College and Research Libraries


84 I College & Research Libraries • January 1980 

research methodology at Yale. 
The guide lists and annotates 543 refer-

ence tools including bibliographies, ency-
clopedias, dictionaries, indexes and 
abstracts, guidebooks and manuals, catalogs, 
commentarie:;, and a few monographs con-
taining extensive bibliographies. It is lim-
ited primarily to English-language works of 
recent vintage. Of necessity, some older 
works that have not been superseded have 
been included. 

While there are some references to world 
religions broadly, the primary coverage is 
that of the Judeo-Christian tradition, includ-
ing both Protestant and Catholic Chris-
tianity. The basic framework follows the 
classic theological divisions of biblical 
studies, systematic theology, historical 
studies, and practical theology. In addition 
to these, there are sections on bibliography; 
encyclopedias and dictionaries; and a gen-
eral section on biography, almanacs, direc-
tories, yearbooks, quotation and poetry in-
dexes, and style manuals. 

Each of the 543 entries is given a terse 
descriptive annotation indicating the con-
tents, purpose, scope, arrangement, depth, 
and perspective of the work. No attempt is 
made to give critical evaluations of the 
items. There is a comprehensive author and 
title index. 

There are brief but helpful introductions 
to each of the chapters giving some de-
finitions and guidelines as to the usefulness 
of the various kinds of tools listed in each 
section. Where there is unevenness in the 
coverage of a particular section, we believe 
that this reflects unevenness in the tools 
available to the researcher rather than any 
lack of perspective in the compilation. 

The guide includes both secular and reli-
gious works of value in the field. Where an 
item has application in more than one sub-
ject area, a cross-reference is given. This 
book should be a basic piece for the study 
of theological bibliography and should be 
found in any significant reference collection 
as well as many a pastor's study.-John B. 
Trotti, Union Theological Seminary in 
Virginia, Richmond. 

Morrow, Carolyn Clark. A Conservation 
Policy Statement for Research Libraries. 
University of Illinois Graduate School of 

Library Science Occasional Papers, 
no.139. Urbana: t.Jniv. of Illinois Gradu-
ate School of Library Science, 1979. 23p. 
$2 (prepaid). ISSN 0073-5310. 
The preface of the Conservation Policy 

Statement contains a sentence that sums up 
its major flaw: "It was personally more fun 
to outline a positive program (even if fic-
tional and wildly unrealistic) than to de-
scribe the very real limitations." This per-
sonal statement of the ideal conservation 
program does have unrealistic aspects, and 
these may deter a library from any conser-
vation efforts. 

Rather than encouraging basic preserva-
tion efforts, with a staff and budget that can 
be expanded as necessary, the author out-
lines a massive program and emphasizes 
how expensive conservation is. The organi-
zation chart for the conservation department 
shows eighteen full-time staff members (five 
librarians and thirteen clerical or technical 
workers) and fifteen student workers. Even 
with a staff of this size, binding is done out-
side the library, and departmental librarians 
do minor 'repairs for their own areas. 

The Conservation Policy Statement can be 
helpful for conservation planning in 
academic libraries if the policymakers are 
already familiar with preservation theory 
and practice. The lists of "Principles of Con-
servation" and "Priorities of the Conserva-
tion Program" suggest areas of activity that 
a library could pursue. The bibliography of 
sixty-four readings provides some useful ci-
tations although the standard reference 
works by Bernard Middleton, George and 
Dorothy Cunha, and Howard Winger and 
Richard Smith are not included. 

For a more practical approach to a re-
search library policy and pr~gram see the 
University of Wisconsin-Madison Statement 
on the Conservation of Library Materials. 
The recently published Toward a California 
Document Conservation Program, by ]: 
Michael Bruer, demonstrates how many 
facets of Morrow's ideal library conservation 
program could be assumed by a statewide 
or regional center.-Catherine Asher, In-
diana University, Bloomington. 

Rowley, J. E. Mechanised In-House Infor-
mation Systems. London: Clive Bingley; 
New York: K. G. Saur, 1979. 208p. 



$17.50. ISBN 0-85157-259-6 Bingley. 
Computer-based retrieval systems have 

had such a tremendous impact on our cur-
rent practices of librarianship it is essential 
that everyone concerned understand the ac-
tual role mechanization plays in the process 
of information transfer. Many different sys-
tems are in operation today, providing up-
to-date or retrospective information, often 
in the form 6f bibliographic references or 
statistical data. While each system has its 
own peculiarities and is designed to satisfy 
specific needs, certain features are basic to 
most, if not all, of the systems. 

Rowley's volume, in part, identifies and 
explains all such common components in ali 
effort to provide a theoretical background 
for understanding the factors involved in the 
input, processing, and output of 
mechanized in-house information retrieval. 
The author provides a lucid narrative of the 
current state of the art in the following 
areasr system design and specification, de-
finition of objectives, feasibility studies and 
cost-benefit analysis, information structure 
and citation, abstracting, indexing and 

Recent Publications I 85 

thesaurus construction, classification 
software, searching, and retrieval. 

The first part of the book concludes with 
a selective bibliography on the various as-
pects of theoretical framework covered thus 
far. 

Part 2 contains a description of a series of 
individual systems currently in operation, 
which include ASSASSIN, CAIRS, CAN/ 
SDI, CAN/OLE, ENLIST, ITIRC, LAB-
STAT, MORPHS, SCORPIO, and TOTAL. 
These case studies deal variously with the 
type of information that is stored, storage 
systems, methods of search and retrieval, 
and the nature of output. Samples of search 
requests, formats, and output are thought-
fully provided. Brief references are made to 
factors such as costs, user education, and 
audience reaction. This reviewer would 
have liked a little more attention given to 
these aspects. 

Admittedly, the author makes no effort to 
evaluate the effectiveness of the various sys-
tems. That, however, is not. the purpose of 
the book; it is to provide an introduction to 
the subject for students of information sci-

Library Development Consultants 
LoNDON BATH WASHINGTON 

Announces a series of continuing education seminars of special interest 
to administrators of academic and research libraries 

BUDGETING ALTERNATIVES: Effective approaches to 
library budget preparation. Selection of appropriate 
methodologies for optimum cost benefit in given 
situations. March 17, Victoria, BC. March 19, Denver. 
April 25, New Brunswick, NJ. May 15, Hamilton, ONT. 
May 16, Minneapolis. Michael Koenig, Seminar 
Director. 

COMPUTER ALTERNATIVES: Evaluation of costs and 
advantages of large-scale central processing, time-
sharing, and mini-computer systems. Attention to 
flexibility and expandability of each system, 
reversibility, capability to generate satellite products or 
services, and interaction possibilities with national 
networks. March 5, Victoria, BC. March 21, Tampa. 
April4, Houston. April 25, Minneapolis. Herbert White, 

Seminar Director. 

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES FOR LIBRARY 
MANAGEMENT: Description of quantitative and analytic 
methods which enhance cost effectiveness . Approaches 
to evaluation and measurement of services as well as 
internal procedures. Feb. 22, El Paso. March 7, San 
Jose, CA. March 28, Santa Fe, NM. Aprll11, Detroit. 
April 14, Wichita. Kenneth Beasley/Terence Crowley, 
Seminar Directors. 

Institutions cooperating in these presentations include 
Libraries Unlimited, Rutgers University, Sam Houston 
State University, San Jose State University, University 
of South Florida, The University of Texas at El Paso, and 
Wayne State University. 

Each seminar Is six hours: 9:30am- 12:30 pm and 1:30- 4:30 pm. For details about spring, 1980 seminars, please write 

Library Development Consultants, North American Office, 349 0 Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024 



86 I College & Research Libraries • January 1980 

ence and beginning practitioners. This pur-
pose seems to be adequately fulfilled. The 
author is to be congratulated on adopting a 
case study approach, which is best suited to 
bring out the many salient features of in-
house systems. The book is therefore rec-
ommended as an excellent companion vol-
ume to the many general textbooks available 
in this area, including the author's recent 
contribution entitled The Dissemination of 
Information (Westview, 1978).-Sarojini 
Balachandran, University of Illinois, 
Urbana-Champaign. 

American Women Writers: A Critical Refer-
ence Guide from Colonial Times to the 
Present. In Four Volumes. Ed. by Lina 
Mainiero. New York: Ungar, 1979. V.1 
(601p.) $45. LC 78-20945. ISBN 0-8044-
3151-5 (V.1). 
"Three hundred years of women writers . 

Thousands of women who took pen in 
hand. . . . Voices coming from every town 
and village. From every region of America. 
From every social class. From every variety 
of religious and political belief. Women who 

cared passionately about civil and human 
rights, about their fellow human beings and 
their God. Women who wrote eloquently 
about motherhood, marriage, and home. 
Women who wrote to other women-to 
caution, to instruct, to inspire." 

In these words from her brief preface to 
American Women Writers (V.1: A to E, on 
which this review is based), Lina Mainiero 
celebrates the subject of the four-volume 
dictionary. Characterizing the publication as 
a "pioneering reference work that would in-
form and illuminate," she praises con-
tributors, consultants, publishers, and li-
brarians, who receive special thanks for 
their commitment to the project. Editor 
Mainiero also wisely recognizes the guide's 
indebtedness to earlier biographical dic-
tionaries, especially Notable American 
Women, 1607-1950 (incorrectly dated 1951 
instead of 1971). 

According to the publisher's foreword to 
the first volume, which provides a more de-
tailed description of the work, American 
Women Writers is a critical reference guide 
from colonial times to the present and dif-

French Periodical Index (Repertorlex) 
VIVE lA FRANCE! by Jean·Pierre Ponchie 

The fifth volume of this series (French B~fipdicallndex, 1978) continues to provide 
students of French, teachers, librarian$';· ijij$.Jness and professional people with ac· 
cess to events in contemporary Fraf)#e iiliMhe French point of view on subjects 

;h:g~:~tf;~: :~:h:~:;: ::~ti:~v~r=fnt~~:lllllilrench language journals are indexed: 
L 'Actualitf/, Les Dossiers et docum6,'(1,ts aiJ\Wpnde, L 'Express, Le Franfiais dans le 

Monde, Jeune Afrique, Le Monde de l'fldutf,j:tfflh, Le Monde hebdomadaire, Le nouvel 

French Perioc:lgFtndlil'''lR•pertoriex), 1978 

ISBN 0·87305-122-X Li~~~ll':i,li~::Jf 285 pp. $25.00 
The preceding volumes (1973-74, 1975, 1SJ~'; and 1977) are also available. Write for a 
copy of our Publications Catalog. 

F. W. FAXOn COmPAnY, InC. 
Publications Division 

15 Southw es t Park . Westw oo d. Mas sac hu se tt s 02090