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Collection Policy Statement Index
I. U.S. dissertations
The Library acquires for its permanent collections all doctoral dissertations accepted by universities in the United States, with the exceptions noted below. Whenever available, microforms are preferred to other forms of publications.
Exceptions: Dissertations in the fields of clinical medicine and technical agriculture are not acquired unless they are part of a microform series. Dissertations issued in the form of reprints from periodicals, and abstracts, are not retained.
II. Foreign dissertations
Current foreign dissertations are acquired on a highly selective basis, with special consideration given to the fields of law, library science, music, and the history, government, and literature of the United States. Foreign dissertations which may provide unique information on other countries are considered for acquisition. Those which are issued as commercial publications are considered for acquisition on their own merits, based on their research value. Foreign dissertations in the field of technical agriculture are transferred to the National Agricultural Library. All others not accepted for the collections of the Library of Congress are forwarded to the Center for Research libraries.
III. Theses
Theses below the doctoral level are not acquired except in those instances in which a particular thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge. Microforms are preferred to other forms of publication.
December 1987