Libraries Wiki | CollectionDevelopmentPolicyStatement / Library And Information Science

SUBJECT AREA: Library and Information Science

Last Update: March 2007 by Maureen Weicher

Purpose: The St. John’s University Libraries support teaching, learning, and research for master's and post-master's students, faculty and administration associated with the Division of Library and Information Science of St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The course schedule includes current offerings by DLIS.

Graduate Programs: The Division of Library and Information Science was founded in 1937. The 36-credit program leads to a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree, and consists of five required courses and additional elective courses. Students may concentrate in Academic Librarianship, Information Organization, Information Sources and Services, Information Technology, Law Librarianship, Public Librarianship, School Library Media, Special Librarianship, or Youth Services.

The Division also offers a multidisciplinary Advanced Certificate for information professionals. In conjunction with the Graduate Division of Arts and Sciences, students may pursue Double Masters as Government Information Specialists or Drug Information Specialists.

Since Fall 2000, DLIS courses have also been offered at the Oakdale campus.

Enrollment Trends: See Institutional Research Enrollment

Department and Subject Area Trends:

Digital libraries
Information seeking behavior
User needs

Established Specializations: The strengths of the collection include children and young adult literature and services; history of the book and printing; information sources in business, social sciences, humanities, and government; cataloging and classification; and library administration and automation. The children's and young adult collection supports Library Science courses, Education courses, and the reading needs of children of library patrons.

Online Resources: Library and Information Science

Subject Depth: Queens collection is on the study or instructional support level, advanced (3b). The goal is to maintain this level. Oakdale has a small collection to support classroom instruction.

Selection Considerations: The following journals may be consulted for book reviews:

Since reviews may appear a year or more after publication, publishers catalogs should also be consulted.

Materials to be Excluded: Please see Materials Not To Be Acquired.

UPDATED MARCH 10, 2008 by Maureen Weicher (See below)

Withdrawal Considerations: Please see Collection Maintenance: Withdrawals. Also consider for withdrawal:

Directories that have been superseded or a directory over 5 years old.
Outdated software manuals or computer books, in general, those over 5 years old.
Materials related to outdated technologies, ie "Trends in optical and video disk/ 1987"
Books related to library automation that are not current.
Pamphlets and other ephemera unless very significant. This does not include ANSI, NISO, or other standards.
Bibliographies that are not related to Library Science and/or are dated. Classic biographic works may be retained in the collection.
Dated Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) manuals.
Materials related to Library practices that have become outdated, except for classic or illustrative works.
Materials related to narrow places and times, ie "Book pirating in Taiwan". An exception to this may be books related to New York, American history, or pivotal times in history.
Materials related to library practice outside the United States, especially when not written as histories or surveys.
Most publishers histories
Materials related to the state of the art of a technique, technology, or profession; often with the word modern, contemporary, or trend in the title, ie "Contemporary newspaper design : a structural approach / 1993"
Outdated handbooks
Occasional papers, theses, conference proceedings, and annual reports that are not immediately relevant to the curriculum as it exists today.
Many works of history that have become dated and may be replaced by newer scholarship, such as older works on the history of the book.
Dated readers, anthologies or edited books; especially those over 20 years old.
Textbooks, especially those that are dated or that have newer editions.

Other Considerations: Materials should be placed in reference selectively, and moved to the circulating collection when appropriate.

Related Collections: Education (especially in relation to the Children's collection)

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