The library collects monographs, monographic series, reference books, and journals, with the main focus being the journal collection. Symposium and colloquium proceedings are bought only on request, except for those that come via society subscription. The library does not generally collect theses or dissertations by authors other than Tulane students, patents, technical reports, standards or specifications. Video- recordings may be purchased upon request of faculty members.
To broaden accessibility, journals are sought online when this format is available. Print may be cancelled to reduce costs when ownership of the online version is assured and the image quality is adequate. Online access that requires additional costs with a print subscription will be sought selectively within the amount budgeted for geology journals. Monographs and other types are generally purchased as printed text. Other formats are considered, especially when the alternative format would improve access or utility. Most scientific abstracting and indexing sources are available as databases searchable online. The library rarely maintains a subscription to both the print and the database version of an index, although the volumes previous to the existence of the database are always retained.
