Subject Librarian: Dana Craig
Programmes Supported and Description of Current Collection
The Libraries' collections in Environmental Studies support teaching and research from the undergraduate through to the doctoral level. The Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES), the largest programme supported, offers programmes leading to the degrees of Bachelor in Environmental Studies (BES), Master in Environmental Studies (MES), and Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies (PhD). FES is committed to the broadest definition of "environment" and offers a wide range of study covering the natural, built, organizational and social environments. Undergraduate theme concentrations include four areas: Environmental Policy and Action; Nature, Technology and Society; Human Settlement and Population; and Global Development, Peace and Justice. FES offers the largest graduate programme of its kind in Canada. The MES programme operates on an individual plan of study for each student. There is also a joint degree programme (MES/LLB) between the Faculty of Environmental Studies and Osgoode Hall Law School. At the doctoral level, the two fields of specialization in FES are: Nature, Culture, and Society (which is concerned with the philosophical and ethical characteristics of the relationship between human society and the totality of nature, of which humans themselves are a part); and Environments, Institutions, and Interventions (which focuses on the relationships between human institutional frameworks and the social and cultural construction of human environments).
In addition to the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Libraries' collections in Environmental Studies support many other academic programmes in the University, such as La w, Political Science, Sociology, Administrative Studies, Economics and Geography. They also support interdisciplinary research units, such as the Institute for Social Research, Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean, Centre for Refugee Studies, and Centre for Health Studies.
Description of Current Collection
The Libraries' collections in Environmental Studies reflect a wide range and diversity of subject materials. Areas of concentration range from philosophy (environmental thought) to applied areas (urban / regional / rural planning) and through to the natural sciences (ecology). The Libraries have strong social science, science and government document collections which all help to support this broad field of study. (See Related Collections and Policies).
Related Collections at York
Scholars and students in the field of Environmental Studies make extensive use of the map and atlas collections located in the Map Library and the film and video collections located in the Sound and Moving images Library.
They also rely heavily on government publications and legal sources. These areas are covered by the Business and Government Publications Library, the Steacie Science Library, and the Law Library. The government documents collection in the Business and Government Publications Library provides extensive research materials for both current and retrospective topics, and supports teaching and research in areas such as resource management, public policy, international development, resource planning, human settlements, urbanization, technological change, and regional development. Emphasis is on Canada and the provinces, Great Britain, United States, United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, International Labour Organization, and the European Communities. The Steacie Science collection includes Canadian government publications on atmospheric pollution, biology and ecology. The Law Library's collection provides materials which support the study of the legal aspects of environmental issues in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the European Community countries.
Reference works are acquired by bibliographers in the Scott and Steacie Science Reference Departments.
The natural sciences and earth sciences also form an integral part of Environmental Studies. Materials, such as ecology, pollution, biological conservation, and waste management are usually acquired by the Steacie Science bibliographer and are located in the Steacie Science Library.
Environmental Studies overlaps considerably with other social science collection areas, such as economics, geography, political science, philosophy, sociology, health, women studies and native studies. The focus of the work is the deciding factor for questionable items.
Languages
English language publications dominate the collection. Faculty requests for items in other languages are usually acquired.
Publications are acquired from Canada, the United St ates, and Great Britain. Environmental Studies cannot be defined geographically as the programme includes global studies; however, there is a pronounced interest in North America, the developing Third World areas, Great Britain and Europe.
Chronology is not applicable.
Students and scholars in Environmental Studies are usually interested in current publications.
Apart from the Frost Library, duplication of Environmental Studies materials in other collections in the York Libraries is rare. Additional copies are acquired if there is demand, or if circulation assessments indicate a need.
Gifts are accepted as need dictates.
There is no relegation or weeding at this time.
- The collection is, for the most part, in paper format. Where possible, paperbacks are selected over hardbacks.
- All major journals in English are acquired.
- Theses and dissertations are purchased very selectively in subjects that are of general interest. They are bought in paper format.
- CD-ROMS are also being added to the collection. The Steacie Science Library, for example, has acquired Biological Abstracts and the Science Citation Index.
- The Libraries also have access to online database services, such as BRS, CAN/OLE, Dialog Information Services, IDRC (International Development Research Centre), STN International and OCLC that help to support research and teaching functions in the University.
Resources Elsewhere in the Toronto Region
On campus, students and scholars in Environmental Studies make extensive use of the FES Resource Centre, the Institute for Social Research and the York University Computing Services. Off campus, researchers use the Roberts Library, University of Toronto, the Ryerson Polytechnic University Library, the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library and the libraries of the Provincial Government and, depending on individual research needs, the many specialized libraries in the Toronto area.
Collecting levels for other aspects of Environmental Studies are found in other collection policies. (For example, Environmental Economics is included in Economics, and the science related aspects are included in Biology and in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences).
Last updated 1994