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Collection Development

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Collection Development

Subject Policy Statement - MEDICAL SCIENCE

 

A. Purpose and Program Description

The Medical Library seeks to support research and instruction in clinical medicine, biomedical sciences, public health, nursing, and Chinese medicine. It supports the needs of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education students; as well as the faculty, researchers, staff and alumni of the University. Service is extended to general practitioners and medical doctors in other hospitals and institutions.

Areas of established specialization include biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, nursing, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, public health, and clinical specialties.

There is a strong emphasis on medicine in Hong Kong and effort is made to identify and build a comprehensive collection relating to Hong Kong health and medicine.

The Library became a World Health Organization Depository Library in 1993 receiving most of the WHO monographs free of charge and effort is made to collect comprehensively all WHO materials.

From 1990, rapid expansion occurs in the Medical Faculty's curriculum and research:

  • The Department of Nursing Studies was founded in 1995 and has grown dramatically both in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
  • The School of Chinese Medicine was founded in 1998 providing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on traditional Chinese medicine. The Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine comprising over 30 prominent local and overseas institutions was formed in December 2003 to establish a scientific basis for TCM research.
  • The Master of Public Health programme was launched in 2004 providing broad base education and training in public health including infectious disease epidemiology, medical statistics, clinical trial research methodology, health policy and behavioural sciences.
  • Five research centres on strategic research themes were established in 2003 including Centre for Cancer Research; Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging; Research Centre of Infection and Immunology; Public Health Research Centre; and Centre for Reproduction, Development and Growth. These research centres bring together researchers in diverse fields, facilitating collaborative academic pursuits.
  • The Genome Research Centre was established in 2004 to develop multi-disciplinary programmes using advanced, high-throughput genome technologies to combine cutting-edge research in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, chemical biology, bioinformatics, and clinical medicine.
  • The State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases was set up in 2004 to conduct research on emerging viruses, bacteria, fungi and anti-microbial resistance including SARS.
  • The international network of East-West Alliance of Biomedical Institutions was initiated in 2006 to develop high-impact research to meet the challenges of aging populations, emerging infections and global pandemics.

 

Area of excellence in medical research include influenza, public health genetics, molecular neuroscience, drug discovery, developmental genomics and skeletal research.

 

B. General Selection Guidelines (See Classed Analysis)

Overall, the Library's existing collection and current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, for Medical Sciences are at the study and teaching to research level. Its collecting goal, however, is at the research level.

 

C. Specific Delimitations

  1. Formats collected: We collect monographs, textbooks, annuals, reference tools and scholarly series extensively. Audio-visual materials, periodicals, CD-ROMs, and other electronic tools are collected selectively. Dissertations are collected very selectively.
  2. Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications extensively and earlier century materials very selectively.
  3. Chronological Focus: We collect materials focusing on current research topics extensively. All other periods are collected selectively.
  4. Languages Collected: We collect English and Chinese languages materials extensively, Western European and other Asian languages materials very selectively, and all others are excluded.
  5. Place of Publication: We collect North American, British and Chinese materials extensively, Western European and other Asian materials very selectively, and all others are excluded.