National Library of Australia


University of Melbourne collection assessment
Medicine & dentistry

(Dewey Decimal Classifications 610-619), 1996

  1. Aims
  2. Implementation
  3. Relationship to Faculty
  4. Assessment of the Collections

1. Aims

1.1 To evaluate the collection on medicine and dentistry throughout the University Library system.

1.2 To identify areas of the collection which have fallen behind in currency and scope.

2. Implementation

2.1 The team for shelf checking consisted of Dorothea Rowse, Helen Newton and Liz Wakefield. A variety of people have done the bibliographic checking.

2.2 Initially, a shelf by shelf examination of the collection was undertaken. This included:

2.3 The scan of the shelves was very useful and provided an excellent overview of the monograph collection.

2.4 The checking of lists against the library catalogue was extremely time consuming. The full list of items indexed in Index Medicus was checked and this required use of LIBS, the card catalogue and the roneo in order to ensure accuracy. There were problems in obtaining a copy of the British Core Collection of Medical Books and Journals and a copy finally arrived in 1994. Plans to use periodical lists for BIOSIS and EMBASE were scrapped when the labour needed to check the periodicals lists was noted. A full list of titles checked and the details of the results are in Appendix A.

Bias in the lists

The lists used were those recommended for conspectus in the documentation received from the National Library of Australia. The problem from the point of view of a library such as the Brownless is that they are designed for the kind of overseas medical school library which has a high clinical content, serving a hospital environment as well as a medical school/faculty. This results in low scores in some areas, such as critical care medicine, which in this case are collected by hospital libraries serving the Faculty. There were no appropriate lists to check for Australian medical material but as the library buys most of what is published, the holdings for commercial publications are probably good. The informal sector is more of a problem.

3. Relationship to Faculty

3.1 The general objectives of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences are:-

Preserve, refine and advance knowledge in basic and applied sciences broadly relevant to understanding, preventing and alleviating human disease.

Achieve excellence and efficiency in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education in medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and biomedical science.

Contribute to leadership in the development of the community by effective interaction with the medical, dental and physiotherapy professions and other appropriate groups outside the University.

The medical collections in the Life Sciences branches are maintained to support that mission and also to provide, more generally, materials to support the medical component in courses from all Faculties.

3.2 A list of research interests of the Faculty is given in Appendix B.

The areas which emerge as needing most attention are :-

gastroenterology
the gastro-intestinal areas of endocrinology

proteins and peptides
public health
toxicology
geriatric medicine
all aspects of eye and ear research
immunology

In most other areas there is some need for exploring gaps in the book stock but this can be handled via the book budget in most years.

3.3 The journal collection remains a problem. It will be necessary to raise the number of titles available either by subscription or by easy access to other resources. The areas noted above are not currently covered by other libraries in the Distributed National Collection project

4. Assessment of the Collections

610.1 Philosophy and Theory

There is a small collection of works on medical ethics, which is growing slowly. The collection is adequate for undergraduate teaching.

610.3 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias

The reference collection is good and improving to a point where it could support research activities. Emphasis is placed on acquiring new editions of works which provide support in areas such as pharmacology, biochemistry etc. History of medicine sources are purchased at research level.

610.5 Serial Publications

See comments under subject and in Appendix A no. 2.

610.8-.9 Historical Treatment

There is a special collection covering this area, judged to be a 4. The collection covers all aspects of history of medicine, there is good coverage in languages other than English. The current serial component is 44% of the IM list. The materials in the S/ST and Rare Books Collection and in the old Serials Collections together form a very important resource for potential research work. They include a wide range of materials in all the major European languages. Copies of editions not held and of important titles missing from the collection are added via donations to the collection.

611 Human Anatomy

The collection as it currently stands is suitable only for undergraduate teaching. Classification of much of the latest research eg in cell anatomy is not placed here. The collection, nevertheless, is weaker than it ought to be. 35% of the journals in IM are available in the collection but this is only adequate as a support for teaching. Any attempt to bring the collection up to an upper undergraduate level would require considerable addition.

612 Human Physiology

This is a very strong 3a/4 collection capable of supporting advanced research, especially in areas such as Biochemistry and Biophysics, Nervous and Sensory functions and Reproduction. The regional physiology area is only capable of supporting undergraduate work at present and should be built up to a 3a level. Journal coverage is good - Biochemistry 72% of journals in IM, Biophysics, 51%, Brain 63%, Neurology 36% (is low), Neurosciences 58%, and Physiology is 51%.

Some areas lack good coverage in languages other than English. On the whole the collection has both the breadth and also the quality to support research. Areas such as regional physiology need strengthening.

613 Promotion of Health

The combination of books in Brownless, Baillieu and the ERC provide a good combination of popular and undergraduate materials. The areas of Drug Abuse and Birth Control are rated as 2a and are too weak to support the research interest they enjoy in the Faculty.

614 Forensic Medicine/Incidence of Disease/Public Prevention

Forensic medicine is poorly represented in the Brownless. There are, however, good collections on forensic medicine, with special reference to the head, in the Dental Science Collection, forensic psychology in the Baillieu and medical jurisprudence in Law. There is sufficient material to satisfy basic undergraduate needs and those of the Faculty.

Epidemiology is very important as a research area in the Faculty. The Brownless Collection is weak - 3a and 25% of journals in IM - and needs some strengthening to keep pace with the revived research interest in the area.

Public Health has once again become of interest. The Brownless has an interesting old collection of books but a 2a collection of modern materials. It needs to be built up to a 3b level and a 3 year programme of special funding to achieve this is in place. Journal coverage is 19% of IM.

615 Pharmacology and Therapeutics

The Brownless collection is rated at a 3a level but should be funded to a 3b level to cover the needs of the Faculty. 86% of journals in IM are taken. The Chemistry Library adds some useful material in the area of organic drugs and the Baillieu collection is strong in popular materials including areas such as shamans, social orientation.

The area of practical pharmacy is rated 2b, which is adequate as the Department concerned is more interested in the research area than actual pharmaceuticals. A strong collection at the College of Pharmacy in Royal Parade provides support in this area when needed.

The toxicology collection of journals is reasonable (45% of IM) but the book coverage is barely undergraduate level and requires strengthening to at least 3a.

616 Diseases

Overall this collection in the Brownless is rated 3b/4, although certain areas such as diseases of the digestive system are rated 2b and need considerable strengthening - only 10% of Gastroenterology journals covered by IM. Strengths include diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary systems and immunology and dental science.

617/618 Surgery & Related Topics/Gynaecology & Obstetrics

As this is a clinical area, the level of collection is maintained at an undergraduate level with some areas moving into the intermediate level - Dentistry, the Sports injuries and Physiotherapy areas are examples. Much reliance is placed on journal and book collections in the supporting hospital libraries - Royal Melbourne and the Austin for general surgery, Royal Children's for Paediatrics and Royal Women's for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. An area in which the collection is severely deficient is that of Ophthalmology/Otolaryngology where undue reliance is placed on the collection at the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital. This collection needs to be brought up to a 2b/3a level, and additional journals should be acquired. The Pediatrics book collection rated 3a but serials in the area are only 28% of IM.

619 Experimental Medicine

The collection is rated 2a and is probably adequate to cover Faculty needs.

Conclusion

Areas of particular strength:

Biochemistry
History of Medicine
Human Physiology
Neurosciences/Brain
Metabolism

Areas of weakness needing strengthening:

Human Anatomy
Audiology/Otolaryngology
Ophthalmology
Gastroenterology
Gynecology/Obstetrics
Public Health
Rehabilitation
Social Medicine
Tropical Medicine

All the above have journal coverage under 20% of Index Medicus list which is inadequate to teach undergraduate courses.


Appendix A

Sources Checked

1. Hague, Howard and Jackson, Michael eds., Core Collection of Medical Books and Journals 1992 , London : Medical Information Working Party, 1992.

This publication was planned to be the British version of the American Brandon-Hill list. It was "aimed at the library needs of the district general/community hospital and associated postgraduate teaching centres". It is, therefore, clinical in orientation.

Total number of items = approx 1500
Total number checked = 774 ie every second title
Total number in stock = 218

= 28%

2. Index Medicus : List of Journals Indexed

Titles listed under broad subject headings

* Abnormalities 3/3 100%
AIDS 3/9 33%
* Aerospace medicine 2/3 66%
! Allergy/Immunology 57/124 45%
! Anatomy 10/28 35% plus 3 cancelled 1970/1980
Anesthesiology 9/31 29%
Antibiotics 3/7 42%
Antineoplastic Agents 2/8 25%
# Audiology 1/14 7%
! Bacteriology 2/8 25%
* Biochemistry 87/120 72%
* Biology 45/86 52%
Biomedical engineering 9/30 30%
* Biophysics 17/33 51%
* Brain 19/30 63%
Cardiology 18/65 27%
* Chemistry Diseases 13/6 50%
Communicable Diseases 11/26 42%
Critical care 1/7 14%
Cytogenetics NIL
Cytology NIL!
Delivery of Health Care 9/39 23%
* Dentistry 29/52 55%
Dermatology 5/28 17%
* Drug Therapy 20/36 55%
Education 4/8 50%
Embryology 7/23 30%
Emergency Medicine NIL
! Endocrinology 24/59 40%
! Epidemiology 17/27 25%
* Ethics, Medical 3/6 50%
Family Planning NIL
! Family Practice 3/12 25%
! Gastroenterology 5/47 10%
Geriatrics 9/21 42%
Gynecology 6/46 13%
Health Services 3/8 37%
Health Services Research 11/40 27%
Hematology 17/42 40%
Histocytochemistry NIL
! Histology 4/9 44%
* History of Medicine 9/15 60%
Internal Medicine 5/23 21%
Medical Oncology 23/90 25%
Medicine 73/272 26%
Medicine Oriental NIL
* Metabolism 14/26 53%
! Microbiology 32/69 46%
Military Medicine NIL
Neoplasms Experimental 9/27 33%
! Nephrology 6/25 24%
! Neurology 28/77 36%
Neuroradiography NIL
* Neurosciences 39/67 58%
Neurosurgery 5/24 20%
Nuclear Medicine 8/21 38%
Nursing NIL
Obstetrics 7/51 13%
Occupational Medicine 5/22 22%
# Ophthalmology 6/61 10%
Optometry NIL
* Orthodontics 4/6 66%
Orthopedics 5/40 12%
Otolaryngology 2/36 5%
Parasitology 13/31 41%
! Pathology 30/68 44%
Pediatrics 29/103 28%
Perinatology 0/17 0%
* Pharmacology 53/94 56%
Pharmacy 5/26 19%
Physical Medicine 1/6 16%
* Physiology 44/86 51%
! Psychiatry 30/111 27%
* Psychopharmacology 7/15 50%
Psychophysiology 5/14 35%
! Public Health 15/79 19%
Pulmonary Disease 12/30 40%
Radiography 4/21 20%
Radiology 11/37 33%
Radiotherapy 3/9 33%
Rehabilitation 2/11 18%
Reproduction 7/28 25%
! Respiratory Tract 3/10 30%
Rheumatology 8/24 33%
* Sexually Transmitted Diseases 6/10 60%
Social Medicine 1/6 16%
* Sports Medicine 7/13 50%
# Substance Dependence NIL
Surgery 26/126 20%
! Toxicology 22/48 45%
Transplantation 6/15 40%
Traumatology 4/17 25%
Tropical Medicine 8/42 19%
Vascular Diseases 13/55 23%

The problem is one of trying to fit all the journals required into the percentage of the medical budget which is available for journal subscriptions.

3. Brandon Alfred N and Hill Dorothy R. Selected list of Books and Journals for the small medical library. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, vol.79, no.2, April 1991.

This list is issued periodically and the edition checked in 1993/1994 was the most recent then available. The percentages are unlikely to change much in the newer edition as the problem is rather one of a difference in purchase policy. This is, however, regarded as an important list in conspectus checking. Alternate items were checked in each list.

Topic Percentage of Titles in the Medical Collection

AIDS 40%
* Allergy 40%
Anatomy 64%
Anesthesiology 27%
Biochemistry 50%*
Cardiovascular System 16%
Dentistry 20%
* Dermatology 12%
* Diagnosis 27%
Dictionaries 100%
Endocrinology 50%
* Ethics 25%
* Family Medicine 25%
Gastroenterology 33%
Genetics 50%
Geriatrics 60%
Gynecology and Obstetrics 9%
Hematology 33%
Immunology 80%
Infectious Diseases 71%
Internal Medicine 50%
Medical Writing 100%
Microbiology 0%
Neurology 63%
Oncology 33%
Ophthalmology 38%
Orthopedics 38%
Otorhinolaryngology 80%
Pathology 67%
Pediatrics 45%
Pharmacology 43%
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 33%
Physiology 67%
Preventive Medicine & Public Health 80%
Radiology and Imaging 45%
* Respiratory System 14%
Rheumatology 75%
STD 50%
Sports medicine 67%
Statistics 100%
* Surgery 29%
* Toxicology 33%
Urology 0%

Since this material would generally be used for undergraduate teaching the results are not too bad. Areas which require improvement are marked *. The Microbiology finding is an anomaly as we have a big collection but not the titles listed.

It is clear from compering 1 and 3 above that we are purchasing more American publications that British. Some attempt will be made to correct this imbalance in 1995.

4. The reading lists of a number of the Specialist Colleges were checked.

The main aim was to ensure that the books were in stock but the results have also been used for conspectus.

Radiodiagnosis(FRARC Pt 1) 42%
(FRARC Pt 2) 26%

Medical Microbiology 52% Books
48% Journals currently taken
12% Journals cancelled

Emergency Medicine 100%

Dermatology (Pt 1) 85% Books
(Pt 2) 28% Books
50% Journals currently taken
16% Journals cancelled

Surgeons 60% Books

5. Library for Internists - Annals of Internal Medicine, vol.114, no.9, May 1991, p.812-829.

This is an American list of publications recommended by the American College of Physicians and covering all aspects of clinical medicine.

Total number of titles in stock = 66
Total number of titles in the list = 171
Holdings = 38%

This is a reasonable result but it would be preferable if the holdings were nearer to 50%, for teaching of Clinical years 4-6 and beginning postgraduate work.

Last modified: August 18 2004.