Psychology collection development policy

Portland Community College Libraries
Subject Area Profile
Date Reviewed : March 2008
Subject Area : Psychology
Library Subject Area selector : Tony Greiner
Faculty SAC liaison : Judy Zimmerman, RC 3-208, x7083

Level:
Psychology courses are on the General Education distribution list for the Associate of Science Transfer, the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer, Associate of Applied Science, and Associate of General Studies degrees. Courses are required for degrees in Alcohol and Drug Counseling, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Gerontology, Journalism, Nursing and Women's Studies.

Collection development goal:
To meet the information needs of the college transfer courses in Psychology. Psychology is the "study of behavior and mental processes." This is an academic area of study, at the introductory and two year undergraduate level.

Accrediting and Certification Bodies
The following organizations are listed as sources for materials and curriculum development guidelines, but none are required for program accreditation.

Alan Guttmacher Institute
http://www.agi-usa.org/

American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
http://www.aasect.org

American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
http://www.siecus.org

Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
http://www.sexscience.org

Campus distribution guidelines:
Distribute on the usual pattern of two items to Sylvania v. one to Cascade and one to Rock Creek. Course sections are mostly evenly distributed across the college, or via distance education.

Types of materials collected:
Monographs at the introductory and undergraduate levels are the focus for this collection development area. General interest self-help guides for stress management, leadership skills, parenting, dream interpretation and mental disorders are useful. Some titles from trade or consumer-oriented lists are useful for providing introductory materials. Guidebooks, handbooks, specialized encyclopedias, and directories are also needed. Monographic web sites that feature current information on: mental disorders, neurology, and human development. Full-text subscription psychology databases are necessary for the most current sources, case studies and research.

Types of materials excluded:
Workbooks or staff training materials are too specialized or ephemeral in nature to purchase. Primary sources for diagnosis, etiology, pharmacology or counseling practice are not appropriate. Substance abuse counseling is a separate collection development area.

Chronological periods
Materials with a health focus in psychology should be updated within five years. Classic, representational works that form the theoretical basis of the field can be retained indefinitely. Standard reference sources required for professionals, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders should be updated at each new edition.

Languages:
English.

Subjects and collecting levels:
The geographic focus for Psychology is the United States . Areas of interest include:

Abnormal Psychology
Family
Group dynamics
Human development
Intelligence
Memory
Nervous System
Personality
Personal Growth
Stress Management
Parenting
Sexuality
Social Psychology

Dewey Decimal Classifications:
128.1 Philosophy of mind; thought and thinking; mind and body
150-159 Psychology
158.4 Applied psychology-leadership
176 Ethics of sex and reproduction
302 Social interaction
306.81 Marriage
306.85 Family
362.883 Sex crimes
646.78 Interpersonal relations

Library of Congress classification:
BF 309-499 Cognition, perception, intuition
BF 501-504.3 Motivation
BF 608-637 Will, Choice.Applied psychology
BF 698 Personality
BF 712-724.85 Developmental psychology
BF 1001-1389 Parapsychology
BJ 1-2195 Ethics

Periodicals Retention Schedule:
Psychology periodicals should be retained for five years plus current ongoing year for most general interest titles. Core titles like the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology provide examples of case and research studies and as such have reference value worthy of indefinite retention.

Non-print material retention schedule:
CD-ROMs that accompany reference books should be held at the Circulation Desk; all others should be retained with the book or kit. CD-ROMs are subject to the same retention schedule as books.