College and Research Libraries


Book Reviews 
Primer for Agricultural Libraries. By 

Dorothy Parker, Frank C. Hirst, Theo-
door P. Loosjes, and Gerrit Koster. Ox-
ford: International Association of Agri-
cultural Libraries and Documentalists, 
1967. 72p. 

The authors of this slender volume (two of 
whom would more properly be called com-
pilers) have produced an admirable guide 
for secretaries and others who have had 
thrust upon them the task of organizing 
and operating an agricultural library serv-
ice, without previous training or expe-
rience. The number of such individuals 
must be very large indeed, for agricultural 
research stations have multiplied rapidly 
these past two decades in the urgent quest 
for ways to produce enough food to sup-
port vastly increased numbers of people. 

Dr. Parker's introductory chapter makes 
abundantly clear the widely diversified 
fields of science embraced in agricultural 
practice and research. It also underscores 
the tremendous challenge confronting ag-
ricultural librarians in assisting researchers 
to chart paths through the ever-thickening 
forest of the literature of agriculture and 
related sciences. 

Her description of the ways in which agri-
cultural scientists use publications, and of 
the role librarians can play in making that 
use fruitful and effective, will effectively 
broaden the horizons of persons coming 
untrained to the task. The practical aspects 
of building a collection of materials and of 
developing reference and other services 
are outlined in a helpful and stimulating 
way. 

The specifics of library practice are dealt 
with in Frank Hirst's section of the Primer 
with great thoroughness and clarity. From 
suggestions concerning selection of materi-
als and their acquisition, he moves on to 
measures designed to exploit book-and-
journal information and create an aware-
ness of current research developments. He 
treats also, in relatively simple terms, of 
classification, cataloging, and storage of 

library materials. Rounding out this section 
is a somewhat less explicit, although quite 
helpful, consideration of reference and cir-
culation functions in the small agricultural 
library. 

The final section of the volume is an in-
valuable compilation of tools put together 
by Messrs. Loojes and Koster. Librarians of 
large as well as small agricultural libraries 
will do well to consult this list of biblio-
graphical tools, abstracting journals and serv-
ices, and broad annual reviews, because 
of its comprehensive coverage. 

This edition is labeled "preliminary," for 
IAALD definitely plans to revise and ex-
pand this Primer. A good beginning has 
been made, one that admirably meets a 
pressing need.—Fleming Bennett, Univer-
sity of Florida. 

Copying Methods Manual. By William R. 
Hawken. ("LTP Publications, no. 11" 
[Chicago: ALA 1966].) 375p. $15. (66-
25095). 

In 1936 Robert C. Binkley published his 
now classic Manual on Methods of Repro-
ducing Research Materials. Long out of 
date from a purely technical standpoint, 
Binkley's work is still valuable for its many 
fundamental insights into basic aspects of 
reprography (a silly word, but apparently 
well grafted into the vocabularies of Eu-
ropean languages). 

Mr. Hawken, one of the most respected 
technicians in the business, has written a 
literate and highly dependable work 
which covers the field comprehensively. It 
is in four major sections, viz., factors affect-
ing the characteristics of copies; the physi-
cal characteristics of research materials; 
processes; and methods and techniques. It 
is extensively illustrated, and even the 
novice in any branch of reprography will 
be able to use the work without difficulty 
in understanding terminology or technical 
explanations. 

The author makes cautious evaluations and 
explanations about specific equipment, 

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