College and Research Libraries country, hopefully for educational rather than for economic reasons. In the mean- time, studies like this will be important technical guides wherever the selectio!} of materials for storage is necessary.-]. Daniel Vann, CLR Management Intern, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California. • Resources of South Carolina Libraries. By Edward G. Holley, Johnnie E. Givens, Fred W. Roper, W. Christian Sizemore. Columbia, S.C. : South Carolina Commis- sion on Higher Education, 1976. 126p. Having moved to the Carolinas from Texas where he had conducted a somewhat similar survey, Dean Holley with his col- leagues has coordinated an equally effica- cious critiqqe _ to assist libraries in "strengthening all the state's institutions of higher learning so that quality education will be available for every citizen who wants it and can profit from it," an ideal stated by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, whose objective is to include full consideration of the library function. Although ACRL' s recommendations for measuring the strengths of collections (checking standard bibliographies, etc.), staffs, and buildings were also evaluated components of the program, this was proba- bly the first statewide survey to apply the measuring techniques adopted as ACRL' s standards in 1975. Two aspects of this survey are of particu- lar interest: the surveyors' acknowledgment of the wide use of public library resources by college students (with good ·supporting data) and the division and integration of the surveyors' responsibilities. Holley took the "general purpose" universities and the pub- lic libraries; Givens, the senior colleges; Sizemore, the two-year institutions; and Roper, the health sciences libraries. In all, more than fifty institutions were included, with some overlaps of visitations. The sec- tions of the survey are individual reports, but the whole book is well coordinated and interestingly presented, with all the neces- sary documentation, tables, and statistics. The conclusions suggest that the four classes of libraries do not differ significantly Recent Publications I 51 from their counterparts in most other states or regions. Cogent suggestions accompany the stimulating analyses and reviews of each type of library, with the most urgent needs for development seeming to be in the health sciences and public libraries. Throughout the survey the usual needs for increased financial and staff support, cooperative bibliographic (resource) activity, and service coordination among the libraries are emphasized. It is a truism, perhaps, that the librarians who are concerned with the recommen- dations of other experts are already aware of most of the facts that a survey of this kind will reveal. Nevertheless , well-conducted surveys such as this give substantiated sup- port to librarians everywhere and, in the special locale under study, guidance to educators, administrators, and legislators who may not have seen their local special needs in perspective. The problems that can only be solved with their understanding and support are adroitly pinpointed.-Lee Ash, Library Consultant, Bethany, Connecticut. Lancaster, F. W., with the assistance of M. J. Joncich. The Measurement and Evalua- tion of Library Services. Washington, D. C.: Information Resources Press, 1977. 395p. $27.50. LC 77-72081. ISBN 0-87815-017-X. NATO Advanced Study Institute on the Evaluation and Scientific Management of Libraries and Information Centres, Bris- tol, 1975. Evaluation and Scientific Man- agement of Libraries and Information Centres. Edited by F. W. Lancaster and C. W. Cleverdon. NATO Advanced Study Institute Series. Series E : Applied Science, no.18. Leyden: Noordhoff, 1977. 184p. $19.50. ISBN 0-286-0656-4. It is rare to have the opportunity to re- view a book in the field of librarianship that is admirable in almost every respect. It is _ so rare, in fact, that one hesitates to announce such a judgment for fear of being taken as undiscriminating. With The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services, F. W. Lancaster has indeed written a book that deserves enthusiastic praise, even to the point of overlooking the minor flaws that can always be found if one searches hard enough, if that would encourage the wider - 58 I College & Research Libraries • January 1978 acceptance of the work by the profession. Lancaster's work is intended to be a textbook for library school courses relating to the measurement and evaluation of li- brary services. It is not, however, written at an elementary or superficial level and will perhaps find its greatest usefulness as a standard reference for researchers and for practicing librarians who take an objective, evaluative approach to library services and programs. The range of topics covered is compre- hensive, including, among others, catalog use studies, evaluation of reference service, evaluation of literature searching and infor- mation retrieval, evaluation of the collec- tion, evaluation of document delivery capabilities, library surveys, and cost- performance-benefits considerations. Chap- ters are also devoted- to evaluation of tech- nical services and automated systems, but these topics are not, unfortunately, treated as fully as others. Studies of catalog use, evaluation of reference service, and evalua- tion of collections are covered most thor- oughly. For the most part, Lancaster provides for each topic a brief discussion of his theoret- ical perspective on the issue, a discussion of approaches to research methodology and measurement, a rather extensive summary and analysis of the principal studies relating to each area, and a concluding statement on the cumulative findings of the research. Ex- cellent bibliographies are appended to each chapter. The result of this consistent and organized treatment is a highly useful ·be- ginning point for in-depth study of mea- surement and evaluation in each area of concern. A consistent theme throughout Lancas- ter's work is his focus on evaluation of li- brary services in terms of specific, measura- ble objectives derived from the immediate and tangible needs of library users. Lancas- ter excludes from his attention the evalua- tion of libraries in terms of their broader so- cial roles or the philosophical goals fre- quently put forth as statements of objec- tives. Lancaster conscientiously maintains this emphasis throughout, with the result that he has written a highly concrete, information-packed book of considerable practical value. Another important characteristic of Lan- caster's treatment is his commentary on the research methodologies of the studies he surveys. All too frequently in the literature of librarianship, survey articles deal exclu- sively with findings and neglect the neces- sary assessment of the methodologies of the rese~ch surveyed. Lancaster rarely fails to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches to each measure- ment and evaluation problem, and he avoids the common fault of comparing the results of studies conducted by noncomparable methodologies. The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services serves not only as a survey of the present state of knowledge on each topic but also as a state-of-the-art survey of the research meth- odologies appropriate to measurement and evaluation. The evaluation of library services in terms of performance measures derived from explicit objectives is still an emerging disci- pline. The problems posed by measurement and evaluation are recognized to be difficult, and the practical utility of much research to date has been limited. On the other hand, the appearance of Lancaster's book is cause for optimism. The general im- pression left by his survey is one of a grow- ing base of research and an increasingly re- fined methodology. This book in itself indi- cates the emerging maturity of measure- ment and evaluation in librarianship. It is a distinguished contribution to the literature that could not have been written except for a solid and considerable base of research by others. Evaluation and Scientific Management of Libraries and Information Centres, edited by Lancaster and C. W. Cleverdon, ap- peared almost simultaneously with The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services. Ordinarily, this work would re- ceive a generally favorable review, but it suffers badly in comparison with the Lancas- ter monograph. This is a collection of lec- tures delivered at a NATO advanced study institute. As with most such collections, the indi- vidual contributions vary greatly in quality and usefulness, and there is a lack of consis- tent organization and focus. With the excep- tion of Ferdinand Leimkuhler' s contribution ;~ You shouldju~e a book by its cover (anil its cataloging) It"s been estimated that a library spends upwards of an hour and $8.00 or more to catalog and process a single book in- house. Which makes cataloging and processing extremely important when you judge the cost of any book. At Baker & Taylor, we feel that the less a library spends on cataloging and processing, the more it can spend on books. So, through our cataloging and processing services we've reduced the cost of a fully cataloged and processed book to a fraction of a library's cost. We offer all three cataloging formats with multiple op- tions. We'll even install theft detection devices. Combine our low cataloging and processing costs with the best book discounts in the industry. and our books are an unbeatable value ... and they arrive shelf ready. In addition. we offer the extra services many libraries need such as Approval Programs. Current Awareness Ser· vices. Standing Order Programs and BATAB ... Baker & Taylor's computerized acquisition service. Not to mention the fastest delivery available. And. we never charge for any service or handling . To find out how you can put more books on your shelves for less. just fill in the coupon. r---------------------------------------, Mail coupon to your nearest Distribution Center. Please send information about the following: 0 Cataloging & Processing 0 BATAB 0 Direct Order Service 0 Approval Program 0 Continuation Service 0 Please contac t me . Name-------------------- Lihrary _________ Title ________ _ Address-------------------- 1 Cit State----Zip ___ _ I ! Baker&Tallor t-----------~~~~~n_g_f~~!~~~_!l_!~~---~.l':!.-~~~1.:;-~~ J Weslern Division Soulhwesl Division Midwest Division Soulheul Division E•slern Division t~2~~~~ay, Reno, NV 89564 ~~r4)sl~~-~~[k. Clarksville, TX 75426 ~~~1i~j~-~#i' Momence . IL 60954 ~)~3~':~A 30529 ~M~~-~- Somerville. NJ 01\1171> 60 I College & Research Libraries • January 1978 on operations research and systems analysis, there is little in this book that is not pre- sented better in The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services. -Joe A. Hewitt, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wilson, Patrick. Public Knowledge, Private Ignorance: Toward a Library and Infor- mation Policy. Contributions in Librari- anship and Information Science, no.10. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1977. 156p. $13.50. LC 76-52327. ISBN 0-8371-9485-7. Dr. Wilson's tripartite essay will thrill li- brarians who · have wandered bewildered in this sterile world thinking that the library, their institution, the institution in which they believe, is doomed to be devoured by the computer, the information network, the automated data base. At least' it will thrill that portion of the group which reads it all the way through and does not read it carefully-or does not think about what it says. Wilson, formerly dean of the library school at the University of California, Berkeley, is a witty conversationalist, and in this small book his way with words shows it- self. His method of reasoning is often like a pride of cats after one small mouse. Each cat seals off an exit until there is just one direction the mouse can take. The conclu- sions seem inevitable, but most readers should look further. Of the three sections in this book, "public knowledge" is the shortest and most consis- tently reasoned. It will surprise many readers to discover that public knowledge is not after all knowledge that has been made available to the public by being published. This book makes a very neat distinction be- tween what is published and stored some- place and what is actually available to people to use in solving problems or making decisions. Librarians who have never con- sidered this dichotomy will do well to read part one with great care. Where the definition of public knowledge may surprise readers, the second part of the book will frighten them. The depth of "pri- vate ignorance," as Wilson relates it, is like the Mariana Trench, virtually unplumbable, and while we might quibble with some of the suppositions, the weight of the argu- ments leaves little room for doubt. We may wish that rational people made use of in- formation systems that gave them precisely measured doses of information tailored to their individual information needs, but we know better. Wilson is very convincing in arguing that people do not even care if their information gathering system is totally incompetent, so long as this does not cause them to make decisions that negatively affect their lives in a noticeable way. The key wo.rd here is "noticeable," and it is to be noted that elec- tion of public officials is not an area to which we can point as being conducted at a high level of public knowledge. The public (and that means all of us), according to Wil- son's logic, is incredibly ill-informed, and even those poor souls who might take it upon themselves to improve their informa- tion systems find that access to knowledge is either so time-consuming or so complicated that it takes a massive effort to make even insignificant gains. The world abounds with private ignorance. Most of us will agree. Finally we come around to libraries, and here Wilson and I part. There is no conve- nient way to simplify his arguments, but the reader will see that Wilson makes an almost invincible case for information experts. He even points out and argues quite suc- cessfully that since the function of the ac- cumulation of knowledge is to make deci- sion making of all kinds and at all levels easier, then the medium for conveying that knowledge should be experts, not biblio- graphical experts (librarians) but subject ex- perts. Not persons who will help the public find an answer as supplied by other experts (usually in written form), but persons who will assimilate the relevant information and make specific recommendations. In other words, not persons who will say that Emily Post says that the proper place setting is thus-and-so, but rather persons who (having consulted all the relevant sources of infor- mation including Emily) will declar~ what the proper place setting should be. Having convinced this reader that he is right and having shown that these experts need not be attached in any way to a li- brary, Wilson cops out. Just when we can confidently predict that he is about to call