General policies and principles for the Library's collections are stated in the General Collection Development Policy.

Purpose of the Collection

To support instruction and research through the doctoral level for the UCSB Department of Communication and related disciplines. The communication collections also provide support for several research centers on campus, including the Center for Digital Games Research (CDGR), the Center for Information Technology and Society (CITS), the Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research (ISBER), the Research Center for Virtual Environments and Behavior (ReVERB), the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, and the Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television and New Media.

Scope

Subjects

Subject areas follow the curriculum and research interests of the communication faculty; the core of the collection is built around on interpersonal and intergroup communication, organizational communication, and media at the research level.

Geographical Coverage

Originally built around Western literature, the collection is growing to include global perspectives in parallel with teaching and research interests of the faculty.

Language

Materials acquired are in English language.

Chronological Limits/Period Coverage

Emphasis is on current research.

Publication Dates

Most material dates from the 1980s to the present.

Types of Materials Collected

Materials are collected in print in digital formats, with an emphasis on research monographs and academic journals. North American university press titles are received on approval, and other materials are selected individually. Textbooks are selectively purchased. Electronic databases are acquired when available.

Subscriptions to journals are selected in consultation with faculty. Most journals are not acquired in more than one format; in general, electronic versions are preferred, as long as they have reliable and perpetual access.

Systemwide and Other Resources

Communication-related disciplines and research centers benefit heavily from the Library’s participation in serials and research databases that are licensed by UC’s California Digital Library and funded by the UC campuses.  Interlibrary loan is used heavily, especially for older materials. 

Related Collection Development Policies

Subject librarian: Leahkim Gannett
Policy Last Updated: June 2015