The amount of information in the psychiatricfield has increased to such an extent that a specialized library is an essential part of the mental health facility. Guidelines are presented for establisbing 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 importantfactor in determining the quality of the collection and the services provided, the author believes. Because ofescalating costs, developing a cooperative library network of small, specialized mental health collections may be the most productive coursefor the future.
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