Psychology Collection Policy

OVERVIEW

subject description and guidelines

  • The collection closely mirrors the focus of the Psychology Department's programs which concentrate on three major areas: Behavioral & Evolutionary Neuroscience, Perception, Cognition & Development, and Social and Personality Psychology. The principal focus of graduate training is on research rather than clinical preparation. In addition, these collections support a wide variety of inquiry into the humanistic implications of cognition and psychoanalysis, and interdisciplinary work on the psychological aspects of history and the social sciences. The interdisciplinary character of psychology clienteles and research makes cooperation between several bibliographers obligatory. While Olin bears primary responsibility for experimental and social psychology, Mann Library collects in biopsychology, human development, neurophysiology, and educational psychology. In addition, Catherwood Library has extensive holdings in industrial psychology, and the Engineering Library is the University's primary repository for artificial intelligence materials.

constituencies

  • The principal clientele of these collections is the Department of Psychology, which offers B.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Psychology faculty research is highly interdisciplinary, as illustrated by joint appointments between the Department and eight other departments.

COLLECTION SCOPE

collection strength

  • The main focus of selection is in neuroscience including cognitive and social neuroscience as well as the more traditional areas of perception, cognition, development, social psychology, personality psychology, and biological psychology/neuroscience. This is a research level collection suitable for dissertation-level research. Serial subscriptions consume over 90% of the budget each year. The main focus of monograph selection is on university press titles. There is limited selection in psychoanalysis where only material on major figures is considered. There is more comprehensive selection of material on witchcraft to support the libraries special collection.

collection level

  • research 

language guidelines

  • By and large this is an English language collection. Material published in major European languages is also considered in the areas or psychoanalysis and witchcraft.

language

  • English 

COLLECTION CONTEXT

housed in

  • Olin Library 
  • Uris Library 

special collections or noteworthy resources in the field

  • The Witchcraft Collection contains over 3,000 titles documenting the history of the Inquisition and the persecution of witchcraft. Recent material on witchcraft is selected in support of this collection

related library subject collection

RESPONSIBILITY

library contact

  • Cosgrave, Tony -  Instruction Coordinator, Research & Learning Services