The following is a summary of University of Waterloo (UW) Library resources in support of the graduate program in Earth Sciences at Waterloo prepared by Yulerette Gordon, Liaison Librarian for Earth Sciences.
Material is collected to support teaching and research to the PhD level in Earth Sciences with emphasis on these areas:
Quaternary geology
Sedimentology
Hydrogeology
Mathematical modelling
Engineering geology
Aqueous and isotope geochemistry
Geophysics
The decision to purchase Library materials for Earth Sciences is the responsibility of the Liaison Librarian in consultation with the Faculty Library Representative. Selection is guided by the Collection Development Policy and the Approval Plan Subject Profile for the department.
The collection includes 933 current serials in Earth Sciences, as well as some 52,000 monographs relevant to Earth Sciences. Of the 100 journals which in 2002 the Institute for Scientific Information ranked highest by impact factor in the fields of geochemistry & geophysics, geosciences, geology, geography, and paleontology, the University of Waterloo Library subscribes to 90 titles, and has back runs for another 8 titles.
In addition to regular monographs and serials, a great deal of support for the Earth Sciences comes from government publications and cartographic materials. Of the approximately 85,000 government publications in the Davis Centre Library, it is estimated that 60-75% directly support the Earth Sciences program. A large number of these are publications of the Geological Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, and Canadian provincial and United States state geological surveys. Publications of the Geological Survey of Canada and the Ontario Geological Survey are particularly well represented.
The map collection in the Davis Centre Library consists of 12,972 geological and related maps. Other maps (including digital maps) which support the Earth Sciences program are available in the University Map and Design Library.
The University of Waterloo Library 's collections in Earth Sciences are housed in the Davis Centre Library, with cartographic support from the University Map and Design Library, and support in government publications from the Dana Porter Library. The entire Library collection is made available through the online catalogue, TRELLIS which is accessible from computers in the Library and remotely.
The Library's automated circulation system allows users to sign out materials during the hours that the Library is open and renew items from a web-based patron record. Most materials circulate, with the exception of the current issues of journals, and reference materials. Graduate students and faculty may borrow most monographs for the term. On request, these are sent directly to their campus mailing addresses.
The Library subscribes to a number of electronic databases relevant to Earth Sciences, including the following:
GeoRef
Water Resources Abstracts
Inspec
Chemical Abstracts
Environmental Science & Pollution Management
Web of Science (Science Citation Index)
These are accessible at all UW computers connected to the Internet and at off-campus computers via the Library’s proxy service. Within the Library, users may print or download search results from these databases.
The University Map and Design Library provides access to a rich collection of geospatial data from its website http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/locations/umd/geospatial_data.html and provides supporting software for viewing, such as ArcView. Personal assistance is offered on request.
Books and journal articles from the University of Guelph and Wilfrid Laurier University may be identified and requested through TRELLIS, the union catalogue which contains all library materials in the Tri University Group (TUG). Items are delivered to UW from any TUG library in 1-2 days.
The Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Service obtains, for UW students and faculty, books, journal articles, patents, theses, etc. from institutions in Canada and abroad. Materials in Ontario libraries can be accessed and requested through RACER, the name of the VDX automated interlibrary loan system used by OCUL members: http://racer.scholarsportal.info/vdx/index.html. The Library has contracted with Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) for document delivery services which provide rapid delivery of journal articles to the university community. All materials obtained for faculty and graduate students are delivered to their on-campus mailing addresses. Currently, the library absorbs all costs except for the purchase of theses, reports, patents, and standards.
Faculty and students may borrow directly from university libraries in Ontario , Quebec and the Western Provinces ( Manitoba , Saskatchewan , Alberta and British Columbia ) under direct borrowing agreements.
The Library organizes and provides access to a wide range of Internet resources. These include research guides arranged by academic discipline, library catalogues from around the world, and other reference resources, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, standards and patents. The Library-created research guide for Earth Sciences is http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/discipline/earth/index.html.
Reference assistance is available in person, or by telephone at the Library's Information Desks which are staffed by professional librarians and specially trained library assistants. UW students and faculty may also use the Chat or e-mail options provided through the Ask a Librarian service http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/comments/ to get the assistance they need.
The Liaison Librarian for Earth Sciences is available for consultation with individuals or small groups of students, and delivers course specific instruction about library research strategies and tools. The Library also offers orientation programs including tours, general seminars for graduate students, and workshops on topics such as database searching, and how to maintain current awareness in an electronic environment.
During the past seven years, the Library has spent approximately $789,107 on materials for Earth Sciences (see below). Materials acquired for other departments, especially Biology (paleontology), Chemistry (geochemistry), Physics (geophysics), Environmental Studies (environmental geology), and Geography provide additional library support for Earth Sciences.
More detailed information including lists of serials purchased for Earth Sciences, serial titles of interest to Earth Sciences, number of monograph titles of interest to Earth Sciences by subject, and the Collection Development Policy for Earth Sciences are available in the Library. We would be pleased to discuss the Library's holdings and services with an appraiser at the time of a campus visit. We believe that a high level of support for the graduate program in Earth Sciences has been provided by the Library, both in holdings and in services.
Mark Haslett
University Librarian
| Year | Serial Expenditure | Book Expenditure | Approval Plan Support | Total Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/98 | 101,140 |
18,266 |
2,706 |
122,113 |
| 1998/99 | 99,575 |
21,238 |
3,254 |
124,067 |
| 1999/00 | 108,324 |
20,325 |
2,369 |
131,018 |
| 2000/01 | 124,308 |
21,723 |
2,284 |
148,315 |
| 2001/02 | 64,145 |
25,117 |
2,554 |
91,817 |
| 2002/03 | 56,534 |
25,582 |
2,260 |
84,375 |
The 2003/04 acquisitions budget for Earth Sciences breaks down as follows: $54,399 for serials; $30,743 for books; and approximately $2,260 for approval plan support for a total of $87,402.
Since 1997, library expenditures (including the estimated amount for 2003/04) on materials for Earth Sciences total $789,107.
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