College and Research Libraries Recent Publications COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES Handbook of Black Librarians hip, reviewed by Jessie Cottman Smith . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 223 National Conference on New Directions in Law Libraries, reviewed by Leslie W. Sheridan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Breivik, Patricia Senn . Open Admissions and the Academic Library, reviewed by Billy R. Wilkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Preservation of Paper and Textiles of Historic and Artistic Value , reviewed by Catherine G. Asher ... ....... . ..... ... ........................ ....... : ......... ......... ............ .... 227 On-Line Library and Network Systems, reviewed by Ron Miller .............. .. . ...... ... .... 228 Library Services to the Blind and Physically Handicapped, reviewed by Lucille Whalen 229 Conference on Resource Sharing in Libraries, University of Pittsburgh, 1976. Library Resource Sharing , reviewed by Willis Bridegam ................................................ 230 Louis Round Wilson Centennial Day , reviewed by Roscoe Rouse ............................. 230 The Responsibility of the University Library Collection in Meeting the Needs of its Campus and Local Community , reviewed by Roscoe Rouse ............. .. .. ... . . ...... ..... 230 Thompson, Godfrey. Planning and Design of Library Buildings, 2d ed., reviewed by Hal B. Schell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Studies in Library Management, volume 4, reviewed by Michael B. Binder ............. .. 232 Marshall, Joan K., comp. On Equal Terms : A Thesaurus for Nonsexist Indexing and Cataloging , reviewed hy Lois M. Chan ... ................. ................... .. ..... ............. 233 Library and Media : Marriage or Divorce , reviewed by Cathleen Flanagan ............ . ... 234 Gebhardt, Walther, comp. Special Collections in German Libraries , reviewed by Kurt S. Maier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Davis, Cullom; Back, Kathryn; and MacLean, Kay. Oral History from Tape to Type, reviewed by Alice M. Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Baum, Willa K. Transcribing and Editing Oral History, reviewed by Alice M. Hoffman 236 Prospects for Change in Bibliographic Control , reviewed by Joseph A. Rosenthal . . . . .. . 238 Abstracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Other Publications of Interest to Academic Librarians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 BOOK REVIEWS Handbook of Black Librarianship. Com- piled and edited by E. J. Josey and Ann Allen Shockley. Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1977. 392p. $17.50 U.S. and Canada; $21 elsewhere. LC 77-21817. ISBN 0-87287-179-7. The Handbook of Black Librarianship is a unique single-volume compilation of the li- brary world as it relates to blacks. Offering a variety of information on the relationship of Afro-Americans to val'ious aspects of li- brarianship and libraries, the Handbook thoroughly defines Afro-American contribu- tions to libraries and library education both past and present. It is an excellent begin- ning for documentation of Afro-American contributions in librarianship. The book represents the work of twenty- four contributors and the two distinguished librarians, E. J. Josey, chief of the Bureau of Specialist Library Services, New York State Education Department, and Ann Allen Shockley, associate librarian for public services and associate professor of library science at Fisk University, Nashville, Ten- nessee, who compiled and edited the vol- ume. The seven major sections of the book con- tain thirty-seven topical essays arranged under selected headings, which embrace an enormous range of clear and concise topics. Section 1, "Pioneers and Landmark Episodes," presents a chronology of achievements, biographical sketches of Afro-American forerunners in librarianship, and a brief history of the Hampton Institute Library School, the pioneer school of librar- ianship for blacks. Section 2, "Early Library Organizations," describes in detail the origin and proceed- ings of early organizations in five states I 223 224 I College & Research Libraries • May 1978 where Afro-Americans were denied mem- bership in white organizations. A chronol- ogy of events in black librarianship, 1808- 1977, is thoroughly presented. Section 3, "Contemporary Black Librar- ianship," traces the involvement of black li- brarians in library organizations, including the ALA Black Caucus and its impact on the American Library Association, as well as its role in motivating other caucus groups. Statistics on black libraries and librarians may be limited due to scope of and re- sponse from various surveys. Section 4, "Vital Issues in Black Librar- ianship," does not attempt to deal with the total picture of librarianship in the Afro- American community but does discuss sev- eral serious issues the reviewer sees as being of prime concern to librarians in all types of libraries serving the black popula- tion. The contributors for .this section ap- pear to be more concerned with the pat- terns and importance of library services to children as cultural identity is developed and maintained. The academic librarian will be especially interested in the essay, "The Future of the Black College Library," and the emphasis placed on excellence of library services as vital to survival of the black col- lege. Section 5, "Significant Books and Peri- odicals For Black Collections," is a conven- ient, well-organized section that is in no way comprehensive; however, it can be of inestimable value for librarians attempting to build a core collection and to those in- terested in brief biographical sketches of black librarians as creative writers. For the most part, annotations for the reference books are brief but thorough. Academic librarians will find the descrip- tive bibliography of selected African and Afro-American periodicals extremely useful based upon the four-point criteria by which selections were made to emphasize con- tents, worth, and usefulness of the titles. Other significant features of this section are brief essays dealing with black authors who have written best-sellers, black librarians who do creative writing, and black authors who have made significant contributions to knowledge and have been recognized through the ALA Notable Books list. Sections 6 and 7, "African Resources" and "Afro-American Resources," are outstanding features of the Handbook, which identify and describe resources for building African and Afro-American collections with em- phasis on procurement and preservation. The essay entitled "Procurement of Mate- rials from Africa" may well be a first at- tempt to describe the variety of programs and procedures involved in the selection and acquisition of African library materials. This is an invaluable resource for academic acquisitions librarians. The lists of reference books and periodicals, articles dealing with black authors, and listings of best-sellers all reflect the black experience in a unique manner. This reviewer believes this style of documentation to be a first. The black oral history programs, museums, and black his- torical societies are thoroughly researched and described. Researchers will find the brief descrip- tions of four major African collections iri the United States invaluable for locating source material. "Afro-American Resources" pro- vides a mixture of ideas that academic li- brarians will find especially useful, ranging from the essentials for beginning collectors, pointers for archivists, and private collect- ing. The bonus section of the Handbook adds value to the book as a general reference. There is much solid information, however fragmentally arranged. In order to retain its usefulness, updating will be necessary, especially where staff, budget, and acquisi- tions statistics are quoted. The text is presented in clear, readable style, logically arranged. The Handbook is a must for all academic libraries and speci- fically for those serving predominantly blacks. It will be useful in homes and all other types of libraries as a basic reference. The binding looks good but unfortunately perhaps not as strong as needed. The contributors, compilers, and editors are congratulated for their devoted labors, and perhaps noticeable gaps in coverage may be partially filled in a revised edition.-Jessie Cottman Smith, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Princess Anne. National Conference on New Directions in Law Libraries, Denver, 1977. National Conference on New Directions in Law Li-