National Library of Australia


State Library of Queenland collection assessment
Political science

Division Report Comments :

Overall collection level for this division is 3a. This assessment gives more weight to the quality of the collection than the quantity although holdings are also significant numerically. Collecting level related to standard bibliographies is at level 3b - Intermediate, augmented. Serial holdings are also good.

A total of 11,620 monographs are held in this division. This represents 2.92% of the monographs quoted for SRL and Special collections in the 1995/96 annual report.

240 titles are held in the Reference collection, that is, 2.06% of the division's total monographic holdings.

42.3% of monographic holdings, have been published since 1985.

Collection strength is in Australian material, with good coverage of the Australian political system, Australian political parties, and issues which have particular interest in the Australian context, for example, migration and refugees. Federal Parliamentary debates for both House of Representatives and Senate are held as are Queensland Parliamentary debates. Parliamentary papers for both Federal and Queensland governments are held.

State Library holds 66% of items checked in the bibliography for Australian context (The Australian Political System).

This collection is enhanced by a video collection which provides broad coverage of the area again with particular emphasis on Australian interests and issues.

Holdings of the John Oxley Library have not been included in this assessment. This collection contains a broad range of political science materials published in and relevant to Queensland. As Legal Deposit Library, this collection also includes some juvenile literature and some school texts published in Queensland.

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

Title Total SRL checked Total SRL holdings % held
Australian National Bibliography

1992-1996

1081 545 50.4
Walford's Guide to Reference Material (6th ed) 316 144 45
Reader's Adviser (14th ed) Vol 3 361 114 32
The Australian Political System 354 167 66
Collier's Encyclopedia 279 83 30

Periodical (serials) coverage in the political science division

There are 151 current (open) and 175 closed serials.

All titles in the relevant sections of the following bibliographies have been checked against State Library's holdings:

Title Total SRL checked Total SRL holdings % held
Magazines for libraries (Katz) 80 16 20
Ulrich's (1997) 747 56 7

Australian Public Affairs

Information Service (APAIS)

15 11 73

Last modified: August 18 2004.