NARRATIVE COLLECTION POLICY STATEMENT
PHYSICAL SCIENCES LIBRARY 2005
Physics
1.0 Programmatic information:
The study of physics has been of primary importance at Cornell since the university was founded in 1865. The department of Physics is divided into three laboratories -- LASSP (Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics), which is housed in Clark Hall; LEPP (Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics), which is housed in Newman Lab; and Wilson Lab, which includes the synchrotron facility. Each of these groups has both theoretical and experimental sides. The graduate field of Physics currently comprises 48 faculty members with diverse research interests in these conventional physics areas as well as many interdisciplinary areas such as biophysics and astrophysics. Physics Graduate enrollment is approximately 208 students.
The faculty currently includes two Nobel Laureates, members of the National Academy of Sciences, fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. Working with the faculty are graduate students, numerous resident postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and undergraduate physics majors.
The nature of research at Cornell is very interdisciplinary in nature. In addition to researchers and students in astronomy, chemistry and physics, the physical sciences collection is used heavily by researchers and students in the following fields:
· School of Applied & Engineering Physics (A&EP)
· Chemistry
· Astronomy
· Chemical Engineering (classical and statistical thermodynamics, kinetics and catalysis, polymers and materials science, surface science)
· Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology (biochemistry, biophysics)
· Chemical Engineering (polymers and materials science, surface science, kinetics and catalysis)
· Materials Science and Engineering (materials science)
· Mathematics
· Nuclear Science and Engineering (nuclear science)
1.1 Information gathering behaviors:
According to Brown (2001), “… e-prints have come of age in the literature of physics. It now remains a question of when scholars, editors, and publishers in other disciplines will emulate this fast and efficient mode of scholarly communication.” Brown further notes: “SPIRES-HEP, as well as its counterpart, arXiv.org, have become indispensable tools for physical science librarians.”
Pre-print servers are very valuable resources but scientists, even physicists, are not yet ready to discontinue using the conventional journal system (Ginsparg). In order to be considered a scholarly publication, a document must be publicized so that scholars are aware of its existence, be trustworthy in the sense that it has survived a process of peer-review and it must be accessible (Kling & McKim 1999). Recent work by Brown (2004) shows that materials on the Internet are notoriously unreliable and therefore review articles that cite web pages are referenced less than other articles.
Although arXiv (formerly LAN-L) is very important to physicists, it does not meet the standards for scholarly publication outlined by Kling & McKim (1999). As part of the Cornell University Library, arXiv must be incorporated into our collection, but cannot be expected to replace traditional publications. In a recent review of scholarly publication, Kling concluded that:
“…we should expect incremental change rather than the liquidation of paper and the withering of peer review by the electronic power of the Internet. If the very recent past is prologue to the future, we shall expect a relatively slow growth in the number of fields that adopt disciplinary repositories.” (Kling 2004)
Electronic indices that are used by physicists include COMPENDEX, NTIS, INSPEC, Web of Science, and to some extent SciFinder Scholar and MDL Crossfire Commander.
On-line access to journals will be privileged over paper whenever possible. Publications such as Physical Review B and Physical Review Letters often have long (50+ pages) that are not easily read online. Physics faculty members feel strongly that we should keep publications like this in paper. Another area of concern with physics faculty is the issue of archiving electronic publications. They are concerned about being able to access publications in the future due to format changes and lack of commitment by publishers to archiving their publications. Therefore we are not able to move to an entirely on-line environment at this time.
2. Collection description and guidelines
2.1 Subject definition:
According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001, physics is the “branch of science traditionally defined as the study of matter, energy, and the relation between them; it was called natural philosophy until the late 19th century and is still known by this name at a few universities. Physics is in some senses the oldest and most basic pure science; its discoveries find applications throughout the natural sciences, since matter and energy are the basic constituents of the natural world. The other sciences are generally more limited in their scope and may be considered branches that have split off from physics to become sciences in their own right. Physics today may be divided loosely into classical physics and modern physics.”
2.2 Subject Scope:
Subject area and major collection strengths
LC classification
ECS
CCI
Language</TH< TR>
Biography
QC 15 - QC 19
2
2
E
Mathematical Physics - materials in this area are collected in the Engineering, Math and Physical Sciences libraries. PSL concentrates on theoretical aspects.
QC 19.2 - QC 20
4
4
E
General Works, Study and teaching, textbooks
QC 21 - QC 71
3
3
E
Force and energy
QC 72 - QC 75
4
4
E
Weights and measures - most of the materials in this area are collected by the Engineering Library
QC 81 - QC 114
-
-
-
Descriptive and Experimental Mechanics -- Engineering Library collects fluid mechanics, hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics; PSL collects gases and gas dynamics.. History of science maintains a strong interest in this area.
QC 120 - QC 168
4
4
E
Atomic Physics, Constitution and Properties of Matter (including relativity, quantum theory, and solid-state physics)-- most collected by PSL however Engineering collects some materials in wave mechanics, thin films and rheology.
QC 170 -QC 220
4
4
E
Acoustics, Sound
QC 221 -QC 246
4
4
E
Heat -- Engineering Library also collects thermodynamics and is the principal collector of materials on heat transfer
QC 251 - QC 330
4
4
E
Optics, Light
QC 350 - QC 449
4
4
E
Spectroscopy -- also collected by Engineering Library
QC 450 - QC 468
4
4
E
Radiation Physics
QC 474 - QC 496
4
4
E
Electricity and Magnetism
Electricity (also collected by Engineering Library)
Semiconductor physics (also collected by Engineering Library)
Electromagnetic theory
Radio wave and microwave theory
Plasma physics. Ionized gases
MagnetismQC 501-QC 766
QC 501- QC 721
QC 610.9-QC 612
QC 669-QC 675.8
QC 676-QC 678.6
QC717.6 - QC718.8 QC 750 - QC 7664
4
E
Nuclear and Particle Physics. Atomic Energy. Radioactivity
QC 770 - QC 798
4
4
E
Geophysics. Cosmic Physics -- collected primarily by Engineering Library
QC 801 - QC 809
4
4
E
Meteorology. Climatology -- collected primarily by Mann Library
QC 851 - QC 999
4
4
E
2.3 Specialized information needs and types of material:
Scholarly journals on all facets of physics as well as journals in related areas (biophysics, mathematics) are the most heavily used part of our collection. Compendiums, collections, and databases of physical, electrical, and optical properties of compounds and materials are of equal importance both as a foundation for intensive research in physics and as a tool to aid non-physics researchers in their use of materials. These materials are received on standing order and must also be individually collected. Non-journal serial publications are also important but do not predominate in this field. Most are received through an approval plan.
Conferences, workshops, and schools (and their published proceedings) are important communication tools in physics. The importance of this type of material varies by sub-field. The most importance proceedings are purchased on standing order. Others come in through Yankee and are reviewed. As of 1993/94 a decision was made to be more restrictive on the purchase of this type of material. Proceedings that are not requested by a user are critically reviewed on the basis of use of earlier proceedings, type of material covered, type of program, and organizational body. As of 1994 these materials will be collected selectively based on use, organization, and subject matter. Conference proceedings are accepted by arXiv. We may see growth in this use of arXiv in the future.
Monographs on all areas of physics are collected selectively. Undergraduate textbooks, as used at Cornell, are represented in the collection. Graduate level texts are collected selectively. Undergraduate texts are collected selectively.
Government publications are represented in our collection but not routinely sought out. Appropriate agencies are monitored.
Digital resources (for example WWW sites), will be selected using the standard criteria.
2.4 Format
Format
Current ECS
Future ECS
Lang.
journals
4
4
E
e-journals
4
4
E
books
4
4
E
e-books
1
1
E
reference materials
4
4
E
e-reference materials
3
4
E
web pages
2
3
E
Multi-media
1
1
E
microforms
1
1
E
Electronic versions of print resources are selected on a case-by-case basis depending on cost, usability, and value added features.
Electronic back files of journals that we already own in paper will be considered as funding allows.
2.5 Chronological guidelines:
Primarily current materials. Retrospective collecting is done when new research interest of faculty demand. Theoretical physicists often refer to older material. Information in physics does not date rapidly.
2.6 Geographical guidelines:
Worldwide with a focus on North American and European research
2.7 Language
Primary collection is English. Some foreign languages are selectively collected, mainly German, French, and Russian.
2.8 Other
2.9 Cooperative arrangements and related collection:
Cooperative collection development must occur with Engineering Library, especially in the areas of materials, high energy physics, plasmas, lasers, optics, polymers, and some areas of applied physics..
Additional cooperative development must occur with the Mann Library in the areas of biophysics.
Bibliography
Brown, Cecelia 2004 “The Matthew Effect of the Annual Reviews Series and the Flow of Scientific Communication Through the World Wide Web” Scientometrics: 60(1): 25-36
Brown, Cecelia 2001 “The Coming of Age of E-Prints in the Literature of Physics.” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship: Summer 2001
http://www.istl.org/01-summer/refereed.html
Brown, Ceclia 1999 “Information Seeking Behavior of Scientists in the Electronic Information Age: Astronomers, Chemists, Mathematicians, and Physicists.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science: 50(1):929-943
Ginsparg, Paul 2002 “Can Peer Review Be Better Focused?”. Science & Technology Libraries 22(3/4): 5-17
Kling, Rob 2004 “The Internet and Unrefereed Scholarly Publishing”. Chapter 12 IN: Annual Review of Information Science and Technology: 38: 593-631
Kling, R & McKim, G. 1999 “Scholarly Communication and the Continuum of Electronic Publishing.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science: 50: 890-906
Lawal, Ibironke 2002 “Scholarly Communication: the Use and Non-use of E-print Archives for the Dissemination of Scientific Information.” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship Fall 2002 http://www.istl.org/02-fall/article3.html
McKiernan, Gerry 2000 “New Products in Grey Literature: arXiv.org: the Los Alamos National Laboratory E-print Server.” The International Journal on Grey
Literature:(3):127-138
Pinfield, Stephen 2001 How Do Physicists Use an E-Print Archive? Implications for Institutional E-Print Services.” D-Lib Magazine: 7(12) http://www.dlib.org/dlib/december01/pinfield/12pinfield.html
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001
http://www.bartleby.com/65/ph/physics-ent.html
Appendix I
Physics Faculty by Field
Theoretical High-Energy Physics
C. Csaki
E. Flanagan
P. Ginsparg
K. Gottfried
T. Kinoshita
A. LeClairExperimental High-Energy Physics
J. Alexander
W. Ashmanskas
K. Berkelman
D. Cassel
R. Galik
L. Gibbons
B. GittelmanL. Hand
D. Hartill
G. Hoffstaetter
N. Mistry
J. Orear
R. Patterson
A. Ryd
R. TalmanAccelerator Physics
Theoretical Astrophysics
and General RelativityTheoretical Condensed-Matter Physics
Listed by Research SubfieldExperimental Condensed-Matter Physics
Listed by Research SubfieldE. Bodenschatz
B. Buhrman*
S. Davis
C. Franck
S. Gruner
D. Lee
P. McEuen
J. ParpiaD. Ralph
J. Reppy
R. Richardson
A. Sievers
R. Thorne
M. Wang
W. Webb*Biophysics
Optics
Physics Education
Arms Control
Appendix II
Research Centers
The major research facilities -- the particle accelerator (CESR), high-intensity x-ray source (CHESS), Cornell Nanofabrication Center (CNF), Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC), Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR), and the Cornell Theory Center (CTC)-- are all National Research Centers, federally funded and shared, not only within the department and Cornell, but also by scientists from around the world.
Appendix III
Courses of Study
PHYS 112 Supplement
PHYS 213 Supplement
General Physics I (I) (PBS)
General Physics II (I) (PBS)
General Physics (I) (PBS)
Physics I: Mechanics (I) (PBS)
Physics I: Mechanics and Special Relativity (I) (PBS)
Concepts of Modern Physics
Supplemental Introductory Laboratory
Why the Sky Is Blue: Aspects of the Physical World (I) (PBS)
Energy (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
Physics of the Heavens and the Earth--A Synthesis (I) (PBS)
Physics of Musical Sound (I) (PBS)
Reasoning about Luck (II) (MQR)
Physics in the News (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
Fundamentals of Physics I (I) (PBS)
Fundamentals of Physics II (I) (PBS)
Physics II: Heat/Electromagnetism (I) (PBS)
Physics III: Optics, Waves, and Particles (I) (PBS)
Introduction to Special Relativity
Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism (also A&EP 217) (I) (PBS)
Physics III: Waves and Thermodynamics (I) (PBS)
Intermediate Experimental Physics (I) (PBS)
Intermediate Mechanics (I) (PBS)
Basics of Quantum Mechanics (I) (PBS)
Applications of Quantum Mechanics (I) (PBS)
Analytical Mechanics (I) (PBS)
Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (I) (PBS)
Advanced Electricity and Magnetism (I) (PBS)
Modern Experimental Optics (also A&EP 330) (I) (PBS)
Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (I) (PBS)
Electronic Circuits (also A&EP 363) (I) (PBS)
Informal Advanced Laboratory
Advanced Experimental Physics
Intermediate Quantum Mechanics (I) (PBS)
High-Energy Particle Physics (I) (PBS)
Introduction to General Relativity (also ASTRO 445)
Biological Applications of Physics
Classical Mechanics, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Chaos (also PHYS 551) (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
Introductory Solid-State Physics (also A&EP 450) (I) (PBS)
Geometrical Concepts in Physics (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
Introduction to Accelerator Physics and Technology (also PHYS 656) (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
The Storage Ring as a Source of Synchrotron Radiation (also PHYS 657) (I) (PBS) -- Not Offered This Year
Computational Physics (also PHYS 680 and ASTRO 690) (I) (PBS)
Quantum Information Processing (also PHYS 681 and COM S 483)
Selected Topics in Accelerator Technology (also PHYS 687) -- Not Offered This Year
Advanced Topics in Accelerator Physics (also PHYS 688) (I) (PBS)
Independent Study in Physics
Informal Graduate Laboratory
Advanced Experimental Physics
Projects in Experimental Physics
Physics of Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars (also ASTRO 511)
Classical Mechanics, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Chaos (also PHYS 451) -- Not Offered This Year
General Relativity (also ASTRO 509-510)
Classical Electrodynamics
Statistical Physics
Quantum Mechanics I
Applications of Quantum Mechanics II
Cosmology (also ASTRO 599) -- Not Offered This Year
Solid-State Physics I
Solid-State Physics II
High-Energy Particle Physics -- Not Offered This Year
High-Energy Particle Physics -- Not Offered This Year
Relativistic Quantum Field Theory I
Relativistic Quantum Field Theory II
Statistical Physics
Theory of Many-Particle Systems
Introduction to Accelerator Physics and Technology (also PHYS 456) -- Not Offered This Year
The Storage Ring as a Source of Synchrotron Radiation (also PHYS 457) -- Not Offered This Year
Advanced Topics in High-Energy Particle Theory
Theory of Stellar Structure and Evolution (also ASTRO 560)
Instrumentation Seminar -- Not Offered This Year
Computational Physics (also PHYS 480 and ASTRO 690)
Special Topics
Independent Study in Physics
Updated, May 2005
