Traditionally there has been a conscious division in geography between the physical and human aspects of the subject. This is reflected in the collection which emphasizes the human geography of North America, western Europe and the Third World, especially the Caribbean. Membership of the Shastri Institute has resulted in a representative collection of South Asian material. In addition there has been a fairly high level of acquisition of major monographic series and key geographical journals, including many European journals of narrow regional focus which are unique within Quebec.
African materials are spotty except for the economic geography of the area.
The methodology and history of geography and historical geography is very good. Historians and classicists share an interest in the last. Physical geography is collected by the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library. Current Collection Development Geography is the branch of knowledge which deals with human societies in their spatial and ecological setting. It is a complex subject which has features of both the social and natural sciences and overlaps with many other disciplines.