Purpose and Program Description

The Libraries seek to support research in chemical engineering, which includes chemical processes, bio-medical aspects of engineering, nuclear waste, polymers, pharmaceutical technology, colloids, surfaces, electrochemistry, separation chemistry and corrosion. It supports the needs of undergraduate, MA/MS students and Ph.D. students, the teaching faculty, post-docs, and research staff members.

In 1993, the department became associated with mines, metallurgy and materials science departments and there appears to be more of a collaborative effort between these departments, e.g., ceramics, glass. In addition Chemical Engineering has always had a close relationship with the Chemistry department, e.g. colloids, catalysis. The number of graduate students in Chemical Engineering increased annually during the first half of the 1990’s.

Areas of established specialization are catalysis, corrosion, colloids, crystallography, electrochemistry, heat transfer, polymers and unit operations.

General Selection Guidelines (See classed analysis for further details)

Overall, the Libraries’ existing collection and current acquisitions commitment, based upon available resources, for Chemical Engineering are at the study and teaching level. Its collecting goal, however, is at the research level.

Specific Delimitations

1. Formats collected: We collect annuals, CD-Roms, monographs, reference tools, other electronic tools, periodicals, scholarly series and textbooks selectively. Audio-visual materials, dissertations, maps and newspapers are excluded.

2. Imprint Dates Collected: We collect current publications extensively and twentieth century materials selectively. Nineteenth century and earlier excluded.

3. Chronological Focus: We collect materials focusing on current research topics extensively and twentieth century topics selectively. Nineteenth century and earlier are excluded.

4. Languages Collected: We collect English language materials extensively and German and French language materials very selectively.

5. Place of Publication: We collect North American publications extensively and French, German and Russian publications selectively.