Theatre Library Association, 1983. English is the dominant language of the collection. Materials in Western Europe languages are also collected in varying degrees of intensity. Materials in Slavic and Eastern European languages and materials in Asian and Middle Eastern languages are collected only in cooperation with the Slavic and Eastern European Library and the Asian Library, respectively. The emphasis is on the American and British stage, but all geographical areas are collected.
Emphasis is on scholarly treatment rather than popularization, textbooks, and children's literature.
The Undergraduate Library normally collects more popular treatments and the Education and Social Sciences Library collects children's literature for its School Collection. Materials with primary focus on aspects of the professional theatre, the history of the theatre, and plays in performance. Literary texts of dramatic works are not part of the responsibility of the theatre fund. Such works are covered by various funds dealing with the literary arts. Appropriate primary and secondary works, and bibliographic, and reference materials are acquired.