ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES NEWS No. 9, October, 1967 ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries, Vol. 28, No. 5 The Council on Library Resources and CHOICE: An Appreciation E arlier this year rectors approved the following resolution, which was transmitted to the Council on Library Resources. W hereas the Council on Library Resources has granted a second subsidy of $108,855 to provide for the continuing publication of CHOICE, be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries expresses its deep gratitude to the Council on Library Resources for its generous and timely support. The following is an extended statement of appreciation from the ACRL Board of Di­ rectors which also has been forwarded to the Council: The first issue of CHOICE, the book review journal issued by ACRL, was pub­ lished in March 1964 at Middletown, Conn., five years after the idea was first con­ ceived. The elapsed time between con­ ception and finished product was due to exhaustive planning, interviewing, and re­ vising by two prime movers: Verner Clapp, president of the Council on Library Re­ sources, and his colleague, Robert Jordan. Mr. Clapp realized in 1959, along with many fellow librarians, that the “Shaw List” desperately needed updating. He was the ACRL Board of Di­ not satisfied merely to print a list of arbi­ trary titles. Such a list, although an easy task given sufficient financial support, would soon be out-of-date. One piece of evidence supporting this foresight is the fact that annual book production in the United States has more than doubled since 1959—from 14,000 to 30,000. More useful to academic libraries would be a periodical that reviewed and evaluated books as they were pub­ lished, keeping in mind the need of the college library. Such a work would utilize subject specialists and would publish evalua­ tions via a printing method that would per­ mit storage and re-use of full information, namely, magnetic tapes. With these ideas in mind, two dependent operations fol­ lowed: (1) interviewing of members of the library profession to elicit their opinions on a “New Shaw”; and (2) finding an organi­ zation willing to sponsor the operation on a continuing basis. The interviews developed into meetings, conferences, and idea ses­ sions. This time-consuming assessment of opinion achieved its purpose in establishing the kind of book list college librarians wanted. Much pulling, pushing, and co­ ordinating by the Council on Library Re­ sources resulted in a detailed draft of the 222 B ooksellers to th e A ca d e m ic W orld Taylor-Carlisle Another exclusive TAYLOR-CARLISLE service In order to accom m odate our customers, we have in­ creased our inventory oí John W iley & Sons titles fourfold. W ile y is moving their warehouse and will be tem porarily unable to meet normal shipping demands. W e suggest you take ad­ vantage of our strong posi­ tion in this area. L ib e r a l term s … s e n d f o r o u r c u r r e n t d is c o u n t s c h e d u le E ffic ie n t service … a le r t, e x p e r ie n c e d p e r s o n n e l Huge in ven to ry … in o u r o w n w a r e h o u s e s S peedy d e liv e ry … y o u r o r d e r p r o c e s s e d w it h o u t d e la y Taylor - Carlisle N E W Y O R K : 1 1 5 E a st 2 3 r d S tr e e t N e w Y o r k , N .Y . 1 0 0 1 0 F L O R ID A : W in te r P a r k M all W in te r P a r k , F lo r id a 223 “New Shaw.” It was to be a book review periodical with consultants, managed by an editor with a permanent staff. Its purpose was to evaluate current books of a scholar­ ly or academic nature. The entire opera­ tion of the proposed periodical was now down on paper. There remained the need to find an organization to sponsor the proj­ ect. The American Library Association, spe­ cifically its Association of College and Re­ search Libraries, seemed to be the most ap­ propriate publisher. A proposal for joint sponsorship by the Council and the Ameri­ can Library Association was wisely re­ jected by Mr. Clapp and David H. Clift, executive director of the American Library Association. After an agreement was reached between ACRL’s Board of Directors and ALA over the duties of the editor, the new periodical became a responsibility of the ACRL. Considerable financial backing was needed to launch a periodical of this magnitude and the American Library Association ap­ plied to the Council on Library Resources for a grant with which to underwrite the project. In 1961, upon the recommendation of Mr. Clapp, the Council granted the new reviewing journal $150,000. Two years passed before an editor was appointed, during which time academic li­ braries were faced with three forces of growth: book publishing, book budgets, and student enrollment. The patience and faith of the Council on Library Resources during this delay was admirable. In 1963, Richard K. Gardner became the first editor and a staff was assembled. March 1964 saw the appearance of Vol­ ume I, Number 1, of CHOICE. In the three years that have passed Verner Clapp and the Council on Library Resources have seen their idea mature into a valuable aid in developing library collections. In three volumes, CHOICE, with its over two thousand subject specialists, has offered succinct, comparative reviews of scholar­ ly books (5,400 in Volume III), has as­ sisted in the selection of consultants for Books for College Libraries, has published (Continued on page 230) ACRL Membership, August 31, 1967 12,060 August 31, 1966 10,539 C O L L E G E & R E S E A R C H NEW S L IB R A R IE S ACRL News Issue of College & Research Libraries Editor, David Kaser, Joint University Li­ braries, Nashville, Tenn. 37203. Publications Officer, Mary Falvey, 50 E. Huron S t, Chicago 60611. ACRL Executive Secretary, George M. Bailey. ACRL Officers, 1967/68: President, James Hum­ phry III; College Libraries Section Chairman, Audrey North; Junior College Libraries Section, Mrs. Alice B. Griffith; Rare Books Section, Lawrence S. Thompson; Subject Specialists Section, Richard L. Snyder; Agri­ culture and Biological Sciences Subsection, Mrs. Pauline W. Jennings; Art Subsection, James K. Dick­ son; Law and Political Science Subsection, Morris Cohen; Slavic and East European Subsection, Jerzy (George) J. Maciuszko; University Libraries Section, Stuart Forth. Editorial Board: John M. Dawson, University of Dela­ ware; Gustave A. Harrer, Boston University; Sam­ uel Rothstein, University of British Columbia; James E. Sk ipper, Princeton University; Norman E. Tanis, Kansas State College of Pittsburg; Maurice F. Tauber, Columbia University; Eileen Thornton, Oberlin College. News from the Field, Personnel profiles and notes, classified advertising, official matter of ACRL, and other material of a timely nature is published in the News issues of College & Research Libraries. Inclusion of an article or advertisement in CRL does not constitute official endorsement by ACRL or ALA. Production and Advertising and Circulation office: 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, 111. 60611. Change of address and orders for subscriptions should be addressed to College & Research Libraries, for receipt at the above address, at least two months before the publication date of the effective issue. Subscription to CRL is included in membership dues to ACRL of $6 or more; other subscriptions to CRL are $10 per year. Neither subscriptions nor memberships include miscellaneous unscheduled supplements, which are available by purchase only. Retroactive subscrip­ tions are not accepted. Single journal copies are avail­ able at $1.50 each and News issues at $1.00 each from ALA Publishing Department. Indexed in Library Literature. Abstracted in Library Science Abstracts. Book reviews indexed in Book Re­ view Index. College & Research Libraries, is the official journal of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association; and is published seventeen times per year—bi-monthly as a technical journal with 11 monthly News issues, com­ bining July-August—at 1201-05 Bluff St., Fulton, Mo. 65251. Second-class postage paid at Fulton, Mo. and at ad­ ditional mailing offices. 230 cation, and price per issue or per annum. Avail­ Audio-Visual Committee r Committee on Community Use of Academic Libraries Advisory Committee on Cooperation with E d ­ ucational and Professional Organizations Committee on Grants International Relations Committee Committee on Legislation s Committee on Liaison with Accrediting Agen­ cies Committee on Library Services r Committee on Library Surveys e National Library W eek Committee Planning and Action Committee s Publications Committee ­ Committee on Standards ­ ­ Recommendations should be sent to th e un­ ­ dersigned by Novem ber 15. e Howard Rovelstad, Chairman ACRL Committee on Appointments ( 1968) s and Nominations ( 1969) University of Maryland Libraries , College Park, Maryland 20740, - … AN APPRECIATION ­ (Continued from page 223) subject-centered bibliographic articles, has contributed such selection aids as the “Opening Day Collection,” and, according to the response from subscribers, has filled a void in current reviewing of academic books. It has proved useful to public, junior college, secondary school, special, and foreign libraries. CHOICE promises to provide continu­ ing evaluation of new books; but it is also considering the publication of supplements to Books for College Libraries, and is mov­ ing toward reviewing U.S. Government documents and foreign publications. CHOICE is essentially the product of the intelligence, determination, and cour­ age of Verner Clapp and members of the Council on Library Resources. Because of their support and advice, librarians and li­ braries are benefiting. Both the Council and Verner Clapp have eschewed inter­ ference with editorial policy, placing confi­ dence in the Association of College and Research Libraries, which in turn, has in­ trusted the policy-making to an editorial board. The Association appreciates the Council’s further commitment to CHOICE in the form of a three-year grant renewal for $108,855. Such confidence merits in­ creased service to libraries by the Associa­ able at $15 net postpaid, from R. R. Bowke Company, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Ne York, N.Y. 10036. SUGGESTIONS, ANYONE The ACRL Committee on Appointment (1968) and Nominations (1969) wishes t solicit suggestions for appointments to ACR committees for 1968/69. ACRL’s success o failure during th e year will depend to a larg extent on these appointments. Therefore, we urge you to submit the name of members who would make significant con tributions to the work of ACRL through com mittee appointment. As the number of ap pointments to be made is limited, it is impor tan t that the best possible appointments b made. Members of the Committee on Appointment (1968) and Nominations (1969) include Be C. Bowman, Jane G. Flener, Harriett Genung Marcus A. McCorison, Carl H. Sachtleben Mrs. Jessie Carney Smith and Howard Rovel stad, chairman. Kindly send your recommendations of pro spective appointees to the following ACR committees to th e undersigned: w ? o L n L tion and the editorial staff of CHOICE.