National Library of Australia


State Library of Queenland collection assessment
Computer science

State Library holds a good current basic collection in the area of computing. Overall the collection is at level 2a.

This is one of the smaller divisions assessed. The total number of monographs held in the division is 1,077 which represents .28% of monographs total 383,000 quoted for SRL and Special Collections in the 1994/95 annual report.

46.5% of monograph holdings were published in the 5 years 1990-1994.

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

Collection Development Summary

"Acquisition in this field concentrates on microcomputers at a level suitable for the non-professional including the business person, the home user and the hobbyist. Attention is given to descriptive, comparative and evaluative works relating to both hardware and software, and to computer languages. Works pertaining to the development of computers in the social context of their widespread adoption are regarded as very relevant to the collection"

In the context of this document, personal computer and microcomputer are regarded as synonymous and are taken to include all types of IBM PC compatibles, Apple and Macintosh, UNIX and CP/M machines as well as less widespread types such as BBC or Sinclair and personal organisers such as Psion or Apple Newton.

There is a good collection of manuals for popular models of personal computers, operating systems and programs/software. Generally, the most basic manuals or those that simply duplicate the manuals provided with the hardware or software are not collected. Middle level, comprehensive or specialised guides which are still understandable by the non-specialist are emphasised.

Buyers guides for personal computers, computer peripherals and software and non-professional repair and troubleshooting guides for computer hardware and peripherals and middle level "how to" guides for computer-based tasks, computer communications and interconnectivity are well represented.

CD-Roms and their applications to databases and multimedia are covered at basic information level.

Computer programming and network management are covered at basic information level and include guides for programming in popular languages and authoring guides for software used in home and business computers, as well as general works on networks and their operation, `complete reference' guides for popular microcomputer network systems and network administrator study guides.

Material relating to the Internet is collected extensively.

There is some emphasis on the history of computers and computer technology and the social impact of computers, computing and the internet.

There is a very small collection of serials. However, GPO and World magazine Bank CD-ROMS add to the periodical coverage for this division.

Computer Science sections of the following major standard bibliographies have been checked against our monographic holdings:

 Title

Total checked

SRL holdings

% held

Australian National Bibliography 1991-1995

Information Sources in Science & Technology

155

41

45

13

29

31.7

 

Periodical (serials) coverage in the division of Computer Science

Total number of current (open) serials subscriptions is 20.

Total number of closed serials subscriptions is 25.

All serial titles in the computer science sections of the following publications were checked;

 Title

Total checked

SRL holdings

% held

Computer Abstracts 1993 (Publication ceased)

Encyclopedia of Computer Science

Magazines for Libraries, 8th ed

 

184

 

15

69

5

 

3

11

2.7

 

20

16

Publishing output for this division was not included in the assessment as it is State Library's policy to collect only a specific part of the output, that is, material suitable for non-professional, middle level users.

Last modified: August 18 2004.