Centre for Military and Strategic Studies Unit Review
Library Support
FINDINGS
The University of Calgary Library, together with the Museum of the Regiments, has a
strong collection in military history and a good collection of material relating to strategic
studies. The maintenance of this collection and an increased focus on contemporary
military issues, terrorism and security will require a increased commitment of $15,000 a
year.
INTRODUCTION
Military and Strategic Studies as subjects are supported by the University Library and
Archives through collection development, reference service and information literacy
instruction. The budget for Military and Strategic Studies materials is $10,000 per year
from the regular budget and a varying amount in endowment monies. One-time gifts
also account for a large amount of material acquired either through cash or in-kind
donations.
As well, a partnership agreement between the University Library and the Museum of the
Regiments in Calgary extends these resources by more than 7,200 currently catalogued
items and numerous archival fonds located in the Library and Archives of the Museum.
An active Gifts-in-Kind programme as well as several depository agreements augment
the Museum collections. Four Regimental Archives are also located at the Museum and
these are accessible under the partnership arrangement, by which students and
researchers can use the resources under the supervision of each regimental archivist.
These archives cover from the late 1800s through to date and relate to the role of 4
Canadian regiments and the battalions and units each perpetuates.
The Strategic Studies Librarian holds a cross-appointment as the Librarian/Archivist at
the Museum of the Regiments and has offices at both locations. Responsibilities include
instruction, consultation, reference assistance, participation on committees and outreach
and publications as well as collection development.
COLLECTION FOCUS
Background:
The University of Calgary has identified public policy/public affairs as an area of
established and recognized research and program excellence. Two distinct areas of
excellence and concentration were identified specifically by the Faculty of Social
Sciences, these being “research and programs in military history, strategic studies and
international relations”. The Centre for Military and Strategic Studies is a separate
research institute within the campus structure. For further information, see the annual
report: http://www.stratnet.ucalgary.ca/about/report.html
The Research and Teaching focus of Military and Strategic Studies as of September
2004 were:





Military, security and defence studies from a Canadian and international
perspective
Regional security issues and the implications for Canada
Canada’s place in the international community and how our identity as a nation is
shaped by past and present events
The major subject areas are:
o Military History
o Strategic Studies
o Defence economics
Sub-disciplines are:
o Military engineering
o Project Management
o Terrorism (International Criminal Activity, Bioterrorism)
o Arms Control
o Peacekeeping
However, as a result of internal changes in research focus and in order to keep up with
the rapidly changing world of Military and Strategic Studies, the Centre is changing its
focus. As a result, the Library Collection will have to change to reflect this. Military
History prior to the period of the Cold War will no longer be covered but will revert back
to the History Department, as will the fields of International Relations, Intelligence
Studies and Political Analysis prior to the Cold War period (1952 to date).
Terrorism and Security issues, as well as modern military studies such as Defence
Economics, Interoperability, International Peacekeeping and Intervention, Circumpolar &
Maritime Defence and International Defence Strategy and Policy Implementation are
now of primary concern to the Centre.
COLLECTION COVERAGE
The current needs of the CMSS are supported by the main collection of material which is
located in the Mackimmie Library and by the collections at the Museum of the
Regiments. Many of the original source documents required for research are only
available at the Museum, as are a number of the privately printed books. This will
continue to be the case as new material relating to peacekeeping and terrorism
especially is added to the Museum collections. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of
Military and Strategic Studies, material purchased by funds for History, Political Science,
Economics and Law are also relevant to CMSS. In recent years, substantial microform
and online resources have also been purchased with special funding. Examples include
Jane’s Intelligence & Defence Package (online) and History of intelligence activities
under General Douglas MacArthur, 1942-1950 : the intelligence series (microfilm
set). As well, a subscription to the Digital National Security Archives of the United
States has been a major acquisition.
The collection at the University is developed using approval slips and books from
vendors; recommendations from students and faculty; reviews; websites; specialist
bibliographies and publishers’ announcements. The collection at the Museum has been
developed largely through donation by individuals, publishers and other institutions.
COLLECTION STATUS AND ASSESSMENT
Funding
The regular fund for Strategic Studies has grown substantially in the last 4 years and
now stands at $9,000 annually. This reflects the library’s commitment to Military and
Strategic Studies as a pillar of strength in the University’s overall plan. To emphasize
the library’s support, online subscriptions to Jane’s, The Index to Military Periodicals
and other relevant databases, are paid by a library reference fund. In addition, special
one-time donations for individual purposes are also received from donors and an
ongoing endowment fund also provides money for purchases.
Monographs
The increased support for Military and Strategic Studies is reflected in the tables
following:
Table 1: Strategic Studies: Monograph expenditure by Fund
Fund Category
Strategic Studies
Endowment Strategic Studies
Student Union
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
$1,024.04
$921.94
$1,089.29
$12,783.01
$15,597.47
$1,337.79
$12,878.10
$4,020.28
$2,553.94
Pillar
Library
Grand
Total
$31,415.75
$1,337.79
$1,348.98
$1,611.92
$22,413.22
$8,162.73
$1,257.84
$9,420.57
$5,836.48
$3,178.41
$28,177.21
$3,921.79
$12,165.55
$3,074.98
REE
$333.52
$205.21
$33.21
Endowment
$989.33
$445.29
$45.86
$792.06
$429.10
$2,701.64
$17,327.33
$14,056.01
$16,511.60
$13,524.15
$16,227.74
$77,646.83
$552.69
$1,145.61
$509.43
$557.39
$2,765.12
$530.04
$254.76
$439.26
$528.52
$395.25
$2,147.83
$37,004.15
$32,621.73
$26,231.54
$43,485.36
$39,255.12
$178,597.90
Social Science
Science
Arts & Humanities
Grand Total
$571.94
Table 2: Strategic Studies Title
count by Subject
Subject Area
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
144
85
81
168
152
126
V Naval Science
37
24
33
29
28
30
KZ Law of Nations
24
22
33
48
32
32
1
2
U Military Science
KZA Law of the Sea
3
Average
1
JZ International Relations
22
19
JX1901 - 1995 International Law
25
4
D 410-893 20th Century History
214
214
D25-34 Military, Naval, political,
diplomatic history
2
Social Science **
8
19
72
48
36
8
4
8
195
191
248
212
4
10
4
6
5
3
9
55
78
31
11
7
4
7
5
3
3
1
611
489
Science
Arts & Humanities
2
2
Social Science
Total
479
377
382
596
**The increasing interest in terrorism and security is reflected in the rise of material
purchased in this area.
Of the approximately 2240 titles most relevant to Strategic Studies that were purchased
over the last 6 years, 462 were purchased through Strategic Studies funds. Of the
remaining, the highest contributions were received through History (919), Canadian
Studies (274), Political Science (228) and the Student Union funds (210).
Journals
Journals to support Strategic Studies are purchased on a variety of library funds;
however, no journals are purchased on the Strategic Studies Fund. This, combined with
the interdisciplinary nature of the studies, means that it is difficult to produce a definitive
list of journals.
To arrive at an estimate of collection size a search was performed in Ulrichsweb.com,
the largest union list of periodicals available. A list was retrieved of 298 active, Englishlanguage, scholarly journals in the two areas of the military studies and international
relations.
The Library receives 148 of these journals, 75 through individual subscriptions ($29,590)
and remainder through electronic packages. Electronic access is strong for the
collection, of the 148 titles, 119 are available electronically. However, 22 of the
electronic titles are restricted by a 6 month to 1 year embargo. If these titles are
removed from the count, then the Library has access to 126 titles.
The two funds which purchase the highest number of individual subscriptions are
Political Science
History
46 titles
13 titles
$19,060
$2,960
The complete list of 295 titles
was compared against the
holdings of a sample of 9 peer
institutions with FTE over
20,000. 5 of the institutions in
this group are at the Doctoral
Level, the remaining 4 are
primarily undergraduate schools.
The result of this comparison is
shown in Table 1.
Table 3 Journal Holdings Comparison
Number of Peer
Libraries with a
title
(8 titles not found)
None
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Total Held
Peer Group
Holdings
94
47
33
21
16
10
21
13
9
24
194 (67%)
Calgary
Holdings
(embargos
excluded)
9
13
9
14
10
9
19
11
8
23
125 (44%)
The results indicate that the
journal collection in support of
military and strategic studies
should be improved. While we
have comparable holdings for
commonly held titles (owned by
5 or more libraries), we fall off
significantly in holdings of less
frequently owned titles. Holding
rarer titles marks a collection as more advanced and capable of supporting a wider and
deeper range of inquiries in a subject.
A list of titles owned by peer institutions, but not owned by Calgary is appended. Total
cost of purchase these titles is estimated at $10,000.
This table will have to be reworked once the new Research and Teaching focus of the
Centre is established in the Fall of 2005.
For now, titles that will no longer be relevant (those which are purely Military History prior
to 1952) are highlighted in italics.
Of note is that the top four periodicals in two of the new areas of interest (Terrorism and
Defence Economics) are either held at the University of Calgary Library or accessible
through one of the consortial digital purchases.
List of Journals held by Peer Institutions but not by Calgary
A W R Bulletin: quarterly on refugee problems
Association for the Study of the World Refugee Problem
Africa: rivista trimestrale di studi e documentazione
Text and summaries in French, English and Italian
American Foreign Policy
Annual
$60
$110
$30
Chicago Journal of International Law
CJIL is an interdisciplinary forum for discussion and analysis of international
law and policy issues.
$50
Cold War International History Project Bulletin
Provides translated documents relating to the cold war, from former
communist block countries.
Free
Conflict Management and Peace Science
$40
Cooperation and Conflict: Nordic journal of international studies
Reflects the vitality and diversity of contemporary Scandinavian international
relations research, and addresses critical issues in the scholarly search for a
better grasp on the complexities of world affairs
$500
Croatian International Relations Review
Publishes research on the Croatian international position
$50
Disarmament Forum
Each issue focuses on a specific subject in the field of disarmament and
international security, such as small arms, specific treaties, peacekeeping
and human security.
Free
Disarmament: a periodic review by the United Nations
$20
East European Jewish Affairs
Covers the position and prospects of Jews in the former Soviet Union and the
countries of East - Central Europe, dealing with issues in historical
perspective and in the context of general, social, economic, political, cultural
developments in the region.
$190
Est – Ovest
Deals with socio-economic and political-institutional aspects of Central and
Eastern European countries, with particular reference to the DanubianBalkan area and the enlargement of the European Community.
$200
European Union Politics
International journal which advances systematic research on the most
important political processes and institutions of the European Union.
$600
Fellowship
Covers interfaith peacemaking and nonviolence, domestic and international
issues.
Fletcher Forum of World Affairs
Analyzes outstanding problems of international law, politics, economics,
business, and diplomacy. Provides articles, commentaries and book reviews
written by noted professionals and graduate students in international
relations.
$45
Foreign Policy Association. Headline Series
Covers geographic areas or global issues for general readers and students in
high schools or colleges.
$30
Foreign Policy Bulletin: the documentary record of United States foreign policy
Documents all major events in contemporary US foreign relations as they
happen, including texts from Congress, as well as the Executive Branch and
from other governments and international organizations. Lists Treaty Actions
and new releases in the State Department's Foreign Relations of the United
States series.
$190
Fort Ticonderoga Museum. Bulletin
$60
$15
Covers military history from 1609 to 1781.
Fort: the international journal of fortification and military architecture
$80
Devoted to the history and development of military architecture,
fortification theory and practice, and related military history
throughout the ages.
Global Risk Assessments: issues, concepts and applications
Contains manuscripts on international business environment assessment;
country, investment and trade risk analysis; political risk assessment and
management.
$100
(est)
Great Decisions
Focuses on eight key foreign policy issues with background, current data and
alternative options for the US.
$20
Historie a Vojenstvi
Czech language with summaries in English
$40
Indo-British Review: a journal of history
$100
Promotes the study of Indian history with an emphasis on the IndoBritish relationship which has spanned over three centuries.
Includes questions of contemporary history from an academic
perspective.
International Peacekeeping: the yearbook of international peace operations
Reports and analyzes developments in international peacekeeping, with
emphasis on legal and policy issues.
$100
(est.)
International Policy Report
Reports on US policy towards the Third World and its impact on human
rights and human needs.
$40
International Relations
Seeks to advance and promote the development of international relations in
all its aspects and to carry out and instigate research and study in this field.
$580
International Studies
Presents an Asian perspective on international affairs and area studies
through original research articles that concentrate on issues and problems of
contemporary relevance.
$370
Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft
Text in German, summaries in English.
$55
Iranian Journal of International Affairs
$60
Issues & Studies: an international quarterly on China, Taiwan, and East Asian affairs
Highlights contemporary China studies and East Asian regional affairs.
$60
Journal of Borderlands Studies
Multidisciplinary journal focusing on international borders.
$40
Journal of Confederate History
$60
Publishes scholarly monographs on the Civil War.
Journal of Environment & Development: a review of international policy
Aims to further research and debate on the nexus of environment and
development issues at the local, national, regional and international levels. It
contains research, analysis and study in such areas as political science,
public policy, sociology, development studies and policy, business,
environment action and studies, law and environmental science and
technology.
Journal of International Law and Policy
Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies
Dedicated to the study of the weapons, armor, and military fittings
of the armies and enemies of Rome and Byzantium.
Law of the Sea Institute. Occasional Paper
Medicine, Conflict and Survival: international medical concerns on global security issues
Intended for medical health care professionals and peace researchers. It
covers the causes and effects of wars and other forms of social violence, the
medical and environmental effects of war, the abuse of human rights, and
medical and humanitarian aid in conflict situations.
$663
$60
$100
(est)
$100
(est)
$360
Middle East Military Balance (Year)
Modern Greek Studies Yearbook: a publication of Mediterranean, Slavic, and Eastern
Orthodox studies
Publishes scholarly information in all areas of modern Greek studies, with
special attention to Greek-Slavic relations.
National Security Studies Quarterly
Seeks to bridge the gap between academics and policy makers on issues of
contemporary concern to the defense community.
$60
$100
(est.)
$60
Naval Review: annual review of world seapower
Covers the previous year's events in the naval-maritime field.
$60
Nigeria Bulletin on Foreign Affairs
Contains a collection of documents, papers, and commentary about Nigerian
foreign policy, edited by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Library
Department.
$80
Nigerian Journal of International Affairs
Publishes scholarly articles on topics in international affairs, with special
sections on official documents.
$70
Official Journal of the European Communities. L Series: Legislation
$1200
Political Crossroads: an international socio-political journal
Examines international and comparative aspects of political theory,
international relations and socio-economic and cultural factors, as reflected
in political, economic and social organizations, patterns of power, leadership,
ideology and culture, with special focus on the US, Russia, and Europe
$320
Profile (Norfolk): life in the armed forces
Covers various career options offered by the branches of the DOD (Army,
Navy, Air Force, and Marines) as well as the Coast Guard. The January issue
compares these branches and the other 5 issues provide feature stories on
specific careers and specific individuals within those careers.
Free
Regional & Federal Studies
Covers scholarly research into regional and federal questions which have
emerged high on the political agenda in Europe and worldwide.
$400
Review of International Cooperation
$100
Strategic Review
Provides a forum for the discussion of matters of current significance in the
politico-military field.
Studia Diplomatica
Text in French, Dutch, English.
The Irish Sword: the journal of the military history society of Ireland
$50
$200
$50
Study of warfare in Ireland and of Irishmen in war.
The Journal of Legislative Studies
Covers all aspects of legislative research and development for scholars and
researchers of legislative studies.
$500
The Journal of North African Studies
Covers research on the history, sociology, anthropology, economy and
diplomacy of Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and the Maghreb states.
$380
The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs
Text in English
$90
Transnational Perspectives: an independent journal of world politics and social policy
$30
Trialogue (New York): report of the annual plenary meeting
$30
U S - China Review
Features articles on Chinese politics, economics, social trends and culture, as
well as on U.S.-China relations.
$40
Whitehall Papers
$240
Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution
$100
(est.)
World Affairs Report
Contains general information on international relations and world affairs.
$100
(est.)
Worldwide Maritime Challenges
Published by the US Office of Naval Intelligence
Yearbook of Polish Foreign Policy
$150
(est)
$30
Archival Collections
The University of Calgary Archives holds a number of relevant archival collections such
as the Papers of David Bercuson and other scholars. The Museum of the Regiments
Archives as well as the four Regiments housed at the Museum include numerous
archival collections from those of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians)
through the 10th, 50th and other Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force; the
Calgary Highlanders; King’s Own Calgary Regiment and the Princess Patricia’s
Canadian Light Infantry as well as the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and the South
Alberta Regiment. The time period covered dates from the militia years of the late
1800’s to the most recent peacekeeping engagements in Afghanistan and Haiti.
Some specific archival collections such as the Aboriginal Veterans Archives have been
generously supported by outside grants from organizations such as Museums Alberta or
the Archives Society of Alberta. The richness of these collections has benefited
research in original sources.
Digital Collections
Periodicals, books and archival collections are increasingly available as pay for use
digital repositories. This is particularly relevant in areas such as photographic
collections from the two world wars, papers of the governing bodies of individual
countries or international organizations, and subject-specific think tanks and institutes
which publish papers and other documents. While arrangements for site licenses can be
made and paid for by the University of Calgary Library, this is becoming an increasing
expense within the collections budget. The whole aspect of pay-per-use will have to be
looked at in the context of the overall expenditure on material supporting Military and
Strategic Studies.
Summary
Library Support for Military and Strategic Studies has grown considerably in the last 4
years. However, some of the funds used are non-recurring and this has created an
imbalance in monograph versus periodical purchases. It will be necessary to increase
the library fund in order to purchase more periodicals either in print or through online
consortial plans.
Active acquisition of archival collections as well as specialist publications through the
Museum of the Regiments is also an ongoing requirement and some funds for this will
be needed in the future.