G
GA
GB
GC
GE
Geography Collection Assessment
Houston Cole Library
Submitted by Linda Louise Cain
December, 2006
Introduction
Based on guidelines provided by the OCLC/WLN Collection Assessment Service, which provides a framework within which to evaluate a Library’s current holdings and the level of activity at which the collection is being developed, the Geography collection is rated an overall 3bP, Intermediate or Instructional Support Level.
The increase since the 2001 assessment can be attributed to the availability of, and access to, journals in the discipline. This increase in size is also a result of a growth in funding to support the Master of Public Administration concentrations in
Spatial Analysis and Management, Environmental Science Management, and
Emergency Management. A more narrowly defined assessment of the collection in these areas indicates a rating of 3cP, which is required to support graduate level programs.
Refer to the Geography conspectus sheets and checklist analyses for a more detailed examinat ion of the Library’s collection.
Holdings
The Geography collection contains 5,991 and 116 e-book titles classified in G-
GF. This total reflects a 43% increase in the collection since the last assessment.
In addition, in the classifications QC851-999 (Meterology/Climatology) and QE
(Geology) there are 5,219 print and 74 e-book titles. Further, patrons have unmediated access to over nine million volumes through universal borrowing agreements with other libraries. The number of titles for each subclass is listed below:
LC Class Category Print
Holdings
E-Books Totals
GF
QC851-
999
QE
Total
Geography, General
Cartography
Physical Geography
Oceanography
Environmental Science
Human Ecology
Meteorology/
Climatology
Geology
3,623
291
818
381
330
548
1,198
4,021
11,210
51
0
12
12
41
0
37
37
190
3,674
291
830
393
371
548
1,235
4,058
11,400
1

Expenditures
Combined serial and monograph expenditures for the Geography/Anthropology collection (statistics are not collected for the two subjects separately) for the
2001/02-2005/06 academic years was $94,540.29 (see table below). Note, the expenditures for the general databases are not included in this figure.
Fiscal Year
2001-2002
Amount Expended for
Books
$8,824.33
Amount Expended for
Serials
$7,003.64
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
$9,972.31
$16,756.15
$8,204.32
$13,455.55
$6,756.04
$7,549.18
$7,916.04
$8,102.73
Total $57,212.66
Combined Expenditures for Book and Serials
Books
The library’s collecting level was measured against the Blackwell’s All Publishers
Approval Plan Coverage. The average percentage added from 2001 to 2005 was 27%. This rate indicates an acquisitions activity level required to maintain a
3cP collection.
Fiscal Year Added to
Collection G-GT,
QE
Blackwell’s all
Publishers
Approval Plan
Coverage*
Percent Held
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
140
134
396
(Includes 143
e-book titles)
134
132
748
746
698
790
862
$37,327.63
$94,540.29
19%
18%
57%
17%
15%
Total 936 3,844 Average 24%
* Compiled from Blackwell’s US Approval Program Coverage and Cost Study reports 2001/02-2004/05.
Bibliographies including Best Books for Academic Libraries, Geographical
Information, and American Reference Books Annual were used to measure the quality of the Library’s collection. In checking the bibliographies against the
Library’s catalog, the following percentages were revealed in the subject area of
Geography:
2

The Best Books for Academic Libraries
The Best Book for Academic Libraries 2004 Supplement
Geographic Information
Title
American Reference Books Annual 2003
American Reference Books Annual 2004
American Reference Books Annual 2005
10 84
17 107
18 101
American Reference Books Annual 2006 16 104
Periodicals and Serials
The Library currently subscribes to or provides access to 375 periodical titles classified in the Library of Congress classifications Geography (G-GF),
Meteorology/Climateology (QC851-QC999), and Geology (QE). Current print journal subscriptions have decreased from 38 to 31 titles because they are accessible in electronic format. However, access to the number of electronic journals has increased with the acquisition of the Wiley InterScience Earth
Science Journals database. The numbers of periodical titles held in each subclass are listed below:
Geography Journals
Electronic Print
Geography
General (including
Atlases and Maps)
Discovery and
Exploration
21 192
4
Physical Geography
Travel and Tourism
Geology
Dynamic &
Structural Geology
Geology —General
Mineralogy
Paleobotany
Paleontology
Petrology
Stratigraphy
Meteorology &
Climatology
Total
4
0
1
1
1
0
2
0
0
8
38
Collected Listed Percent
Held
326 738 44%
70 184
106 258
38%
41%
11%
15%
17%
15%
17
38
19
4
7
1
25
25
9
34
375
3

To determine the quality of the Library’s periodical collection in Geography, titles listed in Magazines for Libraries were checked against the Library catalog. Of the 41 titles listed, the Library subscribes to or has access to 33 titles or 80%. A list of these titles and holdings is in the appendix.
Audio-Visual Materials
The Geography collection contains 20 audiovisual (AV) titles.
TITLE CALL NO Type
Power of place [videorecording] : world regional geography / produced by Cambridge Studios in collaboration
G58 .P68x 1996 Video
Cassettes with ABC-TV, Open Learning
Australia ... [et al.]
Explorers [videorecording] : a century of discovery / National Geographic
Society and WQED/Pitssburgh ;
National Geographic Video.
Geography [videorecording] : a voyage of discovery / written and produced by Todd Gipstein.
G80 .E97x 1988 Video
Cassettes
G116 .G46x 1987 Video
Cassettes
Lilliput in Antarctica [videorecording] : a Cousteau journey on behalf of all the children of the world / Cousteau
Society, Inc.
G877 .L54x 1990 AV Center
Video
Cassettes
Mapping our worlds [videorecording] /
WNET-Thirteen.
GA105.3 .M366x
1989
Video
Cassettes
GA105.3 .M367x
1993
Video
Cassettes
Maps, marvelous maps
[videorecording] : putting cartography on the map / Radio Netherlands
Television.
Maps, how we read them kit / programmed by Learning
Incorporated ; original material by L.
Lloyd Haring ; programmed by
Winifred Neal and Darlene Haring.
Geographic information systems and the National Park Service
[videorecording] / Boise Interagency
Fire Center audio/visual production,
Division of Training.
GA130 .L43x
GA139 .G46x
1980z
Kits
Video
Cassettes
4

TITLE CALL NO
Supplemental control for topographic mapping [videorecording] : a training film / produced in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey,
Department of the Interior, under the supervision of the technical staff of the
Topographic Division.
GA150 .N43x
1953b
Type
Video
Cassettes
Negative scribing for map reproduction [videorecording] : a training film / produced in collaboration with the United States
Geological Survey, Department of the
Interior, under the supervision of the technical staff of the Topographic
Division.
GA150 .N43x
1953b
Video
Cassettes
Transit traverse for topographic mapping [videorecording] : a training film / produced in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey,
Department of the Interior, under the supervision of the technical staff of the
Topographic Division.
GA 150.7 .P73x
1952b
Preparation of topographic manuscripts for reproduction
[videorecording] : a training film / produced in collaboration with the
United States Geological Survey,
Department of the Interior, under the supervision of the technical staff of the
Topographic Di
GA150.7 .P73x
1952b
Performing map skills duplicating master / Carole Simon Pugliese.
GA 151 .P83x 1979
GB21.5.R43 L36x
1977b
Video
Cassettes
Video
Cassettes
Duplicating masters
Video
Cassettes
Landsat: satellite for all seasons
[videorecording] / United States
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, with Goddard Space
Flight Center ; made by Educational
Film Center of Northern Virginia
Educational Telecommunications
Association.
ETL DIAL [videorecording] : Digital
Image Analysis Laboratory.
GB21.5.R43x L36
1977b
Video
Cassettes
5

TITLE
Landscapes of the Iranian plateau
[filmstrip] / by Denis Baly.
CALL NO
GB288 .L25x
Type
Filmstrips
Introduction to the water cycle
[filmstrip]
GB848 .W37x 1971
Siren tones : know what to do!
[videorecording] / produced by
Jacksonville State University
Television Services ; Calhoun County
Emergency Management Agency.
GB5030 .S57x
1995
Filmstrips
Video
Cassettes
Planet earth. The blue planet
[videorecording] / WQED/Pittsburgh in
GC21 .P566x 1986 AV Center
Video association with National Academy of
Sciences ; producer, Gregory
Cassettes
Andorfer ; screenwriters, Gregory
Andorfer, Georgann Kane.
Human geography: people, places and change. Vol. 1 [videorecording] / a BBC production for the Open
University in association with the
Annenberg/CPB Project at the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
GF 47 .H85x 1996b vol. 1
Video
Cassettes
Access to Electronic Resources (Defined Access)
The Library’s defined access is rated 3c, Advanced Study or Instructional
Support Level. Access is provided to an extensive collection of remotely accessible electronic resources, including bibliographic tools, texts, indexes, journals, etc. In addition to subject specific databases, the Library has access to the general databases Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic
ASAP which include journal articles related to Geography. Most of the electronic journals are accessible through the on-line catalog which provides full bibliographic information for each title. Titles available through the aggregator databases, e-book collections, appropriate websites, documents, and e-journals are also integrated into the on-line catalog. In addition, a list of full-text journals accessible to the JSU community is available through the Library’s e-resource management tool, Serials Solution (an e-journal index) found on the Library
Homepage.
The Library currently provides access to two geography related electronic databases, Wiley InterScience Earth Science Journals and World Data Analyst.
Wiley InterScience Earth Science Journals currently includes full text access to
70 journals, 51 ebooks, and 4 reference books. The World Data Analyst is published by Encyclopedia Britannica and combines detailed statistics with powerful tools for analysis and display. This resource features a unique collection
6

of in-depth information about the countries of the world and allows researchers to create comparative charts and tables.
Bibliographical references to books periodical articles, government documents, maps, and atlases in the American Geographical Society Collection if the
University of Wisconsin
—Milwaukee are listed in the
Current Geographical
Publications. These are arranged in accordance with the classification scheme utilized in the AGS Collection Research Catalogue. This publication has been static since 2005 but access remains electronically through the Online
Geographical Bibliography (GEOBIB) which is linked from the Library’s catalog and webpage.
Subject specialist librarians also review and recommend World Wide Web sites for inclusion in the catalog.
Preservation
The Preservation Commitment indicator is 2 , Physical Preservation Level.
Damaged items are routinely sent for repair. Missing items are replaced when possible by the original titles. If the original title is no longer available a new title in the same subject area is purchased. In the years 2001-2006 14 titles were discarded.
Supplemental Support
The Geography collection is supported by related subject collections: Geology;
Commerce and Business Administration; History; Religion; Sociology and Social
Work; General Works; and the Alabama Collection. An additional resource for support is the Library’s selected government depository map collection housed in the Geography Department.
Summary
Total holdings, conspectus evaluations, and quantitative and qualitative comparisons indicate that the Geography collection is adequate to support courses for the Bachelor of Science in Geography, majors in secondary education with a teaching field in social science or general science, Master of
Science in Education, Master of Public Administration concentrations in Spatial
Analysis Management, the Master of Public Administration concentration in
Environmental Sciences Management, and the Master of Public Administration concentration in Emergency Management.
Strengths:
The Geography collection has developed significantly since the last assessment in 2001. Expenditures for books and serials from fiscal year 2001-02 through
2005-06 totaled $94,540.29. The subclass Geographic Information Systems has shown the largest increase. A subject search of the catalog returns 194 titles
7

within this subject. Of these, 129 titles are classified in the Geography classification of G70.2. However, the following subclasses have also had strong increases: General Geography, Hydrology, Oceanography, Environmental
Sciences, and Cartography.
The checklist comparisons of bibliographies and Library holdings show that the collection is of good quality. 48% of the citations in the checked four American
Reference Books Annuals were for elementary schools, high schools and public libraries which are out of scope for the purposes of this collection. The Library has access to 375 Geography-related periodical titles. The 80% holdings rate derived from a check of the citations in Magazines for Libraries substantiates the quality of these holdings.
Internet sites for Geography are easily accessible from the Library’s catalog.
Web sites for Geography are frequently added to the catalog and sites are reevaluated often.
Weaknesses:
An analysis of the Blackwell’s All Approval Plan Reports and the library’s acquisitions rates shows the average added to be 24%. This is at a level just below the suggested 25% suggested by the WLN to maintain a graduate level collection. If the influx of e-book titles in 2003/2004 is removed from the acquisitions totals reported, lowering that year’s average to 36%, the overall average would drop to 22% which would be slightly less than a 3cP level.
Acquisitions should be increased in the graduate concentration areas to maintain the 3cP level. As indicated by the conspectus counts and the bibliographies checked, the Geography collection has some weak areas, such as Regional
Geomorphology; Landforms; and Philosophy, and Methodology. These areas are not high demand areas for the curriculum. However, titles related to the
Environmental Sciences Management concentration should be enhanced.
A review of the bibliographic records for the AV collection, indicates that the collection is small and dated.
Recommendations:
The growth rate of the Geography collection should be enhanced to maintain a
3cP level for the graduate concentrations in this area. Further, titles should be selected in the areas of Regional Geomorphology; Landforms; Philosophy,
Methodology, and Environmental Ethics.
AV holdings should be evaluated for possible weeding and input sought from the faculty for possible new AV acquisitions.
8

Efforts should be made to encourage more participation by the Earth Sciences
Department faculty in the ordering process. Their input would be beneficial to the development collection.
9

10

JOURNAL TITLE
BASE LINE
ANTIPODE: A RADICAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY
APPLIED GEOGRAPHY
ARAB WORKED GEOGRAPHER
ARTIC, ANTARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH
AREA
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHER
CARTOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES
CARTOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
SCIENCE
CULTURAL GEOGRAPHIES: A JOURNAL OF
CULTURAL GEOGRAPHIES
CURRENT GEOGRAPHICAL PUBLICATIONS
EARTH OBSERVATION MAGAZINE THE MAGAZINE
FOR GEOGRAPHIC MAPPING, EARTH
INFORMATION
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
ETHICS, PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT
PRINT
No
No
1969-1970
1975-1979
No
ELECTRONIC
1998-Present
1995-Present
No
No
2001-Present*
1991-Present*
No
No No
1999-Present
1998-Present
1938-2002 1985-2005
No No
EXPLORERS JOURNAL
GENDER PLACE AND CULTURE: A JOURNAL OF
FEMINIST GEOGRAPHY
GEO WORLD
GEOFORUM
GEOGRAPHICAL
GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS
GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL
GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
1925-2006 1994-2003
1998-Present*
No No
1994-Present*
2001-Present
1995-Present
1993-Present
2001-Present
1950-2006 1994-Present
1916-2006 1990-Present
GEOGRAPHY AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
GEOJOURNAL A INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY…
IMAGO MUNDI: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
FOR THE HISTORY OF CARTOGRAPHY
INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS.
TRANSACTIONS
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION SCIENCE
JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY
JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY IN HIGHER
1963-2006
No No
1971-1976
2003-Present*
2001-Present*
1998-Present*
1902-2006 1992-Present
1990-Present*
11

EDUCATION
JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
POPULATION SPACE AND PLACE
PROFESSIONAL GEOGRAPHER
PROGRESS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AN
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF…
SINGAPORE JOURNAL OF TROPICAL GEOGRAPHY
1968-2006
1981-1982
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
SPACE AND POLITY
SURVEYING AND LAND INFORMATION SCIENCE
“TERRAE INCOGNITAE: THE JOURNAL FOR THE
HISTORY OF DISCOVERIES”
TIJDSCHRIFT BVOOR ECONOMISCHE EN SOCIALE
GEOGRAFIE
1995-Present
1989-2006 2002-Present
1995-Present
2004-Present
1984-Present
1997-Present
1999-Present*
2000-Present*
1999-Present*
1998-2001
No
1989-2001
2002-2005
No
CYBERGEO (FREE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL) www.cybergeo.press.fr/
TOTALS
Yes
12

The Best Books for Academic Libraries 2002
Classification
G Geography General
Number Listed Held
G1 Serials
G3 Societies-
United States
G63 Dictionaries.
Encyclopedias
G65-G69
Geographers —
Geography as a profession
G70-G70.6
Philosophy Relation to other topics (GIS)
G71.5 Geographical perception
G73-G74 Study and teaching research
G80-G99 History of
Geography
G100-G108
Toponymy
G113-140 General works
G141 Historical
Geography
G149-520 Travel.
Voyages and Travel
G521-570
Adventures.
Shipwrecks. Buried
Treasures.
G580-999 Arctic and Antarctic
Regions
G1000-G3122
Atlases
G3701-9250 Maps
GA Mathematical
Geography
1
1
5
2
25
2
2
16
5
8
2
58
17
35
116
4
44
1
1
3
1
16
1
2
11
4
7
1
26
7
12
71
1
26
Percentage
100
100
60
50
64
50
100
68.75
80
87.5
50
45
41
34
61
25
59
13

Physical Geography
GB3 Congresses
GB10 Dictionaries.
Encyclopedias
GB11 History
GB21.5 Philosophy.
Relation to other topics.
Methodology-
Special methods,
A-Z
GB23 Study and
Teaching. Research
General works
GB54.5 General works, treatises, and advanced textbooks – 1975-
GB55 Elementary textbooks
GB59 Popular works
GB70 General
Special (special aspects of subject as a whole)
GB111- 178 Region or country
GB400.2- 641
Geomorphology.
Landforms. Terrain
GB650-GB3000
Hydrology
GB5010-GB5014
Natural Disasters
GC Oceanography
GE Environmental Sciences
GE1 Societies,
Serials
GE10 Dictionaries.
Encyclopedias
1
2
1
1
1
3
51
57
9
48
2
14
1
3
2
1
14
1
2
0
1
100
66
0
100
0
100
100
100
0
100
45
38.5
55.5
46
0
50
0
2
1
1
0
3
23
22
5
22
0
7

GE30- GE35
Communication in
Environmental
Sciences
GE40- 45
Philosophy.
GE 50- 59 History.
Biography.
GE60 Vocational guidance
GE70- 80
Environmental education. Study and teaching
GE105 General
Works
GE123 Handbooks, manuals, etc.
GE140- 169
Environmental
Conditions
GE170- 190
Environmental
Policy
GE195- 199
Environmentalism
GE300- GE320
Environmental
Management
GF Human Ecology
Total
2
12
4
4
3
2
2
20
29
23
4
94
739
0
7
2
2
2
1
0
11
13
8
2
48
377
The Best Books for Academic Libraries 2004 Supplement
Classification Number Listed Held Percentage
0
58
50
50
66
50
0
55
45
35
50
51
51%
G Geography General
G63 Dictionaries.
Encyclopedias
G65-G69
Geographers —
Geography as a profession
3
3
0
2
0
66
15

G70 Philosophy
Relation to other topics (GIS)
G80-G99 History of
Geography
G100-G108
Toponymy
G113-140 General works
G149-520 Travel.
Voyages and Travel
G521-570
Adventures.
Shipwrecks. Buried
Treasures.
G570-999 Arctic and Antarctic
Regions
G1000-G3122
Atlases
G3201-5681 Maps
GA Mathematical
Geography
GB Physical Geography
GB111-460 Region or country
GB650-GB3000
Hydrology
GB5000 Natural
Disasters
GC Oceanography
GE Environmental Sciences
GE 10 Dictionaries.
Encyclopedias
GE40-45
Philosophy.
GE 50-59 History.
Biography.
GE105 General
Works
GE140- 169
Environmental
Conditions
16
2
2
15
2
5
1
9
22
2
4
2
1
2
7
10
3
17
3
8
100
60
0
0
40
50
44
50
0
50
50
71
50
0
50
0
37.5
100
29
2
0
6
1
3
0
4
11
0
2
1
0
1
5
5
3
5
0
3

GE170-G190
Environmental
Policy
GE195- 199
Environmentalism
GE220-240
Environmental
Justice
GE300
Environmental
Management
GF Human Ecology
Total
3
23
184
16
8
11
10
8
6
2
14
94
62.5
100
54.5
66
60
51%
17