Communication

General Purpose of the Collection

Materials on mass communication are collected to support the academic programs of the College of Communication (COM). The library collection contains scholarly journals concerned with the subjects studied in COM, and magazines and newspapers representative of the practice of journalism. Monographs and reference works, including print and electronic indexes, are collected. Subject areas of interest include: film and television; journalism, photojournalism, and radio and television broadcasting; and mass communication, advertising, and public relations. Ethics and crisis management are also topics of growing interest.

COM offers BS degrees in film and television, journalism, and communication; MS degrees in television production, television management, broadcast journalism, business and economics journalism, advertising, journalism, mass communication, public relations, and science journalism; and MFA degrees in film production, film studies, and screenwriting. Two dual degree programs are offered with other schools: a JD/MS in Mass Communication and the Law with the School of Law, and an MBA/MS in Media Ventures with the Questrom School of Business. COM and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offer a joint MA degree in International Relations and International Communication. Graduate students and faculty in the Communication Research Center engage in research projects pertinent to the communication industry. Within the industry, there is currently great emphasis on the impact of new media and communication technology. Students and faculty in Questrom School of Business use resources on advertising, marketing, and public relations.

Scope of Coverage

1. Languages collected (primary and selective) or excluded.  Primarily English language materials are collected.

2. Geographical areas covered by the collections in terms of intellectual content, publication sources, or both, and specific areas excluded, as appropriate. Geographical coverage is international, although with a strong emphasis on the United States.

3. Chronological periods covered by the collection in terms of intellectual content, movements or schools, and specific periods excluded, as appropriate. The library collection encompasses the modern era of communication and mass media, including the period from the late 19th century to the present, but concentrates on contemporary practice. Critical works from all movements and schools are collected.

4. Chronological periods collected in terms of publication dates, and specific periods excluded, as appropriate. Primarily current publications are acquired.

 

General Subject Boundaries and Library Locations

Works on communication subjects are found in many different Library of Congress call number ranges.

Collected:

• HE 8689-8700.9 : Radio and Television Broadcasting
• HM 1201-1216 : Communication
• HM 1221-1226 : Public Relations. Publicity. Propaganda
• HN 90 .M3 : Mass Media
• P 87-96 : Communication. Mass Media
• PN 1990-1992.95 : Broadcasting
• PN 1993-1999 : Motion Pictures
• PN 4699-5650 : Journalism. The Periodical Press, etc.
• TR 820 : Photojournalism
• TR 845-899.5 : Cinematography. Motion Pictures. Video Recording
• Z 5630-5635 : Communication. Mass Media. Bibliography

Collected selectively:

• HD 59-59.6 : Public Relations. Industrial Publicity
• HM 261, 1236 : Public Opinion
• HN 90. P8 : Public Opinion
• NC 997 : Commercial art. Advertising art
• NC 1765-1766 : Motion picture cartoons
• TK 6540-6571.5 : Radio
• TK 6630-6720 : Television
• Z 6940-6967 : Periodicals, Newspapers, and Other Serials. Bibliography
• Z 7164 .P956 : Public Opinion. Bibliography
• Z 7221-7225 : Radio. Bibliography
• Z 7711 : Television. Bibliography
• Z 8001-8999 : Personal Bibliography

Items in the HM, HN, NC, P, PN, TK, TR, and Z classifications are housed in Mugar Memorial Library, and items in the HD and HE classifications are generally housed in the Frederick S. Pardee Management Library. Recent works about public radio and television, and works about social and political aspects of the media, are kept in Mugar Memorial Library even if they are assigned an HE classification. Current issues and microform sets of newspapers are housed in Mugar Memorial Library, except for the current issues and microform sets of business newspapers, which are housed in the Frederick S. Pardee Management Library.

The Communication Selector collects or shares responsibility for collecting materials on communication that fall within call number ranges which are the primary responsibility of other subject selectors:

Related subjects and Interdisciplinary Relationships

African Studies

The African Studies Selector collects materials on communication pertaining to Africa and African nations.

Art

The Communication Selector is responsible for collecting works on advertising art and animated film that fall within the NC call number range, and works on photojournalism and cinematography that fall within the TR classification. Works on graphic art and design that fall within the NC classification are the responsibility of the Art Selector.

English

The Communication Selector and the English Selector share responsibility for collecting comparative studies of literature and film.

History

The Communication Selector collects works on the mass media and politics that fall within the D, E, and F call number ranges.

Management

The Communication Selector and the Management Selectors share responsibility for collecting materials on mass media industries, advertising, and public relations.

Romance Studies and Modern Languages and Comparative Literature

The Communication Selector and the Selector for the two new language departments — Romance Studies, and Modern Language and Comparative Literature — share responsibility for collecting comparative studies of literature and film.

Political Science

The Communication Selector collects works on the mass media and politics that fall within the J call number range.

Sociology

The Communication Selector collects works on the mass media and social groups that fall within the call number ranges for sociological material.

Types of Materials

Collected

Monographs, periodicals, and reference materials, including indexes and abstracts, bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and directories.

Collected Selectively

Dissertations and theses, microforms, electronic resources, newspapers, and textbooks.

Not Collected

Audio-visual material, juvenile literature, and popular material.

Other On-Campus or Local Resources

The Pappas Law Library collection contains materials on mass communication law.

Krasker Film/Video Services provides instructional media support to University classes. Faculty can browse the online catalog and reserve any of more than 18,500 film and video titles from the Krasker collection for classroom use. Krasker also has an onsite previewing room at Mugar Memorial Library, basement level, 771 Commonwealth Avenue, equipped to screen all formats in the Krasker collection, including 16mm, VHS, Laser Disc, DVD, and Blu-ray.

The Geddes Language Center maintains a collection of audio-visual materials that includes many foreign-language films on videotape and DVD.