Introduction | Collecting Guidelines | Format Guidelines | Cooperation | Subject List and Levels | Electronic Resources | Gift Policy | Evaluation and Preservation

Guidelines by Format or Type of Resource

Specific Formats or Type of Materials

Abridged editions

Abridged editions are generally not collected, except for works of exceptional historical interest.

Abstracting & indexing services

The major English language abstracting and indexing services for core health science subjects are collected and retained. In peripheral subjects, only representative works will be acquired in the English language. Selection of abstracting and indexing services is based on: subject scope and relevance; comprehensiveness; authority; other available formats; intended audience; cost.

Annual reports

Reports of hospitals, other health care institutions, or libraries from outside the Houston area are not actively sought or retained. The Harris County Medical Archive does solicit and retain reports from health care institutions and some foundations that are of local interest.

Archival materials and publications of local historical importance

Archive materials are selected and solicited by the Director of the Historical Research Center. The three categories of materials are:

• Institutional collections that document the growth and development of local hospitals, schools, and other health care organizations. The Library's first obligation is to collect the serials and other printed materials issued by its Governing and Supporting Institutions.
• Research collections, for example the NASA Space Life Sciences Archive, which contain materials in many formats on a specific subject or with a unifying theme.
• Manuscript collections which focus on the lives and careers of physicians and health care professionals in Harris County, Texas, and rheumatologists from throughout North America.

For a more detailed discussion of archival materials, refer to the section on Special Collections.

Medical Atlases

Anatomical, surgical, or other medical atlases which detail procedures and techniques are collected.

Audiovisual materials (slides, filmstrips, films, cassettes, videodiscs)

The same selection criteria used for printed materials apply to audiovisual items with the following exceptions:

• Only Engish-language materials are selected
• Material intended for use in health or patient education is collected very selectively.
• Generally, only materials with current year production dates are collected.

Bibliographies

Subject bibliographies are not selected unless the information contained in them fills a need not met by other sources. National bibliographies are collected as needed to support reference needs. Bibliographies listing publications of an individual are generally not collected.

Biographies and Autobiographies

All authoritative biographies and autobiographies of health professionals and individuals of repute in the scientific community are collected unless the work is unrelated to medicine or to science. Also collected are biographies and autobiographies of local physicians or persons associated with the Library's Supporting Institutions. Personal narratives of patients or their families describing illness and death are acquired very selectively, with decisions being based on potential usefulness in understanding and treating patients.

Book Reviews

Some book review sources are collected if the given reviews are for the type of materials collected by the Library.

Catalogs

Publishers' catalogs are not actively sought, and any received as gifts are retained for only the current year. Current catalogs of Texas schools providing medical or allied health education are collected and retained only for their effective period. Catalogs of exhibits related to medicine are collected selectively.

Computer Files

Electronic resources are collected and subject to the general selection criteria outlined in the Collection Development Policy, with priority given to the core health science subjects. For a more detailed discussion on computer files, refer to the Electronic Resources Collection Policy.

Congresses, conferences, and symposia

Published proceedings of national and international conferences are collected. In core subject areas, all substantive works are sought and acquired. In related and peripheral subject areas, major and representative works are acquired. While most proceedings are ordered individually, a few highly regarded and well-used series are acquired as standing orders.

Dictionaries

General, medical, scientific, historical, and other dictionaries and lexicons are collected in English and selected major foreign languages as needed for reference and research purposes.

Directories

Membership directories for major health-related associations, societies, and organizations are collected at the national level except for those in Texas. American directories in the allied health professions and in librarianship and information science are collected selectively. All major national and international biographical directories in the health sciences are collected. American directories of health and selected non-health-related organizations are collected at the national level except for directories of Texas organizations. In general, all directories are retained for historical purposes.

Drug information services

A variety of American and European drug information sources are collected with an emphasis on those which include drug names, drug composition and dosage, mechanism of actions, and side effects. The sources are retained on a selective basis.

Electronic Formats

Materials in electronic formats such as CD-ROM products, are subject to the same selection criteria as print materials. Special considerations include the equipment required, cost, current curricular and research needs, and the value of electronic formats compared with print materials.

Encyclopedias

Some general encyclopedias are collected and maintained in the reference collection. Subject encyclopedias are collected in the core health science subject areas in English only.

Equipment Catalogs

In general, catalogs from manufacturers or individual companies are not collected.

Examination review books and study guides

Examination guides produced to aid students in the health sciences in preparing for specialty or board examinations are collected only in English, and only if they are published by major medical publishers or major professional organizations. Self-instructional materials which contain computer-scoring answer sheets are not collected.

Festschriften

Festschriften relating to prominent health professionals or institutions are collected.

General reference works

The Library collects standard and general reference sources both in and outside of biomedicine which are deemed to be useful to staff and users. Examples of such works include general almanacs and quotations sources.

Government documents and legislative documents

Major U.S. documents concerning legislation or government programs which have long-term impact on health, health care delivery or biomedical research are collected. Copies of specific legislation relating to medicine or public health are acquired when possible. Health-related reference materials, such as statistical compilations from governmental agencies, committees, or departments are acquired. Legislative hearings, committee reports, legislative bills, minor documents, or government publications from other countries are rarely acquired. Texas state and local health-related documents are acquired whenever possible. These materials are actively sought, cataloged, and added to the permanent collection.

Handbooks

Current and authoritative handbooks in fields relevant to the health and life sciences are collected. Subject scope includes related fields such as chemistry, physics, and statistics.

Laboratory manuals

Laboratory manuals intended for technicians or research staff are generally not collected. Some comprehensive manuals published by professional organizations may be acquired for current reference value. Workbooks are not collected.

Loose-leaf Publications

In general, works which must be updated by inter-filing replacement pages are not acquired. Only those items that have substantial reference value and are in core subject areas are collected.

Maps, graphs, charts

These materials are not collected. Items received as gifts are evaluated and retained only if within the scope of the general collection.

Microforms

As a general policy, the Library chooses full-size hard copy or electronic over microform versions. Some documents or government reports may be available only in microform and are acquired if deemed suitable for the collection.

Models

Models are not collected.

Nomenclature sources

Some sources of biological taxonomy and medical nomenclature are included in the collection.

Online databases & other searching tools

Access to online sources of medical and health-related information is acquired. Databases in related scientific and social science areas are acquired selectively. See the Electronic Resources Collection Policy.

Pamphlets

Pamphlets are defined as unbound, non-periodical publications which are less than 50 pages in length. Pamphlets containing substantive information are selected based on the guidelines developed for other print publications and preference is given to materials published by professional health care societies.

Patient education materials; popular works

Contemporary popular health-related materials are generally not acquired. Materials which contain authoritative, substantive information used to educate health consumers and patients in matters of health, disease, and self-care are collected selectively in core health science subject areas.

Prints, photographs and portraits

In general, publications containing a collection of photographs, but lacking comprehensive textual material, are not collected unless of unusual regional or historical value.

Reprints

Reprint editions of monographs or collections of previously published journal articles are generally not collected. Exceptions include reprint editions when the Library lacks the original, or monographs which are collections of reprints in core health science subjects covering a specialized topic over an extended period of time.

Standards

Official United States national standards for devices and products used in health care delivery or in biomedical research are collected selectively. Publications that identify standard levels of safety of products or conditions which affect human health are collected.

Statistics

United States health, vital, or population statistics of federal government and other governmental bodies are collected in cumulated form. Health, vital, or population statistics for the state of Texas and the Houston metropolitan area are collected. Sections of statistical series containing health, vital, or population statistics are collected.

Syllabi

These publications are not collected.

Technical reports

Technical reports on health and health-related areas are collected very selectively, and reports for major research projects of the Library's Governing and Supporting Institutions may be acquired as a record of research activity in the Texas Medical Center.

Textbooks

Textbooks in the core health sciences are collected. Clinical handbooks, pocket reference texts, and texts primarily designed as study guides or quick reference are acquired selectively.

Theses & dissertations

In general, the Library does not acquire dissertations and theses. Exceptions to this policy are theses and dissertations awarded to students at the following Texas Medical Center institutions:

• Baylor College of Medicine
• Texas Woman's University School of Nursing
• University of Texas Graduate School of Biological Sciences
• University of Texas School of Nursing
• University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences

Translations

Translations from foreign languages into English of major publication in core health science subjects are collected.

page updated on 10.11.2006