reviews


Book Reviews 83 

projects found elsewhere. Paul Ginsparg 
and John Unsworth, for example, have 
written prolifically about their respective 
endeavors. 

A number of Harvard scholars and 
administrators are included. Anthony 
Appiah, professor of African-American 
Studies and Philosophy; Richard De 
Gennaro, former Roy E. Larsen Librarian 
of Harvard College; Karen Price of the 
Harvard Graduate School of Education; 
and James Wilkinson, director of the 
Derek Bok Center for Teaching and 
Learning contribute thoughts and theo­
ries to the conference and support for the 
notion of library as gateway. In addition, 
Billy E. Frye, provost of Emory Univer­
sity, provides an administrative viewpoint. 
The other non-Harvard contributors ap­
proach the topic in various ways. Some 
essays focus on situating the changes 
faced by libraries today into a historical 
context. Others discuss how the evolu­
tion of teaching and learning affects the 
role of the library. Richard Rockwell re­
fers to the gateway library as a process, 
not a place; and Peter Lyman points to 
how libraries will cease to be unique physi­
cal collections but, instead, be part of a 
“global reference room.” 

Dowler comments extensively in in­
troductions to each section, a postscript, 
and an essay of his own in part IV. He 
notes that the arrangement of the es­
says may not make sense to everyone 
and encourages the reader to jump 
around and explore as necessary so as 
to establish a virtual cohesiveness. This 
reviewer found the readings somewhat 
disjointed, but all were well written and 
had something to offer. Of particular 
value was Jan Olsens description of the 
Mann Library Gateway project at Cornell 
University. This model of a library gate­
way was viewed via their Web site (http:/ 
/www.mannlib.cornell.edu) and is com­
pelling in its simplicity of design and ease 
of use. The creators of this Web site 
earned the first ALA/Meckler Library of 
the Future Award for their efforts. 

It is evident that the choice of essays 
was purposely arranged to lend support 
for Dowlers proposal that the gateway 
concept be implemented at Harvard. The 
description of Harvards “radically de­
centralized library syste” illustrates what 
a patchwork quilt of collections and ser­
vices it is, how many of the collections 
are difficult to access, and on how idio­
syncratically they are arranged. Dowler 
asserts that in the past, Harvards collec­
tions were available through a system 
of status, privilege, and presumed com­
petence. This status-based system has 
been challenged by an increase in inter­
disciplinary scholarship, the develop­
ment of a core curriculum, and the rise 
of networked information systems. In the 
Harvard context, the gateway concept 
is a positive move in equalizing access 
to information. 

Dowler says, “the aim of the gateway 
is to provide the space and services that 
will help students and scholars to inte­
grate the use of research sources in all 
formats.” He claims that good service 
means availability, predictability, and 
reliability. To alleviate the tension be­
tween the myriad specialized environ­
ments and the desire for centralized re­
sources and services, the library gate­
way concept is an attempt to transform 
a historically based, distributed library 
system into a seamless electronic re­
source. Considering that Harvards 
strength is in its vast and unique printed 
collections, accepting and sharing in a 
new world of open, networked resources 
also will require significant changes in 
worldview for the universities, librarians, 
and administrators. Will they be able to 
accept it? In this collection of essays, the 
authors challenge Harvard to look to its 
future.—Eleanor I. Cook, Appalachian State 
University, Boone, North Carolina. 

Lancaster, F. W., and Beth Sandore. Tech­
nology and Management in Library and 
Information Services. Champaign, Ill.: 
Univ. of Illinois Graduate School of 

http:www.mannlib.cornell.edu


84 College & Research Libraries January 1998 

Library and Information Science, 
1997. 322 p. $39.50. (ISBN 0-87845-099­
8). LC 97-146794. 

In the preface to this work, F.W. Lancaster 
and Beth Sandore state that they are writ­
ing about “the logical intersection of tech­
nology and management in the context 
of libraries and other information cen­
ters.” This is a topic that is very much in 
vogue, as shown by a recent historic 
event the first joint LITA/LAMA National 
Conference held in Pittsburgh in October 
1996, titled “Transforming Libraries . . . 
Leadership and Technology in the Infor­
mation Age.” The authors consider this 
book to be of “greatest relevance to man­
agers of large libraries or library systems, 
particularly those in the academic arena.” 
They also point out the books potential 
for use as a library school text. Indeed, 
the format of the first few chapters, with 
outlines or major points encapsulated in 
easy-to-read boxes, would lead one to 
believe this was a primary rather than a 
secondary use. This format, however, is 
not consistent throughout the book; mo­
res the pity. 

The authors state up front that they 
did not aim at being comprehensive in 
their coverage of the major issues ex­
amined. They have chosen not to address 
the many legal ramifications of techno­
logical advance (such as copyright in the 
electronic age) or general issues which 
are not exclusive to technology (such as 
“fee or free”). The book is divided into 
three main sections: (1) effects of tech­
nology on the institution and its manage­
ment; (2) effects of technology on ser­
vices and users; and (3) special issues in 
the management of technology. 

The book combines the qualities of a 
bibliographic essay with those of a status 
check on what libraries actually are do­
ing, or should be doing, to manage library 
technology. The major issues and trends 
in each area discussed are laid out suc­
cinctly and are supported with consider­
able reference to a vast body of profes­
sional literature. The authors contribute 

very little of their own opinion on these 
topics, except inasmuch as the inclusion/ 
omission of the premises described and 
the bias inherent in the manner in which 
the arguments are presented sheds light 
on their point of view. This is not a theo­
retical book but, rather, a discussion of 
the issues, within a well-documented con­
text, for the practicing librarian and the 
library school student. One advantage of 
the “long view” approach taken here is 
that one is able to see what happens when 
a library makes major changes in the way 
it does business. A prime example is the 
decision made in the 1980s to decentral­
ize cataloging at the University of Illinois 
at Urbana-Champaign. The authors docu­
ment that an internal task force report 
issued in 1990 identified a number of con­
cerns about how this was actually work­
ing out and recommended that this prac­
tice be abandoned. 

The authors excel at highlighting the 
salient points characteristic of the vari­
ous stages of technological develop­
ment in libraries, from the belief that 
we have moved from automating cur­
rent processes to providing new user 
services, to the realization that automa­
tion has brought with it the need for 
greater standardization in order for us 
to implement effective integrated sys­
tems and facilitate resource-sharing. 
The point that technological advances 
have resulted in heightened expecta­
tions in both traditional and automated 
areas of service is well taken. 

The list of references is extensive. 
Some readers may approve of the single 
bibliographic list approach. Others, myself 
included, prefer references to be either 
appended to the end of each chapter or 
grouped by chapter at the end of the text. 
The bibliography could perhaps be faulted 
for inclusion of too many references to 
research done in the 1980s, or even 1990s, 
which do not take into account the impact 
of the Internet or the Web. I also think a 
reference to thermal paper in fax ma­
chines as being the norm, and therefore 



 

Book Reviews 85 

less than optimal, might indicate the au­
thors are not as aware as they should be 
of current technological advances. Some 
of the descriptions of current academic li­
brary practices, which have been en­
hanced by technology, omit crucial details. 
One example is the description of the use 
of OCLCs PromptCat service in conjunc­
tion with vendor approval plans. The ex­
ample fails to differentiate between blan­
ket approval plans, in which the library 
retains all items received, and approval 
plans in which titles are reviewed individu­
ally and either retained or returned. This 
difference is integral to being able to use 
PromptCat successfully. Moreover, there 
is some repetition throughout the book, 
but perhaps this is unavoidable because 
the three main sections are not mutually 
exclusive. 

However, these are minor caveats to 
a clearly written, interesting, and succinct 
outline of how technology and managers 
are inextricably linked. There is much 
here for the neophyte manager as well 
as for the seasoned old-timer. I found 
myself making extensive notes on areas 
to explore and questions to ask at my own 
institution, particularly in chapter 6, which 
addresses automated systems in collec­
tion management. This chapter will be of 
great value to both the collection man­
ager and the researcher. According to the 
authors, the potential utility of compar­
ing collection purchases with collection 
usage, departmental profiles, and stu­
dent course enrollment has been little ex­
plored, in part because “many libraries 
seem unconvinced of the value of the 
data.” Continued budgetary stringency 
in many libraries, combined with the need 
to look for ways to compress or move 
some library collections to storage, make 
this an extremely valuable chapter. 

I recommend this text to all who seek 
an in-depth appreciation of how tech­
nology has affected both internal prac­
tices and user services in the library. In 
the summary chapter, the authors state 
their belief that we still have a long way 

to go in managing the transition of the 
library “from one primarily physical to 
one primarily virtual.”—Gillian M. 
McCombs, University at Albany, SUNY. 

Rodgers, Terry. The Library Paraprofessional: 
Notes from the Underground. Jefferson, 
N.C.: McFarland, 1997. 361 p. $45, alk. 
paper. (ISBN 0-7864-0222-9). LC 96­
26371. 

In this book, Terry Rodgers chronicles 
the history of the library paraprofes­
sional and describes how the modern 
day paraprofessional a designation that 
represents more than 50 percent of all 
people who work in libraries is doing. 

The first section of the book is an over­
view of what has transpired over the past 
thirty-five years. Citing a wide range of 
sources, Rodgers describes the lack of 
respect often given the paraprofessional. 
This low opinion appears to stem from 
the differences (or lack thereof) between 
the MLS-holding professional and the 
non-library-degreed staff. The lack of re­
spect for paraprofessionals persists in 
spite of the fact that in most libraries the 
paraprofessional is expected to do what 
traditionally has been thought of as pro­
fessional-level work. (A trend that also rep­
resents a considerable savings in salary 
money for the institution.) 

The second section of the book traces 
the earlier history of the library parapro­
fessional. In tracking the various currents 
that make up the history of the worker in 
the library, Rodgers gives us a view into 
the social and work history of women— 
as women were and still are a majority of 
library employees—for the past hundred 
years. Women workers in the library 
faced grueling hours and high intellectual 
and social expectations but were re­
warded with low pay, and even lower re­
spect, by their male supervisors. Even 
when a large percentage of women left 
the library field to take higher- paying jobs 
during World War One, conditions for 
those who remained and those who came 
after did not change significantly.