Collection Policies

German-Americana Collection

Archives & Rare Books Department

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Subjects covered :  The German element in North America, with particular emphasis on Midwest states beginning in 1800.

The published catalog of the collection is arranged as follows:

 1. Reference & General Works
 2. History:  General & Specialized Works
 3. History:  State & Local History
 4. Language & Literature
 5. Literature:  Works by German-American Authors
 6. Press & Book Trade
 7. Education
 8. The Arts
 9. Social Life & Customs
 10. Religious Life
 11. Business & Agriculture

Departments & users served : Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures, Department of History

Special programs :  German-American Studies Program:  An interdisciplinary program taught by faculty from CCM, DAAP, and the College of Arts & Sciences.
 

GENERAL COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Location of collection : Archives & Rare Books Library, 8th Floor - Carl Blegen Library

Other collections supporting program : Internal :

• Archives & Rare Books Library
• Urban Studies collection
• Ohio Network collection
• Rare Book Collection
• Langsam Library
• Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures
• Department of History

External : 

• Cincinnati Historical Society
• Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County
• Hebrew Union College Library
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• University of Kansas-Lawrence
• University of Illinois-Urbana
• German Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Electronic :

• America History & Life
• Archives USA
• Dissertation Abstracts
• Rlin
• UCLID
• WorldCAT

Collection history : The German-Americana Collection was established in 1974 as a special collection and is based on the private library of Dr. H. H. Fick, Supervisor of the German Department in the Cincinnati Public Schools until 1918.  This library, acquired by the University Library in 1935, was strong in German-American literature and materials pertaining to the German heritage in the Midwest.  Since its establishment, relevant and related collections and materials have been given to the collection.

Collecting level : Comprehensive
 

SPECIFIC COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Size : Printed material: ca. 10,000 volumes; Archival material: ca. 111 linear feet

Finding aids : Published catalog:  Tolzmann, Don Heinrich.  Catalog of the German-Americana Collection University of Cincinnati.  Munich:  K.G. Saur, 1990. Printed materials appear in UCLID.  Inventories of archival material are available in the Archives & Rare Books Library.

Current & retrospective collecting : German-American history, 1800- ,German-American literature, 1850-

Time period collected : ca. 1800 - Present

Levels & treatments : Research level

Languages :   German & English

Geographical area : North America

Types of resources : 

• Manuscripts
• Monographs
• Newspapers
• Periodicals
• Serials

Resource formats : 

• Print
• Manuscript
• Microform

Endowed areas :  Taft Special Funds
 

ACQUISITION PROCESSES : 

Materials are acquired through firm order purchase, transfer and gifts.
 

Don Heinrich Tolzmann
September 2001