Broadcasting

TALK RADIO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM by Murray B, Levin (Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1987—$22.00)

WHO SHOT THE SHERIFF? THE RISE AND FALL OF THE TELEVISION WESTERN by J. Fred MacDonald (New York: Praeger, 1987—$29.95)

LIVE TV: AN INSIDE LOOK AT DIRECTING AND PRODUCING by Tony Verna (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1987—$22.95)

TV CAREERS BEHIND THE SCREEN by Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni (New York: John Wiley, 1987—$12.95, paper)

THE BROADCASTER'S DICTIONARY by James R. McDonald (Windriver Books, Box 481, Broomfield, CT 80020—$20.00 incl. postage, paper)

Three recent publications by the National Association of Broadcasters (Publications Dept., 1771 N St. NW. Washington, DC 20036)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT: THE BROADCAST &; CABLE INDUSTRIES by Barry L. Sherman (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987—$29.95)

CHANNELS OF DISCOURSE: TELEVISION AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM edited by Robert C. Allen (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987—$25.00/7.95)

THE HOUR OF TELEVISION: CRITICAL APPROACHES by N.D. Batra (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. 1987—$29.50)     

From Shelf to Spotlight: Rediscovering Modernist Books From Eastern Europe at The New York Public Library

This essay contextualizes the overall development of eastern European resources at the Library, highlighting some of the personalities who have contributed to building this internationally significant research resource. The development of the Baltic, east‐central European, and southern Slavic collections of The New York Public Library has been a neglected area of the Library's history. Reciprocity with institutions in the Slavic and Eastern European homelands played a vital part in the growth of the Library's holdings of materials in their languages until the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Library materials were acquired through local dealers, as gifts, and on international exchanges, as well as through personal visits to the region by library staff. Modernist books were an important part of these acquisition efforts.     

Collecting the Revolution: The New York Public Library

ABSTRACT

The author examines some of the unique features of the New York Public Library’s Slavonic Division, including an “ecumenical” collecting ethos, urban location, émigré staff, and large, politically diverse clientele, which help explain the richness of its Russian revolutionary era holdings.     

Evaluating Continuing Resources: Perspectives and Methods from Science Librarians

Five science librarians share their experiences with the evaluation of continuing resources at an academic university and discuss implications caused by the evaluation process. Four of the authors were new to collection evaluations at the time of the Serial Evaluation Project. These new librarians faced many challenges, both personally and professionally, in dealing with the cancellation process. Although the differences in approaches to collection analysis are discussed somewhat, they are not a focus of the article.     

A Web-Based Usage Counter for Serial Collections

Usage statistics of current unbound periodicals has been a topic of study for years in public and academic libraries. This article discusses various historical methods and offers an alternative using a simple Web-based method developed at Kent State University. The program is easy to use and keeps detailed statistics for serial librarians or circulation managers. The program is offered as an Open Source download.     

The effects of audience reaction shots on attitudes towards controversial issues

This study investigated the influence that audience reaction shots have on viewers’ attitudes towards controversial issues discussed on television. It was hypothesized that viewers would show stronger agreement with a side of an issue which was coupled with positive reaction shots. No evidence was found to support a main effect, but evidence was found to suggest that the effects of reaction shots is contingent on viewers’ beliefs that the audience holds the same position on the issue as they do.     

The Spiral of Violence: Equity of Violent Reprisal in Professional Wrestling and its Dispositional and Motivational Features

Though lacking empirical evidence, professional wrestling has been criticized for portraying excessive violence in harmful contexts. This study focused on the equity of violent reprisal perpetrated by liked versus disliked protagonists with socially sanctioned or unsanctioned motives. Results of a quantitative content analysis show that most violent interaction sequences were over-retributive. Violence that was not part of match competition was routinely initiated for normatively unsanctioned motives and showed predominant patterns of escalating violent retribution. These patterns held across perpetrator disposition. Thus, liked characters regularly aggressed for normatively unacceptable reasons. The consequences of these portrayals are discussed.