Community and Clientele
The WMSC Library is located at the University of Southern California’s Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, twenty-two miles off the coast of Los Angeles.  WMSC’s primary mission is to support research in the marine and environmental sciences.  In addition, the facility supports undergraduate education programs, K-12 educational outreach, and Elderhostel programs.

The WMSC Library supports the research needs of its patrons at the following levels:

• USC faculty, staff, students, researchers—complete support for all research needs through onsite monograph and reference collection, access to USC’s online resources, and full document delivery services
• non-USC faculty, students, researchers— partial support through access to onsite resources; limited access to document delivery on a recharge basis
• K-12 teachers and students—partial support through access to onsite resources
• Elderhostel— partial support through access to onsite resources

The WMSC Library collects primarily monographs.  Atlases, maps, and government documents are collected on a very selective basis.  Access to the Information Services Division’s networked electronic resources is provided, but electronic resources are not collected solely for use at WMSC.  The library does not collect newspapers, periodicals, serials (except select annuals), microforms, audio-visual materials, pictures, pamphlets, manuscripts or archival material, government documents, CD-ROMs, realia, or specimens.  Retrospective items will generally not be collected, unless they are deemed of significant research or reference value to the WMSC community as a whole.

The Library collects duplicate copies of items where heavy use is anticipated (e.g., field guides, diving manuals).

Document Delivery
Document delivery for items not available at the WMSC Library is available through ISD’s Global Express.  The service is free for USC-affiliated researchers, staff, and students.  Borrowers must abide by all Global Express rules (library cards are available to USC affiliates by contacting the WMSC librarian).

Materials will generally be delivered twice a week.  Global Express will deliver materials to the offices of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, and the WIES staff will be responsible for ensuring delivery to individuals on Catalina.  Materials must be requested at least two working days before the next shipment to the island.

Circulation Policy
Materials are circulated on a self check-out system.  Materials of significant interest to large numbers of people will be labeled "Reference" and shelved separately.  It is expected that these materials will remain in the library at all times.

WMSC materials will not be paged back to the USC campus, and SIRSI records will indicate "no loan."

Selection of Materials
Selection responsibility lies with the Head Librarian of Hancock Library upon the advice and recommendation of the WMSC community.

Materials are acquired and processed by ISD’s IDOR group or Hancock Library, as appropriate.  Materials are given the location CATALINA, a sublocation of Hancock Library.

Gifts will be added to the collection only if they fit the collection’s stated parameters.  Acceptance of gifts does not guarantee either addition to the collection or permanent custody.  Unwanted or unneeded gift materials will be subject to disposal at the discretion of the librarian.

Evaluation and Deselection
The collection will be evaluated annually for quality and usefulness.  Materials will be aggressively deselected to conserve space and make room for new materials.  Materials will be subject to removal for the following reasons: unnecessary duplication, obsolescence, availability of a newer edition, poor physical condition, or availability of other materials on the subject.

In general, deselected books will be sent to ISD’s main storage facility at the University Park Campus (if the sole copy in the collection) or will be discarded (if a duplicate copy already exists in the system).

Appendix A: Details of Subject Areas Collected
 

A General Works
    Selectively collect encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs and directories.
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion.
    Not collected.
C Auxiliary Sciences of History.
    Not collected.
D History and Topography (except America).
    Selectively collect in following areas: Australia and Oceania.
E America and U.S. (general).
    Selectively collect in following areas: Pacific Coast, Southern California, Caribbean, coastal islands, Hawaii.
F United States (local) and America except the U.S.
    Selectively collect in following areas: Pacific Coast, Southern California, Caribbean, coastal islands, Hawaii.
G Geography. Maps. Anthropology. Recreation.
    Selectively collect atlases, maps, physical geography, oceanography, human ecology, diving, boating,
    tourism and the environment.
H Social Sciences.
    Selectively collect in following areas: general social sciences, statistics, environment.
J Political Science.
    Selectively collect  in following areas: environmental policy and law, international marine and
    environmental agreements, law of the sea.
K Law.
    Selectively collect in following areas: environmental policy and law, international marine and
    environmental agreements, law of the sea.
L Education.
    Selectively collect in following areas: science education, use of technology in education.
M  Music.
    Not collected.
N Fine Arts.
    Selectively collect scientific illustration.
P Literature and Languages.
    Selectively collect translation dictionaries for foreign languages.
Q Science.
    Selectively collect general works in all fields with emphasis on marine and environmental sciences.
R Medicine.
    Selectively collect in following areas: first aid, diving medicine.
S Agriculture. Plant and Animal Industry.
    Selectively collect in following areas: sea pharmacology, natural products chemistry, aquaculture, fisheries.
T Technology.
    Selectively collect in following areas: general technology, environmental technology,
    environmental risk, photography.
U Military Science.
    Not collected.
V Naval Science.
    Selectively collect in following areas: navigation, shipbuilding.
Z Books, Bibliography and Library Science.
    Not collected.

Pages maintained by: Melissa A. Wong
Last Updated: 10 November 1998