"GEODYNAMICS": THE CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GEOSCIENCE DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR LIBRARIES

In the last decade a number of developments have contributed to a change in the relationship between geoscience branch/departmental libraries and the departments they serve. These developments include the rapid and accelerating advancements in technology, continuing changes in the nature of the geoscience disciplines and trends within institutions of higher education. In some distinct ways, the changes in the relationship between branch libraries and the departments they serve vary. Today's geoscience collections can be found in a variety of administrative structures: within a centralized library, as a separate departmental library, or in a combined science library (i.e., physics-geoscience library). Changes within academic departments have a powerful effect on branch/departmental libraries in areas such as space allocations, staff needs, and service requirements. These areas have been examined in isolation in a number of publications. Through the eyes of one librarian, this study examines one library and compares and contrasts it to the experiences of other geoscience branch/departmental libraries over the past decade. It will focus on the changing relationship between the libraries and the departments they serve.