LibGuides: Subject Collection Policies: Neurobiology and Behavior

Neurobiology and Behavior Collection Policy

OVERVIEW

subject description and guidelines

The Libraries seek to support research and instruction in the areas of neurobiology and behavior. The major areas of scholarship are cellular and molecular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience, chemical ecology, and animal social behavior.

constituencies

The collection is used by faculty, staff and students of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. Other constituencies include a variety of disciplines such as Psychology, Biomedical Engineering, Applied Physics, Entomology, Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Medicine, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The associated Graduate Field of Neurobiology and Behavior encompasses all aspects of neurobiological and behavioral research on Cornell's Ithaca campus. The Department is also the most popular area of study for undergraduates majoring in Biological Sciences.

COLLECTION SCOPE

collection strength

Overall, the collecting goal for Neurobiology and Behavior is to provide materials suitable for dissertation-level research and undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education. The following topics are collected at this research level. Behavior: sociobiology, hormones and behavior, biopsychology of learning and memory, behavioral evolution. Integrative neurobiology: sensory systems, effects of aging on sensory and perceptual systems, neuroethology, vertebrate neuroanatomy. Cellular/molecular neurobiology: neurochemistry and molecular neurobiology, neurodiseases -- molecular aspects, neurogenetics, neurophysiology, developmental neurobiology. Other topics included are: physiological psychology (e.g., eating and satiety, animal intelligence), left and right brain/handedness, effects of external substances (e.g., drugs or alcohol) on brain/nervous system, consciousness (biological bases only; cognitive aspects are collected by Olin), neural networks where existing biological systems (e.g., real neurons) are involved, psychopharmacology.

geographical guidelines

Conceptual materials are typically collected from North America. Other materials may be collected if they relate to a specific location.

language guidelines

In English, as intensively as the budget will allow. Most current literature is published in English. In the field of behavior, German, and French may also be important. Japanese literature is important in the area of molecular and cellular neuroscience, but it is usually published in English.

language

chronological guidelines

Current. Older literature of biology, especially anatomy and systematics, as funds permit.

exclusions

The following areas are not collected: therapy of neurobiological diseases, imaging publications related to clinical usage.

material types

Broadly, neurobiology and behavior emphasize scholarly communication through academic and specialized journals. Scholarly, trade monographs and serials, textbooks and data sets are also collected.

COLLECTION CONTEXT

housed in

special collections or noteworthy resources in the field

Mann Library's Special Collections hold materials that are too rare, valuable or fragile to be housed in the regular stacks. ECommons serves as a repository for data files compiled by Cornell researchers.

related library subject collection

AFFILIATIONS

academic department

graduate field/program

academic unit

organization

RESPONSIBILITY

library contact