Distinct emphasis is placed on conventional, printed books. Dissertations are ordered from UMI upon request, but are not actively sought. It is the librarian's responsibility to select additions and deletions from the collection, both through scanning publishers' catalogs and from suggestions from the faculty. Suggestions for purchases are strongly encouraged. Journals Journals are acquired through subscription, donation, and exchange agreement.
Emphasis is placed on printed, peer-review scientific journals.
Some popular scientific journals are also collected for younger patrons and local users. Juvenile collections Materials for children are housed in the library for use by families of faculty and staff, as well as the local community. These items are acquired by gift or donation. However, some representative reference works for juveniles on marine science subjects may be purchased at the discretion of the librarian. Reprints Historically, reprint collections were the mainstay of the BBSR library.