Purpose
The Collection Development policy is used as a guide to shape relevant collections and to ensure consistency in collection development. The decision to purchase library materials is primarily the responsibility of the Liaison Librarian in consultation with faculty in the Department.
This policy has been developed by Deborah Wills, the Liaison Librarian, in cooperation with and endorsed by Sue Ferguson, Faculty Library Liaison and coordinator of the program.
Focus
The collection supports teaching, study and research on a broad level for the Honours B.A. program in Journalism. There are four main areas of concentration:
- Digital and social media
- Print journalism
- Public relations and political communication
- Political economy of media
Scope
- Language: Works written in English are preferred. Translations into English of major texts are selected.
- Place of Publication: No specific limitations.
- Dates of Publication: Emphasis is placed on newly published works.
- Chronological Period: The contemporary period is emphasized.
- Geographical Areas: Priority is given to works with a North American focus. There is also an emerging interest in journalism and development.
- Publishers: Academic, scholarly and university publishers are emphasized.
Types, formats, and readership of materials collected
- Materials with academic-level readership are emphasized. Professional materials with a theoretical or critical focus are considered.
- Web-based formats for reference sources, journals and indexing sources are preferred. Print and microform are considered for reason of cost, availability, expected use or long term access.
- Single copies of books in electronic formats are generally selected, especially if the title is a compilation of essays or of interest to users at multiple Laurier campuses. Duplication of print across Laurier campuses is generally avoided.
- Excluded types include textbooks, abridgements, study aids, limited editions, works by vanity presses, reprints and partial contents (eg. single issues of journals, electronic versions of single chapters of books).
- Theses, dissertations, symposia, conference proceedings and audiovisual media are collected with a high degree of selectivity.
Subjects collected and collecting priorities
Collecting priorities are categorized into 3 levels:
- A - highest emphasis
- The collection includes major published materials required to support the core teaching and research at the highest degree level offered by the Department.
- B - secondary emphasis
- The collection includes a selection of materials to complement the discipline as a whole, although it may not be a primary focus for courses.
- C - selective emphasis
- Materials, including reference materials and basic journals and indexes are collected to introduce and define an area.
Call numbers for items in Journalism are spread throughout the Library of Congress schedule. The LC ranges below represent particular areas of interest.
Other notable keywords to be used in conjunction with journalism: political economy, development, post-conflict, emerging, third world economies, culture, citizen, religion, theory, democracy, alternative, internationalization.
| Subjects collected | Classification | Collecting priority |
|---|---|---|
| Religion and Media | BV 652.97 | A |
| Journalism and public relations | HD 59 | B |
| Sociology: mass media aspects | HM 1206-1220 | A |
| Propaganda | HM 1231 | B |
| Political communication | JA 74-86 | A |
| General law: mass media aspects | K1-7720 | C |
| Federal law: mass media aspects | KE 1-9450 | C |
| U.S. law: mass media aspects | KF 1-9827 | C |
| Copy editing/copyreading | PN 162; PN 4784 C75 | A |
| Journalism. General works. Theory, scope, influence, etc. | PN 4731 | B |
| Public journalism | PN 4735 - 4748; 4759 | A |
| Journalism – social aspects | PN 4749 | A |
| Journalism – political aspects | PN 4751; P95.8 | A |
| Journalism and art | PN 4762 | C |
| Print journalism | PN 4775 | B |
| Editing | PN 4778 | C |
| Reporting, correspondence | PN 4781 | B |
| Broadcast journalism | PN 4784 B75 | B |
| Column writing | PN 4784 C64 | B |
| Editorial writing | PN 4784 E28 | B |
| Electronic news gathering (visual journalism) | PN 4784 E53; PN 4833 | B |
| Feature writing | PN 4784 F37 | B |
| Interviewing | PN 4784 I6 | A |
| Online journalism | PN 4784 O62 | A |
| Radio journalism | PN 4784 R2 | C |
| Journalism research | PN 4784 R35; PN 4729 | A |
| Journalism: critical writing | PN 4784 R4 | A |
| Sports journalism | PN 4784 S6 | C |
| Technical journalism | PN 4784 T3 | C |
| Television journalism | PN 4784 T4 | B |
| Journalism. Study and teaching | PN 4785 | A |
| Journalism as a profession | PN 4797 | A |
| Literary journalism | PS 366 | A |
| American Literature: mass media aspects | PS 374 | C |
| Science communication | Q 1-390 | B |
| Photojournalism | TR 820 | C |
| Sabotage | UB 273-279 | C |
| Censorship (freedom of the press) | Z657 – Z659 | A |