Italian, Sardinian, various Italian dialects, English, and Western European languages. Also any other language and regional variations if the work is significant. Emphasis is placed on the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the 19th and 20th centuries. 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 have subject focus on some aspect of the Italian languages and literatures.
In addition, juvenile literature is acquired very selectively and in most cases only when the author is an important literary figure. Appropriate primary and secondary works, and bibliographic, and reference materials are acquired. Ordinarily, dissertations, theses and translations are selectively collected. Audio-visual materials are normally collected selectively. New and revised editions or important works are purchased when new explanatory or primary material is introduced.