College and Research Libraries


and place of publication. B e l o w each listing 
are the capital letter symbols indicating the 
l i b r a r y o r libraries in w h i c h the titles are 
l o c a t e d , w i t h the v o l u m e n u m b e r , the year in 
parentheses, the issue n u m b e r , v i z : 

1618 V I R C H O W S A r c h i v fiir pathologische 
Anatomie und Physiologie und fiir klin-
ische Medizin. Berlin. 

B R FS N M W K 3 2 1 ( 1 9 5 1 ) -
CB 321 (1952)2-

P r e s u m a b l y , w h e n a v o l u m e is c o m p l e t e and 
the entry open, the year only is s h o w n . I n 
a f e w instances certain inconsistencies in entry 
data w e r e n o t e d . Instances of indicating 
holdings by m o n t h s of issue instead o f by 
n u m b e r s f o r a single title within a single 
entry w e r e noticed, v i z : 

1062 M O D E R N drugs 
SN 1952 
T A H 1952 1 4 7-8 10-
T S 1952 Jan. A p r . 

B u t such inconsistencies appear i n f r e q u e n t l y ; 
and although this r e v i e w e r had been appraised 
of one e r r o r in entry and of one publication 
i n c o r r e c t l y having t w o entries u n d e r t w o 
different titles f o r the same periods, these 
points w e r e not o b s e r v e d . 

T h i s publication w a s begun, a c c o r d i n g to 
the editors, d u r i n g the latter p a r t of O c t o b e r 
o r early N o v e m b e r , 1952. Six months later, 
the participating librarians had c o m p l e t e d s u b -
mitting the data requested relating t o their 
l i b r a r y h o l d i n g s — a n o t e w o r t h y achievement. 
T h e editorial c o m m i t t e e c o m p l e t e d its c o m -
pilation and sent the w o r k to the printer in 
the s u m m e r of 1953. T h a t it remained in the 
printer's hands u n d u l y l o n g and w a s not ready 
f o r distribution until M a r c h 1954 is r e g r e t t a -
ble, f o r a c o n s i d e r a b l e time lag in the c u r r e n c y 
of the list's entries resulted. 

Y e t , by and l a r g e , the publication of the 
Union List of Foreign Medical Periodicals, 
1941-1952, is a c r e d i t a b l e achievement. N o t 
only is it a v a l u a b l e addition t o medical b i b l i o -
graphic tools, but its c o m p l e t i o n is a tribute 
t o the individuals responsible f o r its u n d e r -
taking, and t o those w h o put m u c h time and 
e f f o r t into the w o r k . It is decidedly a step 
in the right direction of f u r t h e r i n g c o o p e r a t i v e 
undertakings f o r the g e n e r a l gain o f b i b l i o -
g r a p h i c c o n t r o l and librarianship in J a p a n . 
L i b r a r i a n s of J a p a n , as a g r o u p and individ-

ually, m a y w e l l o b s e r v e and p r o f i t f r o m the 
e x a m p l e of f r u i t f u l results stemming f r o m 
c o o p e r a t i v e p r o f e s s i o n a l enterprise. I t is an 
approach t o b i b l i o g r a p h i c c o n t r o l w h i c h , f o r 
the m o s t part, is superior to individual b i b l i o -
graphic pursuit w h i c h , in the past, has been a 
s t r o n g tendency a m o n g librarians in J a p a n . 

The Union List of Foreign Medical Peri-
odicals is a f u r t h e r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o the d e -
v e l o p m e n t of interlibrary l o a n practices in 
Japan, and as such, it is an essential t o o l in the 
m e d i c a l l i t e r a t u r e field. A n d , outside of 
Japan, as w e l l , it m a y serve as an excellent 
universal checklist of medical serial p u b l i c a -
tions.—Robert L. Gitler, Japan Library 
School, Keio-Gijuku University, Tokyo, 
Japan. 

Historians, Books, and 
Libraries 
Historians, Books, and Libraries: a Survey 

of Historical Scholarship in Relation to 
Library Resources, Organization and Serv-
ices. B y Jesse H a u k Shera. C l e v e l a n d , 
W e s t e r n R e s e r v e U n i v e r s i t y Press, 1953. 
xvi, 126 pp. $3-50-
" H i s t o r y is little m o r e than r o m a n c e t o 

him w h o has n o k n o w l e d g e of the succession 
of events, the periods of d o m i n i o n , and the 
distance b e t w e e n one g r e a t action and a n -
o t h e r . " S o w r o t e D r . J o h n s o n nearly t w o 
h u n d r e d years ago, in a plea f o r adequate 
k n o w l e d g e of c h r o n o l o g y . P e r h a p s e v e r y o n e 
w i l l g r a n t that dates and c h r o n o l o g y are i m -
p o r t a n t , a l t h o u g h m o s t people feel n o p e r s o n a l 
o b l i g a t i o n t o keep them in mind. B u t the 
r e c o r d of historical scholarship b o t h b e f o r e 
and since D r . J o h n s o n is one of c o n t i n u i n g 
uncertainty as t o the meaning of history. 
P e r h a p s H e r o d o t u s , w h o implied that history 
really w a s little m o r e than r o m a n c e , seems 
a b o u t as adequate t o m a n y readers t o d a y as 
d o V i c o , C a r l y l e , T a i n e , Spengler, B e a r d , 
T o y n b e e , and the M a r x i s t s , all of w h o m by 
their differing philosophies have w r i t t e n his-
t o r y as prophecy. M a n y earnest f o l l o w e r s of 
the g r e a t v o n R a n k e have b e c o m e so enmeshed 
in all " t h e f a c t s as they h a p p e n e d " that they 
are unable t o d e t e r m i n e the truth, a difficulty 
the New York Times has likewise found puz-
zling. I t is t h e r e f o r e scarcely astonishing that 

OCTOBER, 1954 
644. 



m a n y b r i l l i a n t h i s t o r i c a l n a r r a t o r s ( S i r W i n -
ston C h u r c h i l l b e i n g o n e o f the m o s t r e c e n t ) 
h a v e o f f e r e d the n a r r a t i v e o n l y , d e c l i n i n g 
j u d g m e n t ; and the late D r . F i s h e r of O x f o r d 
in a f r e q u e n t l y q u o t e d p a r a g r a p h a d m i t t e d 
that he c o u l d find n o p a t t e r n o r r h y t h m in 
h i s t o r i c a l events. 

T o this e n o r m o u s and c o m p l i c a t e d t o p i c o£ 
the m e a n i n g o f h i s t o r y , D e a n S h e r a has a d d e d 
c o n s i d e r a b l e passages u p o n the h i s t o r y of 
l i b r a r i a n s h i p , a s a m p l e o f the a p p r o v e d m e t h o d 
of c o m p o s i n g h i s t o r y , and s o m e g u i d a n c e t o 
the l i b r a r i a n w h o w i s h e s t o k n o w h o w and 
w h y t o c o l l e c t h i s t o r y o r h o w t o m a k e use of 
b i o g r a p h y and b i o g r a p h i c a l f i c t i o n t o g u i d e his 
y o u n g e r r e a d e r s t o w a r d h i s t o r y . T h i s is a 
l a r g e task t o a t t e m p t in 126 p a g e s . 

D e a n S h e r a b e g a n his t h i n k i n g in c o n s t a n t 
c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h R a l p h B e a l s , and he w o r k e d 
o u t his c o u r s e in detail w i t h the help of P r o -
f e s s o r M a r g a r e t E g a n . T h e p r o p o s a l w a s t o 
p r e p a r e a c o u r s e that w o u l d c o r r e l a t e f o r the 
p o t e n t i a l l i b r a r i a n w h a t he o u g h t to k n o w o f 
the ideas of h i s t o r y , of the w a y s of c o m p o s i n g 
h i s t o r y by r e s e a r c h , and o f the g u i d a n c e 
n e e d e d b o t h by s c h o l a r s and by g e n e r a l 
r e a d e r s in the w h o l e r e a l m o f h i s t o r y . T h e 
p u r p o s e that inspired the p r o p o s a l seems t o 
m e w h o l l y e s t i m a b l e ; w h e t h e r a s u c c e s s f u l 
c o u r s e c a n be b u i l t a b o u t this s y l l a b u s in 
the c r o w d e d c u r r i c u l u m seems n o t q u i t e so 
c e r t a i n . 

T h e first t w o c h a p t e r s a r e s o m e w h a t s e l f -
c o n s c i o u s and e l a b o r a t e a t t e m p t s t o d e l i m i t o r 
define h i s t o r i c a l s t u d y in l i b r a r i e s , and they 
m i g h t a l m o s t be dispensed w i t h . B u t the first 
half of the b o o k is l a r g e l y g i v e n o v e r to the 
h i s t o r y of h i s t o r i c a l w r i t i n g . T h e r e is m u c h 
i m p o r t a n t m a t e r i a l h e r e , u s e f u l c o m m e n t s o n 
the w a y s o f the g r e a t h i s t o r i a n s and s o m e 
c h a r t i n g o f the t r e n d s of t h o u g h t ; a l m o s t 
e v e r y p a r a g r a p h c o n t a i n s m a t e r i a l that o u g h t 
t o be p r e s e n t e d t o s t u d e n t s , m a t e r i a l that I 
h a v e p r e s e n t e d to s t u d e n t s f r o m t i m e t o time. 
B u t a d o u b t p e r s i s t s : d o e s this s y l l a b u s p e r -
haps fail t o d o e n o u g h by a t t e m p t i n g t o o 
m u c h ? A c o n s c i e n t i o u s b u t m y o p i c s t u d e n t 
c o u l d s t u d y this and b e c o m e an o p i n i o n a t e d 
and useless - l i b r a r i a n ; a less c a r e f u l s t u d e n t 
c o u l d r e a d this and retain o n l y a m o s t c o n -
f u s e d list of n a m e s . F o r a third g r o u p , the 
s t u d e n t s w i t h b r o a d b a c k g r o u n d s in the l i t e r a -
t u r e o f h i s t o r y and c o n s i d e r a b l e interest in the 
p h i l o s o p h y o f h i s t o r y and in h i s t o r i o g r a p h y , 

this m a t e r i a l w i l l p r o v e s t i m u l a t i n g and h e l p -
f u l as c o l l a t e r a l r e a d i n g . B u t even f o r such 
s p e c i a l i z e d students, the s y l l a b u s m a y p r o v e 
m i s l e a d i n g o r u n s a t i s f a c t o r y : in the interests 
o f b r e v i t y , G i b b o n is dismissed as a m a n w h o 
o r i e n t e d his h i s t o r y a b o u t the p r i n c i p l e o f 
h u m a n i r r a t i o n a l i t y , w h i l e H e r d e r and B i s h o p 
P e r c y are g i v e n u n d u e p r o m i n e n c e as a p -
p a r e n t l y the chief causes of v o n R a n k e ; p e r -
haps also b e c a u s e o f the need f o r b r e v i t y , ideas 
like h i s t o r i c a l c a u s a t i o n , the s o c i o l o g y of his-
t o r y , and " s c i e n t i f i c " h i s t o r y are a s s u m p t i o n s 
in the s y l l a b u s instead o f p h e n o m e n a in v a r i -
ous c o n c e p t s of h i s t o r i o g r a p h y . T h e syllabus 
m e t h o d a l s o l e a d s to such stylistic a w k w a r d -
ness as a c o n s i d e r a b l e discussion o f the " N e w 
H i s t o r y " in w h i c h f u l l u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the 
t e r m is a s s u m e d , and a r e f e r e n c e to " t h e 
e a r l i e r w o r k of R h o d e s " leaves a r e a d e r w i t h 
n o hint of w h o R h o d e s w a s . 

I t seems p o s s i b l e that this v o l u m e w i l l 
p r o v e m o r e h e l p f u l f o r c o l l a t e r a l r e a d i n g , 
p e r h a p s s t i m u l a t e d by o n l y t w o o r t h r e e 
l e c t u r e s . A s the m a t e r i a l is h e r e p r e s e n t e d , 
o n e has difficulty in u s i n g it ( c h i e f l y the first 
and last s e c t i o n s ) as a p r a c t i c a l g u i d e to h i s -
t o r i c a l l i t e r a t u r e ; and yet the l o n g section o n 
the h i s t o r y of h i s t o r i o g r a p h y l a c k s the s t i m u -
l a t i n g q u a l i t y of b o o k s like R o w s e ' s Use of 
History or Gooch's History and Historians in 
the Nineteenth Century, b o o k s f o r w h i c h this 
s y l l a b u s can find n o place. 

S o m e p r a c t i c a l m a t t e r s m a y be n o t e d . O n e 
w o u l d like an i n d e x , n o t o n l y as s o u n d p o l i c y 
in a b o o k o f this n a t u r e b u t as a w a y t o 
i d e n t i f y and c o m p a r e d i f f e r e n t assertions, t o 
p u l l t e x t and b i b l i o g r a p h i e s t o g e t h e r , and t o 
m a k e c e r t a i n o n e has not o v e r l o o k e d a m a j o r 
m a n o r t h e m e . A n a n a l y t i c a l i n d e x m i g h t 
p a r t l y c o m p e n s a t e f o r the p r e s e n t f a i l u r e t o 
t r a c e c o n t i n u i n g ideas like r e c u r r e n c e , p r o g -
ress, m o r a l l a w , and divine plan. S e c o n d l y , 
o n e c o u l d w i s h f o r a m o r e a t t r a c t i v e f o r m a t : 
the o f f - s e t p r i n t i n g f r o m u n j u s t i f i e d t y p e -
w r i t t e n lines, r e d u c e d t o a p a i n f u l s m a l l n e s s 
and p r i n t e d w i t h a b s u r d l y i n a d e q u a t e m a r g i n s , 
reflects little c r e d i t o n the aesthetic j u d g m e n t 
o r the s c h o l a r l y interest o f the p u b l i s h e r . 
A n d then the n o r m a l t e n d e n c y t o r e a d p r o o f 
less c a r e f u l l y in such b o o k w o r k has a l l o w e d 
a n n o y i n g and c a r e l e s s e r r o r s t o stand, t h o u g h 
m a n y of t h e m d o little h a r m . I n a n e w 
e d i t i o n these c a n easily be r e m o v e d , a l o n g w i t h 
the o d d definition of t e x t u a l c r i t i c i s m as the 

.480 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



" h i g h e r c r i t i c i s m " i n s t e a d o f t h e s e l d o m - u s e d 
p h r a s e " l o w e r c r i t i c i s m . " 

I f o n e c o u l d h e a r D e a n S h e r a ' s o w n l e c -
t u r e s , a n d t h e n b r o w s e in t h i s b o o k t o r e c a l l 
o r s u p p l e m e n t w h a t he s a i d , o n e w o u l d h a v e 
an e x c e l l e n t n e w u n i t in the c u r r i c u l u m . B u t 
as a g e n e r a l w o r k t h a t m i g h t e x p l a i n l i b r a r i a n -
ship t o h i s t o r i a n s a n d h i s t o r i o g r a p h y t o l i -
b r a r i a n s , it s u f f e r s f r o m h a v i n g a t t e m p t e d t o 
s u r v e y t o o m u c h . I d e a s a r e p r e s e n t , c o m -
b a t i v e i d e a s , o n e v e r y p a g e , b u t t h e r e a d e r m u s t 
fill in t h e p a g e s w i t h m o r e k n o w l e d g e o f p h i l o s -
o p h y a n d s o c i o l o g y , as w e l l as h i s t o r y , t h a n 
t h e t y p i c a l l i b r a r y s c h o o l s t u d e n t p o s s e s s e s . — 
Allen T. Hazen, Columbia University. 

What Shall I Read Next? 
What Shall I Read Nextf A Personal Selec-

tion of 20th Century Books. By F. Sey-
m o u r S m i t h . [ N e w Y o r k ] C a m b r i d g e U n i -
v e r s i t y P r e s s . P u b l i s h e d f o r t h e N a t i o n a l 
B o o k L e a g u e . 1 9 5 3 . 2 3 2 p p . $ 2 . 0 0 . 
M r . S m i t h ' s e a r l i e r b o o k - l i s t s , a l w a y s u n -

p r e t e n t i o u s and a l w a y s u s e f u l f o r q u i c k r e f e r -

e n c e o r f o r g e n e r a l g u i d a n c e , i n c l u d e The 
Classics in Translation ( 1 9 3 0 ) , s o m e b r i e f e r 
g u i d e s like Reading History ( 1 9 5 0 ) , and An 
English Library (1943). T o the last-named 
l i s t M r . S m i t h h a s n o w in s o m e s e n s e f u r -
n i s h e d a s e q u e l ( h i s w o r d is c o m p l e m e n t ) , 
not a parallel volume: the English Library is 
a c o n v e n t i o n a l r e c o r d i n g o f t h e c l a s s i c s in all 
f i e l d s , w i t h c o n c i s e i n t r o d u c t o r y c o m m e n t s a n d 
a l m o s t n o i n d i v i d u a l a n n o t a t i o n , t o m a k e a 
list o f b o o k s r e a d i l y r e c o g n i z a b l e as c l a s s i c s 
b y a n y r e a d e r ; a n d it is a list n o t r e a d i l y 
a v a i l a b l e e l s e w h e r e in a n y s u c h c o n c i s e f o r m . 
By its nature the English Library is unexcit-
i n g a n d i m p e r s o n a l ( " . . . all t h o s e b o o k s 
w h i c h h a v e c o m e t o b e r e g a r d e d as E n g l i s h 
c l a s s i c s " ) , b u t b y its n a t u r e it is u s e f u l . 

The sequel, What Shall I Read Next, is by 
its n a t u r e m o r e p e r s o n a l , and by t h a t v e r y 
q u a l i t y m o r e a t t r a c t i v e . N o r e a d e r c a n b e 
e x c i t e d by f i n d i n g G i b b o n in the e a r l i e r l i s t ; 
b u t o n e c a n b e p l e a s e d t o r e a d , f o r e x a m p l e , 
in the n e w b o o k t h a t G e o f f r e y G o r e r ' s Ameri-
cans is " a s t u d y in n a t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r w r i t t e n 
w i t h w i t b u t n o m a l i c e ; w i t h p e n e t r a t i o n a n d 

1 9 5 5 ACRL BUILDINGS 
INSTITUTE 

A s a p r e - c o n f e r e n c e a c t i v i t y o f t h e 

1955 M i d w i n t e r A L A m e e t i n g , an 

ACRL Library Building Plans Insti-
tute is t e n t a t i v e l y b e i n g p r o g r a m m e d 

f o r J a n u a r y 2 8 - 2 9 . I f y o u w o u l d 

c a r e t o p r e s e n t t h e p l a n s o f y o u r 

p r o p o s e d b u i l d i n g at this I n s t i t u t e , 

p l e a s e w r i t e t o D a v i d J o l l y , C h a i r -

m a n , A C R L B u i l d i n g s C o m m i t t e e , 

D e e r i n g L i b r a r y , E v a n s t o n , 111. 

If y o u w i s h t o a t t e n d as a p a r t i c i -
p a n t , p l e a s e s e n d y o u r c h e c k in t h e 
a m o u n t o f $ 5 . 0 0 t o t h e a b o v e a d d r e s s 
by November 15. Registrations will 
be limited to 

J A M E S T H I N 
SPECIALIST 

EASILY 

INEXPENSIVE 

FREE 

in mail order service to 
the U . S . A . 

paid direct to our N . Y . 
banker. 

British books are in-
expensive, and the rate 
of exchange is favorable 
to Americans. 

catalogues and informa-
tion. Catalogue 287— 
the late Professor Saro-
lea's library — ready 
shortly. 

T W O IMPORTANT N E W PUBLICATIONS: 

T I M E S A T L A S OF T H E W O R L D . Mid-century 
edition. 5 vols: large folio, 120 col. maps. 

Each vol: approx: £4:4:-
H A L K E T T & L A I N G : Dictionary of Anonymous 
and Pseudonymous Literature, 1st Supplement, 
1900-50. 

Approx: £ : 3 : -

Bookseller & Publisher to the University 

The South Bridge, Edinburgh, S c o t l a n d 

481. OCTOBER, 1954