Subject Policy Descriptions | Libraries | West Virginia University

Africana

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Africana Collection supports the research of undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers and, like these students, teachers and researchers, reflects most of West Virginia University's disciplines including: agriculture, anthropology and sociology, art, economics, folklore, history, international relations, language, law, literature, medicine and health, music, politics, and religion.

The collection has materials pertaining to Africa and peoples of African descent in all the Americas. The Africana Collection was founded and developed by Robert F. Munn, Dean of Libraries from 1957 to 1986, and enhanced by the donated personal library of Grace Edwards Waters, a distinguished Morgantown educator.

Collection Parameters

The library collects across a broad range of materials, including books, serials, maps, government documents, audio-visual and archival materials. The collection is integrated into the general collection, but there are also valuable Africana resources in Special Collections and Maps, and there are some departmental collections: for example the WVU Center for Black Culture.

Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MA and PhD. Students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design is organized into three schools: Agriculture and Food; Design and Community Development; and Natural Resources.

The School of Agriculture and Food includes the research and study of Agroecology; Animal and Nutritional Sciences; Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Biochemistry; Environmental, Soil and Water Sciences; Horticulture; and Human Nutrition and Foods.

Areas of study and research for the School of Design and Community Development include Agricultural and Extension Education; Design Studies; Fashion, Dress and Merchandising; Interior Design; and Landscape Architecture.

The School of Natural Resources includes the study and research of Agribusiness Management; Energy Land Management; Environmental and Energy Resources Management; Environmental and Natural Resource Economics; Forest Resources Management; Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources; Wildlife and Fisheries Resources; and Wood Science and Technology.

General Selection Guidelines

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for the Davis College are all at the research level.

Specific Delimitations

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series;

Anthropology

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of Undergraduate, MA, and PhD students as well as research and teaching faculty.

Anthropology research at WVU focuses on cultural anthropology, social movements, and archaeology. Other areas of research include, environmental anthropology, and psychical anthropology.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Latin American anthropology

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, multi-media, and scholarly series.
Level of materials collected: teaching and research

Appalachian Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Appalachian Studies collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

The Libraries develops this collection through a combination of selection practices, including familiarity with the curriculum of the subject-area, individual title selection, and requests from the WVU community. Librarians hold the ultimate responsibility for developing and maintaining the Libraries’ collection based on their knowledge of the collection, expertise with collection tools and resources, and understanding of the information and resource needs of the Libraries’ community of users. Selection processes are cooperative and may involve consultation with faculty and departments.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Art and Design

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates pursuing the BA in Art History, BA in Technical Art History, BFA in Art & Design; MA in Art History, MA in Art Education, MFA in Art & Design; Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts Therapy; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Art, Design, and Art History research at WVU focuses on Western Art for all periods, including Modern, Contemporary, and Graphic Design. Other areas of research include Ceramics, including Asian.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Gothic Sculpture, American and Contemporary Art.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and digital images.
Languages Collected: monographs, periodicals, and reference tools are collected primarily in English.

Biology

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Biology research at WVU focuses on neurosciences, genomics, ecology, and environmental biology. This research includes forest ecology and biotechnology, genetic diversity in microorganisms, and sensory processing. Other areas of research include forensic biology, plant science, and the teaching and pedagogy of biology.

Areas of established specialization and research include: bioinformatics, genetics, genomics and evolutionary biology; biochemistry and molecular biology; cell and developmental biology; and neurobiology, behavior and physiology.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: materials that focus on current research topics.

Business and Economics

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of undergraduates, Masters, and PhD students; and faculty levels of teaching and research in accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing. Students and faculty members in the College of Business & Economics (B&E) are the primary constituencies served. The collection also supports the work of faculty and students in other disciplines with a business orientation such as those offered by the Reed College of Media and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Design; as well as dual degree programs between B&E and the College of Law, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Nursing, and the College of Applied Human Sciences.

Business & Economics research at WVU focuses on accounting (including forensic accounting and fraud examination), data analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, global supply chain management, hospitality & tourism management, industrial relations, management, management information systems, and marketing. In alignment with the priorities of our accrediting body, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the curriculum also emphasizes business ethics and globalization of business. Additionally, as the home of the West Virginia Bureau of Business & Economic Research, B&E researchers specialize in regional economic activity, development, and policy.

Collection Parameters (based upon available resources)

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, datasets, and business databases for company, industry, marketing research, and career development. Content classified as either academic or professional in nature. As it stands, the collection is modest for an institution and respective business school of our size. There are resources that we do not own that have been requested by the faculty members of the College of Business & Economics.
Chronological Focus: current publications only.
Languages Collected: English language materials only.
Place of Publication: Primarily materials published in North America and (based on teaching and research priorities) other countries selectively.

Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.Ch.E., M.S.Bm.E, and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and various laboratories.

Areas of established specialization in Chemical Engineering: biomedical, bionanomaterials, neuroengineering and biomechanics; catalysis and reaction engineering; natural/shale gas utilization; optoelectronic materials; polymers and materials engineering; gas hydrates and geothermal energy; process and energy systems engineering, biochemical, bioengineering, numerical methods; process dynamics and control; thermodynamics, transport phenomena; bioleaching; carbon materials; coal conversion and processing; fuel cells; advanced materials; energy technologies; nano/micro devices and systems.

Areas of established specialization in Biomedical Engineering will continue to evolve. So far areas of specialization include: molecular and cellular processes in complex systems, microvascular fluid dynamics and macromolecular transport in organs and tissues in situ and ex vivo, dust particle-macrophage interactions in cell culture and image analysis.

While Chemical and Biomedical Engineering are applied sciences, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Health Sciences.

General Selection Guidelines

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for Chemical and Biomedical Engineering are all at the research level.

Specific Delimitations

Formats collected: primarily eJournals and eBooks; Jove videos may be important for biomedical engineering.
Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies are important. Databases with links to full text.

Chemistry

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Chemistry research at WVU focuses on analytical, inorganic, and forensic chemistry; organic, biorganic, and medicinal chemistry; chemical education; and physical and biophysical chemistry. Other areas of research include catalysis and neuroscience.

Areas of established specialization and research include: the quality and safety of food, water and pharmaceuticals; spectroscopy, photocatalysis, and organometallic chemistry; natural products synthesis, new reaction development, mechanistic studies, computational chemistry, chemical biology and peptide chemistry.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: materials that focus on current research topics.

Children’s Literature

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Children's Literature collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The Libraries seek to support research in Civil & Environmental Engineering. It supports the needs of undergraduate, M.S.C.E., and Ph.D.students, the teaching faculty, and related NRCCE programs including but not limited to the West Virginia Water Research Institute and the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center.

Areas of established specialization: construction engineering, environmental engineering and water resources, geotechnical, materials engineering including concrete and asphalt, and structural engineering including bridges.

While Civil & Environmental Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Geology, Chemistry, Physics.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies can be important. Databases with links to full text are preferred but not always possible in this field.

Communication Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of Undergraduate, MA, and PhD students as well as research and teaching faculty.

Communication Studies research at WVU focuses on communication theory and research and corporate and organizational communication.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Communication technology, health communication, interpersonal communication, instructional communication, mass media, and organizational communication.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, multi-media, and scholarly series
Level of materials collected: teaching and research

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.C.E., M.S.E.E, M.S.E.E. and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and various laboratories.

Areas of established specialization: biometric systems; distributed computing and communications; health science engineering; electronic materials, devices and sensors (vision in particular); power systems; and software engineering and information assurance, algorithm analysis, computer security, discrete mathematics, electromagnetics, machine learning and pattern recognition, photonics, biotechnology, distributed computing, image processing, low-power electronics, semiconductors .

While Computer Science and Electrical Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Health Sciences.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally, the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies are important. Databases with links to full text. This department pays a percentage of the IEEE fee.

Criminology

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Criminology collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Dance

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates pursuing the BA in Dance and the dance minor; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Dance research at WVU focuses on performance and pedagogy.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, and Contemporary Dance.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, reference tools, and DVDs.
Chronological Focus: emphasis is on 20th and 21st century dance and dancers.
Languages Collected: monographs and reference tools are collected in English only.

Education and Human Services

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Education and Human Services collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

English and Literature

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates, M.A. and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and other researchers.

English Language & Literature research at WVU focuses on American, Anglophone, Commonwealth, Postcolonial literatures in English, and comparative literature. This research also encompasses cultural and literary aspects of the discipline; the teaching and pedagogy of composition and rhetoric; the history of the language; and English philology as well as the study of all major authors and canonical works. Other areas of research include professional writing and editing as well as creative writing.

Areas of established specialization and research include: American Studies; Ecocriticism and Environmental Writing; Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; and Writing, Editing, and Publishing.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, scholarly series, and films.
Chronological Focus: Medieval – Contemporary.
Languages Collected: Primary focus on English-language materials.
Place of Publication: Collection extends to Anglophone literature worldwide.

Film Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Film Studies collection supports the research of undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

Areas of established specialization: documentaries, films related to West Virginia and regional history, films related to Appalachia, film makers from West Virginia, films made by West Virginians or with their contributions such as music or writing, particularly WVU Alumni and distinguished alumni, world film, documentaries and educational films in early film, humanities, arts, media, and business on DVD and streaming video. The DVDs in the general collection number above 5000.

Collection Parameters

Formats are determined by availability and accessibility. Popular titles readily available as streaming video are contracted for rather than purchasing DVDs or Blu-Ray. If an instructor is using a film in the classroom or someone at WVU is programming a film festival or event, the libraries purchase the title in as many formats as possible, beginning with the most primitive before including backwards compatible platforms (Blu-ray and 3D). The hard copy serves as a stable copy for instructors.

Forensic Science

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Forensic Science research at WVU focuses on forensic analytical and environmental chemistry, mass spectrometry, interpretation of physical evidence, computational methods in pattern recognition, imaging science, biometrics, chemometrics, and the examination of trace evidence. Other areas of research include ethics in forensic science, and training and education for local law enforcement professionals.

Areas of established specialization and research include: pyrolytic products of drugs of abuse, organic gunshot residue characterization, post-mortem toxicology, microbial degradation and insects’ attraction to carrion.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Gender and Sexuality

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; faculty; and other researchers.

The locus of research and instruction is The Women and Gender Studies Center. The Center coordinates an undergraduate major in Women’s and Gender Studies as well as a graduate certificate program. Undergraduate students can also minor in Women’s and Gender Studies as well as LGBTQ studies.

However, Gender and Sexuality research at WVU is a multidisciplinary endeavor which focuses on wide and dynamic areas of research which is practiced across multiple departments and colleges. Therefore, bibliographers in other areas will also contribute to the collection of gender and sexuality materials through developing their own collections.

Established research interrogates the ways gender, socioeconomic class, sexual identity, race, ethnicity and age shape experience. Research also examines how femininity and masculinity are socially and culturally molded rather than determined by biology alone.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: Print, electronic, multimedia. Monogaphs are generally print preferred. Periodicals are e-preferred. Multimedia are purchased as DVDs or video files with perpetual streaming rights when available and affordable. However, content will be purchased in any format as conditions require.
Chronological Focus: While most materials deal with contemporary issues and social questions, older or primary materials might be appropriate for purchase.
Languages Collected: Predominately English
Place of Publication: Primarily the United States and Western Europe. Area studies librarians will address materials in their respective areas of responsibility.
Formats collected: Print, electronic, multimedia. Monogaphs are generally print preferred. Periodicals are e-preferred. Multimedia are purchased as DVDs or video files with perpetual streaming rights when available and affordable. However, content will be purchased in any format as conditions require.
Chronological Focus: While most materials deal with contemporary issues and social questions, older or primary materials might be appropriate for purchase.
Languages Collected: Predominately English
Place of Publication: Primarily the United States and Western Europe. Area studies librarians will address materials in their respective areas of responsibility.

General Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate in particular, Fundamentals of Engineering, M.S.E.S.E. (Energy Systems Engineering), M.S. E. (Engineering), M.S.M.S.E.(Materials Science) and Ph.D. students in Materials Science, the teaching faculty, and various laboratories.

Areas of established specialization in General Engineering:

While General Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Health Sciences.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies are important. Databases with links to full text.

Geography

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Geography research at WVU focuses on geographic information science (GIS), globalization and development, and natural resources and environment. This research includes the integration of GIS with spatial modeling, quaternary geography, climatology, land management, restoration, and forest ecology. Other areas of research include political geography, ethnography, and human impact on species.

Areas of established specialization and research include: geography and identity, migration, and water resources.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: materials that focus on current research topics.

Geology

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Geology research at WVU focuses on fossil energy, surficial processes, and orogenic systems. This research includes fluvial geomorphology, geophysics, carbon sequestration, arctic tectonics, petroleum geology, energy exploration, structural geology, GIS, dendrochronology, and carbonate sedimentology. Other areas of research include environmental geology, paleontology, and hydrogeology.

Areas of established specialization and research include: remote sensing, and geoscience education.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: materials that focus on current research topics.

Government Documents

Mission Statement

The West Virginia University Libraries became a Federal depository in 1882. It was designated as the Regional Depository for the state of West Virginia in 1964. In accordance with the Legal Requirements & Program Regulations of the Federal Depository Library Program , federal depository resources are available and usable for the general public regardless of library affiliation, disability, age, residency, or other customer status. Any member of the general public may use depository resources in all formats at a Federal depository library free of charge and without impediments.

Collection Development

As a regional library, Government Information Services will receive and permanently retain at least one copy of all government publications distributed by the Federal Depository Library Program.
U.S. Government publications in the Federal Depository Library Program are available in a variety of formats. These formats include paper, maps, microforms, and electronic -- all of which can be added to the collection.
Needs and offers lists from West Virginia selective depositories will be checked to secure replacements for missing documents.
The library will provide access to non-depository items, including database subscriptions containing government documents.
The library purchases missing issues and replaces worn publications as needed.
All claimable publications missing from depository shipments will be claimed from GPO in a timely manner. Microfiche and electronic shipment numbers will be tracked to alert staff of missing documents.

Collection Management

The Superintendent of Documents (Sudocs) classification system will be used for the collection.
All documents are properly processed including using the Marcive Shipping List and Marcive Enhanced GPO Database services.
All documents are checked in according to the Federal Depository Library Handbook at the piece level.
The online catalog will serve as the shelflist for the collection.
All documents are shelved in a timely manner for public use.
Only duplicate or appropriate superseded materials will be subject to withdrawal. Guidelines of the List of Superseded Documents will be followed.
The library will provide the means to preserve document by:
- Notable or heavily used documents are bound regularly every year.
- Periodicals are bound regularly as well.
- Other documents are bound on an as needed basis.
- Maps are checked in at piece level against shipping list and kept in metal map cases.

Subject Areas and Collection Arrangement

WVU Downtown Campus
- As a Regional Depository, the WVU Downtown Campus Library receives all publications in all formats from the Government Publishing Office. After stamping publications as depository property with the date of receipt and processing, materials are distributed to branch libraries according to subjects. However, the WVU Downtown Campus Library houses the majority of the depository materials.
- Microfiche items are properly processed, rubber bands-free, and stored in metal cabinets on 2nd floor of WVU DCL. Readers/printers are provided for library users.
- CD-ROMs are kept in media cabinets on the first floor.
- The Map collection is housed in Room 122 on the lower level of the WVU Downtown Campus Library (DCL) and lower level of the Wise Library.
Evansdale Library:
- All publications from Agriculture Department, Education Department, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, Transportation Department (except publications from Aviation Medicine Office), Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering and Technology, Council on Environmental Quality, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (except regulatory guides and decisions).
- Some publications from Energy Department, Health and Human Services Department, Interior Department (All publications from Reclamation Bureau, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service), Smithsonian Institution.
Health Sciences Library
- All publications from Health and Human Services Department. Aviation Medicine Office (TD 4.202)
- Army Medical Department.
Law Library

All publications from Justice Department, Judiciary, National Labor Relations Board, National Mediation Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, U.S. Sentencing Commission, and all Committee Hearings in paper format.

Library Depository
- As shelving space dictates, older documents may be stored at the library’s depository and shipped to the library as needed or requested.

Access

The library’s government information collection in all formats can be accessed or searched for using the online catalog, WorldCat Discovery.
Information about the library’s government information collection can be accessed from the library’s website or by using the library’s research guide.
A listing of the databases containing government information available to WVU affiliates can be accessed from the library’s website.
Cooperative federal government documents resource sharing through interlibrary loan is available both within the state and nationwide, permitting exceptions due to the format and state of the resource.
Reference services are available by phone, email, chat, or in-person during hours of operation.

Health Sciences

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Health Sciences collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

History

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates, M.A. and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and other researchers.

History research at WVU focuses on American, European, African, Latin American, and Public History. This research encompasses governmental, economic, social and intercultural aspects of the discipline as well as the histories of religion, empire, and war.

Areas of established specialization and research include: labor history, modern European history, medieval and early modern Europe, imperialism and postcolonial histories, Appalachian history, US-Latin America relations, the Civil War, history of religion, and Imperial China.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, scholarly series, and films.
Chronological Focus: Medieval – Contemporary.
Languages Collected: Primary focus on English-language materials, with less extensive collecting in European, African, and Asian languages.

Industrial Management Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.I.E., M.S. (Industrial Hygiene, Safety Management) and Ph.D. students (Industrial Engineering, Occupational Safety and Health), the teaching faculty, and related Research Centers including but not limited to the Industrial Ergonomics Lab, the Center for Entrepreneurship Studies and Development and the Industrial Assessment Center.

Areas of established specialization: Energy Technologies, Health and Safety, Industrial and Management Systems, cost engineering, human factors, fire and emergency response, industrial ventilation, occupational exposure assessment.

While Industrial & Management Systems Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science as well as Health Science and Business.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies can be important. Databases with links to full text are preferred but not always possible in this field.

Interdisciplinary Culture and Film Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers. The transdisciplinary nature of these programs requires collaborative, integrative and cooperative efforts to select and distribute materials across boundaries of discipline, format and platform. Enhancing access to existing primary resource collections and data across disciplines is equally vital. Transdisciplinarity encompasses all fields and by definition is both inclusive and diverse in discipline, language, geography, format and content.

Colleges offering Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary degrees at WVU include Creative Arts, the College of Applied Human Sciences, The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Business and Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences and The Reed College of Media.

General Selection Guidelines

Priorities for acquisitions will be assigned by levels of established, emerging and individual academic departments interdisciplinary interests. Examples from WVU in 2018 include:

Established: Bioinformatics, Women’s Studies
Emerging: Ethnomusicology, Communication Interaction Lab, Launch Lab
Individual: Religious Studies Faculty with interests including String Theory, Epidemics, Gender Studies and Popular Culture

Useful areas and focus for specialized collections include cooperative, inclusive, and accessible acquisitions in primary sources including popular culture. Regional and digitally available collections, including cinema, are given high priority.

Journalism and Strategic Communications

General Selection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support research in journalism, strategic communications, the needs of the college undergraduate, MS students, the teaching faculty, and researchers as well as the needs of MS students and the teaching faculty in the online programs of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and Data Marketing Communications (DMC).

Areas of established specialization: digital journalism, media effects, health communication, strategic communication campaigns, etc.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, electronic tools, and reference tools.
Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications extensively and earlier centuries very selectively.
Chronological Focus: We collect materials focusing on current century extensively, and earlier century topics selectively.
Languages Collected: We primarily collect English language materials.
Place of Publication: We collect materials published in the United States

Latin American Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the research of undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in Latin American Studies

Collection Parameters

The library collects across a broad range of materials, including books, serials, maps, government documents, audio-visual and archival materials. Though much of the collection is integrated into the general collection, the U.S. – Latin American relations and modern Latin American history sections are especially strong. In addition, the arts, literature, gender, and political history are areas well represented in existing collections.

Mathematics

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Mathematics research at WVU focuses on applied and discrete mathematics. This research includes differential equations, asymptotic methods, modeling, image processing, numerical analysis, wavelet analysis, combinatorics, graph theory, matroid theory, representation theory, shock theory, approximation theory, and number theory. Other areas of research include applied analysis and mathematics education.

Areas of established specialization and research include: mathematical finance, signal processing, hyperbolic and mixed type partial differential equations, algorithm development, applied probability, general relativity, data analysis, mathematical biology, risk models, agglomeration in particle systems, and the teaching and pedagogy of mathematics.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.A.E., M.S.M.E, and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and various laboratories including CAFFE.

Areas of established specialization: aerodynamics and fluid mechanics; alternative fuels, engines and emissions; bioengineering; control, design and manufacturing; materials science; solid mechanics, materials and structures; space flight and systems; and thermal sciences; mechatronics; machine design; mechanical vibration and dynamics; nanomaterials; Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAV/RPV) and robotics; flow modeling; bioengineering

While Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Geology, Physics, Chemistry.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies are important. Databases with links to full text.

Military Sciences

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Military Sciences collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Mining Engineering

A. Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.Min.E., and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, various laboratories and the Watts Mine Museum.

Areas of established specialization: ground control, longwall mining, underground mining, surface mining, mine ventilation, mineral processing, energy technologies, mine subsidence, numerical modeling, rock mechanics, and mine health and safety.

While Mine Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Geology.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies can be important. Databases with links to full text

Multidisciplinary Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the research of undergraduates; MA and Ph.D. students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in the Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Studies. The transdisciplinary and integrated nature of these programs requires collaborative, integrative and cooperative efforts to select and distribute materials across boundaries of discipline, format and platform. Enhancing access to existing primary resource collections and data across disciplines is equally vital. Transdisciplinarity encompasses all fields and by definition is both inclusive and diverse in discipline, language, geography, format and content.

Colleges offering Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary degrees at WVU include Creative Arts, the College of Applied Human Sciences, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Business and Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences and The Reed College of Media.

Interdisciplinary programs are becoming increasingly important and the Libraries seek ways to adequately support nontraditional and emerging programs. Interdisciplinary research and teaching requires a plurality of methods, models, and approaches. Traditional taxonomy and classification schemes along with the method of sorting knowledge into disciplines reflecting university departments inadequately addresses the needs of interdisciplinary teachers and researchers.

General Selection Guidelines

Priorities for acquisitions will be assigned by levels of established, emerging and individual academic departments interdisciplinary interests. Examples from WVU in 2018 include:

Established: Bioinformatics, Women’s Studies
Emerging: Ethnomusicology, Communication Interaction Lab, Launch Lab
Individual: Religious Studies Faculty with interests including String Theory, Epidemics, Gender Studies and Popular Culture

Music

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research and study needs of WVU undergraduates pursuing the BA in Music, the BM, the Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies, and music minors; MA in Musicology, MA in Music Industry, MM and DMA students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Music research at WVU focuses on performance/pedagogy and musicology. Other areas of research include music education, music therapy, music technology, and music industry.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Country Music, Medieval and Renaissance Music, and World Music (particularly percussion).

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, historical sets and collected works, scores, recordings (CD and streaming), and DVDs.
Languages Collected: monographs, periodicals, and reference tools are collected primarily in English. Historical sets, collected works, scores, and recordings are collected in English and major Western European languages.

Native American Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the research of undergraduates, teaching faculty; and other researchers in the Program for Native American Studies (NAS). The NAS Program offers a minor and includes faculty and program committee members from departments throughout the university including History, English, Women and Gender Studies, the School of Nursing, the College of Applied Human Sciences, Department of Dental Practice and Rural Health, Latin American Studies. In addition to local faculty, lecturers and program committee members are practicing archeologists, lawyers, guides, teachers and more, as well as members of Native American tribes or of tribal descent.

Collection Parameters

The library collects across a broad range of materials, including books, serials, maps, government documents, audio-visual and archival materials. The collection is integrated into the general collection, but there are also valuable Native American Studies resources in Special Collections and Maps, and there is a significant departmental collection in the WVU Program for Native American Studies.

Patent and Trademark

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the U.S. Patent & Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) in the Evansdale Library as well as the LaunchLab and other members of the WVU IDEAHub Ecosystem.

Areas of established specialization in Patents and Trademarks: self-help guides, inventors and invention, trademark examples, patent and trademark law, plant patents.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Formats collected: All formats provided by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, including DVDs and paper. However, electronic access to databases can also be facilitated by FOBs provided by the USPTO.
Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years for reference are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases besides the public access ones are desired. Databases with links to full text.
Some items were acquired under the Patent & Trademark Resource Center Program (PTRCP) and cannot be discarded unless the PRTRCP Office approves.

Petroleum and Natural Gas

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects material to support the needs of undergraduate, M.S.P.N.G.E., and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, and various laboratories.

Areas of established specialization: energy technologies, oil & gas property evaluation, coalbed methane development, drilling, multiphase flow, fluid flow-through porous media, Marcellus Shale Research, natural gas production and storage, formation stimulation and fracturing, oil & gas recovery, reservoir engineering, numerical modeling, well design & testing.

While Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering is an applied science, occasional materials from pure science are purchased, e.g., Geology, Physics, Chemistry.

General Selection Guidelines

Specific Delimitations

Chronological Focus: Generally the most recent ten years are collected, but occasionally historical materials are relevant.
Languages Collected: the collection is primarily in English, however, indices that cover materials in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and French are important as well.
Databases from societies can be important. Databases with links to full text. Access to One Petro is of highest importance.

Philosophy

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates, the teaching faculty, and other researchers.

Philosophy research at WVU focuses on ancient philosophy, analytic philosophy, Continental philosophy, and social/political philosophy.

Areas of established specialization and research include: phenomenology, philosophy of language, epistemology, ethics, and philosophy and law.

Collection Parameters

Formats Collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Chronological Focus: Ancient - Contemporary

Languages Collected: We collect primarily in English and less extensively in German, French, Spanish, and Italian.

Physical Activity and Sport Sciences

Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MA and PhD. Students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Programs of study and research include Athletic Coaching Education; Athletic Training; Multidisciplinary Studies; Sport and Exercise Psychology: Sport Management; and Sport Coaching.

Areas of established specialization and research include the International Center for Performance Excellence, which supports international educational initiatives by CAHS and awareness at the local, national, and international levels of the values and benefits of engaging in sport and physical activity.

General Selection Guidelines

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for the College of Applied Human Sciences are at the research level.

Specific Delimitations

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series;

Physics

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Physics research at WVU focuses on astronomy and astrophysics; experimental, theoretical, and computational condensed matter and materials physics; optical and laser physics; and physics education. Other areas of research include plasma and space physics.

Areas of established specialization and research include: plasma behavior in space plasmas and in magnetically confined fusion plasmas; the study of pulsars, gravitational waves, fast radio bursts, neutral hydrogen, and star formation; the teaching and pedagogy of physics; and statistical physics.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: materials that focus on current research topics.

Political Science

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Political Science collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Psychology

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of Undergraduate, MS, and PhD students as well as research and teaching faculty.

Psychology research at WVU focuses on behavior analysis, behavioral neuroscience, clinical and clinical child psychology, and life-span developmental psychology. Other areas of research and teaching include social psychology.

Areas of established specialization and research include: Child behavior management; decision making and choice; drugs and behavior; health stress and coping; life-span developmental and developmental psychopathology; and social behavior.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, clinical handbooks, multi-media, and scholarly series.
Level of materials collected: Teaching and research

Public Administration

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Public Administration collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Public Relations and Advertising

General Collection Guidelines

The WVU Libraries’ Public Relations and Advertising collection supports the research of undergraduates and graduate students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers in fields and programs throughout the university.

For more information on the collection development policy for this subject-area, please consult the collections strategist.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected may include: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Religious Studies

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates, the teaching faculty, and other researchers.

Religious Studies research at WVU focuses on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Near Eastern religions.

Areas of established specialization and research include: archaeology, history of Christianity, history and practice of Islam, Asian religion and philosophy, reformed theology, and gender studies.

Collection Parameters

Formats Collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.
Chronological Focus: Ancient - Contemporary
Languages Collected: We collect primarily in English and selectively in Western European, Middle Eastern, and East Asian languages.

Social Work

A. Purpose and Program Description

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MA and PhD. Students; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Research includes the study of social issues such as child welfare, youth development, disability, aging, family violence and restorative justice.

Areas of established specialization and research include the fields of economics, human development, psychology, public affairs, sociology, and social work.

B. General Selection Guidelines

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection, its current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, and its collecting goal for the School of Social Workare at the research level.

Specific Delimitations

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series;

Sociology

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of Undergraduate, MA, and PhD students as well as research and teaching faculty.

Sociology research at WVU focuses on crime, social control and violence; community, health, environment and place; and culture, social psychology and media.

Areas of established specialization and research include: violence and criminology

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, multi-media, and scholarly series.
Level of materials collected: Teaching and research.

Statistics

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates; MS and Ph.D. students; teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Statistics research at WVU focuses on pure and applied statistics. This research includes biostatistics, biometrics, data analysis, machine learning, experimental design, mixture modeling, and Bayesian inference. Other areas of research include bioinformatics, environmental statistics, and statistics education.

Areas of established specialization and research include: operations research, nonlinear dynamic systems, and nonparametric statistics.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scholarly series.

Theatre

General Collection Guidelines

The collections strategist at WVU Libraries selects materials to support the research needs of WVU undergraduates pursuing the BA in Theatre, the BFA in Acting, the BFA in Design & Technology, the BFA in Puppetry and Creative Dramatics, the BFA in Musical Theatre, and theatre minors; graduate students pursuing the MFA in Acting, the MFA in Scenery Design and Technology, the MFA in Costume Design & Technology, the MFA in Lighting Design & Technology, and the MFA in Technical Direction; the teaching faculty; and other researchers.

Theatre research at WVU focuses on the applied professional art, craft, design, technology, and theory. Areas of established specialization and research include: comedy, dramaturgy, and performativity.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, scripts, and DVDs.
Chronological Focus: emphasis is on the 20thand 21stcenturies.
Languages Collected: monographs, periodicals, reference tools, and scripts are collected in English only.

World Languages, Literature, and Linguistics

General Selection Guidelines

The collections strategist at the WVU Libraries selects materials to support research in both the linguistic and literary aspects of the world languages, including the teaching of basic and advanced language skills, grammar and syntax, the history of the languages, and a detailed study of major literary authors and their works. The programs supported include but are not limited to: Arabic, Chinese Studies, French, Foreign Literature in Translation, German, Italian Studies, Japanese Studies, Latin American Studies, Linguistics, TESOL, Russian Studies, Slavic & Eastern European Studies, and Spanish. It supports the needs of undergraduate, MA students, the teaching faculty, and researchers.

Areas of established specialization: language pedagogy, linguistics, world culture, literature, film and theatre, phonology, phonetics, speech perception, and music cognition.

Collection Parameters

Formats collected: monographs, periodicals, audiovisual materials, reference tools, scholarly series and other electronic tools.
Imprint Dates Collected: current publications extensively and 20thand earlier centuries selectively.
Chronological Focus: materials focusing on current and 20thcentury topics.
Languages Collected: English and all the languages in the programs of the world languages, literatures and linguistics.
Place of Publication: primarily materials published in North America. All other geographic areas of the world are collected selectively.