College and Research Libraries task. There are few introductory articles on library conservation, still fewer that concen- trate on the philosophy of preservaton. Much of the best writing on conservation philosophy is in symposium reports or is embedded in articles describing specific preservation tech- niques. A successful textbook of conservation readings would need to e~cerpt these sources and provide for them an extensive framework of introduction and clarification. The resulting volume would be a cohesive structure for guid- ing the conservation neophyte. Library Conservation does resemble such a textbook for independent conservation study. The ten topical divisions include subjects from "The Nature of Library Materials" to "The Roles of the Conservator and the Scientist." Each division begins with a two- or three-page commentary that incorporates citations for additional reading. However, the commen- taries neither elucidate the articles nor draw the selections into a unit; they chiefly explain why particular articles were chosen. There are a total of thirty-four articles to introduce all aspects of the conservation of research library materials. Four articles prove to have little or nothing to do with library conservation.• Three excerpts are peripheral and do not have supporting material to show how they relate to books. 2 The presence of six articles on "preservation microrecording" . places undue emphasis on this method of con- servation. The five selections related to bind- ing do not discuss how and why a book should be bound for permanence and durability. There is no mention of conservation as it re- lates to regular library activities, including processing, storing, and handling procedures. The decision not to include methods of prese rvation , even on an introductory basis , will leave the reader unable to cope with basic conservation questions-what to do with a crumbling book that needs to be saved rather than microfilmed; how to decide between en- capsulating and laminating a document; how to discuss preservation techniques with a con- servator when the proposed methods are new to the librarian . Certainly, the editors have included some articles that are classics. It is tempting to con- sider purchasing these materials separately. Five entire volumes from which excerpts have been taken could be purchased for half the cost of Library Conseroation. 3 In fact , a research library is apt to have most of the selections Recent Publications I 191 already available. Of the 416 pages of repro- duced information, 179 are from periodicals such as Library journal, Special Libraries, and the Encyclopedia of Library and Informa- tion Science. Only 113 pages of material are unlikely to be found in most libraries or are ·published here for the first time. The printing and proofreading of this vol- ume are poor enough to irritate the reader. Pages are either overexposed and very dark or underexposed to the point of losing small punctuation marks. Sloppy printing has caused pages to be crooked, extra marks to appear on the page, and letters or entire words to be missing. Running heads switch from one location to another, and one heading appears on the wrong article . The value of this book will have to be judged by each library. If staff members are already acquainted with conservation theory and prac- tices , they may appreciate having these arti- cles in one volume. A newcomer to the field of conservation might be better served by acquir- ing Cunha, Horton, and Winger. 4 -Catherine Asher, Indiana University, Bloomington. REFERENCES 1. D . Cockerell, "How to Judge a Binding"; B. J. Dillon, "Binding Procedures and Programs in Libraries"; M. T. Roberts, "The Library Binder"; R. H . Land , "Defense of Archives Against Human Foes." 2. W. J. Barrow, " Inks"; J. W. Waterer, .:'The Na- ture of Leather" ; M. L. Ryder, "Parchment-Its History, Manufacture and Composition." 3. Library Quarterly, vol.40, no.1 ; William J. Bar- row, Manuscripts and Documents; A. B. Veaner, The Evaluation of Micropublication ; John H. Martin , The Corning Flood (for article 31); PLA Bulletin , Nov . 1973 . 4. George and Dorothy Cunha, Conservation of Library Materials; Carolyn Horton , Cleaning and Preserving Bindings and Related Materials; Howard W. Winger and Richard D. Smith, De- terioration and Preservation of Library Mate- rials (also published as Library Quarterly , vol.40, no.1) . Victorian Periodicals: A Guide to Research. By Scott Bennett and others . Edited by J. Don Vann and Rosemary T . VanArsdel. New York: Modern Language Association, 1978. 188p. $17 cloth, $8.50 paper. LC 77- 94918. ISBN 0-87352-256-7 cloth; 0-87352-257-5 paper. Designed for scholars and librarians, this guide covers both magazines and some news- 192 I College & Research Libraries • March 1979 Special Report: Saving Energy and Money In Your Library Short of funds for acquisitions and staff? Want to help in the national effort to conserve energy? Find out how to save both money and energy by reading "The Conservation of Energy in Libraries," a special report by Cary G. Bullock, Walter E. Henry, Jr., Stanley S. Kolodkin, and Lucille Roseman in the July I August . 1978 issue of the ALA publication, .Library Technology Reports. Included in the report are information on factors affecting energy consumption, how to establish and implement a conservation program, advanced technologies to be investigated, how to finance an energy conservation program, and sources of assistance. July/August 19781ssue ... . $40 Annual subscription {6 issues) ............... $125 Library Technology. Reports American Library Association 50 East Huron Street Chicago, Illinois 60611 papers published in England from 1824 through 1900, the same period as that covered by the Wellesley Index. What histories, biog- raphies, and bibliographies are available? How are relative importance and influence judged? These and other questions "pertinent and necessary for the proper use of this valuable resource" form the basis of eight essays, each by one or two qualified Victorian specialists. "The Rationale-Why Read Victorian Peri- odicals?" is pointed and perceptive. Although the definition of a periodical is incorrect on at least two counts, the essay clearly establishes the mutual influence of culture and periodicals on both literary and social grounds. The often overlooked fact that an integrated and organized knowledge of periodical content is post hoc-e.g., the Yictorian's dependence on · periodicals was often frustrated by not knowing their vast and complex content-is the basis for the bibliographic essay that is a description of eighty works, including library catalogs, trade publications, several categories of retrospective lists, and indexes. This essay by Scott Bennett is one of the two best in the book and may well be worth the price alone. The techniques of finding specific titles in a variety of formats and in scattered locations, a number of quite clever suggestions for piecing together biographical information, general histories of the press, and studies of individual periodicals are each covered in separate, well-written, and informative essays. One other essay indicates several techniques for gathering peripheral evidence that can illumi- nate the purpose and function of a periodical. Criticism is often frustrated by unsigned, or falsely signed, material; and the essay on "Identification of Authors" is one of the more informative in this guide. The "tradition of anonymity" and the "necessity of identifica- tion," plus outlines ofth~ techniques and some of the pitfalls, make this a helpful and knowl- edgeable road map for literary detective work. Any library that supports even a small amount of Victorian studies will want a copy; all Victorian scholars should have their own. One note of caution: while the print is clear and crisp and the paper acceptable, the bind- ing and the cover of the paperback issue are not. Despite this minor quibble, the guide is endorsed, praised; and recommended as first rate .-Neal L. Edgar, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.