Message from the Editor-in-Chief
I admit to being a voyeur … at least, I admit to being a historical voyeur! My favourite fiction book is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. This book was written over 100 years ago, about a time 100 years before that. Although it is fiction, it does give some insight into how life may have been like during the French Revolution. If Dickens had not written that book (or books written by his contemporaries), we would have far less knowledge of the 18th and 19th centuries' day-to-day workings. And similarly, Film Noir movies of the 1940s give us some insight into the seedier side of life in the post-WWII era. Of course, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Sidney Greenstreet are not in every dark shadow, but these movies do provide enough insight to be "street-smart" if I was ever transported to those days.
Our cover feature article has been written by Dr. Wayne Staab about the many magazines and journals that our field has seen, many of which have come and gone. I recall spending many evenings pouring over the yellow-coloured Journal of Auditory Research (JAR) and gleaning a wealth of information and knowledge from them that I still use today. I no longer have them on my bookshelf, but part of me, wishes that I did. J. Donald Harris was the editor, and he published this journal out of his basement. Dr. Frank Musiek (2015) said this about the JAR:
J. Donald Harris was the originator and editor of JAR. The journal ran from 1960 to 1986 and introduced many of the foundational studies in the fields of audiology and auditory science. “Because of J.D. Harris’ guidance, many have viewed JAR as having innovative and thought-provoking articles and commentary. JAR also had a wide-based appeal achieving an excellent balance between clinical and basic science.”
And Karl Strom — the long-time editor of Hearing Review — contributes an addendum to Wayne’s article about the people and their stories involved in some of the early publications in our field.
And speaking about our past, be sure to click on the Industry News item about Cy Libby, who passed away last year. Cy was not only the inventor of the Libby horn but was the publisher of Monographs in Contemporary Audiology, as well as the Vanderbilt Report (which I do have on my bookshelf!). When Cy started in the business, hearing aids were ordered by the number of transistors. Even I recall ordering a Zenatone hearing aid in 1980 (as a student), and I needed to tell Dorothy (who always answered the phone) that I wanted a 3-transistor hearing aid; about 30 dB of gain.
And CanadianAudiologist.ca is pleased to announce a new column beginning with this issue, "Volunteer Subjects Wanted for Online Research.” This is a direct response to COVID-19 and how face-to-face research is now a problem. Researchers across Canada (with approved Institution Review Board protocols) are offered the opportunity to list their on-line research. In this column, a short paragraph will be provided with a link to the research being conducted. Please print and provide this information for those clients who may be interested in participating.
We are "almost" there. The logistics of vaccine delivery are being worked out, and hopefully sooner, than later, we will be back to our (near) normal clinical routines. I hope that you all had a pleasant holiday or vacation season and wish you all the very best in the months to come.
Stay safe,
Marshall Chasin, AuD
Editor in Chief