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I. General Description of the Collection and Its Users

The STS collection is difficult to describe, for it draws on diverse traditional academic disciplines namely: economics, philosophy, political science, sociology, military science, history, medicine, law general science, biology, human ecology, environmental studies, and engineering. Although not classified into any one particular area. The collection's total resources would be those monographs, reference works, professional journals, and popular magazines which have bearing on the social impacts of science and technology.

Its primary users are in courses taught by the College of Liberal Arts' STS faculty. Some use, of course, will also be made by students of the original discipline.

II. Description of the Programs Served by the Collection

A. Undergraduate Programs--Non-Degree

1. College of Liberal Arts-Science and Humanities Division, Science, Technology, and Society curriculum.

   The STS faculty offers an introductory course in science and values (as an alternative to the Philosophy requirement) and one concentration called: The Social Impacts of Science and Technology. This concentration includes courses on the history of science and technology, governmental policy for science and technology, social consequences of technology, and issues concerning agriculture, environment or biotechnology. The STS faculty also participates in two interdisciplinary concentrations: Environmental Studies and Peace Studies. The former stresses environmental values and energy policy and the latter stresses modern warfare technology and arms control problems. Elective courses within STS include Environmental classes, Energy and the Environment, Makers of Modern Science, Science and Creativity, Face of the Land, Biomedical issues, and Environmental Problem Solving.

   The STS concentration and electives have a high enrollment. They constitute a popular area for technical students. In addition, STS topics are popular for English Composition term papers.

2. College of Science

   General science courses use this material as supplementary to their own.

III. Subject and Language Modifiers

A. Geographic Areas

The geographic focus of the collection is primarily on the impact on society in the United States. However, world aspects of environmental, energy, biotechnical, medical and defense questions are included with the impact they have on society as a whole.

B. Chronological Periods

Emphasis is on current developments and analysis of recent events. Currently published historical works explaining the development of science and technology will be purchased in consultation with the Science and Engineering bibliographers.

C. Languages

No restrictions. Emphasis is on English-language materials. Only selected foreign language and multilingual dictionaries/encyclopedias are acquired.

IV. Date of Publication

General emphasis for acquisition of new titles is on current publications in all subject areas. Acquisition/retention of material older than ten 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 development; 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 utilized 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 undergraduate) 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 will be included. Pertinent reference sources will also be acquired. Every effort is made to accommodate faculty requests for specific curriculum related titles. Clearly biased materials representing a particular point of view on controversial issues will be balanced by representative material presenting counter arguments.

B. Textbooks

Textbooks are not routinely acquired unless useful as general surveys or handbooks for a particular area not otherwise represented.

C. Newspapers/Newsletters

Newsletters of selected scientific and environmental societies are acquired.

D. Government Documents

Government publications are acquired when the content is appropriate to the subject scope of the collection; not maintained separately.

E. Maps/Atlases

Acquired selectively when appropriate for specific representations.

F. Serials

Serials are of major importance in this field of rapid advances. Popular science and technology magazines, such as ScienceNews and Scientific American and journals developed specifically for this area of study , such as Science, Technology and Human Values are typical of those acquired.

G. Other

Pamphlets are selectively acquired if sufficiently important to warrant cataloging; no pamphlet/vertical file is maintained.

H. 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.

Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primary 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

Journals are routinely retained in microfilm with the exception of titles containing substantial graphical material or mathematical notation. (See Bindery Policy/Procedure-Periodicals)

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's 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 based upon systematic evaluation of materials in all locations in relationship to curriculum shifts, use statistics, core bibliographies, physical space limitations and the availability of information in alternative formats. Current periodical titles are reviewed annually prior to their renewal . All other areas of the collection should be reviewed every three to five years. The collection maintenance process includes weeding of materials no longer relevant to curriculum needs, eliminating superfluous titles when information is duplicated in more current or authoritative sources, and ordering replacement copies of damaged and heavily used items still relevant to curriculum needs.

A. Weeding

1. 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 Books for College Libraries, should be retained in the collection.
2. Selective Weeding
   a. Monographs
   In general, science, technology and society materials should be reviewed every three to five 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.
   b. Serials
   1. Indexing and Abstracting Services
      Indexing and abstracting publications need to be available to cover all curriculum-based topics and periods of study. Publications should only be discarded when equivalent or improved coverage 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).
   2. Scholarly Journals
      Long runs of key scholarly journals in all aspects of science, technology and society that meet the criteria given in the introduction to this section should be retained indefinitely. Priority for retention should be 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 should be scrutinized more carefully and retention decisions should be based on the collecting levels assigned in Section IX: Subject Divisions, usage statistics, importance of title to discipline and alternative availability.
   3. Trade Journals
      Retention of trade journals should be carefully scrutinized. Those that provide, primarily, timely information (industry news, new products, etc.) should be discarded after a period of one to five years. Those that include articles of more lasting value should be considered for longer retention, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
   4. Annuals
      Annuals should be subjected to the criteria outlined in the introduction to this section and retained indefinitely where appropriate, particularly if they are accessible through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
3. Current Edition/Year Only Retained
   a. Monographs
   1. Textbooks
   2. Career materials
   3. Standards and policy guidelines
   b. Serials
   1. Newsletters, calendars, other current awareness services providing timely information about events and activities of organizations and institutions, and employment opportunities.
   2. Membership and services directories

B. Replacement of Materials

1. 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)

2. 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

For a field of study as strongly interdisciplinary as Science, Technology, and Society, collection development consultation with other subject bibliographers is typical.

 

	Support Level (see Introduction for key)
A. Social Ethics: Social Consequences of Technology	C-2
B. Pollution-Social/Biological Consequences	C-2
C. Medical Ethics, Bioethics	C-2
D. Human Ecology	C-2
E. Environmental Policy	C-2
F. Population Policy	C-2
G. World Agricultural Technology Global Substance	C-2
H. Military Sciences: Weapon Technology, Nuclear and Chemical Warfare	C-2
I. History of Science and Technology	C-2
J. Energy Policy/Alternative Technologies	C-2
K. U.S. Science/Technology - R and D Policy	C-2
L. Philosophy of Science	C-2

[rev. 7/94]

Maintained by Sheila Smokey