The selection of library materials for Earth Sciences is the responsibility of the Liaison Librarian, Yulerette Gordon, in consultation with the Faculty Library Representative, Sherry Schiff.
The Department of Earth Sciences offers a broad range of graduate programs focusing on:
| Hydrogeology | Engineering geology |
| Aqueous and isotope geochemistry | Geophysics |
| Quaternary geology | Petrology |
| Economic geology | Mineralogy |
| Structural geology | Paleontolgy |
Other areas of active research include the biostratigraphy, stratigraphy, sedimentology and palynology of the Lower and Middle Palaeozoic and the geology, petrology, and mineral deposits of the Precambrian.
Affiliated with the Department are the Institute for Groundwater Research and the Quaternary Sciences Institute. The Canadian Geoscience Council also resides there.
Materials are collected to serve the teaching and research needs of students and faculty in the Department of Earth Sciences from the undergraduate to the post-doctoral level.
English language materials are preferred, with the exception of relevant Canadian publications that are issued in French only. Other foreign language works may be purchased as required to meet special needs.
The following geographical areas are listed in order of priority:
North America
Europe
Arctic
Oceans
South America
Asia
Africa
Australia
Antarctica
There are no chronological limitations.
While there are no general restrictions on place of publication, priority is given to materials published in North America and Europe.
Much of the earth sciences literature remains useful for teaching and research regardless of its age. Even in subject areas where the material of interest in research is recent some materials needed for teaching encompass the whole history of the subject. While there are no general chronological restrictions, emphasis is placed on materials published in the last 25 years
In general, the Library does not acquire materials in a format for which access can not be provided in the Library.
Reference works, including indexes and abstracts, guides to the literature, bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, handbooks. Yearbooks, etc.
Monographs, including monographic series. (Introductory textbooks and laboratory manuals are purchased very selectively).
Periodicals
Government documents
Proceedings and other publication’s conferences, symposia, international congresses, etc.
Reports. transactions, and other publications of societies, associations, and other non-governmental organizations
Field trip guidebooks
Technical reports
Maps and atlases - primarily geological, structural and tectonic, geophysical, mineralogical and hydrological
The following types of material are generally excluded. However, materials in these categories may be purchased upon request from faculty or at the discretion of the selector if they fulfil special needs.
Theses
Reprints, other than those which constitute an issue or issues of a journal devoted to a special subject or a collection of reprints from various sources which constitute a volume on a special subject.
Patents
Standards
Manuscripts
Graphic materials
Sound recordings
Video Recordings
CD-ROMs
Software (except where a monograph is accompanied by software)
| Climatology | 3 |
| Economic geology/geochemistry | 4 |
| Mineral deposits | 4 |
| Engineering geology | 4 |
| Geotechnique | 4 |
| Mine sites | 4 |
| Environmental geology | 4 |
| Geologic hazards | 3 |
| Volcanoes, earthquakes | 3 |
| Slopes | 4 |
| Karst | 4 |
| Floods | 3 |
| General geology | 3 |
| Marine geology | 4 |
| Volcanology | 2 |
| Structural geology and tectonics | 4 |
| Extraterrestrial geology | 3 |
| Historical geology | 4 |
| Geothermal energy | 3 |
| Geochemistry | 4 |
| Biogeochemistry | 4 |
| Environmental geochemistry | 4 |
| Global change | 4 |
| Isotopes | 4 |
| Geochronology | 3 |
| Geology and health | 3 |
| Geomorphology | 4 |
| Geolimnology | 4 |
| Glaciology | 3 |
| Landform genesis and evolution | 4 |
| Paleolimnology | 4 |
| Geophysics | 4 |
| Geodesy | 1 |
| Environmental geophysics | 4 |
| Seismology | 3 |
| Hydrogeology | 4 |
| Physical | 4 |
| Chemical | 4 |
| Remediation | 4 |
| Modelling | 4 |
| Hydrology | 4 |
| Climate change | 4 |
| Groundwater-surface water interactions | 4 |
| Surface water | 4 |
| Mineralogy | 3 |
| Crystallography | 2 |
| Oceanography | 2 |
| Paleontology | 4 |
| Petrology | 4 |
| Quaternary studies | 4 |
| Neotectonics | 3 |
| Paleoecology | 4 |
| Stratigraphy | 4 |
| Remote sensing and photogeology | 2 |
| Sedimentology/stratigraphy | 4 |
| Petroleum geology | 4 |
| Soil science | 4 |
0. Out of Scope
The library does not collect in this subject.
1. Minimal Information Level
The collection supports minimal inquiries about this subject with a limited selection of monographs and reference works.
2. Basic Information Level
The collection serves to introduce and define the subject. Only the most important reference works, general surveys, the most significant works of major authors, and a limited selection of representative general periodicals are collected.
3. Instructional Support Level
The collection supports all courses of undergraduate study and master’s degree programmes. Materials collected include a wide range of reference works, fundamental bibliographic tools, and an extensive collection of monographs and periodicals. Access to owned or remotely-accessed electronic resources, including texts, journals, data sets. etc. is provided.
4. Research Level
The collection includes major published source materials required for doctoral study and independent research in the subject. All formats, including appropriate foreign-language titles, are acquired. Historically important monographs, archival materials, and back-runs of serials are acquired as necessary.
5. Comprehensive Level
The collection is exhaustive in its depth and scope. All relevant materials, in all formats and applicable languages, are retained and preserved. The collection may be recognized as a national resource.
All collections should be systematically reviewed for currency of information and to ensure that essential and important resources are retained. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information should be withdrawn as necessary. Classic retrospective materials should be retained and preserved to serve the needs of historical research.
Adapted from RLG guidelines.
The Library continues to explore various initiatives from a TriUniversity Group and Ontario Council of University Libraries perspective.
Significant and useful Web resources relevant to Earth Sciences are accessed from the UW Electronic Library at http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca and specifically the Earth Sciences discipline page at http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/discipline/earth/index.html
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