Guidelines for Psychology
Table of Contents
1. Purpose2. General Collection Guidelines
A. Language
B. Chronology
C. Geography
D. Publication Date
E. Treatment of Subject
F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Related Subject Policy Statements
5. Subjects and Collecting Levels
6. Methodology
1. Purpose.
To support instruction and research at the graduate and undergraduate levels in clinical, counseling, developmental, experimental, and social psychology. The clinical and counseling doctoral programs are fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. Students in all the doctoral programs are educated first as psychologists and then helped to develop competence in more specialized areas.
The undergraduate program reflects the discipline's three major orientations: (1) science teaching and incorporating empirical methods; (2) healing professions; and (3) basic questions about the values, ideals and assumptions of human beings and their societies. The graduate program prepares students for service and research in the clinical and counseling areas and for either applied or basic research in biopsychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology.
2. General Collection Guidelines.
A.
Language.
English is the primary language of psychological
publication and research. Foreign language materials of major importance
in all subdivisions in psychology are usually translated into English,
and these English translations are acquired. Original foreign language
materials, especially German, French, Russian, and Spanish, may be purchased
selectively, as the budget permits. When the English translation is acquired
first, the publication in the original language usually is not be purchased.
B.
Chronology.
Because psychology is a relatively new
field, primary emphasis of psychology materials in this collection is on
the twentieth century. However, retrospective purchasing of nineteenth
century titles, especially in the form of reprints and microforms, occurs
as the budget permits.
C.
Geography.
The mainstream of research and publication
in psychology has been in the United States and Western Europe. However,
there are no geographical distinctions within the subject matter of psychology.
Selective purchasing may be from other selective geographical areas.
D.
Publication Date.
Emphasis is on materials published in
the last thirty years. Retrospective purchasing is selective and may involve
microfilm or reprints rather than original format.
E.
Treatment of Subject.
Juvenile or popular (self-improvement)
psychology materials are not purchased for the general collection. Biographies
and textbooks are not ordinarily purchased unless they are of significance
and make a major contribution to a particular area in psychology. History
of psychology is collected broadly. There is a strong emphasis on techniques
and research methods involving the use of statistics, mathematical models,
and computer applications, and these materials are acquired broadly. Tests
are acquired selectively. However, theoretical and methodological materials
on testing are ordered for the psychology collection. Duplicate copies
of frequently used materials on quantitative methods, clinical applications,
and professional utilization are important since they are basic to all
areas of psychology.
F.
Types of Materials and Formats.
Most materials acquired for the psychology
collection are in the form of books and periodicals. Special emphasis is
on periodicals. Hardcopy is preferred over microform; however, microform
is purchased if the hard copy cannot be acquired because of physical or
budgetary reasons. Reprints are considered if the library does not have
an original copy or if the library copy is in unusable condition. The collection
includes reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies,
abstracts, indexes, directories, annual reviews of the literature, and
handbooks. Proceedings or reports of conferences, symposia, and international
congresses are also collected. Purchase of dissertations and theses from
other institutions is restricted. Other instructional and research formats
for the collection include microform research collections, online databases,
data sets, CD-ROM products, films, videos, and audio cassettes.
3. Area Resources.
The Center for Psychological Testing directly supports clinical and counseling psychology graduate programs. The use of this collection is restricted to graduate students and faculty in these programs.
Faculty and students also have access to the specialized collections of the Center for Research Libraries. CRL is a cooperative research library that acquires, stores, preserves, and provides bibliographic access to a collection that supplements and complements the collections of the major research libraries of North America.
4. Related Subject Policy Statements.
The collection aims to serve primarily the students and faculty in the Department of Psychology. Interest in psychology is also shared by faculty and students in other academic departments, particularly guidance, early childhood education, special education, physical education, business, social work, sociology, anthropology, gerontology, psychiatry, medicine, and mental retardation. Collegial ties are maintained with the medical campus through the Schools of Medicine and Allied Health.
5. Subjects and Collecting Levels.
| Subject | Call Number Range | Present | Desired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology (General) | BF1-176; Z7201-7205 | C1 | B |
| Tests and Testing | BF176; BF431-433; BF698.5 | C1 | B |
| Experimental Psychology | BF180-205 | C1 | B |
| Physiological Psychology (includes Sensation, Consciousness, Cognition, Motivation, Emotion) | BF231-593; QP401-406; QP351-499 | C1 | B |
| Counseling Psychology | BF636-637 | B | B |
| Comparative Psychology | BF660-666; QL785-785.5 | C1 | B |
| Developmental Psychology (includes Adolescent Psychology) | BF699-724.85 | C1 | B |
| Child Psychology (Child Study) | BF721-723; LB1101-1140; RJ504-504.5; Z5814.C5 | B | B |
| Social Psychology (includes Community Psychology) | HM251-299; RA790-790.8 | C1 | B |
| Psychology of Women | HQ1101-2030.7 | C1 | B |
| Psychology of Races | HT1501-1595 | C2 | B |
| Clinical Psychology (includes Special Therapies) | RC435-576; Z6664.N5 | B | B |
6. Methodology.
The collection was assessed quantitatively by "list-checking" the following general and specialized bibliographies:
- Books for College Libraries. 3d
ed. vol. 5. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1988.
Corsini, Raymond J. Encyclopedia of Psychology. New York, NY: Wiley, 1984.
Social Science Citation Index Journal Citation Reports. Philadelphia, PA: ISI, 1988.
Psychological Abstracts Coverage List, 1988. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1988.