National Library of Australia


University of Melbourne collection assessment
Physics

Shirley Sullivan, Collection Management Division
September 1995

  1. Aims
  2. Methodologies
  3. Nature of the Discipline
  4. School of Physics
  5. Physics Research Branch Library
  6. Special Collections
  7. List Checking
  8. Shelf Scanning
  9. Evaulation by Experts
  10. Assessment of the Collections
  11. Areas of Research Strength
  12. Areas Needing to be Enriched
  13. Acknowledgements


1. Aims
  1. To evaluate the physics collections throughout the University of Melbourne Library.
  2. To identify areas of the collection which need improvement in currency and scope.
  3. To lay the foundation for a collection management policy for the physics area.

2. Methodologies

The collections were assessed using criteria laid down in the Australian Conspectus Manual:

Note: Uncatalogued collections were not considered in this evaluation, as it was believed that these could be more appropriately considered after collection development policies were in place.

3. Nature of the Discipline

The inter-disciplinary nature of much modern teaching and research is evident within the disciplines of physics. There are a number of journals the subject matter of which overlaps with that of physics, such as chemistry, biology, materials science and engineering. There are also a number of inter-disciplinary journals which are being produced in response to the multi-disciplinary nature of many research areas. In condensed matter physics, for example, there is the Journal of Macromolecular Science. Within the University of Melbourne Library, therefore, titles falling in the relevant DDC numbers are dispersed across the campus.

Although the strongest collection is in the Physics Research Branch Library, significant collections are housed in Baillieu and the B and AB collections, and the Faculty of Educational Services and Architecture. Further items are located in Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematical Sciences, and even as far afield as Botany and Zoology.

This has, understandably, led to vexation on the part of users. A constant refrain is that "it is a bit of a nuisance" having journals located, for example, in Medicine or Engineering.

Like other sciences, physics relies far more heavily on serial than on monographic literature. There is a steadily increasing trend for serials to be published in English, or to be rapidly available in English translations. Analysis of the language of publication of the items abstracted in the INSPEC database shows an overwhelming and growing proportion in English. It has changed from 68% in 1972 to 95.7% in 1992. Physicists, whether or no they are native English speakers, mostly deliver conference papers and articles in English. There is, therefore, no longer the necessity for physicists to be able to read in other languages.

The literature of physics comprises mainly journals, encyclopaedias, textbooks, monographs in series, annual reviews, conference proceedings, commercial handbooks, computer documentation and databanks.

Physicists require very current information. Journal articles reporting primary research in physics are used most in a one to three year period following their publication. Or so says the conventional wisdom. This has been called into question by an article based on the use of physics journals at MIT. Indications from this are that there is no evidence of any "law of obsolescence". It would be useful to replicate this study in the University of Melbourne Library.

There is concomitantly a requirement for information that surveys a specialised area of research over a period of time. There are a number of "classics" that see sustained use as texts by graduate students and as reference works by research scientists for long periods of time following their publication. They tend to be revised and reprinted as well. Some items were first published over 20 years ago. The heavy use of texts in the libraries on campus testifies to the continued relevance of these items.

The primary research journals provide the most detailed and important source of literature; however, popular journals like Scientific American, Nature and New Scientist are valuable for the teaching of undergraduates, particularly at entry level.

Preprints are a significant form of pre-publishing professional communication. Much work of this nature is now being distributed electronically; for example, the American Physical Society has mounted a bulletin board which, among other activities, makes preprints available electronically. (Preprint bulletin boards are used particularly heavily by the graduate students in Astrophysics within the School.)

Books and periodicals printed on paper still dominate the literature of physics. Malleability of electronic text is seen as both a blessing and a curse. The creative possibilities inherent in the electronic format for textual criticism are counterbalanced by the danger of losing textual integrity, expanding the opportunities for plagiarism and fraud. Academics are wary of publishing solely in this format until safeguards are clearly established. Despite this caveat, physics is starting to have some journals published only in electronic format, or available in both electronic and print format. For example, Physical Review Letters is available electronically as Physical Review Letters Online. Some types of electronic journals have a mix of electronic and paper components; eg in 1991, Spectrochimica Acta Part B began to publish an electronic supplement, Spectrochimica Acta Electronica, to allow simultaneous publication of executable computer programs and data in a medium convenient for both authors and readers. Databanks previously available in printed form are now too large and are available exclusively in electronic format, and there is a wealth of data available freely through the Internet, such as the NASA galactic database, and various other compilations made available by telescope observatories.

Review journals bring together the results of primary research papers and present a unified account of progress in the solution of some particular scientific problem. They guide the novice to the choice of the truly significant works, containing the currently agreed knowledge of the topic in question.

Conference proceedings represent an average of approximately 30% of all publications in physics. They give an overview of the work being carried out in the subject area. They are useful in emergent fields where journals are not yet in existence, but do not generally have the same ranking as journal articles and certainly do not replace them. Most papers of lasting value appear as journal articles.

4. School of Physics

The School forms part of the Faculty of Science. The undergraduate subjects in the School of Physics form a study of the world at its profoundest level.

The School undertakes research in a wide range of areas, including:

5. Physics Research Branch Library

Since the Physics Research Branch Library is a postgraduate library, the undergraduate collection is housed in the Baillieu. A policy decision was taken when the Physics Library became a branch to place historical material into B and AB.

Like other sciences, physics relies far more heavily on serial than on monographic literature. This is reflected in the annual bookvote allocations. The 1995 bookvote for Physics is $281,514.00. Serials usually account for 95% of the bookvote. (CD ROMs are classed as subscriptions.) This can mean that in some years there is no money for monographs, as serial prices fluctuate. This year the School was fortunate in being allocated $20,000 with which to purchase monographs. This money was spent right speedily.

The Physics Research Branch Library has a stock of roughly 10,000 monographs and has approximately 175 current journal titles. These include many with extensive runs. Of the top 100 journals listed by Shaw (1994), the University Library holds 78. It is hoped that this bears out the truth of Bradford's Law of Scattering, which indicates that the small specialist library can, provided its journals have been selected with care, supply a considerable proportion of the appropriate current literature to its users. Anecdotal evidence from overseas visitors indicates that the library is good by international standards.

6. Special Collections

6.1 Departmental video collection

The School maintains a video collection which is used for teaching purposes.

6.2 Microforms

The University of Melbourne Library holds one of the most important collections of primary and secondary source material in microform in Australia in many and various subject areas. Notable collections of relevance to Physics are:

Archives for the history of quantum physics (American Philosophical Society). Works include:

6.3 Maps

The maps collection of the University Library holds about 40-50 items in astronomy, including topographical maps of the planets, and a shaded relief map of Venus.

6.4 Audio-visual collections

There is an AV collection held at the Faculty of Educational Services and Architecture Branch Library. This includes computer files, slides, pictures, and videos. The collection totals about 1,000 items. It is used chiefly by students within the Faculty rather than by the wider university community.

6.5 Theses

The Physics Research Branch Library holds approximately 800 postgraduate theses.

6.6 Rare Books

There are three titles in the Rare Book Room in the Baillieu Library:

6.7 BX Collection

The Special Collection (BX) holds approximately 4,000-5,000 volumes. It includes works such as:

6.8 AX Collection

The Special Collection (AX) contains roughly 4,000 items, such as:

6.9 Morgan Collection

Old science books written for children are rare and hard to come by. The Morgan Collection has about 30 items. These include:

6.10 The U Collection

The U collection holds the Science Papers of members of the Department of Natural Philosophy from 1905-1928.

6.11 History and Philosophy of Science Departmental Collection

There is a significant departmental collection on History and Philosophy of Science housed in this department. It does not, however, contain any items not held within the University Library.

7. List Checking

A number of lists were used to assess the collection strengths in physics. The list checking was particularly time consuming (83 hours) because it included the checking of the entire list of serials in the INSPEC database, not only the physics journals. This will be useful for the Engineering, Mathematical Sciences and Computer Sciences conspecti.

7.1 Bibliography used for list checking:

7.1.2 Results of the list checking

7.1.2.1 Monographs

The most suitable and thorough list for monograph checking was Information Sources in Physics. It was comprehensive, particularly for dictionaries and historical literature. Anecdotal evidence from the academic staff that the collections are missing the latest editions of monographs, dictionaries and handbooks was substantiated by the list checking, particularly of the thorough work of Shaw. Depending on the topic area, of the listed titles not held, the Library held an earlier edition in 2.5%-30% of cases. While in some cases this reflects a change of focus for the School, in other areas it is cause for alarm, eg in Atomic Physics, one of the School's research areas, of the items not held, in 12% of cases an earlier edition is held. The figure for Nuclear and Particle Physics is a worrisome 30%.

 
	 
Title No. checked No. held %
Astron. 79 23 32.92
Hurt 121 47 38.84
Malinowsky 96 60 62.5
Physics Ab. 35 11 31.43
Powell 113 89 78.76
Shaw 2585 1512 58.49
Overall 3029 1745 57.61

7.1.2.2 Serials:

As can be readily seen from the table below, the rating of the serials collection depended upon the list checked. From Malinowsky, the Library rated 69.49% and from Powell and Powell 84.75%. An overall rate of 34.13% is reasonable, given that many titles on the international list reflect foreign titles of parochial interest only. A problem was the lack of a suitable Australian list. It was instructive to check the list supplied by Shaw of the 415 titles which together contributed 90% of all items in the physics subject areas, in a one year period, to the INSPEC database. Of the entire 415, the University Library held 219 (52.77%), but of the top 100, the Library held 78%.

 
	 
Title No. checked No. held %
Astron 358 146 40.78
(Aust) Per. 15 8 53.33
Malinowsky 59 41 69.49
Physics Ab 3577 1066 29.8
Powell 59 50 84.75
Shaw 415 219 52.77
Overall 4483 1530 34.13
8. Shelf Scanning

A shelf scan was undertaken concurrently with list checking. This took 41 hours. Libraries on campus holding items in the relevant DDC numbers were examined. This provided a valuable overview of the monograph coverage particularly. As mentioned previously, holdings are scattered throughout a number of libraries.

9. Evaluation by Experts

A number of academic staff members from the School were interviewed and assisted the Conspectus Officer to assign levels to worksheets. They further provided advice on areas which need to be built up to support newly established fields of teaching and research. Specific information is provided under sections 11 and 12.

10. Assessment of the Collections

10.1 Dictionaries and encyclopaedias

It was disconcerting to uncover deficiencies in this important part of the collections. The Library holds older editions of dictionaries and encyclopaedias. It is recommended that the collections be carefully examined with a view to filling the gaps at least in the areas of School research. An increase in the bookvote will be necessary to enable the purchase of up-to-date dictionaries and encyclopaedias.

10.2 Monographs

The total collection of monographs is approximately 45,000. The overall collection level of the division is 3bE. In order to fill the gaps discovered in the monographs and textbooks it will be necessary to have an increase in the bookvote, as the journals collection has been pared to the bone.

10.3 Serials

The fact that the Library holds 78 of the top 100 physics journals listed by Shaw is a matter for satisfaction but not for complacency. The percentage drops swiftly after the first 100. A number of major journals are missing, eg, Applied Physics B, which is frequently required on interlibrary loan, and is not held in the state, and Bioimaging, which started in 1993, and is held nowhere in the country. The journals collection in physics is pared to the bone. No journal title can be cancelled in order to place subscriptions to new journals. An increase in the bookvote is essential to support the expanded areas of teaching and research. The overall level of the collection is 3bE.

10.4 Indexing and abstracting services

The University of Melbourne Library holds or provides access to the major indexes and abstracts in the discipline in print and/or electronic format. The electronic formats are available as CD-ROMs and/or online, through commercial vendors or through AARNet/Internet.

These include:

10.5 World Wide Web sites

Many academics and graduate students make use of the information available through the world wide web. The following sites are examples of the diverse sources available for research:

These sites and the information they contain cannot yet be seen as substitutes for the more traditional print, microform and electronic sources, but as supplementing them.

10.6 Electronic Journals

The following are examples of electronic journals available in the areas of Physics:

11. Areas of Research Strength

11.1 History and Philosophy of Science

According to Professor Home, Head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, the University of Melbourne Library has, "an outstanding collection in ... History and Philosophy of Science, one that rivals major collections overseas. Ours is far and away the premier collection in Australia, the undisputed centre of gravity of the distributed national collection in this field and a resource of inestimable value in supporting my department's teaching and research". There is an extensive monograph collection of retrospective works, especially 19th century German works and 18th century French works. There is some Italian and Russian literature also, though much Russian literature was published in German or French in 18th and 19th centuries. (There is need for a substantial amount of foreign language material in an historical collection.)

RLIN's History of Science and Technology, available through the Internet, is a valuable recent addition to the collection.

11.2 High Energy Physics

The University of Melbourne School of Physics is the centre for high energy physics in Australia. The University Library supports this endeavour with a level 4 collection.

12. Areas Needing to be Enriched

12.1 Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy has not been taught at a high level since the mid 1960s, but is now once more an important subject. High level appointments have been made. The historical collection in astrophysics is fine. Until 1980 there was a comprehensive collection , but now just the central, representative works. The basic texts are held, the germ of a very good collection. The journals are pared down to the absolute minimum. All the major astrophysics journals are held, but no minor ones except for the Australian ones. The collection contains older editions of dictionaries and encyclopaedias than is desirable.

12.2 Optics

Optics, especially quantum optics, is a new area. The collection is lacking in both serial and monographic literature. Not all the important books are held. While the journal coverage is quite good, it is not complete. The run is historically limited, going back to only mid 1980s. It is desirable to extend the runs back to the 1960s, when the optics journals started. The School is growing into X-ray optics, and a new journal has started in this area as well.

New journals required:

12.3 Materials Science

Materials science is a new area, so there are no major historical gaps to be filled. Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are adequate in this area. The materials science academics have their own very specialised and expensive books.There are around 20-50 books that they need to keep on their shelves, and give to the students, so they do not use the Library much. All key journals are held. The Proceedings of the Materials Science Society are very specialised and expensive, so the academic staff generally borrow them from RMIT. The research is very interdisciplinary. They have many collaborators from other universities like Sydney or from places like Telstra, and they rely on informal acquisition of articles from these sources rather than the Library. The academic staff teaching and conducting research believe the area is too specialised to get the journals; it is preferable to obtain the articles through informal channels. This is not the opinion of other members of the School, who would like to see the area built up by the Library.

13. Acknowledgments

Thanks are gratefully offered to the many people who gave freely of their time and advice. I thank particularly Juliet Flesch, Elisabeth Garran, Margaret Murphy, Graeme Murphy, Brian Warburton, Merete Smith, Peter Strong and Sharon Edelsten from the Library, for their support and assistance, and the academic staff who generously gave their time and advice to assist me to build a picture of the current collections and the needs that they are required to meet.

Thanks are extended to Wendy Johnstone and the Collection Management students at RMIT for their interest and involvement.

Particular thanks are extended to Kamala Lekamge, the Physics Research Branch Librarian. She was tireless in her enthusiasm and involvement in conspectus activities, especially arranging, and participating in, meetings with the academic staff. Her collegial support made an interesting task even more rewarding.

Last modified: August 18 2004.