College and Research Libraries validity of their sample and give no reasons why the reader should accept its validity, it does not seem worthwhile to consider the results of these analyses. The section on the evaluation of the document delivery service deserves only slightly more attention because the quality of sampling at Ohio State Uni- versity affects the quality of the data col- lected. Not surprisingly, the authors found that "Ohio State University faculty who used the document delivery service held much more favorable attitudes toward the library as an information source and were very enthusiastic about the value of a docu- ment delivery service for faculty and gradu- ate students." In the final chapter, "Other Findings of the Investigation," an interest- ing group of miscellaneous facts is present- ed. There are no suggestions for further re- search.-Barbara Slanker, Director, ALA Office for Research, Chicago. Thompson, Lawrence S., comp. The New Sabin; Books Described by Joseph Sa- bin and llis Successors, Now Described Again on the Basis of Examination of Originals, and Fully Indexed by Title, Subject, Joint Authors, and Institutions and Agencies. Troy, N.Y.: Whitston, 1974. v.1 and index (in 2v.). v.l, $25.00; index, $10.00. Do we need a new Sabin? By rough cal- culation, the cost of this projected set is likely to be at least $1,500 (assuming prices remain at their present level), so librarians will want to examine it very carefully be- fore deciding to invest this sum. The ultimate scope of The New Sabin has not yet been established; although ini- tially limited to items from Joseph Sabin's D-ictionary of Books Relating to America, the compiler speaks in the preface of the possibility of adding items from other bib- liographies such as Lyle Wright's American Fiction, 1774-1850 in future volumes. This first installment consists of two vol- umes, one of which is an index to the other. Each main volume is to be a complete al- phabet, but future index volumes will be cumulative and will include author entries. The main volume under consideration here "represents books which have been seen by the compiler in the original or one [sic 1 film, and the entries are copies of the de- scriptive portions of Library of Congress Recent Publications I 81 cards for the most part" (Preface) . Al- though Sabin's original entries are often ab- breviated and sometimes inaccurate in their particulars, most Sabin users are able to lo- cate the Library of Congress entry, if one exists; this New Sabin innovation is actual- ly a minor convenience. Moreover, Sabin's original annotations have been omitted en- tirely from the new work. For access to these valuable notes, often including infor- mation about other editions, the reader will have to use the original Sabin bibliography, making the new arrangement even less of an advantage. And since no provision has been made for correlating New Sabin and Dictionary entry numbers, working back from New Sabin to the Dictionary is not al- ways an easy matter. No location information is given in The New Sabin, even though the compiler has seen each item in the original or on film. It is left to the reader to locate copies through the use of other bibliographies, whether union lists or indexes to microform sets. Although Lost Cause Press is publishing se- lected works from Sabin's Dictionary in microform (for which Lawrence Thompson is also doing the bibliographic work), there is no indication that The New Sabin is con- nected with that set. Lost Cause Press itself is issuing catalogs which give Library of Congress entries for the Sabin works it is publishing in microform. According to the compiler, "the greatest value of the present work is the subject in- dex, combined with all other useful entries such as those for joint authors, issuing agen- cies, sub-titles, etc." The subject index, ap- parently based on Library of Congress headings, is certainly adequate for subjects on which little has been written; but, if the topic is the Civil War or George Washing- ton, the reader is faced with a discouraging mass of undifferentiated item numbers. As the set grows larger the numbers will mul- tiply, and many headings will become vir- tually useless. If the main arrangement of the new work were by subject, or if the complete entry were listed, the reader could more easily pick out appropriate items. It does seem that if The New Sabin has any contribution to make, it is by providing subject access to these early printed books and pamphlets, many of which may not turn up in subject bibliographies. 82 I College & Research Libraries • January 1975 Many smaller failings-poor copy edit- ing and outright errors-contribute to the impression of a poorly planned, hastily put together work. The New Sabin by no means supersedes Joseph Sabin's monumental Dic- tionary, and in its present form it fails to make a significant contribution of its own to the bibliographical control of Americana. -Doris Ann Sweet, Columbia University Libraries, New York City. Carter, Mary Duncan; Bonk, Wallace John; and ~1agrill, Rose Mary. Building Li- brary Collections. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 415p. This fourth edition of a library school "classic" has grown by some hundred pages yet remains, unsurprisingly, no more than a once-over-lightly of the complexities of acquisitions theory and practice. In an at- tempt to be inclusive it ranges from discus- sion of selection philosophies through de- scription of national and trade bibliogra- phies to a brief analysis of the uses of fan- fold processing slips. As an introduction the text has already proven effective, although its usefulness is limited for experienced li- brarians. The orientation is definitely toward pub- lic libraries, with an emphasis on the vary- ing factors involved in book selection for different types and sizes of user communi- ties. In an informally readable style the text restates commonsense principles and again illustrates that selection is more of an art than a science. Roughly the first half of the book is coverage of general theories while the second half is evenly split between de- scription of acquisition aids and appen- dixes. The considerable portion of the text summarizing features of major bibliograph- ic tools provides useful example entries to illustrate inclusiveness and format. Of course one difficulty with any book which tries to describe current bibliographic sources is that it is almost certain to be out of date by the time of publication. This edi- tion has already missed the metamorphosis of Publishers' Weekly, the fifteenth edition of Ulrich's, and of course the recently an- nounced separation of Library ] ournal and School Library Journal. Discussion of the publishing trade and acquisitions practices is sketchy (e.g., no mention of NPAC), but throughout the book expanded bibliographies at chapter ends recommend a good range of addition- al material and have been brought well up to date. The approximate quarter of the volume devoted to appendixes offers a use- ful assortment of ALA Council statements on the freedom to read and a variety of quotations from book selection policies. Another interesting section is the text of the June 1973 Miller vs. California Supreme Court obscenity decision. Occasional lapses in editing, generally of the typographical variety, are still evi- dent in this new edition. Perhaps it was my misfortune to encounter the only blind cross reference in the index when I chose to look up USEE. However, even these minor slips are regrettable in a text which presumably will be read with close atten- tion by prospective librarians. In summary, the book is fine for its in- tended audience but of limited utility be- yond library school classes.-Karen Horny, Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services, Northwestern University Library, Evanston, Illinois. Schad, Jasper G., and Tanis, Norman E. Problems in Developing Academic Li- brary Collections. New York: Bowker, 1974. 183p. Collection development and acquisitions problems have often been relegated a minor role in library school curricula. The reasons for this vary, but the net result is the same-graduates with little practical, let alone theoretical, basis for action. In an attempt to counter this situation, the au- thors, both library directors, have created thirty case studies based on real situations, ranging from one to twenty pages in length. Superficially viewed, these studies might appear to be lacking in depth and subtlety, but a careful reading proves this not to be the case. Each situation is carefully con- structed to present directly or by inference problems and dilemmas concerning a sur- prisingly broad range of topics. Especially important for the student is the political and economic backdrop against which these problems are cast. Who really implements library policy? What is the proper balance between the academic administration, the library administration, the library staff, the faculty? Who controls