- A. Curricular/Research/Programmatic Needs
The Gull Lake Library collection serves the needs of the research faculty, their postdoctoral and graduate students and technical staff, several research associates and adjunct researchers. Each faculty member maintains an active research program, much of which is funded by the National Science Foundation and other outside funding sources. The station is an LTER site (Long Term Ecological Reserve - NSF). Therefore, visiting scientists make use of the facilities to carry on research for short or longer periods of time. The station offers summer session programs in biological field courses each year. The programs attract 100 graduate and upper level undergraduate students. The courses are taught by resident and visiting faculty. The Gull Lake Library collection serves the needs of these students and their teachers. The collection also serves the general information needs of the other units of the Kellogg Biological Station, ie: the Bird Sanctuary, the Forest, the Dairy/Farm and the Extension unit. The Gull Lake Library is in a modern facility designed to hold approximately 15,000 volumes. The emphasis is on current journals and selected monographs which support the current research interests at the station.
The Kellogg Biological Station is highly active and successful in securing grant funding for research in all areas of agricultural, ecological, animal and plant science research. Research areas, topics, and methodologies in the department vary widely, from crops to cattle to ornithology to sustainability. Research data is both quantitative and qualitative in nature.
- B. History of the Collection/Existing Strengths and Emphases
Summer programs in field biology were taught for many years at the station. The first director of the station, Dr. Walter F. Morofsky, was an entomologist with MSU. The library has a strong historical entomology collection. Early Bird Sanctuary research and teaching led to a good waterfowl collection. Once the year round research station was established in 1965, and the branch library was established, a strong research program in limnology was begun, and that has continued. The collection reflects this emphasis. Currently there are strong research progams in limnology, microbial ecology, plant ecology, agricultural ecology, fish ecology and vertebrate behavioral ecology. Most of the Gull Lake Library collection duplicates the Main Library collection. Some newer journals are located only at Gull Lake Library.
