Communication studies

Statement of programs and library needs

The Department of Communication Studies offers a program leading to the B.A. and an M.A. degree concentration. The major in Communication Studies emphasizes five curricular areas: broadcasting, journalism, public relations, film, and speech. Students are introduced to oral, visual, and written forms of communication. The department offers a graduate Communications Studies option for the Master of Arts in English. A major focus of the curriculum is to assist students in gaining an understanding of how communication has an impact on society.

I. Collection areas

A. Area: Communication Studies

 

B. Classes and Levels

BF 1-1000      Psychology                     		Research
BL             Religions, Mythology, Rationalism	Study
BV             Practical Theology             		Study
E 140-200      United States, Colonial Special Topics	Study
GR             Folklore                       		Study
GT             Manners and Customs (General)  		Study
HE             Transportation and Communication		Study
HF 1201-5599   Business - marketing, retail trade	Research
HM             Sociology: General Works, Theory		Research
HN             Sociology: Social History and Conditions	Research
JA             Political Science:  Collections, etc.	Study
KF             Law: U.S. (Federal)            		Study
LC             Special Aspects of Education   		Research
N              Visual Arts (General)          		Study
NC             Graphic Arts (General)Drawing, Design	Study
NE             Print Media:  Printmaking Engraving, 
		Lithography, etc. 			Study
P              Philology, Linguistics         		Study
PN 1010-1590   Poetry, the Performing Arts,
		Show Business              		Study
PN 1990-1992   Broadcasting                  	 	Study
PN 1993-1999   Motion Pictures                		Study
PN 4001-4355   Oratory, Elocution             		Study
PN 4699-5650   Journalism, Periodical Press    		Study
PN 6121-6146   Collec. of orations, letters, essays	Basic
PN 6147-6231   Wit and Humor, Satire           		Study
TK             Electrical Engineering, Electronic, 
		Nuclear Engineering  			Research
TR             Photography                     		Study

C. Chronology

Due to the nature of the discipline, most acquisitions will be materials of a current nature. There will be selective acquisitions of retrospective materials in areas of specialization within the department.

D. Geographic Guidelines

Primary emphasis is on the United States and Great Britain, including multicultural communication - i.e., styles of communication, aesthetics, worldviews, and values.

E. Languages

English is the primary language of the collection.

F. Treatment

Monographs and journals of a scholarly nature form the nucleus of the collection. Popular level treatments of current topics are collected selectively. Proceedings of conferences or congresses and reports of special investigations are collected when deemed appropriate.

G. Formats

Primarily print for monographs and most journals, though electronic full-text is also of growing importance for journals. Bibliographic databases are available through the Internet. Videos are collected to supplement the teaching curriculum. Some popular films are purchased for historic purposes.

Representative samples of newspapers, national and international, are purchased for their journalistic excellence. Their function is both pedagogic and exemplary. (See policy on newspapers, Appendix B).

H. Multiple copies

As a general rule, multiple copies are not acquired, except in cases of heavily used titles.

II. Acquisitions Strategy

The communication studies bibliographer selects materials for purchase, with priority being given to faculty requests. The Libraries maintain an approval plan for university press publications and those from significant trade publishers. Retrospective purchasing is limited to filling in gaps in journal holdings or adding important older titles. Federal documents from a variety of agencies are received on depository membership.

III. Collection Notes

Lower division college textbooks are ordinarily not purchased. Theses and dissertations from other universities are generally not acquired, unless specifically requested by faculty.

Communication Studies is an extremely large and diverse department. Many of its courses taught, e.g., literature and film, political communication, theories of popular culture, and media in society, are inter-disciplinary and require close cooperation with other bibliographers.

Revised 10/2000