National Library of Australia


State Library of Queenland collection assessment
Biological sciences

Division report comments:

This division overlaps with the division of Anthropology. The area of overlap - Dewey 572 and 573 has not been included here.

There is a total of 5085 monographs held in the division. This represents 1.28% of the 397,000 monographs quoted for SRL and Special Collections in the 1995/96 annual report.

Collection strength is in the area covered by Dewey 574 - Biology. This is an extensive collection which includes a range of general works on biology but also offers good holdings relating to ecology. There is good coverage of the ecology of specific environments such as wetlands, oceans, rainforests etc. There is some emphasis on Australian ecosystems. There is good coverage also relating to genetics and DNA technology.

A second area of strength in this division is material which relates to birds (Dewey 598). There are good holdings relating to birds of most countries and regions of the world. The collection is particularly strong in the area of Australian birds with material on Australian birds generally as well as birds of the various States, many smaller regions and some cities.

It is Collection Development policy not to acquire any juvenile literature, tertiary curriculum texts or advanced academic research material.

Holdings in the John Oxley Library have not been included in this assessment. With its focus on Queensland history and as legal deposit library for Queensland, this collection includes a range of material in this division which relates particularly to Queensland or is published in Queensland. Some textbooks and juvenile literature published in Queensland are held.

Relevant sections of the following major standard bibliographies have been checked against State Library's monographic holdings:

Title

Total checked

SRL Holdings

% Held

ABN 1992-1996

Walford's Guide to Reference Material

Reader's Adviser 1994

Collier's Encyclopedia

Guide to Information Sources in the Botanical Sciences

Guide to the Zoological Literature - the Animal Kingdom

Biological Sciences

588

455

373

141

564

115

251

153

137

47

165

39

43

34

37

33

29

34

Serials:

There are 20 open and 46 closed serials subscriptions.

Relevant sections of the following bibliographies have been checked against State Library's holdings:

Title

Total checked

SRL Holdings

% Held

Periodicals in Print

Guide to Information Sources in the Botanical Sciences

Magazines for Libraries (Katz)

148

61

68

27

0

2

18

0

3

Last modified: August 18 2004.