College and Research Libraries 164 I College & Research Libraries • March 1977 of Library and Information Science, State University of New York at Albany. · Advances in Librarianship. Volume 6. Edit- ed by Melvin J. Voigt and Michael H. Harris. New York: Academic Press, 1976. 291p. $16.00. LC 79-88675. ISBN 0-12- 785006-6. Advances· in Librarianship is a major work in the field of librarianship, for col- lected in one volume is a presentation of current trends, issues, and problems on topics that are not only timely, but of in- valuable interest and concern to practition- ers and scholars. The first five volumes of Advances were edited by that meticulous scholar, Melvin J. Voigt. In assembling the sixth volume, he has been joined by an erudite library educator, Michael H. Harris. This welcome new volume to the review literature is significant, for the major thrust of the work speaks to the vexing questions of accountability, productivity, and per- formance. It is the goal of the editors that this emphasis ~'will prove of use to librari- ans struggling with the problem of mean- ingfully assessing the value of the library's services to the community." In this period of mandated budgetary cuts and fiscal crisis, which have made for financially strapped libraries, librarians who must fight for and justify every morsel of funding will find these observations and conclusions very beneficial, The four papers that illuminate the prob- lems are ~'Performance Measures for School Librarians·; Complexities and Potential," by Evelyn H. Daniel, "Productivity Measure- ment in Academic Libraries," by Thomas J. Waldhart and Thomas P. Marcum, "Rele- vance: A Review of the Literature and a Framework for Thinking on the Notion in Information Science," by Tefko Saracevic, and "The Impact of Reading on Human Behavior: The Implications of Communica- tions Research," by Roger Haney, Michael H. Harris, and Leonard Tipton. Apart from their intrinsic merit, if these four essays indicate anything, it is the im- perative need for librarians to have the skills to make an interdisciplinary analysis of the performance of their libraries in meeting the needs of their user communi- ties. The remaining two papers in this volume also represent important contributions to the field. Donald Davinson has done for li- brary education in Europe what Lester Asheim did for library education in North America in volume 5 of this series. In paint- ing a broad picture of library education on the European continent, Davinson exhibits an encyclop~dic familiarity with the litera- hire of several disciplines and the trends in European library education. American li- brary and information science educators as well as others will find this essay an im- mensely -stimulating study that may very well serve as a good background paper for a seminar on comparative librarianship. Beverly Lynch, former Executive Secre- tary of the Association of College and Re- search Libraries, focuses on . a topic of con- siderable interest · to the profession, "The Role of Middle Managers in Libraries." Her essay is a hard-headed, fruitful examination of the current role of that hybrid, "the middle manager," including elements in the library environment that make for coopera- tive or competitive relationships. This com- prehensive analysis of such a timely topic not only sheds much needed light on the subject, but the sources of material for the essay also · constitute one of its major strengths. Turning to the organization of the vol- ume; the editors have followed the ap- proach of previous volumes. Each essay is so structured that the reader is fortunate in that there is an outline of the major sub- jects under consideration. In addition there are copious references, and each essay is well written and documented. The inclusion of the table of contents of previous volumes and the excellent author and subject indexes enhance the reference value of the volume. · Each succeeding year this tome clearly demonstrates its uniqueness as an indis- pensable research tool.-E. ]. Josey, Chief, Bureau of Specialist Library Services, New York State Education Department. Shera, Jesse H. Introduction to Library Sci- ence: Basic Elements of Library Science. Library Science Text Series. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1976. 208p. $10.00. LC 76-21332. ISBN 0-87287-173-8. Designed as a textbook for an introduc- tory course in library science, this book well fulfills its purpose. The various chapters cover: library history through the centuries; the place of the libr~ as a social and cul- tural force and as a responsible communica- tion network in society; the importance of reading and of "knowing men and books"; librarianship in a new role in the field of in- formation science and the study of informa- tion processing devices and techniques such as computers and network systems; the "structure, organization and record," of the library and information science profession; the educational and research requirements. Two chapters in the book were written by other people: chapter 4, ccDeus ex machina,, by La Vahn Overmyer, a faculty member of the Case ·Western Reserve Li- brary School, and chapter 8., "Library and Information Services," by Margaret Ander- _son of the University of Toronto Library School faculty. This book provides an interesting and readable introduction to the field of librari- anship and information science. Jesse Shera is a literary man, .a scholar, and a human- ist. He writes well, with sophistication, and with a sense of humor. He cites authorities, and he expresses his own personal opinion and personal philosophy about the field of librarianship. He speaks for a balance be- tween technology and scholarship and testi- fies to the breadth and depth and richness of the library profession. In the prologue of his book, Shera says, c'The aim of this book, then, is not to introduce, much less to formulate, a philosophy of librarianship, or even to present a 'state of the art' sum- mary, but rather to provide some insight into what librarianship is and the opportu- nities it offers to one who might choose it , as a career. ·. In the opinion of this reviewer, Dr. Shera achieves his goal and much more. His book is interesting, readable, entertaining, and a contribution to librarianship.-Martha Boaz, Dean, School of Library Science, University of Southern California, Los ·An- geles. Gates, Jean Key. Introduction to Librarian- ship. 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976. 288p. $9.95. LC 75-42316. ISBN ·' 0-07-022977-5. The first edition of this book proved to Recent Publications I 165 be a valuable introduction and guide to the basic elements of librarianship. The second edition continues the good work and is wel- comed as an important title in the McGraw- Hill Series in Library Education. The book has three major divisions: Part One, The Story of Libraries; Part Two, Librarianship as a Profession; and Part Three, Kinds of Libraries and Library Service. The two ap- pendixes include Guides for Professional Performance and a Bibliography. Jean Gates, in the prologue, states that the book is about 'libraries, librarians, and librarianship. It offers indications and sug- gestions about what they have been, what they are now, what they should be, and what they may become." The author says that the book is "introductory" in nature and proposes to introduce the student to the history of libraries and librarianship, to provide a basis for the understanding of li- brary objectives and services, and to instill an appreciation of librarianship . as a pro- fession. Included also is information about the various kinds of libraries, the types of library services, information about impor- tant library leaders, about professional or- ganizations, about library education, and about current problems, issues, and trends. For those persons who wish to pursue given topics to greater lengths there are ex- cellent footnotes and bibliographical cita- tions. The material is presented directly and clearly, and the book is an excellent text for an introductory foundation course in library science. It can also serve as a supplement to many other courses in the curriculum and should be required reading of every li- brary school student.-Martha Boaz, Dean, School of Library Science, University of Southern .California, Los Angeles. Rayward, W. Boyd. The Universe of Infor- mation: The Work of Paul Otlet for Doc- umentation and International Organisa- tion. (FID 520) Moscow: Published for International Federation for Documenta- tion (FID) by All-Union Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (VINITI), 1975. 389p. 40 Dutch guil- ders. (Available from International Fed- eration for Documentation, 7 Hofweg, The Hague, Netherlands.) This is perhaps · the most depressing book that I have ever read-or at least in a class