College and Research Libraries


158 / College b- Research Libraries • March 1968 

tralia in 1959 and is actually based on visits 
made in 1957/58 which were in turn pre-
ceded by a questionnaire. The University 
Grants Committee returns of 1955/56 were 
used as the source of certain factual data. 

The work is thus a description of universi-
ty libraries in Great Britain as they were 
ten or twelve years ago. It antedates the 
"new universities," the great increase in 
university enrollment, and a rather con-
siderable amount of new contruction of li-
brary buildings at universities. At first sight 
one might think of it as a companion vol-
ume to the Parry Report (U.G.C. Report 
of the Committee on Libraries. 1967) or as 
bearing some relation to the Shackleton 
Report (Oxford University. Report of the 
Committee on University Libraries. 1966). 
Except in most general terms, this is not 
the case. 

After describing the purpose of his study 
and noting some of the disparities between 
British and Australian universities, Bryan 
appraises the place of the library in the 
university in Great Britain. In a series 
of chapters he undertakes to present a 
generalized account of university libraries in 
terms of finance, book stock, buildings, staff, 
library routine, services, and decentraliza-
tion. Bryan considers the financial support 
"not ungenerous," the ingenuity displayed 
in adapting ill-designed buildings to serve 
library purposes commendable, and the lack 
of attention to subject cataloging deplorable. 
He notes some of the peculiarities of circu-
lation systems and of cataloging procedures 
and records that are still in use. 

In his treatment of acquisitions and cata-
loging, Bryan underscores the duplication 
of records and of staff effort that is fre-
quently found because the work is not 
organized systematically with forms and 
information passed on from one office or 
department to another. He describes in 
some detail the various types of catalogs 
maintained and notes the lack of use of 
the B.N.B. printed card service. One might 
have expected that Bryan would be even 
more critical than he is on this point because 
of the potential economy and promptness 
of service that use of the service would 
make possible. Although there are undoubt-
edly some exceptions and although there 
have been discussions of library automa-

tion, it would appear that the situation has 
undergone few changes in the years that 
have passed since Bryan's visit. 

The second part of the book is devoted 
to descriptions of each of the university 
libraries emphasizing special features, nota-
ble strengths and regrettable weaknesses 
as appropriate. Reduced floor plans of many 
of the libraries visited are included and 
there is a bibliography of over four hun-
dred items. The book is marked by many 
typographical errors which even casual 
proofreading should have eliminated. 

The Survey was undoubtedly informative 
for Mr. Bryan, as it will be to those of his 
readers who have not had an opportunity to 
visit these libraries. But changes have oc-
curred since Bryan's survey. Whether its 
publication may lead to further improve-
ments remains to be seen. Apparently, Mr. 
Bryan had some experiences in the course 
of his visits which he found trying and 
which are unfortunately reflected in some 
of his remarks.—Stephen A. McCarthy, As-
sociation of Research Libraries. 

Cleaning and Preserving Bindings and 
Related Materials. By Carolyn Horton. 
Chicago: (ALA, 1967). (Library Tech-
nology Program Publications No. 12) 
76 p. 

The Library Technology Program of 
ALA starts a new series—Conservation of 
Library Materials—with a pamphlet written 
by Mrs. Carolyn Horton, illustrated by 
Aldren A. Watson, and devoted to the tech-
niques of cleaning and preserving bindings 
and related materials. 

A clear style and simple illustrations are 
so expertly combined that any librarian or 
book collector who isn't all thumbs can 
do everything described in this pamphlet— 
and everything that needs to be done is 
described. This is a practical, elementary 
manual which presupposes no previous 
training or experience, and yet even people 
who think they know a thing or two about 
preservation will find here such a skillful 
concentration of professional advice that 
something new is bound to be added to 
their knowledge. 

The pamphlet is divided into three sec-
tions: preparing to recondition a library; 



Book Reviews / 159 

sorting books and identifying problems; and 
treatment. Nothing is left to the imagina-
tion of the novice (as indeed it shouldn't 
be), and the first section describes such 
basic steps as how to improvise work areas, 
how to move books, how to keep track of 
them as they are sorted and treated. 

The section on sorting explains, among 
many other things, how to recognize acid 
migration, how case bindings are made and 
thus what to do with books that are loose 
in their cases, how to distinguish between 
real and artificial leather in sorting books 
for oiling. The suggestion I'm grateful for 
is how to deal with the untitled slip case 
that has to be separated from its book: 
write author, title, and call number on a 
large sheet of paper and then crumple it 
up inside the case. No more the empty case 
that has to be discarded because it won't 
fit any book except the one that returned to 
the shelf without it. 

The section on treatment is concise, ex-
plicit, and fascinating. It presents the es-
sential facts about preserving leather bind-
ings, explains the need for treating leather 
with potassium lactate, tells exactly which 
leather dressing to use and how to apply it. 
It tells—and of course shows—how to make 
simple repairs on torn leaves, how to re-
build corners, how and where to paste book-
plates. 

It also describes how to hinge letters in 
books, on the assumption that "in a private 
collection or rare-book room, letters from 
the author, unless very bulky, are usually 
kept with the book" (p. 23). Mrs. Horton 
is justified in describing the proper way 
to hinge letters in books but I doubt that 
most experienced rare book librarians would 
recommend it. Perhaps in the second edition 
(which is certain to be called for) she 
would describe the technique but accentu-
ate her alternative suggestion of filing the 
letter in a separate folder "where it can-
not damage the book in any way" (p. 25). 

A detailed table of contents substitutes 
for an index, while the back matter consists 
of a glossary, a list of supplies and equip-
ment mentioned in the text (all used by 
Mrs. Horton or known by her to be in 
general use and to perform in an acceptable 
manner), a list of stores where the supplies 
can be bought, and a selected bibliography. 

The pamphlet is printed on 8/2 x 11-inch 
'Permalife' paper, has wide margins, large 
type, and a stylish blending of text and il-
lustration. Its permanance, its pleasing ap-
pearance are singularly appropriate for a 
manual that will be in constant use by 
everybody concerned with preserving books. 
—Marjorie G. Wynne, The Beinecke Rare 
Book and Manuscript Library, Yale Uni-
versity. 

EDUNET: A Report of the Summer Study 
on Information Networks Conducted by 
the Interuniversity Communications 
Council (EDUCOM). By George W. 
Brown, James G. Miller, Thomas A. Keen-
an. New York: Wiley, 1967. xix, 440p. 
$3.95. (67-21328). 

With a $750,000 grant from the Kellogg 
Foundation the Interuniversity Communica-
tions Council came into existence and joined 
the ranks of organizations that are con-
cerned with developing cooperative pro-
grams among colleges and universities. The 
Council was the brainchild of James A. 
Miller of the University of Michigan, who 
was responsible for obtaining the five-year 
grant, organizing the initial programs, and 
steering the new activity on a course that 
has been grandiose and ambitious and holds 
the promise of great potential for the edu-
cational community. Dr. Miller, a physician 
by training, while stressing the importance 
of cooperative efforts in all fields, was par-
ticularly interested in having the new organ-
ization act as a unified voice for the edu-
cational world in matters of educational 
and communications technology. Such an 
organization could work with government 
and industry as an equal partner to insure 
that its point of view was always repre-
sented. 

The initial efforts of the Council were 
of an organizational nature, and time was 
spent identifying means by which it could 
carry out its mission and develop action 
programs. As the number of member uni-
versities and colleges grew, the Council 
focused its attention on specific programs 
for exchanging and sharing intellectual and 
human, library and computer resources. 
Great attention was also given to the need 
for utilizing all available technology, such