College and Research Libraries


The Monteith College Library Experi-
ment. By Patricia B. Knapp. New York: 
Scarecrow Press, 1966. ix, 293p. $7 ( 66-
13747). 

The ultimate purpose of the Monteith 
Library Program of which the pilot project 
is here reported by the project director, is 
to "stimulate and guide students in develop-
ing sophisticated understanding of the li-
brary and increasing competence in its use ." 

In no area of academic librarianship 
could a solid piece of pioneering research 
be more valuable than in the instruction of 
students in the use of the library. Here the 
argument of instruction versus information 
thrives and even the advocates of instruc-
tion are frequently weary, frustrated, and 
dissatisfied with the state of the art. One 
suspects that the difficulty of finding a suit-
able situation for a thoroughgoing experi-
mental study has been a prime stumbling 
block to the development of a respectable 
body of research. Only a relatively small, 
experimental college like Monteith stressing 
general, liberal education and committed to 
developing in the student a growing respon-
sibility for his own education would prob-
ably have been hospitable to library in-
structional coordination on such an unprece-
dented scale as the Monteith Library Pro-
gram. 

The project called for participation of the 
project staff in the planning of college 
courses and cooperation with the faculty in 
devising assignments which would involve 
extensive and meaningful student use of 
library resources. One specific objective of 
the pilot project was an appraisal of the 
structure set up to achieve this new library 
instructional relationship. The chapter re-
porting the analysis of social structure in 
the Monteith Library Project and the re-
vision of the organizational structure which 
took place after a period of testing is of 
first significance for future research and of 
particular interest to college librarians who 
may feel that the revised structure would 
be in essence transferable to projects set 
up in more conservative situations. 

Other specific objectives of the pilot proj-

Book Reviews 

ect were an exploration of new methods 
of relating the library to the instructional 
program and a preliminary assessment of 
the effectiveness of these methods. Dr. 
Knapp records the experimentation of the 
first year in which fourteen curriculum-re-
lated library assignments were carried 
through and an intensive study made of a 
small random sample of students who had 
been exposed to the initial program. The 
understanding acquired through these ef-
forts in planning library assignments, re-
inforced by the result of the small sample 
study, led to assignments in the following 
year which represented a new approach. 
This approach is reflected in a model pro-
gram of instruction in the use of the library 
which is unprecedented. 

The outstanding concept of the model 
program is the framework for college in-
struction in the use of the library which 
centers on the intellectual processes in-
volved in retrieval of information and ideas 
from a highly complex system embracing 
both library organization and the networks 
of scholarly communication. For teaching 
purposes the library is viewed as a system of 
"ways." 

While the model program is designed 
specifically for the Monteith curriculum it 
is adaptable to other undergraduate liberal 
arts programs. 

The pilot project is intended to serve as 
the basis for a plan for the second phase of 
the Monteith Library Program "if and when 
funds become available." One hopes prompt 
support will be forthcoming.-H elen M. 
Brown, Wellesley College. 

Handbook of American Resources for 
African Studies. By Peter Duignan. 
(Hoover Institution Bibliographical Series, 
XXIX). Stanford, California: Stanford 
University, The Hoover Institution on 
War, Revolution, and Peace, 1967. 218p. 
$6 (66-20901). 

Peter Duignan, director of African 
Studies at the Hoover Institution on War, 
Revolution, and Peace has performed a use-
ful service by bringing together these de-
scriptions of American resources for African 

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