Appalachian special collections and Appalachian Studies : the relationship between collection development and curricula in interdisciplinary regional studies programs

Appalachian colleges libraries have assembled special collections of Appalachian resources since the early twentieth century, and interdisciplinary academic programs in Appalachian Studies have emerged in a number of colleges and universities in the Appalachian region since the late 1970s. This study examines the relationship between collection development in Appalachian Special Collections and curricula in Appalachian Studies programs at seven colleges and universities in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It examines the curricula of each Appalachian Studies program, the kinds of primary and secondary resources collected in each Appalachian Special Collection, the collection development policies at each collection, and the nature of the professional relationship between collection development administrators and Appalachian Studies faculty administrators.