Michigan State University Libraries

Collection Development Policy Statement: Geology

Although the MSU Libraries geosciences collection primarily serves the research and instructional requirements of the Department of Geological Sciences, it also serves a broader range of university programs, including users from Agriculture, Botany, Chemistry, Engineering, Geography, Kellogg Biological Station, Natural Resources, Physics, Plant & Soil Sciences, and Zoology.

The MSU Department of Geological Sciences offers BS, BA, MAT, MS, and Ph.D degree programs in any of the geosciences. Although the primary degrees are usually general in nature, the secondary and tertiary degrees are often highly specialized. The geosciences are a multi-disciplinary groups of related sciences that include, but are not limited to, the following: economic geology (including mining, petroleum and natural gas), field geology and mapping, geochemistry (both high and low temperature), geomorphology, geophysics and tectonics, glaciology, historical geology, hydrology & hydrogeology, mineralogy, petrology, sedimentary geology, stratigraphy, structure, paleontology (both vertebrate and invertebrate), paleobotany and palynology, volcanology, and weathering. Other fields that have a geologic aspect include: Agriculture, astronomy, cartography, crystal chemistry, ecology, environmental hazards analysis, environmental studies, evolution, geochronology, geography, geostatistics, isotope geochemistry, mathematical modeling, mining and petroleum engineering, planetary geology, pollution, remote sensing, soil genesis, and zoology.

The majority of geoscience materials are classed in the QE class schedule, with soils and hydrology materials in GB. Significant related materials can also be found in the G, GC, HA, QA, QB, QC, QD, QH, QL, S, TA, TD and TN classes.

Prior to the 1920’s the geoscience collection consisted of a small number of books and journals housed in the library of the college. A small number of hand-typed catalog cards indicate that textbooks by Sir Charles Lyell, biographies by Sir Archibald Geikie, a subscription to American Journal of Science, and early publications from the state and federal geological surveys.

Because of the nature of geology and its reliance on descriptive and historical research, geology professors have always tried to maintain a professional library or reading room. Alumni have indicated that Stannard Bergquist had some sort of reading room in Agriculture Hall when the department was housed in that building in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. There is evidence of several donations of publications to the department by Richard.A. Smith (State Geologist 1919-1946) and R. Sherrill during the 1930’s and 40’s. During the time when Geology and Geography were united in one department (1929-1955), the Edwin C. Prophet Library was established as a reading room for graduate students and faculty. A number of books still bear the stamp of this reading room to honor Prophet who taught geology from 1930/31 to 1955/56.

The geology reading room received "charged" items from the main library as early as 1962. Some time around 1970 the reading room was made a formal branch library of the MSU Library system. Shelf list records show the transfer of approximately 130 research journals and an unknown number of books from the Science Library to the Geology Library between 1962-1967. In the early 1970's it was moved from the second floor to room 105 on the first floor. In Spring Break of 1976, it moved again to room 5 in the basement of the building.

In 1974, with the arrival of the new Chairman, Dr. Cambray, the department made a commitment to staffing the library with a half-time clerk; Sue Jones was the first clerk to be hired. Prior to this, the library was staffed with graduate students. Sue Jones worked until June 1977, and was responsible for organizing the collection, conducting an inventory, and introducing basic record-keeping procedures for serials and circulation. The field trip guidebook collection was also established. Dr. Cambray and Sue Jones should be credited with transforming the Geology Library from a neglected reading room to a true branch library. Diane Baclawski succeeded Sue in 1977. This Geology Department-paid position was made full-time in 1978.

The Geology Library grew substantially in the subsequent twenty years, both in terms of space and collection. In 1983, the Geology Library acquired room 10 as the Geology Library Annex. In 1991, the Geology Department gave room 4 to the Geology Library as study space for students. In 1993 Geology became a line item on the Libraries’ collection budget for the first time. In 1999, compact shelving was installed in room 10 to increase shelving space.

At the time the Geology Library folded in 2006, it held in addition to cataloged books, numerous duplicate US Geological Survey (USGS) depository maps, Canadian depository maps, as well as the Department’s collection of geologic and topographic maps and thesis/dissertation collection.

In 2004 the Geology Department eliminated the position of Geology Librarian, effective July 1, 2006. All books, journals, and maps purchased and maintained by MSU Libraries returned to the main library over the summer 2006. The size of the collection at that time was about 30,000 volumes and 15,000 maps. The maps, folded and flat, went to the Map Library and the books and journals were incorporated into the regular main library collections. Most duplicate items were not retained. The Geology Department retained items owned by the department or its faculty.

It has always been one of the Geology Library's functions to collect and maintain a geoscience collection related to the geological structure and evolution of the Michigan Basin and the Great Lakes. The Michigan Basin is a geologically-significant, archetypal structural entity formed primarily during Paleozoic time. It is recognized internationally as a classic basin structure that includes Michigan, the upper Great Lakes, parts of Ontario, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and western Pennsylvania. Geologic structures within the Basin include the Mid-Continent Rift and the Marquette Trough (dated in excess of 1 billion years), Paleozoic inland sea beds, and the Pleistocene (Ice Age) surface features.

For these reasons, the Michigan Basin Research Collection has been given a special priority in collection development in the Geology Library. Duplicate copies are retained for future use. Much of the materials are out-of-print and extremely difficult to replace. The acquisition of the materials from the Seattle Public Library allowed the Geology Library to obtain almost pristine copies of old reports and atlases that would be impossible to acquire on the open market.

The following areas of research are expected to become more significant in the next 10-15 years, and should be considered for purposes of collection development: Mantle tomography, mantle-crust dynamics, planetary geology, neo-tectonics, seismic and volcanic hazard analysis, extinction events, geographic information systems, global positioning systems, remote sensing, surface processes—interaction and analysis, water resources, environmental resource protection and remediation, new energy and mineral resource identification and development, adaptation of new technologies to geochemistry, geophysics, mineralogy and petrology (i.e. atomic force microscopy, laser ablation inductively couples mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, etc), ocean-atmosphere interaction analysis, short and long-term global climate change through time, geomicrobiology, origin of life on both the molecular and genetic levels, isotope paleontology, animal and plant radiations through time, and finally, the developing importance of Africa, Asia, South America, Australia and Antarctica as contributors to the fossil record of both flora and fauna.

Cost of materials and the exchange rate are factors over which there is no internal control. Geology retains an adequate proportion of funding for serials and monographs at roughly an 85/15 percent ratio. However, there is no question that future increases by publishers will force more cuts in the serials unless there are changes in university policy regarding funding of library resources or unless publishers change their profit rate.

Two trends may help the library meet this problem. One is collective bargaining among library consortium, notably the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and Michigan Library Consortium (MLC). Second, a backlash against periodical prices has resulted in some grass roots efforts to promote the use of open access journals (see http://www.doaj.org).

Since the geosciences are broad in their compass, a mention of other library units where coverage overlaps is warranted.

• Biomedical Physical Sciences Library: Overlap occurs primarily in the area of planetary geology. The Journal of Geophysical Research is located in Geology. Chemistry and Geology overlap in the broad area of geochemistry, but also in more specific areas of clay mineralogy (Pinnavaia and Kantzides research), and crystal structure.
• Engineering: There is overlap in the areas of mining and petroleum geology/engineering, materials studies, and groundwater studies.
• Maps: The Map Library houses most geology maps, including most USGS series and USGS topographic maps. Some USGS series and miscellaneous maps are housed in Government Documents.
• Government Documents: The Library of Michigan as a Depository Library receives the USGS publications/maps and sends most of them to MSU as part of a Selective Housing Agreement. In addition, MSU is a Depository Library in its own right, collecting approximately 80% of available materials. USGS monograph series, like USGS Bulletins and Professional Papers, are kept in Documents.
• Special Collections: Special Collections holds most of the rare, fragile, and unique items acquired during the first years of MSU’s history.
• Gull Lake Library (Kellogg Biological Station): There is some overlap of environmental and biogeochemistry materials.

Six other libraries within the state have substantial or significant geoscience collections (Directory of Geoscience Libraries, Geoscience Information Society, 1997).

• Detroit Public Library has a collection of approximately 19,800 volumes with 35 journals subscriptions. Broad geologic coverage.
• Eastern Michigan University has about 3,600 volumes including 37 current journals. Broad geologic coverage emphasize the Great Lakes area.
• Michigan Technological University integrates its geology materials within the main library; separate statistics not available.
• Wayne State University includes about 6,000 volumes and 80 current journals in its Science and Engineering Library.
• Western Michigan University integrated its geology materials into the main library in 1994. Approximately 12,000 volumes and 40 current journals are held.
• University of Michigan consolidated the old Natural Science Library into the Shapiro Science Library. The collection includes more than 60,000 volumes and 250 current journals. Paleontology materials housed in the Museum Library. Broad general coverage with specific emphases on hydrogeology, environmental & engineering geology, geophysics, marine geology, structure, soils and surficial geology.

The State Geological Survey of Michigan no longer officially has a library, as it was formally disbanded in the 1980s. Parts of its collection remain housed in different areas of the Geological Survey offices.

Other resource libraries include the Library of Michigan, the USGS Library in Reston, Virginia, the Library of Congress, and other Big 10 Libraries. University of Wisconsin, Penn State University, Indiana University and Ohio State University have especially useful collections.

Geology is governed by chronology and event sequencing. It derives a picture of the future and present Earth by looking at the processes and events of the past 4.6 billion years. Since development in the field is advancing rapidly, new research is extremely important, while retaining observations of the past.

Languages of Resources Collected: Exclusions/Emphases/Translations English is the primary language of materials acquired. Materials in other languages are acquired on a case-by-case basis. Many geologic maps of other nations are in the vernacular language and are appropriate to purchase.

Geology is a geographically-dependant science; that is to say, the geology of a given region is usually unique to that area because of the unique set of events and processes that occur in that place over the Earth's history. In general the highest priority is for Michigan, descending in importance with distance from Michigan. Secondary importance is in "geologically significant" areas. An area might be significant for its tectonic arrangement, economic resources (gems, petroleum, etc), stratigraphy, paleontology, mineralogy, or faculty interest. The collection also mirrors an overall MSU emphasis on Africana studies.

Internet-accessible format is the preferred format for new periodicals, with extreme caution paid to the quality of graphics in periodicals digitized after paper publication. Emphasis for monograph and map publications is on print materials. CD-ROM and software products are occasionally purchased as appropriate. Journal indexes are purchased exclusively in Internet-accessible format, usually via consortial agreements. Films will be considered for purchase when requested by Geological Sciences faculty for classroom viewing purposes.

Mostly current materials are acquired. Gaps in serial runs, monographic sets, maps and documents sets regardless of age will be actively pursued, especially for high priority areas such as the Great Lakes and areas of faculty interest. Many such gaps can be filled by alertly following geoscience collection trading on the GEONET listserv.

Accordingly, the collection intensities as defined by Research Libraries' Group (RLG) are listed below for each major grouping of call numbers. As with RLG, Level 1 refers to basic minimal coverage, Level 2 refers to basic and current information suitable for the layperson or basic undergraduate courses, Level 3 refers to instructional support adequate for most graduate research, Level 4 refers to advanced technical research support that is both current and historical, Level 5 refers to a comprehensive level of support where "the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness". (p. 16, Manual for the North American Inventory of Research Library Collections, Jan., 1985 edition). Please note that bibliographers in other subject areas may collect materials on these same topics at different intensity levels.

Subject Divisions

The Geology Librarian will evaluate gifts utilizing the Geological Sciences Collection Development Policy and for duplication, condition, and relevance to the instructional or research objectives.

Books, journals and maps meriting selection will go through the MSU Libraries gift process for formal acquisition. Materials not meeting selection criteria may be offered to other geoscience libraries in the US or Canada through GEONET-L and other contacts. Some materials will be offered to students and faculty via the "Free" in the Map Library or through the required University Surplus procedure. Materials unwanted by anyone or unable to be sold (such as US Depository items) will be recycled.

Because of the historical and research value of the older print materials, preservation is more of a concern in the geosciences than for some other areas of science. Older bound materials with regional or historical value should be retained and preserved where possible. Unique titles, especially those related to the Michigan Basin Collection, may require a higher level of preservation effort. Duplicate copies of the Michigan Basin titles should be retained to allow a circulating copy. Fortunately, the USGS and Canadian depository maps are a functional collection; they arrive folded within their own envelopes and are permitted to circulate. Archive copies are not required (unless the maps covers the Michigan Basin region in which case up to three copies will be retained). Extensive preservation of these maps is not indicated at this time because copies can be obtained through USGS though some maps are out-of-print. Also the entire 1:62,500 series of topographic sheets is no longer being produced. Copies of this series should be retained, with up to two duplicate copies retained for Michigan.

Special Note: The hand-colored glacial surface feature maps prepared by Stannard Berquist in the 1930’s and 1940’s represent a unique historical and geological treasure. The information contained within them cannot be replaced, and many of the features identified are no longer in existence. Because these maps were made using Frank Leverett’s field notes, they represent a totally unique source of geologic information that is not found anywhere else in the world, including USGS Reston. It will be a preservation priority to find resources to preserve the maps, the field notes and the paintings commissioned for the WPA.

In 1984/85, the MSU Libraries participated in the Research Libraries’ Group (RLG) Conspectus to identify and describe existing and current collection intensities. A detailed study of the QE collection in both Geology and the Main Libraries to ascertain the number and type of materials covered in each major category of the QE schedule was similarly completed in 1985.

Geographically the collection emphasized the United States and Canada; coverage of Europe varied from good for the UK to poor for much of the rest of Europe; other regions were covered at a level 1-2. Targeted subject priorities included: Mineralogy, petrology, structure, tectonics and geophysics, stratigraphy, invertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, sedimentology, glaciology, mining, and petroleum geology. Although the collection intensity of the Michigan Basin materials was rated a 4, the collection itself was suffering from loss of maps, gaps, patron use and abuse, predation, age, condition of specific pieces, and non-availability of items needing replacement. Languages were primarily restricted to English, although some Russian materials were collection because of the Siberian project.

Copies of both of these studies are found in the 2000 edition of the Geological Sciences Collection Development Policy, available from the MSU Libraries' Geology Bibliographer. Taken together, they accurately profile the geosciences collection as it existed in 1985.

Geology and Mineralogy have been taught at MSU since 1857, when they are first mentioned as senior coursed in an outline of the four-year course of study. The 1861 Catalogue of the State Agricultural College offers the following descriptions of the geosciences on page 21:

The studies in Mineralogy occupy about two months; and the course is sufficient to give the student knowledge of the general principals of the science, and to enable him to recognize the more frequently occurring minerals and those which have an economic value. A course of daily recitations in Geology, during the first half of the junior year, is fully illustrated by maps, diagrams, specimens, &c., and accompanied by familiar lectures on the relations of the science to Agriculture.

From 1900-1906, Geology 1 & 2 were offered as electives. The courses included both structural and historical geology, as well as an introduction to mineralogy and lithology. By 1905-06, Geology became a "Department of Instruction" within Michigan State Agricultural College. Interestingly enough, the geology instructors and course were originally grouped with Zoology and Physiology until 1929-30 when the Department of Geology & Geography was formed under Stannard Bergquist.

Bergquist came to MAC as an instructor in 1915-16, became Assistant Professor in 1923-24, and Associate Professor in 1929-30. Bergquist is largely responsible for the early development of both the geography and geology departments. Bergquist studied glacial geology under Leverett at the University of Michigan, worked closely with the State Geological Survey, and steered the department through the Depression and World War II. Under his leadership the geology and geography courses became full-fledged programs of study offering graduate degrees. He was able to obtain money for new faculty to develop the curriculum in both geography and geology, he helped plan the new Natural Science Building and was an able administrator during the nearly 40 years he served at MAC/MSU. He died in 1957.

By the 1930's in addition to general and introductory geology, the Department was offering courses in mineralogy and petrology, historical geology, structure, field methods and mapping, and mining geology. In 1950’s the new Natural Science Building came online after four years of construction at a cost of $3.6 million dollars. Geography and geology separated into individual departments in 1955.

In 1958 Chilton Prouty became Chair and was able to engineer substantial increases both in the quantity and quality of faculty and in the curriculum until he stepped down in 1970. Among Prouty's most notable accomplishments were hiring A.T. Cross and W. Hinze. These two men created the paleobotany and geophysics programs respectively, and were responsible for giving MSU an international reputation in palynology and a national reputation in geophysics. Hinze's work eventually led to the discovery of the Mid-Continent Rift system and the re-interpretation of early geologic history of the Michigan Basin.

In the following 30 years, under the stewardship of Bill Cambray, Bob Anstey, Tom Vogel, Michael Velbel, and Ralph Taggart, the Department has re-designed the curriculum away from mining and petroleum geology toward research associated with environmental geology, hydrogeology and hydrology of the Michigan Basin, development of low-temperature isotope geochemistry studies, including the new Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS), statistical modeling of fluid flow processes, and seismologic studies of tectonic processes.