LIBRARY COLLECTION POLICY STATEMENTS

I. PROGRAM INFORMATION

The discipline of Human Nutrition is part of the Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences Department. Nutrition had its academic roots in colleges of home economics and departments of biochemistry. It is now generally viewed as a biochemical science. It includes the field of dietetics, which is centered on patient nutrition care.

Teaching and research interests are concentrated in the areas of nutritional biochemistry and physiology, mineral nutrition, nutrition and disease, nutrition and toxicology, nutrition education, nutrition behavior, and community nutrition and international nutrition.

The department offers the BS degree with a focus in dietetics and human nutrition. Within the human nutrition option, there is a focus on nutrition education and sports nutrition. The dietetic option has been approved by the American Dietetic Association (Plan V). The Department also offers an MS degree.

In addition to supporting this discipline, the library collection in nutrition also serves the needs of personnel in other health science disciplines researching diet and disease relationships, and State and Federal agencies with nutrition responsibilities.

II. COORDINATION OF COLLECTING RESPONSIBILITIES

In addition to its own literature, nutrition depends heavily on the literature in medicine, biochemistry, physiology, and other biomedical sciences.

The Hawaiian Collection and the Pacific Collection are the primary collectors of material originating in Hawaii, and about islands of the Pacific. Duplicate copies of selected items may be added to the Hamilton Collection. The Government Documents Collection provides national and international government publications from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Health Organization.

The John A. Burns School of Medicine Library Resource Center is also available to faculty and students.

III. GUIDELINES TO MATERIALS COLLECTED OR EXCLUDED

Language: Almost exclusively English, with some exceptions for food composition tables and Asian language journal titles.

Chronological: No limitations, but the emphasis is on current theories and research.

Geographic: No limitations; selected food composition and applied nutrition literature is collected from Asia and the Pacific.

Date of Publication: Current materials are emphasized; gaps are filled as needed. Rare and historical materials may be acquired as gifts.

Types/Formats of Materials Collected: Monographs on current research in the field; serials, including Web access when available; monographic series; handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and directories; bibliographies; indexes and abstracts with a preference for Web access; conference proceedings; selected United States and foreign dissertations; food composition tables and diet manuals.

Treatment: All treatments are included, with the exception of popular works and textbooks. Both research and applied aspects are collected.

Date compiled: 7/01 Compiler: Eileen Herring

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