College and Research Libraries Recent Publications BOOK REVIEWS ALA World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services. 2d ed. Ed. by Robert Wedgeworth and others. Chi- cago: American Library Assn., 1986. 895p. $165 (ISBN 0-8389-0427-0). LC 86- 10894. To a large extent, the second edition of the ALA World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services follows · a format that resembles the original, 1980 version. In addition to an "Outline of Contents" con- sisting of five major sections, it contains hundreds of essays ranging in length from a few hundred words to more than 25,000 words. Arranged alphabetically by sub- ject, the articles, many of which include pertinent tables and photographs, cover a vast array of topics-for example, educa- tion, abstracting and indexing, profes- sional organizations, and philosophy of li- brarianship. Without a doubt, the heaviest concentration of subject matter occurs in the area of biography: there are entries on more than 200 people who have contributed substantially to the profession of librarianship. Another substantial por- tion consists of essays on the status of li- braries in more than 150 countries. There are some major differences be- tween the two editions as well. Aside from the increase in the number of pages from 601 to 895, the most conspicuous is the re- placement of the parallel index with a more traditional subject index. This is def- initely a change for the better because it al- lows for much quicker and more thorough access to the text. The "Outline of Con- tents" also has been modified. Although both editions use the same five main divi- sions in classifying material, there are changes within these sections in the sec- ond edition. For example, a few subjects have been deleted while others have been transferred from one section to another. Some topics have been condensed to the point where they no longer exist in their original form, as in the case of ''State Li- brary Agencies in the United States." Other sections have been expanded, par- ticularly in the area of biographical arti- cles. Except for section 3, "Theory and Practice of Librarianship, '' there is little change in the structural format of the re- maining four major divisions covering ''The Library in Society,'' ''The Library as an Institution," "Education and Re- search," and "International Library, In- formation, and Bibliographic Organiza- tions." The "Outline of Contents" remains one of the most valuable parts of the ALA Encyclopedia and, in conjunction with the new indexing approach, pro- vides even better access to the articles in the volume. It can further serve as a teach- ing aid; and the modifications in the sec- ond edition enhance its usefulness in the instructional area. On the whole, the essays are well writ- ten and accurately reflect the subject mat- ter in a concise manner. According to the editor, approximately 85 percent of those in the original edition have been revised, representing the combined efforts of 411 contributors and 31 advisers from all over the world. Nevertheless, an unevenness in quality exists in some of the essays, par- ticularly where a lengthy article is subdi- vided among various authors. For exam- ple, nine individuals prepared the extended work on ''Archives.'' Most of its sections are informative and well done, but a few fail to include references to the 459 460 College & Research Libraries most important of recent secondary sources for their subject areas. In one in- stance, no new information at all was added in the second edition while in an- other, mention of relatively recent studies that analyze trends was omitted. Even more importantly, a few subjects receive very little attention. The U.S. Gov- ernment Depository Program serves as a good example. Although this subject may or may not warrant a separate essay, it cer- tainly deserves more attention than what its effect has been on "Law Libraries" (p.443). It is ignored in otherwise fine pieces, "National Libraries-Deposit Laws" and the protracted essay on li- braries in the United States. Perhaps this oversight can be attributed to the new in- dexing format in the Encyclopedia, which supposedly is to be used in conjunction with other sources (p.v) such as the ALA Yearbook of Library and Information Services. This annual quite appropriately focuses on current issues of the U.S. Government Depository Program; it does not provide a synopsis of its origins and major historical September 1987 developments. For users who require an overview on the dissemination of govern- ment publications in the U.S., the ALA Yearbooks are a poor substitute for an in- formative article in a single source. Like the text, the new subject index also suffers from a certain level of incomplete- ness. Although it is much better than the parallel index, it does not contain any ref- erence to some individuals and organiza- tions discussed in the articles. For exam- ple, no reference is made to ·William Caxton (p.224) nor to the Instituto Colum- biano de Cultura, either under its full title or under its acronym COLCULTURA (p.213). The index, as one of the funda- mental access points, definitely needs to be expanded in later editions. The second edition of the ALA World En- cyclopedia of Library and Information Services constitutes a major undertaking for which the editors, advisers, and contributors are to be complimented. Taken in its totality, this volume is useful and has reference value. Any weaknesses in this second edi- tion are comparatively few in number; it Five Compelling Reasons COMPREHENSWE More than 5,ooo,ooo items in all areas of life science research. 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