July 8, 2008

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The Coale Collection

The Ansley J. Coale Population Research Collection in the Donald E. Stokes Library is one of the oldest demography libraries in the world. Founded over 35 years ago as a specialized research library for the Office of Population Research, it is now a special library in the Princeton University Library system.

The Coale Collection was dedicated on June 25, 2002 in a ceremony attended by Ansley J. Coale and members of his family. We have a nice set of pictures from the occasion.

The collection is considered to be the premier collection of demographic material in the country. It contains more than 40,000 bound volumes, as well as over 15,000 reprints, technical reports, manuscripts, and working and discussion papers. Sixty percent of the collection consists of international statistical material (censuses and vital statistics). It also includes international censuses through 2002 on over 4,000 reels of microfilm. This interdisciplinary collection covers many fields in demography including formal demography (fertility, mortality and migration), population policy, family planning, epidemiology, child and public health, and family issues.

An extensive collection of material from the World Fertility Survey and the Demographic and Health Surveys is also available. Many electronic resources are available to students, faculty and researchers including Popline, Population Index, Sociological Abstracts, Medline, Social Explorer, ISI Web of Science, EconLit, the Cochrane Library and Public Affairs Information Service. The journal collection, which numbers approximately 300 domestic and international titles, is increasingly being made available electronically.

The library is a member of the Association of Population/Family Planning Libraries and Information Centers – International (APLIC), a world-wide network of population, demography and family planning libraries. Interlibrary loan from the collections of other academic institutions, non-governmental and international organizations, nonprofit agencies and consulting firms is available to the Princeton University community through the library’s membership in this organization.

For a list of recently catalogued titles, click on New Acquisitions

Access

The collection is housed in the Donald E. Stokes Library and is open to the public. All are welcome to use the collection in the library but materials circulate only to Princeton University ID card holders. The library is a comfortable, light-filled space with wired tables to accommodate the use of laptop computers. Most materials in the collection are available for interlibrary loan.

Circulation Policy

Most materials in the collection circulate to anyone with a Princeton University ID card. All materials may be renewed if no one else is waiting for a particular item. You can charge out and return books to the circulation desk attendant, located at the Information Desk. Reference materials do not circulate.

Research Assistance

Assistance in using the material is available to both members and non-members of the Princeton University community. If you are unable to use the collection in person, library staff will make reasonable efforts to help you by phone or email.

Copiers

Two photocopiers are available. Copy cards may be purchased at the Information Desk. A microfiche/microfilm reader and copier is also available.

Scanner

A scanner work station is available for use by students, faculty and staff. In addition to scanning, users may burn CDs and DVDs and edit videos. The work station also includes a duplex printer.

Academic-year Hours

Hours vary in summer, during intercessions and on holidays. Updates are posted on the Stokes Library web site.