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Guidelines for Communication Arts and Design

1. Purpose
2. General Collection Guidelines
    A. Language
    B. Chronology
    C. Geography
    D. Publication Date
    E. Treatment of Subject
    F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Subjects and Collecting Levels
5. Methodology

1. Purpose.

The Department of Communication Arts and Design offers intense study of visual communications and design. The curriculum is oriented toward understanding visual form and structure, professional skills, and social and environmental awareness. The information/communication orientation of contemporary society relies on this discipline to create visual images and concepts. The integration of computer and electronic media study into the program, as well as the department's emphasis on visual problem solving, socially effective visual communications, and the invention of visual form, are examples of the Communication Arts and Design department's educational goals.

The Department of Communication Arts and Design offers two tracks leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree: 1) Communication Arts, which focuses on visual imaging; and, 2) Communication Design, which focuses on the design of visual communications. The Communication Arts program offers courses in Digital Imaging, Illustration, Kinetic Imagery, Photography, and Three-Dimensional Modeling/Electronic Animation. The Communication Design program offers courses in Art Direction, Graphic Design, Typographic Design, and Three-Dimensional Design.

At the graduate level, the Master of Fine Arts degree is offered, and students may pursue studies in the following areas: Graphic Design, Typography, Computer Graphics, Time Arts, Interactive Design, Design Theory, Design Education, and the philosophical, communicative, and aesthetic relationships of visual problem solving.

The program is supported by courses in photography, cinematography, art history, and painting and printmaking. Ancillary courses in the School of Mass Communications deal with advertising techniques, layout, and design.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
English is preferred. However, selected material in foreign languages, including facsimile editions, is purchased when the illustrations and design format are of particular importance.

B. Chronology.
Emphasis is on modern 20th century design and techniques, with an overview of historical predecessors.

C. Geography.
U.S. and major European and Japanese design and techniques, with consideration given to other areas of the world historically important to the field.

D. Publication Date.
First priority for acquisition is current in-print material. Out-of-print or other retrospective material is acquired as funds permit.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Material providing historical treatment, addressing technical aspects, or supporting the study of illustration or graphic work are acquired. In general, juvenile material, theses, lower undergraduate texts, and popular treatments are not purchased, unless they are particularly significant for their organization of knowledge, present effective summaries of recent research, or provide especially thorough explanations of techniques.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Monographs and reference works to support a study-level collection are purchased from U.S. and foreign publishers in English or dual language editions. Selected monographic facsimiles in foreign languages are sought for historical value.

Fill-ins of current serial holdings, facsimiles of journals, and out-of-print serial runs seminal to the history of design are purchased as funds permit. New annuals and yearbooks relating to design, illustration, typography, advertising, etc., are considered high priority for standing orders since these constitute the basic documentation of current professional activity.

Individual videotapes to support video production courses are purchased on a selective basis.

Excluded are textbooks; computer software; original artwork; and photographic transparencies.

Electronic information resources (CD-ROMs, online resources, etc.) may also be acquired on a selective basis.

3. Area Resources.

Special Collections and Archives in Cabell Library holds material relevant to design, specifically the Book Art Collection and the Cartoon and Caricature Collection of primary and secondary materials on 20th century cartoons and caricatures. The major collection of materials supporting courses in design outside Cabell Library is the School of the Arts Library of 450,000 slides.

4. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

Subject	Call Number Range	Present	Desired
History of drawing	NC50-376	C2	C1
Study, technique, materials	NC390-915	C2	C1
Illustration	NC960-996	C1	C1
Commercial, advertising art	NC997-1003	C1	C1
Caricature	NC1280	C1	C1
Posters	NC1800-1855	C2	C1
Communication, mass media	P87-96	C1	C1
Computer graphics	QA90	D	C1
Theory, philosophy, aesthetics of visual arts	N61-72	C2	C1
History of books and bookmaking	Z4-8	C2	C2
Type and type founding	Z250.A1-265	C2	C1
Photography/Cinematography	TR	C2	C1

5. Methodology.

Collection centered: List-checking, using samplings from: