Subject Area: Social Work
The social work collection at the Robert W. Woodruff Library supports the curricula of the Whitney M. Young Jr., School of Social Work programs at Clark Atlanta University. Material on social work is purchased in support of the undergraduate and graduate programs, namely, the Bachelor of Social Work, the Master of Social Work, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work Policy Planning and Administration and Social Science programs. The major areas of emphasis include social welfare and policy, clinical social work / practice, research and statistics, human behavior and intervention strategies. Utilization of other subject areas such as the health sciences public administration and education is extensive for the field of social work and appropriate coverage is provided through collaboration with fellow selectors.
Languages
English is the primary language of selected materials but materials in other languages will be selected when requested by the department.
Chronological Coverage
There are no chronological limitations and collecting will continue to support areas of significant interests among faculty and students.
Geographical Coverage
The social work collection supports the research needs of faculty and students, from resources covering the local, state, and national to global areas.
Scope
The field of social work is committed to the prevention and resolution of problems on levels including the individual, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Emphasis is placed on preserving the heritage of African-American people. The library collection aims to support the research needs at these multitudinal levels.
Research monographs are the primary focus. Textbooks are purchased selectively according to reading list. E-books are purchased if available. Research journals are acquired to support curricular or research needs. Journal subscriptions are reviewed on a regular basis. Usage data (where available) and journal impact factors are used to inform decision-making on journal subscriptions. Electronic journal subscriptions are preferred over print. Current subscriptions to abstracting and indexing services are electronic. A paper copy of the thesis or dissertations is archived and a copy is placed in the Library’s open access repository. Media is acquired upon request
Students and faculty have access to the online and print resources in Social Work. Social Work is interdisciplinary and draws from psychology, sociology, politics criminology, economics, ecology, education health, law, philosophy anthropology, counseling and psychotherapy. Members of faculty are given the opportunity to recommend books, journals, and electronic databases. Students and faculty are able to select electronic books appropriate to the Social Work curriculum through the Demand Driven Acquisitions model.
Texts for practitioners are not collected unless required for a specific course.
