Collection Development Policy Statement: Mathematics and Statistics
I. General Description of the Collection and Its Users
The mathematics and statistics collection primarily serves undergraduate mathematics
and statistics majors and mathematics and statistics faculty. Engineering, computer
science, and imaging science faculty and students as well as faculty and graduate
students of the Center for Quality and Applied Statistics also use the collection.
Students and faculty in other sciences make some use of the collection as well.
The collection contains more advanced materials in applications, statistics,
and computational mathematics than the traditional undergraduate mathematics
collection.
II. Description of Programs Served by the Collection
A. Undergraduate Programs
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers the following degrees:
B.S. in applied statistics, B.S. in computational mathematics, and B.S. in
applied mathematics. The applied mathematics program requires a minor concentration
in one of these subjects: statistics, physics, biology, business/economics,
chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering,
mechanical engineering, operations research, or imaging science.
B. Graduate Programs
M.S. in Industrial and Applied Mathematics
M.S. in Applied and Mathematical Statistics (CCE Center for Quality and Applied
Statistics).
III. Subject and Language Modifiers
A. Geographic Areas
No limits.
B. Chronological Periods
No restrictions. Although emphasis is on current developments, older materials
are relevant.
C. Languages
No restricitons. Emphasis is on English language materials. Necessary titles
not available in English are acquired. Foreign language-English language mathematics
dictionaries are necessary for foreign students.
IV. Date of Publication
General emphasis for acquisition of new titles is on current publications
in all subject areas. Mathematical materials retain their relevance for a long
time. Acquisition/retention of material older than thrity years is based upon
importance of the work to the discipline; usefulness for historical information/
perspective; extent of current publishing in the discipline; curriculum needs
for new program develop-ment; usage of existing material of same age; and physical
condition of the material. Retrospective acquisition of serials to meet new
program needs will be extremely selective and limited to the past five years.
Document delivery will be used instead to meet these needs whenever feasible.
V. Treatment of Subject Matter
A. Level of Treatment
Emphasis is on a collection which supports curriculum driven needs of students(primarily
under-graduate) and faculty. The special needs of the NTID students are considered
where relevant. Major published source material appearing in core collection
bibliographies or recommended lists , such as the Mathematical Association
of America's Library Recommendations for Undergraduate Mathematics, will be
included. Pertinent reference sources will also be acquired. Every effort
is made to accommodate faculty requests for specific curriculum related titles.
B. Scholarly Works
Material covering the history, practice, and current research in mathematics
and statistics is collected.
C. Conference Proceedings
Very selectively acquired.
D. Manuals of Practice
Appropriate handbooks are acquired.
E. Textbooks
Textbooks are not routinely acquired unless useful as general surveys or
handbooks for a particular area not otherwise represented, or as requested
by a faculty member.
F. Newspapers/Newsletters
Selected society newsletters will be acquired.
G. Government Documents
Government publications are acquired when the content is appropriate to
the subject scope of the collection, in particular, selected publications
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology are acquired. Govenment
documents are not maintained separately from other types of materials.
H. Serials
Serials are a major form of disseminating information in this field, and
are therefore important to the collection. Indexes and abstracts are necessary
acquisitions for tracking journal articles.
I. Other
Pamphlets are selectively acquired if sufficiently important to warrant
cataloging; no pamphlet/vertical file is maintained.
J. Multiple Copies
Multiple copies of monographic titles are acquired only when heavy use is
anticipated or demonstrated or at the curriculum-based request of a faculty
member.
VI. Cooperative Collection Development Arrangements
No contractual cooperative collection development agreements for this discipline
have been made between RIT Library and any other library. Informal working
relationships with other member of the RRLC exist and closer associations pursued
in the future.
Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primarily undergraduate
curriculum- based scope of the onsite collection, access to this information
will be provided through traditional, as well as, commercial document delivery
services.
VII. Publication Formats
A. Microforms
Most mathematics and statistics titles contain mathematical notation or
detailed graphics, making them unsuitable for microfilm.
B. Non-Print Materials
Acquisition of traditional non-print materials (slides, videotapes, video
discs, films, sound recordings, slide/tape programs) is very selective and
made in consultation with the Media Resource Center Media Specialist, usually
at the request of a faculty member. Non-print materials are generally housed
in the Media Resource Center.
C. Software and CD-ROM
Indexing and abstracting services and other specialized sources will be
acquired in these formats where they meet subject collection criteria, as
well as, the Electronic Resources Policy criteria (in process).
VIII. Collection Maintenance
Continuous maintenance of the collection is carried out based upon systematic
evaluation of the collection in light of curriculum shifts, use statistics,
core bibliographies, physical space limitations and alternative availability
of information. Periodical titles will be reviewed annually prior to their renewal.
All other areas of the collection should be reviewed every three to five years.
Included in the process are weeding of materials no longer relevant to curriculum
needs, elimination of superfluous titles where information is duplicated in
more current or authoritative sources, and the ordering of replacement copies
of damaged/ heavily used items still relevant to curriculum needs.
A. Weeding
- Duplicates Only Weeded
At least one copy in good condition of standard and classic titles listed
in major general bibliographies and special subject lists, such as MAA's Library
Recommendations for Undergraduate Mathematics, should be retained in the
collection.
- Selective Weeding
a. Monographs
In general, mathematics and statistics materials should be reviewed every
five to seven years to remove materials no longer relevant to the curriculum,
older materials where sufficient coverage is provided by more contemporary
titles, and multiple copies of materials where high use is no longer a
factor. Classics, materials on core lists, and heavily used older items
will be kept. Mathematics materials do not usually go out of date quickly.
b. Serials
- Indexing and Abstracting Services
Indexing and abstracting publications should be discarded only when
equivalent or improved coverage and access is available through new
sources, printed or electronic (i.e. covers approximately same or
more pertinent journal titles in the field and/or provides enhanced
search capabilities pertinent to our programs). Duplication of coverage
should be monitored annually. If the library has a run of less than
ten years and the materials covered are indexed by another resource,
the volumes should be deaccessioned.
- Scholarly Journals
Long runs of key scholarly journals that meet the criteria given in
the introduction to this section should be retained indefinitely.
Priority for retention is given to titles accessible through indexing
and abstracting services available at RIT Library and titles not
available in any other Rochester-area library. Short runs and broken
runs are scrutinized more carefully and retention decisions are based
on the collecting levels assigned in Section IX: Subject Divisions,
usage statistics, importance of title to discipline and alternative
availability.
- Trade Journals
Trade journals that provide primarily timely information (industry
news, new products, trends, etc.) are discarded after one to five
years. Those including articles of more lasting value are kept longer,
especially if they are included in indexing and abstracting services
at RIT Library.
- Review Series and Annuals
These provide overviews of both current and historical developments,
and therefore are kept indefinitely.
- Directories
Current editions are kept in reference or reserve; for directories
that change very little,one copy of the previous issue is kept in
the circulating collection for users to circulate or to use if the
latest edition is temporarily misplaced. Older editions are discarded.
- Current Edition/Year Only Retained
a. Textbooks
For textbooks in high demand, an earlier edition may be kept.
b. Manuals of practice
For manuals that change very little, it is worth keeping older editions
(no more than six) for students to circulate, or to use if the latest
edition is temporarily unavailable.
c. Career Materials
d. Newsletters/Calendars/Current Awareness Services
Materials providing timely information about events, activities, and employment
opportunities are discarded when information is no longer current. Current
awareness services are discarded after a year, when the articles they
cover are indexed by other sources.
e. Standards
B. Replacement of Materials
- Lost or Mutilated
Every effort should be made to replace lost or heavily mutilated titles
if they are judged to be of continuing relevance to the collection. When
mutilation is confined to a few pages, replacement copies of these pages
should be requested through the Information Delivery Service. (See Bindery
Policy/Procedure-Periodicals & -Monographs)
- Gifts
Gifts which duplicate existing holdings should be used to upgrade the
condition of the collection by replacing worn circulating copies with
more sound gift copies.
C. Stacks Maintenance
The condition of all materials should be monitored to ensure those in need
of repair and rebinding are attended to before they are irreparably damaged.
IX. Subject Divisions
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Level of Collecting
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A. Applications
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C-1 |
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B. Computation
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C-1 |
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C. Mathematical Programming
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C-1 |
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D. Probability
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C-1 |
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E. Statistics
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C-1 |
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F. Combinatorial Mathematics
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C-1 |
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G. General Mathematics
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C-2 |
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H. Linear Algebra
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C-1 |
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I. Algebra
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C-2 |
1. Coding Theory
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C-1 |
2. Other Algebra
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C-2 |
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J. Number Theory
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C-2 |
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K. Calculus
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C-2 |
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L. Analysis
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C-1 |
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M. Geometry
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C-2 |
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N. Topology
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C-2 |
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O. Numerical Analysis
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C-1 |
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P. Game Theory
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C-1 |
[rev. 7/94]
Maintained by Sheila Smokey
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