Faculty communication
December 2008
This email was sent to Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Science from Jenny Ellis, Richard Frampton and Mick Serena.
To: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Faculty of Science
From: Jenny Ellis, Acting University Librarian
Richard Frampton, General Manager, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Mick Serena, Deputy Principal and General Manager, Construction, Property & Campus Services
Date: 11 December, 2008
Subject: Redevelopment of Brownless Biomedical Library, 2009
The University has committed to the redevelopment of the Brownless Biomedical Library to create a library learning centre that is co-located with the MDHS/ Biomedicine Student Centre. This redevelopment will provide students with greatly improved library and learning environments, as well as a single location for their enquiries. The Brownless Biomedical Library currently houses the Medical History Museum as well as the biomedical and some science collections of the University Library. When the building also incorporates the MDHS Student Centre, it will be an important centre for students and other users.
The purpose of this communication is to inform the Faculty of two important issues arising from the construction of these facilities.
1. Library Closure
If the Student Centre is to be relocated into the Brownless Library as soon as possible in 2009, it will be necessary to close the Brownless Library at a date to be advised. This date has not yet been set. The Library will communicate clear arrangements for gaining access to collections during the period of the closure once the dates for closure have been confirmed.
Medical History Museum
During the construction period, there will not be access to the Medical History Museum. Clear communication will be given once the dates of the closure are known.
2. Permanent off-site storage of selected journals
In order to accommodate these new facilities (including the student centre), the library needs to move a significant part of the journal collection to permanent off-campus storage. Journals to be transferred to off-site storage fall into two categories:
v Titles with a complete electronic archive. This category includes various core titles (e.g. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Clinical Investigation).
v Low use titles, as determined by age and relevance to Parkville based departments.
The remainder of the journal collection will transfer to compactus storage in the Biomedical Library basement. The History of Medicine book collection will also be housed in the Biomedical Library compactus.
An estimate of the anticipated impact of the journal movement project on various fields is shown below.
Journal Subject Field |
Total Collection Shelves |
Percentage of collection |
Shelves moving to off campus storage |
Percentage of collection moved to off campus storage |
Anatomy and cell biology |
233 |
4.3% |
88.05 |
37.9% |
Anaesthesiology |
23 |
0.4% |
13 |
55.9% |
Biochemistry and molecular biology |
496 |
9.3% |
193.45 |
39.0% |
Biology, ecology and biotechnology |
269 |
4.7% |
86.1 |
32.0% |
Botany |
422 |
7.9% |
69.1 |
16.4% |
Cancer and oncology |
99 |
1.8% |
52.25 |
52.8% |
Cardiology, hematology and cardiovascular system |
130 |
2.4% |
52.8 |
40.5% |
Dentistry and maxillofacial surgery |
224 |
4.2% |
74.35 |
33.2% |
Endocrinology |
86 |
1.6% |
35.75 |
41.5% |
Gastroenterology |
37 |
0.7% |
21.7 |
58.7% |
Genetics |
126 |
2.4% |
31.45 |
24.9% |
Infectious diseases |
31 |
0.6% |
11.65 |
37.9% |
Medicine, dermatology, geriatrics, tropical medicine, rheumatology and other specialities |
821 |
15.0% |
311.3 |
37.9% |
Microbiology and immunology |
265 |
4.9% |
107.3 |
40.6% |
Neuroscience and neurology |
284 |
5.3% |
115.9 |
40.8% |
Nursing |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
Obstetrics and gynaecology |
55 |
1.0% |
27.5 |
50.2% |
Ophthalmology |
33 |
0.6% |
17 |
51.8% |
Otolaryngology |
15 |
0.3% |
5.3 |
36.6% |
Paediatrics |
54 |
1.0% |
31.4 |
57.8% |
Pathology and laboratory medicine |
131 |
2.5% |
55.15 |
42.0% |
Pharmacology and therapeutics |
211 |
3.9% |
78.15 |
37.1% |
Physiology |
272 |
5.1% |
99.8 |
36.7% |
Physiotherapy and sports medicine |
33 |
0.6% |
3.95 |
12.1% |
Psychiatry, clinical psychology |
74 |
1.4% |
21.15 |
28.6% |
Public health |
148 |
2.7% |
77.75 |
52.7% |
Radiology |
72 |
1.3% |
45.6 |
63.5% |
Respiratory system |
40 |
0.7% |
14.5 |
36.2% |
Science |
115 |
2.2% |
32.55 |
28.4% |
Surgery |
216 |
4.0% |
107.15 |
49.6% |
Zoology |
303 |
5.9% |
54.2 |
17.9% |
Agriculture and food science |
12 |
0.2% |
5.9 |
49.6% |
Other |
9 |
0.2% |
3.7 |
41.6% |
Unknown (mostly medicine) |
43 |
0.8% |
0 |
0.0% |
Slide Collection |
18 |
|
17.7 |
100.0% |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
5400 |
100.0% |
1962.6 |
36.3% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Medicine |
4353.9 |
80.6% |
1689.2 |
38.8% |
Science |
1045.7 |
19.4% |
273.4 |
26.1% |
|
|
|
|
|
Contacts
Detailed titles lists proposed for storage will be sent out shortly for consideration by academic staff. Contact Lynne Horwood lynnemh@ unimelb.edu.au Tel : 8344 3697 for further information.
Project Summary
Plans for the redevelopment of the Brownless BioMedical Library include flexible spaces suitable for group and quiet study. It is envisaged that the ground floor of the library will be redesigned to become an active and collaborative study area, incorporating high use and open access reserve materials. This floor will have the potential to have 24/7 access. The first floor of the library will be redesigned to accommodate the Student Centre, library staff offices and some informal study areas for students. The second floor will continue to house the Medical History Museum and book collections, but will be reconfigured to provide improved quiet study zones and graduate discussion rooms. Increased and improved student IT facilities will be provided on all floors.