The collections at Dana Biomedical Library cover the scope of research and curriculum needs of faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences with emphases on biochemistry, ecology, evolution, genetics and molecular and cellular biology. Continuing faculty interest in botany, ecology, zoology, and marine invertebrates have required the collection in these areas remain strong and worldwide in scope, though emphasis is placed on North American environments. Several of the Dartmouth libraries might collect material that is relevant to biological research. See the policy statements for Agriculture , Anthropology , Business Administration , Chemistry , Earth Sciences , Engineering , Environmental Studies, Geography , History of Science, Medical Sciences , Psychology, and for United States Government Documents and other policies for collecting government documents, all of which indicate areas of common interest. If materials in other languages are collected they must generally contain information not readily available in English.
Early works are often in Latin.
Much of the material in biology describes subjects which are independent of geography. The collection includes not only current material in biology, but rare and antiquarian materials as well. Some attempt is made to strengthen and focus the collection in these areas where the Dartmouth materials have some national importance. The emphasis on recent materials does not extend to descriptions of biological and ecological regions, descriptions of species, and field guides. The emphasis is on subscriptions to journals and other serial literature.