Date: March 8, 1999

I. Program Description and Purpose of Collection:

The Mathematics Department offers a wide range of undergraduate courses including general education courses, upper level courses to develop the background necessary for other areas of study, and courses for mathematics majors which provide an integrated view of mathematics, a view of the interplay between the applied and the abstract, and the opportunity to participate in mathematical discovery.

The Department of Mathematics at the University of Louisville offers programs of study leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Science degrees. The department also offers minors in mathematics and in actuarial science, and courses for secondary teacher certification. The department requires 33 credit hours for the Bachelor of Arts programs, 42 credit hours for the Bachelor of Science, 21 credit hours for a minor in mathematics or actuarial mathematics, and 15 credit hours for the Master of Arts program. Secondary teacher certification in mathematics requires 12 credit hours in mathematics.

The purposes of the library collection in mathematics are: to support the coursework and research of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels; to support the work of staff in the Department of Mathematics; and to support the instruction and research of the faculty in the department.

The Department of Mathematics currently has 26 faculty, two visiting faculty, and one technician.

Library collections in mathematics are also available at the University of Kentucky, University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Tennessee.

II. Description and Analysis of Current Collection:

Subjects covered within the Mathematics program at the University of Louisville include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, mathematical logic, probability and statistics, analysis, number theory, numerical methods, modeling, combinatorics and graph theory, functional equations, complex variables, group theory, topology, problem solving, theory of interest, actuarial mathematics, mathematics for behavioral and social sciences, teaching of mathematics, and history of mathematics.

Basic materials purchased mathematics include periodicals, serials, and monographs (books). Reference materials purchased include encyclopedia, dictionaries, handbooks and tables, indexes and abstracts. Textbooks and conference proceedings may be added when received as gifts. Solutions manuals and study guide that accompany textbooks may be placed on class reserve at the request of an instructor.

The collection is almost entirely in print format. Back volumes of some periodicals are held in microform. Major indexes and abstracts are available as electronic databases. In general, only materials in English are purchased. Emphasis is given to materials published within the past 4-5 years, and to classics in the field.

Current Subscriptions/Standing Orders:

* First title given is that of the CD-ROM version. The second title is that of the WEB

version. Title in parentheses is the name of the print version.

*In future years, a full report of expenditures will be available for Mathematics. In 1997/98, the total expenditures for subscriptions and standing orders for all departments supported by the Kersey Library was $1,132,590.

V. Resource Sharing:

The libraries have resource sharing agreements with several regional and national consortia: Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET); Metroversity (Louisville area libraries); the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL); State Assisted Library Consortium of Kentucky (SAALCK). The primary resource sharing service is Interlibrary Loan, available at the Ekstrom and Kornhauser Libraries. The Libraries also can take advantage of discounted pricing for many electronic databases, through membership in consortia. In 1999, the Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual Library is going to become available, providing statewide access to a core set of electronic databases.