Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Journalism

Factors Influencing Collection Policy

A. Anticipated future trends

Growing areas of interest for research and teaching are the economics of information and the mass media, social issues of mass communication including journalism ethics, online journalism, and new business and publishing models for traditional and online media. Greater emphasis in instruction is also being placed on technology skills and reporting on multimedia platforms.

B. Relationships with other resources

1. On campus branch or format collections:

The College of Communication Arts maintains a small reading room in the Communication Arts Building (Applegate Reading Room). The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism also maintains an archive of award-winning environmental journalism (Meeman Archive) and a collection of books and videos in this area. These collections are unaffiliated with the MSU Libraries.

Branch libraries with related materials are the Business Library for resources on the news and information industry and news media companies and the MSU Libraries Law collection and MSU College of Law Library for resources on copyright law and media law.

2. Regional or network resources:

Several CIC campuses have strong and/or separate journalism/communication libraries, namely Ohio State, University of Illinois, and Indiana University. The Center for Research Libraries has a large microfilm collection of U.S. and international newspapers. Access to these and other resources is available through inter-library loan and MELCat, Michigan’s state-wide catalog and inter-library loan service.

C. Relationships to resources treated in other policy statements

Area studies: geographically focused works
Art: photojournalism, layout and design and typography
Business: public relations and media organizations
Communication: communication theory and mass media generally
Law: copyright and media law
Literature, American/English: theory, publishing and television, literary journalism
Reference: newspaper indexes and general news periodicals
Newspaper fund: current and historical newspapers