Founded in 1916, the Lillian & Milford Harris Library at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University is one of only a few professional social work libraries administered by a school of social work.
Harris Library Collection
The Harris Library serves the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, the students, faculty, and staff of CWRU, and the social work community at large. Our librarians select materials based on user requests, curricular needs, and knowledge of the discipline. We value the purchasing suggestions from the Mandel School faculty and students, and we prioritize the acquisition of their recommended items.
In recognition of the diverse and often underrepresented groups served by the social work profession, the Harris Library focuses on obtaining materials concerning these groups, including racial minorities, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.
The scope of our collection includes:
- Aging
- Community Development
- Couples, Relationships, Divorce
- Diversity, Discrimination, Race
- Family, Parenting, Adoption
- Health and Wellness
- Human Trafficking
- Individual/Direct Practice
- Counseling
- International Social Work
- Management, Leadership
- Mental Illness
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Social Policy/Social Welfare
- Substance Abuse
- Trauma
- Violence, Abuse
Formats
- Journals are purchased with perpetual, electronic access whenever possible.
- Monographs are usually purchased as e-books to support the online program.
- Bibliographic databases or indexes are exclusively purchased in electronic format and purchased for the widest possible audience.
- Data resources are purchased to serve the Mandel School community.
Retention of Materials
The collection is evaluated every three to five years. Criteria for retention include the following:
- Seminal Works
- Materials published by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Publications from the Mandel School Research Centers and all affiliated research centers
- Required readings for Mandel School courses
Donations
Reasonably sized collections in like-new or gently used condition are accepted as possible given our space constraints. Items that do not fit into our library collection will be made available to the community through our free book cart.