COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES

The purpose of the collection is to support instructional programs and areas of faculty research in the Geological Sciences. The program in Geological Sciences at Old Dominion University offers four tracks leading to a Bachelor of Science in Geology.  The BS-Geology curriculum prepares students for advanced study in graduate school or an entry-level position as a professional geologist. The BS-Environmental Sciences curriculum allows students to develop expertise in environmental applications of geology.  The BS-General Geology curriculum provides an opportunity for double majors to combine the study of geology with another discipline of interest. The BS-Earth Science Education curriculum prepares future teachers for certification to teach earth sciences in secondary schools.

 The program also offers a Master of Science in Geology. This is designed to prepare students for careers as geologists, geophysicists, and earth scientists. There is a strong emphasis in coastal plain studies. The MS can be pursued through thesis or non-thesis options.

The program also offers a minor in geology.

 Language Guidelines: English will be the primary language of the collection. English language translations of foreign works will be collected on a selective basis. Non-English language materials will generally not be collected except in special circumstances.

 Chronological Guidelines: The collection focuses on works of current practice and research, however, the library also has holdings of substantive historical works. Histories, publications from state and national geological surveys, and bibliographies cover current and earlier treatments. Geological investigations can retain their validity or provide useful insights for many years, and the focus of collecting should be to build upon, rather than replace, earlier works.

Geographical Guidelines:  In general, materials are collected heavily for North American regions and selectively for the other continents and the various ocean basins and margins.  The study of geology is inherently regional, but investigations in one part of the world often shed light on the interpretation of other areas.  The  topographical map collection and U. S. Geological Survey publications focus on Virginia, other U. S. states, and various physiographic or structural regions of the United States.

Treatment of Subject:  Materials at the undergraduate level will be collected broadly in all subject areas basic to the geological sciences.  Materials will be collected more comprehensively in the narrower subject areas which support graduate course offerings and faculty research interests.

Types of Material: The Library will collect scholarly monographs which report, synthesize or integrate current research.  These include conference proceedings, field investigations of surface and subsurface geology, bibliographies, and reference works.  Serials that support the curriculum will be collected with an emphasis on those involving: mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, sedimentary processes, remote sensing, tectonics, and the publications of geological associations including international organizations.

Many state and federal government publications report research in the geological sciences. For a more detailed explanation of U. S. Geological Survey publications and topographical maps, please refer to the section entitled "Other Resources."  These publications exist as text and maps in a variety of formats including print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and Internet sites.

The library maintains print and electronic indexes which assist students and faculty in locating scholarly journal articles. Online databases available via Cambridge Scientific Abstracts and FirstSearch support research in the library and at remote sites. The primary electronic index to the geological literature of the world is GeoRef. Additional electronic indexing resources include Geobase and General Science Abstracts.  Access to these databases is provided through VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia.  Print indexes for use in the library include Publications of the U. S. Geological Survey and Science Citation Index.

Date of Publication: Current materials published within the past five years will receive priority.  However, a strong historical collection will be maintained from previously acquired materials.

Other General Considerations:

• Much of the department's research is conducted through the University's Coastal Bay and Barrier Island Program and through the Sediment Dynamics Laboratory.  These research initiatives require support at a collection level of at least 4.

• Related Subject Policy Statements:

Chemistry
Geography
Oceanography
Physics
Education
 
• Other Resources: United States Government Publications
Access:  Perry Library is a selective federal depository and offers a number of map collections, print publications, CD-ROMs, and Internet access to materials from the U. S. Geological Survey.  Publications from 1990 to the present can be searched using the library's online catalog; publications from 1976-present can be searched using MarciveWebDOCS. Historical print indexes, including Publications of the Geological Survey from 1879 to the present, are located in the reference area.
Maps:  The depository maintains an extensive collection of 7.5’ topographic maps from the USGS. All quadrangles for Virginia and selected quadrangles for West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey are available for library use. There are also selected county maps for Virginia under SuDoc I 19.108: and selected 30’ x 60’ topographic maps for other areas of the United States under SuDoc I 10.110:. It is expected that increasing numbers of these materials will become available in digital format.
Print Publications:   from the U. S. Geological Survey include the following: Annual Reports, Bulletins, Circulars, Surface Water Supply Papers, Professional Papers, and Minerals Yearbook. This is an historical, as well as current collection, with many series dating back into the 1800s and continuing to present. Some of the current publications are also available on the Web at the following URL: http://www.usgs.gov.  The library provides public access Internet workstations in the Reference area with links to government agencies and organizations. The library also holds the Department of Agriculture’s Soil Surveys for counties under SuDoc A 57.38:. Other government agencies publications supporting research include the Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov), and NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (http://www.noaa.gov). In addition to the Internet resources, print, microfiche, and CD-ROMs are held in the library for publications of these agencies.

 
• Collection Emphasis by Curriculum
BS-Geology Track: Works are collected in major subdisciplines including: mineralogy, petrology, sedimentology,stratigraphy, structural geology, paleontology, geophysics, and hydrogeology.  Reference materials such as specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries, handbooks, directories and guides are also collected.  Topographic and geologic maps are collected for selected areas.
BS-Environmental Sciences Track: Works are collected in complementary environmental disciplines and may also include the areas of biology, chemistry, oceanography, geography, and environmental studies.
BS-General Geology Track: Collection guidelines for this curriculum are satisfied by those for the Geology Track.
BS-Geology Earth Sciences Education Track: Works are collected in the area of teaching earth sciences in secondary schools.
MS: In addition to items mentioned above, works are collected on coastal plain geologic studies including surface water; ground water; paleoenvironment; paleoecology; sediment provenance, transport and depositional environments; geochemistry; and resource exploration.

LC CLASS	SUBJECT DESCRIPTORS	COLLECTION  CODE (key to collecting codes)	COMMENTS
GB 400-649	Geomorphology	4	Also see Collection Development Policy for Geography.  GEOL faculty research interest (GB 441-471 incl. works on barrier island morphology, processes and migration, evolution of coastal dunes, alluvial fans, etc.)
GB 651-2998	Hydrology. Water. Including ground water, rivers, lakes, glaciers	4	GEOL faculty research interest (trace elements and isotopes in hydrogeologic processes, hydrology of tidal and nontidal wetlands, etc.).
GC 377-399	Marine sediments	4	Also see Collection Development Policy for Oceanography.  GEOL faculty research interest.
Q 181-183	Science (General)--Study and teaching	3a
QB275-343	Geodesy	4	Also see Collection Development Policy for Physics.
QC 801-809	Geophysics.	4	Also see Collection Development Policy for Physics.  GEOL faculty research interest.
QC 811-849	Geomagnetism	4	Also see Collection Development Policy for Physics.
QC 851-999	Meteorology. Climatology including the earth's atmosphere	3b (should be 4)	Also see Collection Development Policy for Physics.  GEOL faculty research interest (paleoclimate and global climate change, climate models in paleoenvironmental analysis, etc).
QE 5	Dictionaries and encyclopedias	3b
QE 26	Physical geology	3b
QE 33	Special aspects of the subject as a whole	3b	Subdivisions include aerial photography, mathematical geology, radar, remote sensing, spectrum analysis, statistical methods, subsurface geology.
QE 71 - 79.5	North America	3b
QE 81 - 181	General and local works by state (AL-WY)	3b
QE 185 - 199	Canada	3
QE 200 - 217	Latin America	2b
QE 220 - 226	West Indies	2b
QE 230 - 258.S6	South America	3
QE 260 - 288	Europe	3
QE 289 - 319	Asia	3
QE 320 - 339	Africa	3
QE 350.22	Atlantic Ocean	3b
QE 350.42	Pacific Ocean	3a
QE 350.62	Arctic Ocean	3b	Faculty research interest (western Artic role in global climate, ice rafting of sediments)
QE 351 - 399.2	Mineralogy	3b
QE 371	Mineralogical chemistry	3
QE 420 - 456.5	Petrology	3b	Includes general works and geographic subdivisions.
QE 461 - 462	Petrology--Igneous rocks, volcanic ash, tuff, etc.	3
QE 471	Petrology--Sedimentary rocks. Sedimentology	3b
QE 472	Sedimentary structures	3b
QE 475	Petrology--Metamorphic rocks. Metamorphism	3b	Faculty research interest.
QE 500- 639.5	Dynamic and structural geology	3b	Faculty research interest (includes 3-D seismic, borehole seismology, etc.)
QE 508	Geologic time. Age of the earth	3	Faculty research interest (geochronology).
QE 511.48	Plate tectonics	3b	Faculty research interest.
QE 514- 516.5	Geochemistry	3b	Faculty research interest.
QE 521 - 541	Volcanoes and earthquakes	3a
QE 571 - 597	Sedimentation	4	Faculty research interest (sedimentation rates, sedimentary dynamics in shallow marine environments, numeric modeling of sedimentation patterns).
QE 597 - 600	Earth movements.  Mass movements	3b	Faculty research interest (geologic hazards)
QE 601 - 613	Structural geology	3b	Faculty research interest (includes. strain analysis and kinematic analysis).
QE 615	Basins.  Sedimentary basins	3b
QE 640 - 996	Stratigraphy	4	Faculty research interest (includes event and sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy)
QE 653	Precambrian	3
QE 654 - 674	Paleozoic	3
QE 675 - 688	Mesozoic	3
QE 690 - 699	Cenozoic	4	Faculty research interest.
QE 701 - 760	Paleontology	3b
QE 760.8 -  899.2	Paleozoology	3
QE 901 - 996.5	Paleobotany	3
TA 703	Engineering geology	3
TN 263-271	Mineral deposits. Metallic ore deposits.Prospecting	3b	GEOL Faculty research interest (geophysical exploration techniques including seismic stratigraphy in TN 269-271)
TN 799.5-948	Nonmetallic minerals	3

Publications from the federal government, including U.S. Geological Survey materials, are housed separately in the library and have a special classification system called the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) system. The following table shows some of the major class areas.
 
 

SuDoc #	Type of Publication	Collection Code key to collecting codes	Comments
A 57.38/1-2: through A 57.38/50:	Soil Survey Reports (Alabama through Wyoming)	3b	County level reports
I 19	U. S Geological Survey materials
I 19.1:	Annual Reports of the Geological Survey	3b	1800’s to present
I 19.3:	Bulletins	3b	1800"s to present
I 19.3/6:	Stratigraphic Notes	3a
I 19. 4/2:	Circulars	3b	1800’s to present
I 19.13:	Water Supply Papers	3a
I 19.13/2:	Selected Papers in the Hydrologic Science	3
I 19.13/3:	National Water Summary	3
I 19.15/3:	Manuals, Handbooks and Guides	3a
I 19.16:	Professional Papers	3b	1900’s to present
I 19.81:	7.5’ Topographic Series maps	3a	All VA quadrangles, selected quads for WV, NC, SC, MD, DE, NJ
I 19.81/2:	1:50,000 Series Maps	3	same areas as above
I 19.108:	County Map Series	3	Virginia only
I 19.110:	U.S. 1:100,000 Scale Series	3
I 19.121:	Digital Data Series (data on volcanoes, national water quality, etc.)	3	CD-ROMs issued irregularly
I 19.123:	U.S. Base Maps (various scales)	3
I 19.165:yr./v	Minerals Yearbook	3a
NAS	Various NASA publications	3	extensive microfiche collection
NS 1.38/2:	Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Project	3

Perry Library is also a state government depository and holds a number of publications from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Division of Mineral Resources. These include: maps, bulletins, information circulars, etc.  They are housed with the General Collection on generally may be found under the Library of Congress Classification of QE 173.A 21.  Reports of Investigations may be found under QE 173.A26.
 
 

11/2000
Bibliographer:  Renee Davis (revision of earlier version by Janet Justis)