Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Liaison: Carol Brinkman (csbrin01@gwise.louisville.edu), Kersey Library

Date: March 8, 1999

I. Program Description and Purpose of Collection:

Mechanical Engineering involves the study of energy and mechanical systems directed toward the solution of contemporary mechanical engineering problems.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Louisville’s Speed Scientific School offers programs of study leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science, Master of Engineering, and Master of Science. A proposal for a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering is currently under review. The department requires 30 credit hours for the Masters programs.

The purposes of the library collection in mechanical engineering 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 Mechanical Engineering; to support the instruction and research of the Mechanical Engineering faculty; and to support the needs of practicing engineers for continuing education and work-related information.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering currently has 10 faculty and one technicians.

Library collections in Mechanical Engineering are also available at the University of Kentucky, University of Cincinnati and the University of Tennessee.

II. Description and Analysis of Current Collection:

Major specialties within the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Louisville are product development, advanced design, rapid prototying, concurrent engineering, computer aided design and engineering, optimum design methods, product safety and reliability, biomechanics and bioengineering, kinematics and kinetics of human movement, human biodynamics, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Related subject areas important to the program in Mechanical Engineering are numerical and complex analysis, partial differential equations, finite elements, numerical methods, probability and statistics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, internal combustion and internal combustion engines, energy conversion, nuclear engineering, turbomachinery, tribology, fluid mechanics, mechanics of solids, rigid body dynamics, theory of plates and shells, control system design, hard and soft tissue mechanics, biological materials, robotics, noise and vibration control, stress analysis, air pollution, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Basic materials purchased in mechanical engineering 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, although many print materials contain accompanying computer discs. 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.

Faculty submit recommended materials for the library to purchase through their department representative to the Kersey Library User’s Group.

	TYPE	FORMAT	LANGUAGE	DATE
Primary Collecting	Basic Collection: Monographs Serials Periodicals Reference works: Encyclopedias Dictionaries Handbooks & tables Indexes & abstracts	Print Electronic Video	English	Current 4-5 years Classics & other major works regardless of publication date.
Secondary Collecting	Biographies Histories Bibliographies Directories Standards General reference works	Microform Audio	Japanese, Chinese, Russian & some European languages for important works not in English.
Gifts only	Textbooks Popular works Conference proceedings (Solution manuals & study guides may be places on class reserve)			Based on holdings

III. Classifications and Recommended Level of Development:

CLASSIFICATIONS	SUBJECT AREA	TITLES HELD	TARGET LEVEL
QA 273-939	Probability, Analysis Mathematical Statistics	6,331	Undergraduate
QC 251-319	Heat	259	Graduate
QP 303	Biomechanics	37	Research
T 351-385	Mechanical Drawing, Engineering Graphics	226	Undergraduate
TA 329-348	Engineering Mathematics and Analysis	309	Undergraduate
TA 349-360	Mechanics of Engineering, Applied Mechanics	297	Graduate
TA 401-492	Engineering Materials	1,038	Research
TH 6014-7975	Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning	185	Graduate
TJ 1-1345	Mechanical Engineering and Machinery	2,143	Research
TK 9001-9401	Nuclear Engineering & Atomic Power	252	Graduate
TL 1-4050	Motor Vehicles, Rockets Aeronautics, Astronautics	1,260	Undergraduate
TS 155-194	Production Management	1,083	Research

Total Titles: 13,420

Total Volumes (estimated):

Current Subscriptions/Standing Orders:

Electronic Resources:

TITLE* FORMAT AVAILABLE AT U OF L

TITLE	PRINT	CD-ROM	WEB
COMPENDEX & CPXNET (Engineering Index)	-X-		-X-
Thermodynamics Research Center Index (TRC)	-X-	-X-
INSPEC (Science Abstracts: Computer & Control Abstracts, Electrical & Electronic Abstracts, Physics Abstracts)	-X-	-X-
MATHSCI & MATHSCINET (Mathematical Reviews)	-X-		-X-
WEB OF SCIENCE (Science Citation Index)	-X-		-X-

* 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.

The libraries have a large collection of electronic resources. For more information about resources supporting this field of study and research, please visit the Libraries’ Research Center web site:

http://www.louisville.edu/library/research/

IV. Expenditures Summary:

Fiscal Year	Books	Subscriptions/	Electronic	Other	Total
		Standing orders*		Media

1997/98	2,656.58				2,656.58
1996/97	5,391.65				5,391.65
1995/96	5,457.82				5,457.82
1994/95	5,644.40				5,644.40
1993/94	5,358.77				5,358.77
Total	24,509.22				24,509.22

In future years, a full report of expenditures will be available for Mechanical Engineering. 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.