A Special Collections Thesaurus: Women Studiesof Washington, 1979 Introduction to the Thesaurus The purpose of an index thesaurus is to provide standardized subject heading definitions, from which a librarian can catalog materials and resources in a consistent manner. A special collection or departmental library, such as the Women Studies Library (in this case the Women Studies "reading room" at the University of Washington), offers research materials with a unique emphasis and detail in specific knowledge or topic areas. The need for a special collections thesaurus arises as the scope of scientific and academic, literary and artistic research material broadens and research needs require a cataloging system that can indicate specifically that a book or materials has certain target information. Organizing information and cross-referencing related materials assists scholarly research in any special collections field. The Women Studies Thesaurus designed and compiled here is standardized for easy comprehension by the user, and is generally reflective of the materials gathered for academic research in the emerging interdisciplinary field of Women Studies. The index has been designed to reflect and support growth trends in this academic field. |
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