College and Research Libraries


76 I College & Research Libraries • January 1977 

and to the temptation of making what be-
comes an endless number of additional en-
tries for parts of an area contained on one 
map for which one term is usually economi-
cal. 

In the chapter on the classification of 
local maps, the author takes on the prob-
lems of very small areas within cities and 
parishes and suggests using the British na-
tional topographic series numbering (na-
tional grid) at scales up to 1 : 1,250 to 
break down these areas; this is an obvious 
solution for a country that has such a de-
tailed topographic series. The chapters on 
the cataloging of early and local maps and 
dating early maps border on carto-bibliog-
raphy, but give excellent advice to the gen-
eral librarian who must handle these 
materials. 

As I have found usual in the literature 
on map librarianship, there is no chapter 
on reference work or on the type of staff 
and their training. However, the author 
shows clear evidence of a thorough knowl-
edge of maps and in some of his examples 
suggests a broad range of questions and 
user requirements for maps. Possibly dis-
cussion of this topic is not needed in a 
country where citizens are taught from an 
early age to understand and use maps and 
as adults are generally twice as familiar 
with this format as are North Americans. 
Certainly Mr. Nichols reflects this under-
standing and appreciation of maps in this 
first and excellent text on map librarian-
ship.-]oan Winearls, Map Librarian, Uni-
versity of Toronto. 

d'Olier, J. H., and Delmas, B. Planning Na-
tional Infrastructures for Documentation, 
Libraries and Archives: Outline of a Gen· 
eral Policy. Documentation, Libraries 
and Archives: Studies and Research, 4. 
Paris: Unesco Press, 1975. 328p. $12.50. 
(ISBN 92-3-10114-8) 

Function and Organization of a National 
Documentation Centre in a Developing 
Country, by a FID:_DC Working Group 
under the direction of Harald Schiltz. 
Documentation, Libraries and Archives: 
Studies and Research, 7. Paris: Unesco 
Press, 1976. 218p. $9.25. (ISBN 92-3-
101240-1) Both publications available 
from Unipub, Box 433, Murray Hill Sta-

tion, New York, NY 10016. 

These two recent publications in the 
Unesco series, Documentation, Libraries 
and Archives, treat various aspects of the 
planning and development of national in-
formation centers. 

The volume, Planning National Infra-
structures for Documentation, Libraries and 
Archives, presents two separate reports. 
The first, by J. H. d'Olier, deputy director 
of the Documentation Centre, Centre Na-
tionale de la Recherche Scientifique 
(France), deals with the planning of infra-
structures for documentation and libraries; 
and the second, by B. Delmas, keeper of 
the Archives N ationales de France, deals 
with the planning of infrastructures for ar-
chives. (The word "infrastructure," inci-
dentally, is not defined in the volume; but 
it apparently refers to the underlying foun-
dation or basic framework of each nation's 
information system.) 

Both reports in this volume are intended 
for government authorities responsible for 
planning national programs, and for plan-
ning experts, documentalists, librarians, and 
archivists who must give advice on plan-
ning their respective services as well as 
participate in plan implementation. The 
study explains planning methodology in de-
tail, assesses the experiences of countries 
at different development levels, and consid-
ers the recommendations of various regional 
meetings of experts. In more pragmatic 
terms, the book attempts to explain how 
each nation can make its own present in-
adequately developed information system 
more comprehensive and effective. 

The volume, Function and Organization 
of a National Documentation Centre in a 
Developing Country, produced by the FID 
Developing Country Working Group, under 
the direction of Harald Schutz, presents a 
statement of the nation's role in establish-
ing and managing national documentation, 
information, and library systems. The tasks 
and functions of a national documentation 
center are explained as well as its principal 
fields of activity and recommended docu-
mentation techniques. Helpful appendixes 
give examples of model statutes, organiza-
tion charts, abstract standards, forms, sam-
ples, specimens, and fee schedules. 

The strengths and weaknesses of these 



two volumes are similar. Both are general 
and theoretical in approach rather than 
practical and procedural and thus carry out 
the mission of explaining the theory and 
major policies in their fields. Advice on 
policy matters is comprehensive, useful, and 
judicious insofar as short volumes can go. 
Thus they should be useful in fulfilling 
U nes~o· s worldwide program of information 
service improvement. 

Unfortunately, because of this general 
and theoretical approach, the volumes lack 
specificity, practicality, and demonstrated 
evidence to support the policies recom-
mended. In addition, the writing is dry, 
dull, and abstract. Few examples are given, 
and most of those are from East Germany 
(Schlitz) or France (d'Olier and Delmas). 
The Schlitz volume is so divorced from 
reality that one must read to page 158 be-
fore finding the first mention of a specific 
documentation center in a developing coun-
try. Most references cited are either in 
German (Schlitz) or in French ( d'Olier and 
Delmas), and nothing is listed with a more 
recent publication date than 1972 (Schlitz) 
or 1973 (d'Olier and Delmas). 

Who will find these volumes helpful? 
Perhaps primarily non-librarians, such as 
government officials who are planning na-
tional documentation centers and informa-
tion "infrastructures." Those needing a 
comprehensive statement of theory and 
policy can review their own understanding 
with these books. Neither volume is essen-
tial in most American college and university 
libraries; however, for many academic and 
research libraries in developing countries 
and for agencies and individuals establish-
ing national, local, or subject-oriented docu-
mentation centers, these books will be 
useful and should be purchased and read 
carefully.-John F. Harvey, St. Johnsbury, 
Vermont. 

Budurowycz, Bohdan. Slavic and East 
European Resources in Canadian Aca-
demic and Research Libraries. Research 
Collections in Canadian Libraries. II. 
Special Studies. Vol. 4. Ottawa: Re-
sources Survey Division, Collections De-
velopment Branch, National Library of 
Canada, 1976. 595p. $5.00, Canada; 
$6.00, other countries. (Available from 

Recent Publications I 11 

Information Canada, 171 Slater Street, 
Ottawa, Ontario KIA OS9.) 
Professor Budurowycz has surveyed the 

holdings of some sixty-five Canadian li-
braries on Slavic and East European mat-
ters, providing for each of them a sub-
stantial description of strengths and 
weaknesses, together with a general statisti-
cal summary. All but seven of these ac-
counts are based upon information derived 
from his visits to the institutions, as well as 
upon extensive correspondence with librari-
ans and scholars. For one who, twenty-five 
years ago, had some acquaintance with the 
Canadian university scene, it is heartening 
to note the geographic and numerical ex-
pansion of library resources in these fields. 

As one might expect from a knowledge 
of Canadian ethnic history, there are sev-
eral significant collections devoted to 
Ukrainian topics; and, as the descriptions 
indicate, they often provide rare and valu-
able materials which cannot easily be found 
elsewhere. However, as Professor Budu-
rowycz also shows, access to two of the 
leading institutions, the Basilian Fathers' 
Library and Museum in Mundare, Alberta, 
and St. Andrews College in Winnipeg, 
Manitoba, is impeded by problems of cata-
loging and arrangement. 

Furthermore, as an examination of the 
names of the twenty-four institutions which 
are shown in the table on page 529 to have 
over 10,000 volumes of relevant materials 
will indicate, there is a heavy concentration 
of such libraries in the province of Ontario, 
a total absence of any location in the Mari-
time Provinces, and but one Francophone 
university, the Universite de Montreal. 
While the University of British Columbia 
and the University of Alberta rank second 
and third as individual organizations and 
while the Winnipeg area's strengths in 
Ukrainica are emphasized, there would 
seem to be a certain geographical over-
balancing of resources which may not be 
advantageous for the development of Ca-
nadian scholarship. 

One is also struck by the fact that the 
name and subject index has no entry for the 
Arctic or the Polar regions. At least super-
ficially the problems of the Canadian North 
would seem so close as to make it desirable 
to learn of the Russian involvement in their