College and Research Libraries 510 I College & Research Libraries • September 1981 intended to bridge the gulf between librar- ians who keep forgetting that Social Sciences Citation Index is available online and those who have never thought of it any other way. It is instead a rigorously updated version of a reliable selective guide to printed sources, with useful annotations. Reference Sources 1980 is the opposite of selective in its listing of reference works on a full array of subjects and levels of importance or triviality, identified through reviews or "books noted" columns in nearly 600 periodi- cals (a substantial increase over the 270 sources indexed by the 1979 volume). The first three annual volumes of this title listed works by main entry with editor and title cross-references and several subject indexes, and brief descriptive annotations were in- cluded. The 1980 volume is arranged by Li- brary of Congress subject headings with au- thor and title indexes and the annotations have been abandoned, though review cita- tions are appended as usual.-]ean Aroeste, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey. On-line Public Access to Library Bibliographic Data Bases: Developments, Issues and Prior- ities. Final Report to the Council on Li- brary Resources. OCLC, Inc., and theRe- search Libraries Group , Inc., September 1980. 62p. The opening summary statement of this document is straightforward: "This report describes several activities to assess the criti- cal issues and problems in designing and de- veloping library bibliographic retrieval sys- tems for direct patron use." We are several times reminded that no issues are resolved here, nor is any attempt at resolution made. The intention and the accomplishment was to draw together information and opinion as well as organizations and individuals in ad- dressing this vital topic. The report describes a survey of thirty- seven libraries, utilities, and consortia oper- ating or developing public access systems. It describes (and includes the text in an appen- dix) an "issues statement" prepared for dis- cussion by a "working session." The partici- pants in these working sessions are identified in an appendix; the "consensus of their con- cerns" is summarized in the most interesting section of the document. The language of the report neutralizes what must have been lively and fascinating conversations. Consider, for example: "Although there were differing points of view on the readiness of the profes- sion to formulate a whole range of standards, there was general agreement that the stan- dard setting process should begin now." The working group defined (made notes towards a definition is again closer to the spirit, I expect) a public access online catalog. At one point this process of definition does move perilously close to saying something de- finitive, however, given the groups involved; we are told that "locating all works by a spe- cific author or on a specific subject implies authority control with an adequate reference structure." The working group identified four areas as having the highest priority for immediate study and action: "1) Analyzing user requirements and behavior 2) Monitor- ing existing public access systems 3) Develop- ing methods for cost management and 4) De- veloping distributed computing and system links." The priorities are hard to quarrel with and their order correct and laudable. If this report is written and presented in a manner not unlike most reports to sponsoring agencies, that fact should not discourage one from reading it with interest as well as grati- tude. It would be hard to overstate the debt · the profession and the public owes to the Council on Library Resources for taking up this vital question in this manner, for bring- ing together OCLC and RLG as coauthors of this report and the activities it describes.- Ann Bristow Beltran, Indiana University, Bloomington. The H. W. Wilson Company, New York City, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Mansell Publishing, Ltd., London, England. Mansell continues to operate from England as a sub- sidiary of the Wilson Company. Founded in 1966, Mansell is a publisher of bibliographies, directories, and other refer- ence works for academic and research libraries around the world. The imprints and operations of the two firms are separate. The Wilson Company, however, is now responsible for marketing and sales of Mansell titles in the United States and Canada. For a free catalog of Mansell publications, write to the Advertising Department, The H. W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bro~ New York 10452.