Health Sciences

General Purpose of the Collection

This collection supports the research and scholarship of health science researchers on the Charles River Campus at Boston University. The primary users are the students and faculty of the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The collection includes scholarly books, online databases, and peer-reviewed journal publications. Resources are selected to represent the research needs of graduate students, undergraduates, and faculty members from the following academic departments at Sargent College, including Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and Health Sciences. Sargent’s Health Science Department features an undergraduate major in the health sciences and a minor in public health. It also includes both graduate programs and undergraduate majors in nutrition and human physiology.  The study of evidence-based medicine is central to most of Sargent’s degree programs. Library resources are carefully selected to inform evidence-based decision making for researchers in the allied health disciplines.

The Collection also supports the research needs of Sargent’s affiliated research centers. These include: the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, the India Research and Outreach Initiative, the Center for Neurorehabilitation, the Ryan Center for Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, the Boston University Physical Therapy Center, the Academic Speech, Language, and Hearing Center, the Aphasia Resource Center, Center for Brain Recovery, Center for Stuttering Therapy, and the Hearing Research Center.

Scope of Coverage

Languages collected (primary and selective) or excluded

Only English language publications are collected in this subject area, although gift books in other languages may be considered.

Geographical areas covered by the collections in terms of intellectual content, publication sources, or both, and specific areas excluded, as appropriate

There are no limitations on geographical areas covered, although the emphasis is on materials published in and about the United States and Europe.

Chronological periods covered by the collection in terms of intellectual content, movements or schools, and specific periods excluded, as appropriate

There are no limitations in terms of chronological periods covered.

Chronological periods collected in terms of publication dates, and specific periods excluded, as appropriate

There are no limitations in terms of publications dates covered, although most materials collected are current.

All materials collected by Health Sciences in the following Library of Congress classifications are found in Mugar Memorial Library.

General Subject Boundaries and Library Locations

Collected:

• RC 435-571 : Psychiatry
• RM 1-671.5 : Therapeutics. Pharmacology
• RM 695-733 : Physical Medicine. Physical Therapy
• RM 735-735.7 : Occupational therapy. Rehabilitation
• RM 736-893 : Physical medicine. Physical Therapy
• RM 930-931 : Rehabilitation Therapy
• TX 340-840 : Nutrition

Collected Selectively:

• QP 351-495 : Neurophysiology and Neuropsychology
• R 5-864 : Medicine (General)
• RA 1-418.5 : Medicine and the state
• RA 421-790.53 : Public health. Hygiene. Preventive medicine
• RA 790.6-790.95 : Mental Health as a profession
• RA 960-1000.5 : Medical Centers. Hospitals. Dispensaries. Clinics
• RF 1-547 : Otorhinolaryngology

Collected Very Selectively:

• QM 1-549 : Human Anatomy
• QP 901-981 : Experimental pharmacology
• RA 791-954 : Medical geography. Climatology. Meteorology
• RA 1190-1270 : Toxicology. Poisons
• RB 1-214 : Pathology
• RC 31-429 : Internal medicine
• RC 581-1245 : Specialities of internal medicine
• RD 1-811 : Surgery
• RE 1-994 : Ophthalmology
• RG1-991 : Gynecology and obstetrics
• RJ 1-507 : Pediatrics
• RL 1-803 : Dermatology
• RS 1-441 : Pharmacy and materia medica
• RT 1-120 : Nursing
• RX 1-681 : Homeopathy
• RZ 201-999 : Other systems of medicine
• Z 6658-6677 : Medicine. Bibliography
• Z 8001-8999 : Personal Bibliography

Not Collected:

• RA 1001-1171 : Forensic medicine. Medical jurisprudence. Legal medicine
• RK 1-715 : Dentistry
• RV 1-431 : Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine

Related subjects and Interdisciplinary Relationships

African Studies

The African Studies library will acquire works for Mugar Memorial Library related to public health in Africa, in collaboration with the Alumni Medical Library and the Health Sciences Bibliographer.

Anthropology

The Anthropology Selector selectively acquires materials on medical anthropology and social medicine.

Biology

Materials on the health and biology of non-humans are collected by Biology, while Health Sciences collects materials on the health and biology of humans.

Chemistry

Health Sciences very selectively acquires materials on the health aspects of toxicology and poisons, while Chemistry selects in other areas of the RA 1190-1270 range.

Education

Health Sciences selectively acquires materials on recreation for the handicapped and aged while Education covers other aspects of recreation and leisure. The Education and Health Sciences selectors consult about materials on health education programs, AIDS education in schools, students as AIDS victims, drug education in the schools, education regarding environmental effects on health, education of the physically disabled, and learning disabilities.

Gerontology

Materials related to the aged that are not specifically medically oriented are collected by Gerontology while Health Sciences covers medical treatment of geriatric patients. Long term care is covered by Health Sciences if it involves physical and medical care, and by Gerontology if it is social work oriented.

Management

Health Sciences is responsible for collecting materials on health care institutions, although Management may acquire some material on health care costs and the management of health care institutions.

Physics

Physics collects very selectively in R 895-920 (Medical physics. Medical radiology. Nuclear medicine) and RM 845-862 (Radiotherapy). Health Sciences does not collect in those ranges.

Psychology

Health Sciences covers most of the R classifications, but Psychology may acquire materials on art therapy, group psychotherapy, and psychoanalysis.

Social Work

Materials related to community mental health and marital and family therapy may be collected by Social Work or Psychology.

Types of Materials

Collected

Books, periodicals, and reference materials, including bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and indexes and abstracts.

Collected Selectively

Conference proceedings, government documents, microforms, and electronic resources.

Not Collected

Textbooks, juvenile literature, and popular literature.

Other On-Campus or Local Resources

The Boston University Alumni Medical Library is a significant resource for health sciences material at Boston University. The Alumni Medical Library has a broad collection of books and journals which are available to students and faculty from the main campus.