Environmental Sciences

Collection Development Policy

Robert Lopresti, Librarian

1. Applicable LC Classes:

Call No.	Subject Heading
RA 565-600	Environmental Health
RA 1190-1270	Toxicology, Poisons
TD	Environmental Technology. Sanitary Engineering

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2. Academic Departments, Programs, etc.:

This collection is primarily used by Huxley College of the Environment, including bot the Departments of Environmental Sciences and of Environmental Studies. Huxley also includes the Institute of environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, which makes use of the material in this collection. Huxley offers undergraduate degrees as well as master's degrees that include Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; Freshwater Ecology; Regional, Global and Terrestrial Ecosystems; and Marine and Estuarine Science.

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3. Collection Levels:

Call No.	Subject Heading	Present	Desired
RA 565-600	Environmental Health	2b	3a
RA 1190-1270	Toxicology, Poisons	3b	3c
TD	Environmental Technology. Sanitary Engineering	3c	3c

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4. Scope:

	Present	Desired
Scope:	Geographic: U.S. and Canada, Far East	U.S. and Canada, Far East
Language:	English	English
Chronological limitations:	Doesn't apply

5. Formats collected/Non-Subject Parameters:

We do not actively collect textbooks, but may accept them as gifts. Other formats may be purchased at the requests of faculty.

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6. System Coordination and Resource Sharing:

Huxley classes are often interdisciplinary; combining with biology, chemistry, economics, journalism, and education, to name only a few. The call numbers listed above, therefore, give only a small indication of the material that supports Huxley courses.

The Huxley selector often works with the biology librarian on purchasing material. The librarians for Huxley and Technology jointly proposed a development fund request in 2004 and together purchased the materials.

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7. Electronic Databases:

Environmental Universe
Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts
Ocean Abstracts
Medline
ProQuest
PubMed
Biological and Medical Sciences
Web of Science

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8. Notable Features:
Western Libraries has the Envirofiche microfiche collection from the 1970s through 2003. This contains many thousands of articles indexed by Environmental Abstracts, which is part of Environmental Universe.

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9. Narrative Statement:

It may seem surprising that we have almost 2,000 books in a category with the insignificant sounding name "Environmental Technology. Sanitary Engineering." The Library of Congress seems to use TD as a catch-all for books on environmental issues. Consider these books, all classified as TD:

50 simple things you can do to save the earth.

Apartheid's environmental toll.

Clearing the air : the real story of the war on air pollution.

Computer techniques in environmental science.

Greenpeace : how a group of journalists, ecologists and visionaries changed the world.

Mass media and the environment; water resources, land use, and atomic energy in California.

On the home front : the Cold War legacy of the Hanford nuclear site.

Water in environmental planning.

Clearly much of this material is at least as relevant to the Department of Environmental Studies (which includes policy and planning) as to the Department of Environmental Sciences. We expect to continue purchasing heavily in these areas.

Other areas of Huxley's interest that have taken shape more recently include bioterrorism, sustainable development, and planning, including urban, rural, transportation, and tribal. Each of these could be profitably increased if more money were available. Huxley is currently working on a program for emergency planning; if this is effected it will require more support from the library.