Gruhn History of Medicine Collection Loyola Health Sciences Library I. Background, purpose and scope of the Gruhn Collection The Gruhn History of Medicine Collection is a special collection of monographs; the collection was founded by the gift of the personal library of the late Dr. John G. Gruhn, after his death in 1997. This original donated collection had as its focus historical works on anatomy, physiology, pathology, works about the life and teaching of William Osler, and the history and development of the microscope. Since its founding, other significant additions to the Gruhn Collection have focused on: obstetrics and gynecology; medicine in the Chicago area, including research, practice, and medical schools; items specifically about Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. Some titles have been added to the Gruhn Collection since its founding, but the criteria used for additions has been inconsistent due to the lack of any policy on selecting titles. Thus, to preserve a sense of integrity and continuity about the Gruhn Collection, this collection development policy has been developed. The policy is not meant to be an exhaustive list of criteria upon which to judge potential additions, but it is rather a framework to guide selectors in choosing additional titles for the collection. Some points to consider when selecting titles include that while the Gruhn Collection is a history of medicine collection, it is not intended to be the location for all books on the history of medicine in the Health Sciences Library. Items on the history of medicine should have as their main focus one of the subjects listed below under the scope of the Collection. Also, while the collection does contain books that are old, age alone should not be used as criteria for selection. The Collection may, however, be an excellent location to retain old or rare books of historical value which either specifically fall within the scope of the Gruhn Collection, or which generally support the educational mission of the Stritch School of Medicine and the research value of the Health Sciences library. Additionally, to protect from loss or damage, some titles may also be designated as non-circulating on the basis of condition, uniqueness, or value. At the same time, newer titles should be kept in the main collection when it can best serve researchers’ needs as a circulating title, even if it falls within the scope of the Gruhn Collection. Lastly, because the Gruhn Collection is not an endowed collection, the majority of additions will come from the current circulating collection and donated items; the Collection will not be expanded through the active acquisition of new titles. With these points in mind, the following section presents a general framework to be used in judging whether to add a title to the Gruhn Collection. II. Guidelines for the addition of titles to the Gruhn Collection 1. The title’s main subject will be within the established scope of the Collection: a. History of Anatomy, b. History of Physiology, c. History of Pathology, d. History of William Osler, the person and his teachings, e. History and development of the Microscope, f.  History of Obstetrics and gynecology, g. History of Medical research and practice in Chicago, h. History of Chicago medical schools, associations, and institutions, i.  History of Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. 2. The title will be of significant historical value: a. Title adds to the research and educational value of the Library’s collection, b. Uniqueness of the title merits its preservation in a non-circulating collection, or c. Scarcity of the title among reciprocal libraries warrants its keeping as a service to the wider medical and academic community. 3. The physical condition of the title is sufficient for its retention on the shelf without requiring excessive preservation. 4. The title is not a newer title that would better serve researchers’ needs as a circulating item in the main collection. II. Responsibility for the Collection The Collection Development Librarian and the Head of Cataloging will be responsible for the ongoing development and maintenance of the collection, and will make all decisions regarding the selection or deselection of titles and the designation of titles as non-circulating. III. Shelf List for the Gruhn Collection As a special collection of the Library, individuals may be interested in seeing a list of the titles in the Gruhn Collection. To facilitate that need, a list of titles in the Gruhn Collection will be produced upon request.