College and Research Libraries Charging Systems Charging Systems. By H e l e n T h o r n t o n G e e r . C h i c a g o : A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y Association, 1955. 192p. $3.75. T h i s c o m p r e h e n s i v e h a n d b o o k was de- signed p r i m a r i l y to be a g u i d e to t h e selec- t i o n of a c h a r g i n g system w h i c h w o u l d best m e e t t h e n e e d s of a n i n d i v i d u a l l i b r a r y . F r o m this o n e m i g h t i n f e r t h a t t h e b o o k w o u l d b e of l i t t l e v a l u e to already estab- lished systems w h i c h a r e satisfactory e n o u g h n o t to be c r e a t i n g pressures f o r considera- t i o n of c h a n g e . B u t this is n o t t h e case: in t h e first place, t h e c h a r g i n g system in a n y l i b r a r y s h o u l d be q u e s t i o n e d periodically in t h e light of technological a n d system im- p r o v e m e n t s w h i c h a r e c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g m a d e . R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s by surveyors, con- sultants, a n d e v a l u a t i v e study g r o u p s show t h a t m a n y l i b r a r i e s a r e u s i n g a n t i q u a t e d or u n s u i t a b l e systems, r e s u l t i n g in waste of staff time, i r r i t a t i o n to t h e r e a d e r caused by mis- takes, a n d unnecessary delay in service. M a n y large a n d c o m p l e x l i b r a r i e s can ad- v a n t a g e o u s l y install systems i n b r a n c h e s , c e r t a i n r e a d i n g rooms, etc. w h i c h a r e differ- e n t f r o m t h e o n e best s u i t e d to t h e m a i n c i r c u l a t i o n p o i n t . F o r e x a m p l e , a single-card system like McBee, u s i n g n o b o o k card b u t e x p l o i t i n g o n e card to serve as call slip, classed c i r c u l a t i o n file, a n d t i m e file, is o u t of p l a c e in a n open-shelf r e a d i n g r o o m , w h e r e t h e r e a d e r a l r e a d y has t h e b o o k in h a n d . M a n y research l i b r a r i e s h a v e college o r o t h e r open-shelf collections. Such collec- t i o n s s h o u l d n o t e m p l o y t h e g e n e r a l circula- t i o n system, t h u s c r e a t i n g t h e a b s u r d s i t u a t i o n of h a v i n g a r e a d e r fill o u t a call slip f o r a b o o k h e a l r e a d y has. T h e a u t h o r h a s p r e s e n t e d t h e a d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s of 17 d i f f e r e n t c h a r g i n g systems a n d also has described t h e r o u t i n e s f o r t h e m involved in charging, discharging, a n d h a n d l i n g renewals, reserves, a n d over- dues. H o w e v e r , it is n o t necessary t o r e a d t h e e n t i r e book, f o r h a p p i l y she has also given a n o u t l i n e of these a d v a n t a g e s a n d d i s a d v a n t a g e s in t e r m s of p r o c e d u r e s , per- s o n n e l n e e d e d , e q u i p m e n t , a n d p a t r o n r e l a t i o n s . Almost any library w h i c h has n o t r e c e n t l y reviewed its c h a r g i n g system in t h e light of t h e m a n y e x i s t i n g ones c o u l d to a d v a n t a g e e x p l o i t Miss G e e r ' s c o m p a c t study. L i b r a r i e s a t t e m p t i n g to d o this will find t h e task m u c h easier because of h e r c o m p i l a t i o n . U n t i l n o w , it h a s b e e n neces- sary f o r us to d i g this i n f o r m a t i o n o u t of t h e l i t e r a t u r e as best we c o u l d . Close study of several of t h e systems best k n o w n to t h e reviewer shows t h a t t h e a u t h o r is correct in technical as well as g e n e r a l p o i n t s f o r those systems; f r o m this it may r e a s o n a b l y be de- d u c e d t h a t she has b e e n e q u a l l y f a i t h f u l in t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e systems w h i c h t h e reviewer is n o t q u a l i f i e d to e v a l u a t e . T h e s e p r a c t i c a l h a n d b o o k s a n d m a n u a l s t r e a t i n g v a r i o u s facets of t h e m o r e e a r t h l y aspects of l i b r a r y o p e r a t i o n n o t o n l y serve t o answer h a n d i l y t h e q u e s t i o n s we w a n t answered, b u t also serve to call to o u r a t t e n - t i o n t h e desirability of r e v i e w i n g p r o c e d u r e s w h i c h we sometimes too l o n g neglect. T h i s h a n d b o o k is o n e of t h e b e t t e r ones.— William H. Jesse, University of Tennessee Libraries. Reference Services The Development of Reference Services through Academic Traditions, Public Li- brary Practice and Special Librarianship. By S a m u e l R o t h s t e i n . ( A C R L M o n o g r a p h N o . 14) Chicago: Association of College a n d R e f e r e n c e L i b r a r i e s , 1955. ix, 124p. P a p e r , $2.75; cloth, $3.25. D r . R o t h s t e i n limits his survey of refer- ence services t o research l i b r a r i e s i n t h e U n i t e d States a n d t o t h e years 1875 to 1940. A final c h a p t e r looks briefly at d e v e l o p m e n t s since 1940, i n c l u d i n g d o c u m e n t a t i o n . H e cites a p u b l i s h e d s t a t e m e n t d i s t i n g u i s h i n g b e t w e e n r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n s a n d d o c u m e n - talists, a s t a t e m e n t w h i c h D r . R o t h s t e i n answers succinctly a n d w i t h e v i d e n t pleas- u r e . P a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t i n g is t h e p i c t u r e of t h e A m e r i c a n scholar at m i d - n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y , a g i f t e d a n d o f t e n wealthy individ- u a l w i t h his o w n library, i n d e p e n d e n t of o t h e r scholars a n d i n s t i t u t i o n s , a n d d e p e n d - e n t f o r p u b l i c a t i o n o n c o m m e r c i a l agencies. I n c o n t r a s t t h e scholar of t h e m i d d l e twenti- e t h c e n t u r y is a p r o f e s s i o n a l w o r k i n g w i t h o n e or m o r e i n s t i t u t i o n s a n d d e p e n d e n t o n JANUARY, 1956 99- l i b r a r i e s f o r his r e s e a r c h b e c a u s e of h i s o w n lack of w e a l t h a n d p r i m a r i l y b e c a u s e of t h e m o u n t i n g mass of r e s e a r c h m a t e r i a l s . H e de- m a n d s easy access t o t h e s e m a t e r i a l s a n d h e also d e m a n d s r e f e r e n c e service of a h i g h o r d e r . T h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h i s r e f e r e n c e service is t h e s u b j e c t of D r . R o t h s t e i n ' s s t u d y . H e sees t h e p u b l i c l i b r a r y as t h e i n i t i a l a g e n t p r o m o t i n g p e r s o n a l a i d as t h e c o r e of l i b r a r y service a n d r e f e r e n c e service in l a r g e p u b l i c l i b r a r i e s d e v e l o p i n g f r o m t h i s s i m p l e a i d t o Classified Advertisements R a t e : $1 p e r l i n e ; t h r e e - l i n e m i n i m u m . C l o s i n g d a t e : first of m o n t h p r e c e d i n g d a t e of issue. B O O K S n o t o b t a i n a b l e f r o m p u b l i s h - ers m a y b e a v a i l a b l e i m m e d i a t e l y f r o m o u r stock of o v e r a m i l l i o n v o l u m e s o r m a y s o o n b e f o u n d by o u r S e a r c h Service. S e n d lists t o D e p t . C R , B a r n e s & N o b l e , I n c . , 105 F i f t h Ave., N e w Y o r k 2, N.Y. H e a d q u a r t e r s F o r B A C K D A T E M A G A Z I N E S f o r all r e s e a r c h p u r p o s e s M I D T O W N M A G A Z I N E S H O P 1105 6 t h Ave., b e t w e e n 42-43rd St. N e w Y o r k 36, N.Y. B R 9 - 2 8 9 7 A S S I S T A N T A C Q U I S I T I O N S H E A D . R e s p o n s i b l e f o r b u s i n e s s m a n a g e m e n t of A c q u i s i t i o n s D e p a r t m e n t w i t h ex- p e n d i t u r e s of o v e r $200,000 a n n u a l l y . B a c k g r o u n d i n b u s i n e s s m e t h o d s pre- f e r r e d , e i t h e r t h r o u g h e x p e r i e n c e o r e d u c a t i o n . P r e v i o u s a c q u i s i t i o n s w o r k n o t a b s o l u t e l y e s s e n t i a l . Salary, a b o u t $5,000. A p p l y t o R a l p h H . H o p p , As- s i s t a n t D i r e c t o r , U n i v e r s i t y of M i n n e - sota L i b r a r y , M i n n e a p o l i s 14, M i n n e - sota. F O R E I G N B O O K S a n d p e r i o d i c a l s , c u r r e n t a n d o u t - o f - p r i n t . A l b e r t J . P h i e b i g , B o x 352, W h i t e P l a i n s , N.Y. 100 r e a d e r s . Its d e v e l o p m e n t i n u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r - ies l a g g e d f o r v a r i o u s r e a s o n s , n o t a b l y t h e a t t i t u d e of a d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n d f a c u l t y to- w a r d s r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n s . T h e a u t h o r h a s s k i l f u l l y t r a c e d t h e evolu- t i o n of s u b j e c t s p e c i a l i z a t i o n i n t h e g e n e r a l r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y a n d u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r y , spe- cial l i b r a r i a n s h i p i n t h e l e g i s l a t i v e a n d m u n i c i p a l r e f e r e n c e fields a n d , since t h e first W o r l d W a r , i n t h e i n d u s t r i a l r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y . D r . R o t h s t e i n ' s a n a l y s i s of t h e f o r c e s t h a t h a v e s h a p e d t h e e v o l u t i o n of r e f e r e n c e service is m a s t e r f u l . O n l y a w e l l - c o n t r o l l e d m i n d c o u l d see t h e p a t t e r n i n so m a n y fields of r e f e r e n c e service a n d p r e s e n t e a c h f u l l y , c l e a r l y a n d r e a d a b l y , p o i n t i n g o u t t h e fac- t o r s of policies, p r a c t i c e s a n d r e l a t i o n s h i p s i n t h e i r d e v e l o p m e n t . T h i s A C R L M o n o g r a p h s h o u l d b e r e a d by all r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n s , a n d p e r h a p s w i t h b e n e f i t by l i b r a r y a d m i n i s t r a t o r s . I t h a s sub- s t a n c e a n d m e a n i n g f o r m a n y of us.— Florence M. Gifford, head, General Refer- ence Division, Cleveland Public Library. b y Frank Lloyd W r i g h t AN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE The most revealing book by the World's Greatest Architect, this incomparable masterwork presents 250 photographs, sketches, origi- nal drawings and plans, many never before published. 91/2 x 121/2 $10 The E N C Y C L O P E D I A J ^ ^ ^ by Leonard Feather, World Jazz Authority Foreword by Duke Ellington Only book of its kind: 1065 biog- raphies, 200 priceless photographs, history and analysis of jazz, index. 8I/4 x IOI/4 $10 H O R I Z O N PRESS, Publishers 220 W . 42 St., New York 36, N. Y. COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES