Geology and Geophysics

Collection Development Policy Statement

Library's Collection Development Objectives

Support faculty and student research and the curriculum through the Ph.D. level in the disciplines of geology and geophysics.

Curriculum Program Descriptions

Laurie Anderson is the Chair of the Department of Geology and Geophysics, which is part of the College of Basic Sciences. The department has twelve full professors, three associate professors and four assistant professors. There are seven named professors in the department.  Listed below are the number of degrees awarded to students in Geology and Geophysics in the past six years.

Treatment of Subject Depth

The goal of collection development activities in Geology and Geophysics is to support the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, sustained independent research of students and faculty, and related geophysical research with other departments. The existing collection strength for Geology and Geophysics is at level 4 and current collecting intensity is at level 3 / 4 (See Appendix -- Classed Analysis).

CD ROMs, Electronic Books, Remotely Accessed Texts

LSU Libraries will purchase CD ROM works on a case by case basis when requested by faculty members or graduate students in need of enhanced capabilities afforded by CD ROMs. The LSU Libraries recognizes that electronic information, e-books, electronic paper, etc. merit attention. The purchase of access to remote data and texts, such as JSTOR and others, will be pursued when the ownership of remote products will benefit the greatest number of students, staff, and faculty at the best possible price. Purchase of remotely accessed texts must follow the policy and procedures set forth in Procedures for Acquiring and Processing Electronic Resources.

Specific Delimitations

Collected Extensively: Specialized reference tools, such as indexes, abstracts, encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, major secondary works (monographs); monographic serials.

Collected selectively: Proceedings, popular treatments, biographies, catalogs, undergraduate and upper division textbooks, laboratory manuals, workbooks, curriculum guides.

Excluded: Popular treatments, juvenile literature.

Collected extensively: Traditional print formats, i.e. monographs, serials; microforms, microfilm.

Collected selectively: CD-ROM, Audio-cassette packets, phonodiscs, charts, pamphlets, loose leaf services.

Collected extensively: Materials published during the last ten years.

Collected selectively: Materials published more than ten years ago.

Collected extensively: United States, Great Britain, Netherlands, Canada, West Germany.

Collected Selectively: All others.

Collected extensively: English, and translations of foreign language works.

Collected selectively: All others.

Collected extensively: The contemporary science as defined by developments of the past ten years.

Collected selectively: All other periods more than ten years ago.

Collected extensively: United States, Canada, Great Britain, West Germany, Netherlands.

Collected selectively: All others.

Overlap with Other Subjects of Collections

Primary: Five overlapping subject areas have been identified for which this statement assumes the primary collection development responsibility.

• Geophysics -- Physics
• Plate Tectonics -- Geography
• Mining and Tunneling -- Civil Engineering
• Physical Geography -- Geography, Civil Engineering
• Mineralogy / Crystallography -- Chemistry

• Physical Geography -- Geography, Civil Engineering
• Cartography -- Geography, Cartographic Library
• Coastal Geology / Erosion (Applied) - Civil Engineering
• Surveying -- Civil Engineering
• Engineering Geology -- Engineering (Civil, Mechanical)

• Thermodynamics -- Mathematics, Physics
• Astrogeology -- Astronomy
• Electricity and Magnetism -- Engineering
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance -- Chemistry
• Geophysics -- Physics
• Nuclear Science -- Engineering, Nuclear Science
• Computational Physics -- Mathematics, Computer Science
• Microscopy -- Zoology/Physiology, Physics
• Surface Science/Materials Science -- Engineering, Chemistry

Louisiana State University relies on  Interlibrary Loan and Ingenta to supply serial documents that are not available in the library.  LSU is part of the South Eastern Library Association (SELA) to foster inter-library lending and borrowing practices. Cooperative research programs to support other major academic and research units: Department of Oceanography and Coastal Studies, Basin Research Institute, Environmental Studies Institute, Geography and Anthropology, the Louisiana Geological Survey, the Wetlands Biogeochemistry Institute, and the Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Research (CCEER).

Other Considerations

The Cartographic Information Center, which is administered by the Department of Geography and Anthropology, has a collection of over 250,000 maps, aerial photographs, and other materials to support the Geology and Geophysics research.

Classed Analysis