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1. Purpose of the collection
The Library collects in the fields of Geographical Sciences and Planning primarily to support the teaching and research needs of the School of Geography, Planning and Architecture. Resources in this area are also used to a varying extent by other schools in the University, including School of social Science, School of Life Sciences and School of Physical Sciences.
2. Primary user groups served
The Library buys geographical sciences material to support the needs of the following primary user groups:
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students of the School of Geography, Planning and Architecture. Areas of teaching include:
- Environmental processes and management, including climatology, biogeography and geomorphology.
- Regional and urban analysis and policy, including an understanding of theories of urban form and structure, basic analytical and methodology skills for urban and regional models and policy making process for urban and regional planning and governance.
- Geographic information systems and remote sensing, including GIS and their management, remote sensing, basic surveying, spatial analysis and computer cartography.
- Planning and development with core studies in planning theory, process and practice, valuation principles and property appraisal, and specific strengths in heritage and urban design, tourism, environmental planning, developing countries and the application of geographic information systems.
- Research needs of staff and postgraduate students in the School of Geography, Planning and Architecture. Areas of research include:
- Environmental processes and management, including environmental studies, environmental inventory and quality monitoring, impact assessment, information management for catchment management planning and floodplain management.
- Urban and regional analysis, including economic and urban geography, location theory, rural land use and settlement, population studies, applied demography.
- GIS and remote sensing, including soft photogrammetry, image classification and processing, data integration and data modelling.
- Urban and regional planning and development which includes environmental planning and impact assessment, tourism and heritage conservation, planning methodologies, property studies and real estate and development.
The school also has one research unit and three research centres:
- Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI)
- Environmental Management Centre (EMC)
- Applied Population Research Unit (APRU)
- Australian Key Centre in Land Information Studies (AKCLIS)
3. Description of existing collection
The Library has a varied collection in this area. Material housed in the Social Sciences and Humanities Library includes general geography, cartography, geomorphology and geographical history in both monographs and journals. A large selection of material on environmental processes and management, and remote sensing can be found in a number of other Library branches. The majority of the collection for planning and property studies is housed in the Architecture/Music Library. The Dorothy Hill Physical Sciences and Engineering Library and the Gatton Library also house material of interest in this area. This includes urban transportation, resources management and outdoor recreation. A comprehensive reference collection includes a wide range of bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopaedias and indexes. There are also a range of electronic databases available that are relevant to the study of geographical sciences and planning. These include GeoRef, Geobase, Architectural Periodicals Index, Avery, Urbadisc, Austrom and Heritage and Environment. Access is also supplied to relevant interdisciplinary databases.
4. Interdisciplinary relationships
1. Related subject areas
The majority of courses are administered by the Faculty of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture. Resources for Geographical Sciences are collected primarily in the Social Sciences and Humanities Library, while resources for Planning and Property Studies are collected in the Architecture and Music Library. The geographical sciences and planning collection is supported by titles in architecture, commerce and economics, sociology, government and law.
5. Scope of current collecting
1. Languages collected
The bulk of the collection is in English, though no languages are excluded.
2. Geographical areas collected
No geographical area is specifically excluded. The emphasis is on:
- Australia
- Asia/Pacific area generally
- Developing countries
3. Chronological periods collected
No chronological periods are specifically excluded although the emphasis is on the present.
4. Types (formats) of material collected
No types of material are excluded. The emphasis is on journal and monograph literature
5. Publication dates
The emphasis is on collecting recent publications. Older publications may be purchased to support teaching and research.
6. Special considerations
The School of Geography, Planning and Architecture is unique in Queensland, and Australia, in combining in one school the disciplines of geography and geographic information science (GIS) with urban and regional planning, real estate and development, and environmental management.
7. Conspectus
There is an excellent (level 4) worldwide coverage for geological maps and complementary topographical maps. Thematic maps and some other genres (eg. road maps and city maps) are little collected but there is a level 4 coverage of Australian material. Atlases score at level 1b.
General geography monographs and periodicals, cartography as well as geographical history and geomorphology (both periodicals and monographs) score at level 3b. Mathematical geography, physical geography and remote sensing score at level 2b, the latter being stronger in periodicals than either monographs or conferences. Physical geography is strongest in the Australian area. There are rich holdings of national serials in the area of North American regional geomorphology, but less reliable for state publications and diminishing coverage of monographs (level 3b). Central and South American geomorphology approaches level 3b, but has weaknesses in monographs and locally published material. There is a considerable strength in British material for c 1850-1975 and a few major periodical sets for continental Europe (level 3a). Regional geomorphology for Africa and Asia approaches level 3b, with monographs collection diminishing. Polar region geomorphology approaches level 4, for the Antarctic region. The tropics score at level 3a.
The description, evolution and environment of coasts scores at level 3b, with Australian material strongest, Reefs and islands score at level 3a overall, but reefs come close to a level 4 and Australian reefs definitely score level 4. Deserts and other arid regions score level 3a, with Australian material strongest. Mountains and other natural landforms and terrains score at level 2a. General hydrology scores at level 3a, as does geochemistry and regional hydrology for all areas except Central and South American (level 2a). There is reasonable coverage for Australia, but little for New Zealand.
Oceanography (general, methodology, history, research), both monographs and periodicals, along with sea levels, estuaries and seawater all score at level 3a. Chemical and physical oceanography along with dynamics of the ocean, all score at level 3b. Material on individual oceans (including the Pacific) all score at level 2b. Marine resources and pollution score at level 3a.
Meteorology, air mass, atmosphere and rainfall all score at level 3a, with clouds scoring level 2b, largely due to a very weak monograph collection. Weather forecasting and modification score level 2b, climatology level 3a and wind 1a (strongest in Australian material).
The overall rating for the collection in regional and town planning is 3aE with the Australian collection rated as 3b. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this area the collection for these subjects covers a much greater range than that listed under regional planning in Conspectus. Included in this area is urban design, which scores at 3aE and landscape gardening and architecture at 2B. Parks and public reservation is rated fairly strongly at 3B.
The majority of material collected in the areas of Geographical Sciences is in the English language (E). However, there are some areas with a selection of material in other languages (F). They include:
- Atlases and Maps
- Cartography
- Geomorphology
- Dynamics of the ocean
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