Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Public Health

Purpose or Scope of Collection

A. Curricular, Research, and Programmatic Needs

The primary purpose of the public health collection of the MSU Libraries is to support the research, teaching, and information needs of students and faculty in the interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Public Health, as well as the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.  The level of support is mostly through the Masters level for MPH students, with support at the PhD and postdoctoral levels for Epidemiology and Biostatistics. (The public health program also offers one class for undergraduates, HM 101, or Introduction to Public Health. This course is supported by the public health collection as well). Materials related to toxicology are also purchased as part of this collection, and the level of support in this subject area is at the PhD and postdoctoral levels, for programs in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Additionally, the public health collection supports students and faculty from related fields and programs, including the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (particularly those programs related to environmental studies), the College of Human Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Parts of the public health collection are also used by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty/staff from allied health and the humanities.

B. History of the Collection, Existing Strengths and Emphasis

Although the public health program at MSU officially began with three online courses in the Fall of 2008, materials that support many areas of the discipline have been collected since the 1960s for use by students, staff, and faculty members in the Colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine. In particular, the research and teaching needs of the students and faculty in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, established in 1987 within the College of Human Medicine, have driven the MSU Libraries collection efforts in public health. Topics of interest to this constituency have included biostatistics, the biological origins of disease, and the impact of social, economic and environmental conditions on human health.

Research in new areas and continued emphasis on the current areas of research will be emphasized.

Last updated

Chana Kraus-Friedberg, 7/19/23