Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Cookbook and Food Collection

Levels of Collecting Intensity

A. Active, individual collections

  1. American cookery

    Collecting will continue in American cookery fields from the 19th century to the present. Retrospective American cookbooks and cookery related material will be added primarily through donation with the exception of the following areas of collecting intensity:

    African American cookery: collect through donation and/or acquisition all available African American cookbooks past and present. This will include purchases from antiquarian vendors, Internet vendors, and bookstores. High intensity.

    Jewish and Kosher cookery: collect through donation and/or acquisition all available Jewish and Kosher cookbooks. Emphasis on English language cookbooks. High intensity.

    Community/charity cookbooks: collect through donation/acquisition community cookbooks with emphasis on Great Lakes regional cookbooks. Continue Michigan Cookbook Project to collect all Michigan related community cookbooks. High intensity.

    Award winning/celebrity chefs cookbooks: collect through donation/acquisition with emphasis on current publications. Medium intensity.

    American ethnic cookbooks: collect through donation/acquisition important American ethnic cookbooks past and current. Medium intensity.

    Unusual/celebrity cookbooks: collect through donation/acquisition unusual cookbooks (e.g. White Trash Cookbook) and celebrity cookbooks (e.g. Pee Wee Herman) that represent the merging of food and American popular culture. Medium intensity.

  2. African cookbooks:

    collect through donation/acquisition cookbooks and cookery related material primarily from African regions linked to the diasporas of the Americas (countries in West and Central Africa involved in the Atlantic slave trade) as well as areas such as the Horn, Southern Africa, etc. and other African diasporas. High intensity

  3. Caribbean cookbooks:

    collect through donation and acquisition cookbooks and cookery related material influenced by African diaspora. High intensity

  4. Latin and South American cookbooks:

    collect through donation/acquisition cookbooks and cookery related material from countries influenced by African diaspora (Brazil, Venezuela, etc.) High intensity.

  5. English and international cookbooks:

    collect through donation cookbooks from throughout the world and acquire important international cookbooks. Collecting of 18th and 19th century English cookbooks will be minimal unless donated. Low intensity.

  6. Menus:

    collect through donation restaurant menus. Low intensity.

  7. Cookery ephmera:

    collect through donation cooking ephemera. Low intensity.

  8. Serials:

    collect scholarly serials (e.g. Petits Propos Culinaires, Food History, Gastronomica) devoted to food, food history, and food culture. High intensity.

  9. Diet and Nutrition