College and Research Libraries 302 College & Research Libraries reader plows through the article on flex time (a topic whose vitality peaked some years ago) only to learn that empirical studies show flex time to have a generally positive effect on morale, though library- specific studies result in inconclusive find- ings. Such findings are hardly worth the time and energy expended. The piece re- lating to the development of an internship program was long on news and institu- tional boosterism, but left the reader little to ponder. And that's the disappoint- ment. Fewer than half of the contributions in this collection give much to tuck away for 'further professional discussion; much less do they pique interest in additional research.-Jonathan D. Lauer, Aurora Uni- versity Library, Aurora, Illinois. Issues in Academic Librarianship: Views and Case Studies for the 1980s and 1990s. Ed. by Peter Spyers-Duran and Thomas W. Mann, Jr. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1985. 206p. (New Direc- tions in Librarianship, No. 7). LC 84- 15733. ISBN 0-313-24645-9. Addressing the conflicting issues and priorities raised through the impact of so- cial and technological change upon aca- demic and research libraries is always a difficult task. For the vast majority of the professional literature, one or two aspects of this process are emphasized or pre- sented in detail . The editors of this volume have done all library personnel a signifi- cant service by collecting fourteen papers given at the conference on '' Contempo- rary Issues in Academic and Research Li- braries" held in Boulder, Colorado, Feb- ruary 28-March 1, 1984. Taken together, they provide a clear picture of a tangled subject. The administrative viewpoint is visible throughout; as many of the authors are themselves in senior administrative positions, this is understandable and logi- cal. The opening essay by David Adamany reviews the position of research libraries as seen from the perspective of a univer- sity president. Due consideration is given to matters requiring presidential input, such as recruitment, budget planning, creation of a development plan, and per- sonnel evaluation. In their respective pa- May 1986 pers, Runyon, Frank, and Dupuis further explore various types of strategic planning and their effects on situations as varied as Texas Tech University, Quebec coopera- tive development, and general library ~ management. McCabe notes with some regret that ''a preferred methodology of management . . . has not yet appeared'' (p.27). Faced with challenges stemming from an exploding technology in virtually every area of information production and storage, this is hardly surprising. It is this challenge dealt with by the re- maining papers in the areas of electronic publishing, public sector/private sector in- teraction (and competition), library archi- tecture, optical disks as a medium ofpres- ervation (as contrasted with more traditional forms and techniques), and computer literacy. Robert Zich' s paper on the Library of Congress optical disk proj- ect and James Hart's case study of teach- ing computer literacy at the University of Cincinnati are particularly useful for sum- maries of current practical approaches to two frontier areas of preservation and in- struction. Equally useful is the analysis of the public sector/private sector contro- versy presented by Glyn Evans: an espe- cially noteworthy feature is a brief back- ground history of the federal and professional reports issued on this topic. Library schools and the type of librarian needed in the brave new library world of the 1980s and 1990s are examined by Boyd Rayward, with emphasis laid upon practi- cal implementable research utilizing the very technologies that pose such opportu- nities for the profession. Opposed to this is Edward Reid-Smith's call for increased user education so as to create a greater de- gree of self-sufficiency or "informatacy," permitting professional personnel to be better used. Finally, the idea of profes- sionals as faculty is summarily dealt with by Fred Batt, who advocates making such ranking an option for academic and re- search library personnel, rather than sad- dling them with duties potentially detri- mental to their effective functioning. While some of the issues discussed in this collection have been more fully treated elsewhere in the literature, the pa- pers here do serve one extremely impor- New! A Five-Year Service for Collection Development and Reference "Useful for most general reference work in fiction." The new Eleventh Edition of Fiction Catalog is an an- notated list of over 5,000 of the best English-language in-print and out-of-print fiction titles. Complementing Public Library Catalog's non-fiction entries, Fiction Catalog serves as a practical tool for the development and maintenance of public and college library fiction collections . Chosen by staff members of selected libraries from across the United States . the listed books range from popular contemporary works to liter- ary classics-from Richard Condon's Prizzi's Honor to Melville's Moby Dick, from The Leatherstocking Tales of James Fenimore Cooper to John Irving 's The Hotel New Hampshire . Fiction Catalog also contains a repre- sentative selection of English transla- tions of the world 's finest writers , including works by Garcia Marquez, Mishima, Achebe , Kundera , and Claude Simon . -AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOKS ANNUAL Organized for Quick Access The new Eleventh Edition of Fiction Catalog is organized in three sections: • Author List-arranges the titles alphabetically by author with a descriptive plot summary for novels (often a review) and a list of contents for story collections , com- plete bibliographic data, publisher, and the latest known price. Variant editions of certain works are also included . References are made to sig- nificant variations in authors' names. • Title and Subject Index to books listed-provides access to the literary themes that reflect each book's contents . In many in- stances subheadings categorize works by the historical era or geographical setting of their plots . A special listing is devoted exclu- sively to large print books. • Directory of Publishers and Distributors-provides the names and addresses of the publishers or distributors of all available titles . A Five-Year, Ongoing Service More than a single reference volume , Fiction Catalog is a five-year service . You receive the initial hardcover vol- ume (1985) which lists and describes some 5,130 titles with more than 2,000 analytical references . and four subse- quent annual paperbound supplements (covering the years 1986, 1987. 1988, and 1989) which serve as annual compilations of newly-published titles , covering some 500 books each, with hundreds more analytical references. There is no overlap in the coverage offered by the basic volume and the supplements, and the same format is retained in all five publications . To Order Call Toll-Free 1-800-367-6770 In New York State , call1-800-462-6060; in Canada, call collect 1-212-588-8400. DTHE H.W. WILSON COMPANY 950 University Ave ., Bronx , NY 10452 (212) 588-8400 304 College & Research Libraries tant function. This is to provide a picture of developmental trends at the interface between library user, librarian, and the new technology, which gives ample weight to maximizing possibilities for all three.-Robert B. Marks Ridinger, Founders Library, Northern Illinois University, De- Kalb. Adams, Mignon S., and Jacquelyn M. Morris. Teaching Library Skills for Aca- demic Credit. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Pr., 1985. 21lp. $29.50. LC 83-43238. ISBN 0-8977 4-138-2. Kumar, Girja, and Krishan Kumar. Phi- losophy of User Education. New Delhi, In- dia: Vikas, 1983. 247p. $30. ISBN 0- 7069-2288-3. Nowadays it is difficult for a book on bibliographic instruction to stand out on the shelf. Such a plenitude of them crowd in. But Teaching Library Skills for Academic Credit is an exception-a pragmatic guide to BI that earns its appellation. A shop- worn word in librarianship, pragmatic The Academic Librarians' Choic=e~~~~ with CLASS • Over 18 Million Records • Subject Access/Boolean Capabilities • Choice of Accounts: • Search Access • Online Cataloging • Acquisitions • Interlibrary Loan Contact: CLASS, Dept. AC, 1415 Koll Circle, Suite 101. San Jose, CA 95112 408/289-1756 May 1986 must be used carefully. With this in mind, part 1 explores theory and practice and thankfully is short on theory; academic li- brarians are well aware of why BI should exist. How to devise a profitable library course is more germane to current inter- est. Here this book excels. · Establishing, planning, then developing materials for · the library course constitute succinct, pro- cedural chapters. Not to discourage the juggernaut of BI, a section on program survival forewarns of possible impedi- ments to success. Although satisfactory, this section could have been lengthened with incognito examples of failure. In the chapters on teaching and evaluating the li- brary course, old wounds open afresh. If academic librarians are overcognizant of the need for BI, they are equally sensitive to the fact that they are not always per- ceived as classroom teachers-that is, un- til they prove themselves. In light of this compromising position, the ideas put forth are highly requisite-so much so that, again, further elaboration would not seem tedious. Some academic librarians come to BI already in possession of a pleasant, communicative style. But for those unsure of their ability to teach, this crash course will be of assistance. Part 1 aptly demonstrates that whereas the the- . ory behind BI satiates, exemplary practice whets the appetite. Part 2 considers eighteen case studies of actual BI programs, some of which are heartening to hear about in that they sur- pass the usual one-credit-hour course. This is not to disparage the mainstay of most academic libraries, but to point out that progress has been made. Miami Uni- versity offers ''EDM 252: Scientific Infor- mation Sources" (full semester); Penn State, ''Library Studies 470: Federal and Legal Information Resources" (team taught with law professor, fifteen weeks); Mankato State, "Sociology 206: Careers in Criminal Justice" (library component ten- to twelve-hour module); and Paterson College, "ELED 609: Research Seminar in Elementary School Subjects" (team taught with education professor, sixteen weeks). Team teaching appears to be the wave of the future for specialized BI .courses; understandably so since profes-