College and Research Libraries


vide very little practical assistance in 
budget planning, this paper may trigger 
some rethinking of internal resource allo-
cations for interlibrary loan and collection 
development. 

This collection of articles provides an of-
ten interesting sampler of issues in library 
financing. In some articles, it approaches 
the substance of a buffet dinner but, ulti-
mately, lacks the fulfillment of a well de-
signed, satisfying meal.-Gary M. Shirk, 
Yankee Book Peddler, Inc. 

Saffady, William. Introduction to Automa-
tion for Librarians. Chicago, American Li-
brary Assn. 1983. 312p. $35. LC 83-7164. 
ISBN 0-8389-0386-X. 
The author indicates that "this book is 

intended for librarians, information spe-
cialists, library school students, and oth-
ers who want a tutorial survey . . . of in-
formation processing technology. . . . '' 
The first section of the book would also 
serve very well for any individual, even 
one not particularly interested in libraries, 
who needs a basic understanding of com-
puters and how they work. 

The first section of the book, entitled 
"The Fundamentals," sets forth a basic 
introduction to computer hardware, soft-
ware, and various data processing con-
cepts, such as batch and online process-
ing, separate file and database 
management methods of data organiza-
tion, centralized and distributed process-
ing, and types of computer networks. 
There is enough historical background to 
make the reader understand how hard-
ware and software capabilities have 
changed, but there is no attempt to pro-
vide a complete history of the field. The 
paragraphs on binary coding and the table 
comparing ASCII and EBCDIC coding 
schemes are a much clearer presentation 
than most such explanations. 

The emphasis is on systems capable of 
running large-scale library applications, 
with a brief comment on microcomputers. 
There is also a separate chapter on auto-
mated office systems, including facsimile 
transmission, videodiscs, copying ma-
chines, microfilm, dictation equipment, 
and automated text processing. This is an 
extremely important area that many li-

Recent Publications 517 

brarians overlook in their desire to auto-
mate bibliographic processes and to pro-
vide their users with online access to the 
commercial data bases. 

The second section of the book, which is 
almost exactly half of the total work, deals 
with library applications of automation, 
with separate chapters on computerized 
circulation control systems, automated 
cataloging, automated reference service, 
and automated acquisitions and serials 
control. In the chapter on cataloging, the 
sections on the MARC format and the bib-
liographic utilities are particularly useful. 

As is always the case with Mr. Saffady' s 
work, the book is well and clearly written. 
It is provided with numerous useful illus-
trations and has an extensive list of sug-
gested readings at the end of each chapter. 
It should be read by all librarians who are, 
or are going to be, involved with library 
automation. Unfortunately, as is always 
the case with a work of this sort, it is al-
ready somewhat out-of-date; hopefully, 
plans for a future editions are being 
made.-Louis A. Schultheiss, University of 
Illinois at Chicago. 

Hulick, Stephen. Structure and Subject In-
teraction: Toward a Sociology of Knowledge 
in the Social Sciences. New York: Dekker, 
1982. 250p. (Books in Library and Infor-
mation Science, No. 41) $35. LC 82-
17140. ISBN 0-8247-1847-X. 
In the final chapter-entitled "So 

What?" -of this brave and thoughtful 
book, Stephen Bulick summarizes the 
questions he has asked and the conclu-
sions he has drawn: ''The two themes 
mainly in the author's mind during the 
course of this work were the sociology of 
knowledge and the development and 
maintenance of library collections. It was 
almost a revelation to come to the conclu-
sion that the latter may be a practical appli-
cation of the former. Or, more accurately, 
its operational extension." (p.160) Read-
ers who have followed his argument to its 
conclusion will almost surely agree that 
the link between these seemingly distant 
domains, first suggested by James C. 
Baughman, has been established. 

Recognizing that circulation data can 
speak to the same bibliometric questions