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Veterinary Medicine - Collection Policy
I. Program Information
The program level of the School of Veterinary Medicine is doctoral and post-doctoral. The academic veterinary medicine curriculum is a four year comprehensive program focused on the teaching and training of students in all preclinical aspects, as well as the medical and surgical care of large and small animals. Approximately 110 students are accepted each year and they receive a VMD degree upon completing their course of study. The training programs include internships, residencies, fellowships, PhD degrees in basic and clinical science and postdoctoral training. Several graduate departments exist in the Veterinary School including parasitology and pathology.
In addition to the teaching and training programs, highly advanced research is conducted at both the Philadelphia and New Bolton campuses on many phases of veterinary medicine and biomedical topics. Some of the research projects are carried out in cooperation with various schools and departments at the University.
An arrangement exists with Harcum Junior College for the students in their Veterinary Technology program to experience a clinical rotation at the Veterinary School and/or the New Bolton Center Hospitals.
II. Collection Description
The C. J. Marshall Memorial Library and its branch, the Jean Austin duPont Library at New Bolton Center, were established to serve the School's clinicians, faculty, staff and students in support of its clinical, teaching and research programs. The combined collections comprise approximately 35,000 volumes of journals and books. The collection at New Bolton comprises approximately 5,300 volumes of journals and books.
The collection of the C. J. Marshall Library emphasizes small animal medicine and surgery while the collection of the Jean Austin duPont Library emphasizes materials relating to large animals. The two libraries operate as a unit and share resources.
III. Guidelines for Collection Development
The Veterinary Library endeavors to collect most English language monographs and journals that are published in the area of veterinary medicine, along with a selection of relevant basic science, human medicine, and agricultural titles. Popular items related to veterinary medicine, animals, and scientific research are sometimes acquired as well.
- Chronological
Emphasis is placed on the current research and practice of veterinary medicine. Information relating to the history of the field is selectively acquired.
- Formats
The core book collection is in print. Veterinary journals are collected in print, and also in electronic format whenever possible. Non-veterinary journals are not usually purchased in print format, unless they are both in demand at the School and unavailable electronically through the Penn Library. Other electronic resources include comprehensive bibliographic databases. All networked resources are accessible from the Veterinary Library website. Electronic publications on CD-ROM or requiring site-specific web access are not frequently purchased, unless a CD-ROM accompanies a textbook. Audio and video tapes are not generally collected. Examination reviews, handbooks, laboratory manuals, loose-leaf services, programmed texts, and workbooks are purchased selectively. Microforms are excluded.
- Geographical
There are no geographical limitations.
- Language
English language. Foreign language titles are considered upon request.
- Publication Dates
Emphasis will be on current materials. Rare books or older materials are not actively acquired unless the items are considered to be of current interest or value.
IV. Principal Sources of Supply and major Selection Tools
Books and journals are ordered through the Materials Acquisitions Department at the Van Pelt Library. The library maintains an "approval plan" with the J.A. Majors Company to ensure timely acquisition of materials in its primary subject categores.
All materials are selected by the librarian. Selections for purchase are made from the following sources:
- Weekly review of titles through the Majors Co. approval plan.
- Suggestions and requests are welcomed and encouraged from faculty, staff and students.
- Publishers' advertisements and catalogs as well as book reviews.
- The acquisition lists from other veterinary libraries.
V. Subjects Collected and Levels of Collecting
Subjects Collected Levels of Collecting Veterinary Medicine & Surgery - General 4/4 Veterinary Medicine - History 2/2 Veterinary Anatomy & Physiology 4/4 Veterinary Pathology 4/4 Veterinary Diagnosis & Diseases 4/4 Veterinary Microbiology 4/4 Veterinary Parasitology 4/4 Veterinary Orthopedics 4/4 Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology 4/4 Veterinary Physical Medicine 4/4 Aquaculture 1/4 Animal Behavior 2/4 Biochemistry 1/1 Developmental Biology/Embryology 1/3/4 General Human Medicine 1/1 Genetics/Genetic Engineering/Transgenesis 1/3/4 Laboratory Animal Science 2/3 Medical Writing/Presentations/Research/Statistics 1/1 Microbiology/Bacteriology 1/1 Natural History 1/2 Nephrology 1/2/3 Neurosciences 1/1/2 Parasitology - General 1/4 Pharmacology/Toxicology 1/1/2 Physiology/Pathophysiology 1/1/2 Reproduction/Germ Cells 1/3/4 Virology 1/2 Wildlife 1/2 Zoology 1/2
VI. Subjects Excluded
No topic in or related to Veterinary Medicine is formally excluded.
VII. Cooperative Arrangements and Related Collections
We participate in Docline, the National Library of Medicine's automated interlibrary loan (ILL) request routing and referral system. The purpose of the system is to provide rapid and improved document delivery service among libraries in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. (NN/LM.) by linking journal holdings to efficiently route the requests to potential lending libraries on behalf of the borrower.
We are the only Veterinary School in the state of Pennsylvania and we provide informational resources to regional libraries relating to animals and veterinary science.
The collections of other Penn Libraries, including the Biomedical and Dental Libraries are important in meeting the needs of the veterinary departments. Some medical and basic science book and journal titles are duplicated in the Veterinary Library as are necessary to the veterinary program.
