators as well as rules and details of particular events.

There is some emphasis on sports which have a high profile in the Australian community, for example, Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League and Soccer as well as Cricket and competitive swimming.

Basic information on rules and techniques of play for a very wide range of sports are held. Similarly, rules of play and techniques for indoor games such as chess, bridge, backgammon, etc are held. For some of these, advanced techniques of play are well covered.

It is collection Development Policy not to acquire any juvenile literature, school or tertiary curriculum texts or advanced academic research material.

Holdings in the John Oxley Library have not been included in this assessment. With its focus on Queensland history, this collection includes historical material relating to sport and physical education in Queensland as well as coverage of current issues and interests in this area which have relevance to Queensland. As Legal Deposit Library, this collection also includes some textbooks and juvenile literature relating to Physical Education and Recreation published in Queensland.

Relevant sections of the following major standard bibliographies have been checked against State Library's monographic holdings:

Title

Total checked

SRL Holdings

% Held

ABN 1992-1996

Walford's Guide to Reference Material 6th ed

Reader's Adviser 1994

Collier's Encyclopedia

Australian Leisure Bibliography

Oxford Companion to Sport

Sports in the Western World

Philosophy of the Film

The Australian Screen

Movies and TV: The New York Public Library Book of Answers (1992)

992

591

375

634

806

544

351

184

200

89

208

292

182

174

293

221

116

99

105

27

21

49

49

27

36

41

33

54

52

30

Serials:

There are 56 open and 72 closed serials subscriptions. AUSPORT - index to Australian sport is held.

Relevant sections of the following bibliographies have been checked against State Library's holdings:

Title

Total checked

SRL Holdings

% Held

Periodicals in Print: Australia, NZ (1996)

Serials for Libraries

The Australian Screen

Physical Education, Health and Recreation Serials in Australian Libraries (1988)

567

41

24

 

608

57

9

9

 

49

10

22

38

 

8

Last modified: August 18 2004.