College and Research Libraries papers" category for the fourth confer- ence is a recognition of the · interest in "lo- cally implemented experiences," as the organizers of that conference euphemisti- cally have described "how-l-done-it- good" papers. Finally, although not re- ported in the proceedings, some of these papers were subjected to rather probing questions from the audience . Librarians interested in presenting such papers at fu- ture conferences should keep in mind that they will have to defend their work. Are the conferences worthwhile? Are they more of an opportunity for librarians to speak than listen? Certainly there is a notable downward trend in attendance: fewer than fourteen hundred librarians at- tended the Seattle conference. For most of the hard questions about the conferences, it is too early to have definitive answers. If Rogers and Pesek are correct, the confer- ences may foster increased sophistication in scholarly activities among academic li- brarians . Given the widely publicized call for papers, many librarians who had never thought of submitting an article to a journal may have submitted a paper for presentation at a conference. In addition, several hundred librarians, mariy of whom would never have otherwise had the opportunity, had the experience of ref- ereeing their colleagues' papers. Finally, literally thousands of librarians shared in the give-and-take of the scholarly process as papers were read, discussed, criticized, and defended. Is there room for improve- ment? The answer is "yes, of course." Not everything lived up to the ideal, but practice is almost always essential for im- provement. This relatively inexpensive volume of- fers the reader a wide variety of informa- tion covering a full range of contemporary academic librarianship. Often the papers are only loosely related to the theme of the conference (does anyone really take the conference theme seriously when writing contributed papers?), but this should not be a concern. Not every paper will capture the attention of the reader, but there are enough to merit the purchase of this vol- ume. Those seeking a complex mystery novel with an intricate plot and multidi- mensional characters will be disap- Recent Publications 443 pointed. This is a collection of short stories and the reader can skim through picking favorites to read. Some are good and some are not. Some will encourage the reader to search for additional information in other sources and some can be quickly dis - missed. The reviewer will exercise the privilege of identifying a few of his favorite papers: Gresham Riley, president of Colorado College, enthusiastically articulated his support for bibliographic instruction in his theme paper. In a second theme paper, Bill Moffett, director of libraries at Oberlin College, described the frustrations of col- lege librarianship as ''life in the minor leagues." Finally, in a contributed paper, Gary Lawrence provided an excellent · analysis of the economic realities of "Fi- nancial Management of Online Cata- logs," which librarians should keep in mind as they seek to use the computer to solve their problems and provide better service. Purchase of the conference pro- ceedings as well as attendance at and par- ticipation in future ACRL national confer- ences are highly recommended.-Larry Hardesty, Eckerd College. Martin, Lowell i\.. Organizational Structure ofLibraries. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1984. 302p. $14.50 LC 84-4859 ISBN 0- 8108-1696-2 This is an ambitious survey book de- scribing organizational aspects of public, school, academic, and special libraries. Lowell Martin, a distinguished library ad- ministrator, has integrated his consider- able practical experience with a careful re- view of contemporary library and management literature, producing a suc- cinct, mostly cognizant comparison of the structures, relationships, and trends of these several enterprises. The book begins with an examination of the evolution of management thought and practice generally. While many such sum- maries are available elsewhere, Martin's keen observations and pointed focus make his unique. He notes that whereas li- 1 brary management practice in general mirrors that of other types of organiza- tions, it suffers fr_om a significant time lag · in the use of ·current concepts. Worse, ,...----------------------------------~ - - - - --- ------. 444 College & Research Libraries there is very little experimentation and constructive adaptation of experience from other organizations. Thus interest in II scientific management" or II quality cir- cles" trickles down to library organiza- tions some time after the principles have experienced a revision or redefinition. Martin posits that the answer to this defi- ciency is more systematic preparation of li- brary managers-including required study of classical and contemporary man- agement thinking-and therefore has de- voted roughly a third of this volume to building a conceptual background. A central conclusion of Martin's exami- nation is that libraries should be viewed as complex social institutions interacting with a dynamic environment rather than as rigidly defined bureaucratic structures. Successful functioning of library organiza- tions requires leadership and group pro- cesses that effectively incorporate com- plex roles and relationships, rather than ·a neatly defined job-task hierarchy. There are few management principles that can be applied blindly by libraries, but there are lessons that may be exploited. The remainder of the work systematically examines specific library organization is- sues within this all-important philosophic framework. Martin begins with an over- view of library service patterns employed by school, special, college, research, and public libraries, including a description of the external relationships so critical to the success of any organization. At this point, a major shortcoming of the author's sur- vey approach becomes apparent. In his · references to academic libraries, Martin's lack of understanding of their nature and function constitutes a rather significant shortcoming in his generally astute per- ceptions. For example, his view of the col- lege library as a supply agency simply ac- quiring books needed to support the courses offered is a glaring oversimplifica- tion. The author states the following: "College libraries can in part be thought of as extensions of high school libraries"; ''the academic librarian is more accurately referred to as 'the keeper of the book'"; large research libraries ''strive for self- sufficiency''; and ''in academic library ad- September 1985 ministration, this is a time not for the builder but for the conservator.'' These in- accuracies compromise an otherwise in- .. sightful overview. Martin proceeds to review the coverage of management topics in the professional literature, the relationships of libraries with external agencies and the public, and the internal organization of different types of libraries . These summaries are thought- ful and well done although inaccuracies regarding academic libraries continue to creep into the review (e.g., the author states that the library directors at the Uni- versities of Utah and Texas are vice- presidents). Finally, Martin provides chapters deal- ing with the several distinct levels of staff positions that exist in libraries, patterns of supervision and management, and ad- ministrative functions of direction and co- ordination. Throughout this coverage, he contributes a seasoned and broad per- spective on the comparative practices of these various types of libraries. The excel- lence of this coverage is only limited by an incomplete understanding of the current practices of academic libraries. While this volume is therefore not the definitive text on library management, it is a useful sur- , vey of management practices within the profession.-Duane E. Webster, Office of Management Studies, Washington, D. C. Greenberg, Alan M., and Carole R. Mciver. LCandAACR2: An Album of Cat- aloging Examples Arranged by Rule Num- ber. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1984. 179p. $19 .50 LC 83-27144. ISBN 0-8108- 1683-0. Cataloging Government Documents: A Manual of Interpretation for AACR2. Documents Cataloging Manual Corn- . rnittee, Government Documents Round Table, ALA. Ed. by Bernadine Abbott Hoduski. Chicago: American Library Assn., 1984. 259p. $49. LC 84-6499. ISBN 0-8389-3304-1. The authors of the second edition of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules sought to avoid some of the shortcomings of the previous code by providing the user with copious examples of rule interpretations.