College and Research Libraries


Shelf Work 
Shelf Work in Libraries. B y W i l l i a m H . 

J e s s e . Chicago, A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o -
ciation, 1 9 5 2 . 68p. $ 1 . 2 5 / 

"Shelf W o r k " is a comparatively new term 
in the l i b r a r i a n ' s glossary. T h e author of 
this book considers shelf w o r k to be "the act 
of delivering a book when it is wanted, re-
turning it to its assigned place when it is no 
longer needed, and seeing that it is properly 
cared f o r until it is w a n t e d a g a i n . " T o ac-
complish these objectives, shelf, w o r k adminis-
tration is concerned with the arrangement of 
the book collection; special shelving problems 
such as oversized books; the housing and 
arrangement of non-book m a t e r i a l s ; "the 
exploitation of architectural and aesthetic 
possibilities of building areas in which readers 
are in direct contact w i t h the b o o k s " ; order 
and cleanliness in the stack areas of the li-
b r a r y ; shifting of books or moving of the book 
collection, when and if this is r e q u i r e d ; and 
inventory of the book stock. T h e qualifica-
tions of the shelf w o r k e r , his training and his 
supervision, are also discussed in this book. 

In essence, here is an attempt to describe in 
a small volume the management of the li-
b r a r y ' s book collection. T h e emphasis is on 
" a d e q u a t e and efficient service to the l i b r a r y 
u s e r . " T h i s is a practical manual f o r the 
supervisor of shelf w o r k w h e t h e r shelf w o r k 
is his f u l l - t i m e or part-time responsibility, and 
he is told " w h a t should be done, w h y , and how 
it may best be accomplished." I t w i l l o f f e r 
the uninitiated stack supervisor a good guide 
to his w o r k and responsibilities. If he f o l l o w s 
the foot-note references, he w i l l learn more 
about specific problems which arise in his 
w o r k a r e a . H e might be better served in this 
respect if the author had included a selective 
bibliography. F o r the experienced shelf 
w o r k e r , here is a quick r e v i e w which he w i l l 
find up to date on tried practices and sug-
gestive of new approaches to old problems. 

I t seems to this r e v i e w e r that it w o u l d be 
u n f a i r to attempt to criticize this book in 
detail. O n e could debate, f o r example, the 
validity of the statement that " t h e shelf 
w o r k e r w h o pages books must have access to 
the shelf list, if he is to do his w o r k speedily 
and efficiently." I n one short p a r a g r a p h the 
author simply does not have sufficient space to 
particularize this assertion or to discuss the 
test upon which it is based. A g a i n , a current 
concern of l i b r a r i a n s is the question of com-

pact shelving or compact storage. R e f e r e n c e 
is made to some of the better known articles 
and books on the subject, but it is not treated 
in any detail and is not mentioned in the chap-
ter of the book on stack management and 
shelving equipment. O t h e r examples could 
be cited, but the point remains that either the 
book w a s produced under too limited a budget 
or it w a s projected only as an introduction to 
the subject. T h i s is not to say the book is not 
w o r t h reading. I t is a good manual. B u t in 
these days of emphasis on sound manage-
ment and personnel practices in libraries and 
the mechanization of clerical routines and 
procedures, librarians need and deserve a 
more thoroughgoing analysis and evaluation 
of their experiences with these problems, 
available equipment, suggested procedures, 
and other data which w i l l help them operate 
their libraries more efficiently and effectively. 
T h e author of Shelf Work in Libraries can 
do this job as i s ' m a d e evident by this book. 
I t is up to the A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y Association 
to encourage and sponsor the u n d e r t a k i n g . — 
John H. Ottemiller, Yale University Li-
brary. 

Punched Cards in Libraries 
Library Applications of Punched Cards: A 

Description of Mechanical Systems. B y 
R a l p h H . P a r k e r . Chicago, A m e r i c a n L i -
b r a r y Association, 1 9 5 2 . 8op. $ 2 . 7 5 . 
L i b r a r i a n s are generally a w a r e of t w o 

kinds of punched cards. T h e more f a m i l i a r 
type, because it has been more frequently 
adapted to l i b r a r y routines, is the card 
notched or slotted along the edges and 
adapted to hand sorting f r o m file by use of 
a needle. T h e other type of punched card is 
f o r use in machines m a n u f a c t u r e d by I n t e r -
national Business M a c h i n e s arrd Remington 
R a n d , Inc. T h i s l a t t e r type is the subject of 
R a l p h P a r k e r ' s book—the card used to 
actuate machines f o r the arrangement and 
tabulation of a v a r i e t y of data. ( A n o t h e r 
book by another author also appeared this 
y e a r with similar title, but on the subject of 
the notched card sorted by n e e d l e . 1 ) T h e 
study in hand w a s started some ten y e a r s ago. 
I t w a s withheld f r o m publication to a w a i t 
new developments in the m a n u f a c t u r e of 
punched card machines, so that a more com-

1 McGaw, Howard F. Marginal Punchcd Cards in 
College and Research Libraries. Washington, D.C. 
The Scarecrow Press, 1952. 2i8p. 

JANUARY, 1953 103