Establishing a psychiatric library

The amount of information in the psychiatric field has increased to such an extent that a specialized library is an essential part of the mental health facility. Guidelines are presented for establishing a psychiatric library, including staffing, budgeting, physical layout, and selection and handling of books, reference materials, journals and annuals, microfilm and microfiche, and audiovisuals. The expertise of the librarian is the single most important factor in determining the quality of the collection and the services provided, the author believes. Because of escalating costs, developing a cooperative library network of small, specialized mental health collections may be the most productive course for the future.