Humanities and Social Sciences Books of Ten National Disciplinary Associations, 2000–2009

Stephen E Wiberley

doi:10.1353/pla.2016.0014

Abstract

Books are the most important medium of communication in the humanities, a major medium in the social sciences, and a central component of academic library collections. This study examined humanities and social sciences books that won prizes from ten leading United States disciplinary associations between 2000 and 2009. The study extends earlier research for the 1990s. It reports substantial interest by most disciplines in books about subjects classified in other disciplines; dominance of university presses over commercial publishers in prizes won; and, between 2012 and 2014, great growth in library holdings of electronic versions of prizewinners.

Highlights

T ransformed by technology, scholarly communication is changing rapidly, yet the book remains the central medium of communication in the humanities and, to a significant, if lesser, extent in the social sciences.[1]
The present study provides interesting comparisons between the humanities and social sciences, the range of subject interests in different disciplines, and, perhaps most telling, evidence of the growth of e-books
Prizewinners are, by the national recognition they have received, not typical academic books. Their subject coverage indicates the topics that experts in the disciplines think are relevant and important, and comparisons among them may well point to directions other academic books are taking

Summary

Introduction

T ransformed by technology, scholarly communication is changing rapidly, yet the book remains the central medium of communication in the humanities and, to a significant, if lesser, extent in the social sciences.[1]. The disciplines, and publishing, it is worthwhile to chart the course of books in the humanities and social sciences, especially through research that compares to earlier studies. Prizes from leading scholarly associations in given disciplines, is one of the best ways to the study of the books awarded learn about academic books. Especially prizes from leading scholarly associations winners, the investigator has, in effect, studied an authoritative organizational selection of the topics and publishers that are important in a in given disciplines, is one of field. This saves the investigator from identifythe best ways to learn about academic books. Other results provide grounds for comparisons and starting points for further research

Literature Review

What were the rates of growth in both print and electronic holdings?

Findings

Conclusion