History

Overview

The Library’s history collections support research and instruction in a wide range of disciplines. Resource selection and retention is largely driven by the research interests of history faculty and the courses offered by the department. Faculty selections and course readings are prioritized.
History courses “cover a wide range of cultures, time periods, and themes, reflecting the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and interests of the faculty.” Courses are typically taught by historians from within the department as well as by guest lecturers from other departments.
The department offers a major and a minor for undergraduate students. Graduate students can choose between a M.A. in History, a Graduate Certificate in History, a Certificate in American Studies, a Certificate in Ancient Worlds, and a Combined Degree and Certificate in Nonprofit Management. More information is available on the history department website.

Departments/programs/subject areas supported

The history department offers a wide range of courses including, but not limited to, ancient history, classical history, medieval and early modern history, modern history, world history, public history, Civil War history, gender history, economic history, history of technology, history of medicine, African American history, Native American history, Irish history, British history, German history, French history, Russian history, Jewish history, social history, environmental history, Middle Eastern history, South Asian history, Chinese history, and colonial Latin American history.

Resources Collected

NOTE: Electronic formats are preferred for all Library holdings unless otherwise noted

• Scholarly monographs in electronic and print formats (academic presses preferred)
• Academic journals (peer-reviewed preferred)
• Major indexes to history journals
• Encyclopedias, companions, and handbooks (electronic formats strongly preferred)
• Major 15^th to 18th-century text corpora
• Major 17^th to 20th-century newspaper and magazine archives

Resources and materials collected selectively or by request

• Audiovisual materials (by request only)
• Academic journals in print format (only if electronic formats are unavailable)
• Academic primary source collections (electronic formats preferred)
• Foreign language monographs and journals (by request only)
• Microform (by request only)
• Conference proceedings (selectively)
• Festschriften (selectively)
• Pamphlets (by request only)

Resources not collected

• Non-Villanova theses and dissertations
• Ephemera
• Preprints
• Government documents in print formats
• Manuscripts

Collaborations within the library

The Library’s history collections, particularly its primary source collections, support a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including sustainability studies, peace & justice studies, and global interdisciplinary studies.

Subject Librarian

Laurie Ortiz Rivera

Last updated: 8/25/2022