Collection Policies

At the undergraduate level, Bachelor of Science degrees in Medical Technology and Nuclear Medicine Technology, as well as a program in cytotechnology through the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, are offered. A minor in Medical Technology was approved by the Faculty Senate in March, 1997. Courses at the graduate level are now offered as an emphasis area through the Master of Science—Community Health major, since the discontinuation of the M.S. –Medical Laboratory Sciences degree program in 1996.

 Among the areas of interest in medical technology are hematology, serology, blood banking, immunology, bacteriology, urinalysis/body fluids, and laboratory management. Microbiology and clinical chemistry are also offered. Within the nuclear medicine program, instrumentation, radiopharmacy, radiation health, imaging and non-imaging nuclear medicine technology are primary topics within the curriculum. Foci in the cytotechnology program include cytogenetics as well as gynecological, genito-urinary, gastro-intestinal, breast, body fluids, non-epithelial, and FNA cytology.

It is the goal of the library to develop collections which support this curriculum, as well as the research needs of the faculty.
 

Chronological guidelines:  Current research is the exclusive emphasis. There is no need to acquire historical material, since such resources are available through the Center for Research Libraries, if needed.

Geographical guidelines:  The greatest emphasis should be on materials published in the United States. Publications from other technologically-advanced countries will also be considered.

 Treatment of subject:  Works dealing with the practice and methods of medical laboratory sciences, as well as those which focus on equipment; management/administration; legal, economic, social, and psychological aspects of the subject, will be acquired for both the general collection and the reference collection. Theoretical, historical, and biographical treatments will be acquired selectively.

Types of material: Both monographs and serial publications, including handbooks, government material, conference proceedings and other collected works, will be acquired. Print and electronic formats will be collected; however, microforms will only be acquired for certain back issues of serials.

Date of publication:  Current materials will be acquired. Only material published within the past five years will be considered.

Other general considerations:

• Related subject policy statements:

Biological Sciences
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Community Health Professions
Environmental Health
Nursing
 
• Area library resources:
• The Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Moorman Memorial Library has a collection of books and journals on cytogenetics, nuclear medicine, immunology, etc. which are accesible to Old Dominion University students; its online catalog is on the World Wide Web.
• Some hospital libraries, notably Sentara Norfolk General’s Health Sciences Library and Bon Secours’s (formerly DePaul’s) Boone Memorial Library, have medical journal collections from which our students may make photocopies by advance request, even though such hospitals are not generally open to the public.
 
• Center for Research Libraries (CRL) holdings:  CRL’s pertinent collections consist mostly of early 20^th century lab manuals, textbooks and journals on a variety of medical laboratory science subjects, but among the more current holdings are Med Tech International and the New Zealand Journal of Medical Laboratory Science. Old Dominion University Library is affiliated with CRL, whose holdings are available on extended loan to ODU faculty and students.

• Virtual Library of Virginia resources:
• Three database suppliers—FirstSearch (OCLC), InfoTrac (IAC), and Cambridge Scientific—provide access to many relevant databases, including Medline, CINAHL, BasicBIOSIS, and others.
• Full-text articles are available though InfoTrac’s Health Reference Center and through Academic Press, which publishes a number of journals related to virology, parasitology, immunology, cell biology, genetics, etc.
 
• Government publications:  The ODU Library’s web site provides access to Virginia information (Department of Health Professions, Department of Health, etc.) and to U.S. federal information. MARCIVE and the ODU Library catalog identify federal government titles within our collection related to such topics as cytology, cytogenetics, hematology, immunology, medical laboratory sciences, and nuclear medicine; these catalogs can be searched by subject, keyword, agency, etc.

• Distance education considerations:  Nuclear Medicine Technology 300 (Medical Terminology) is currently offered within the health sciences program through Teletechnet.