College and Research Libraries


which Professor Buck set for the Harvard 
library: adequate financing, · a capable staff, 
well-selected and accessible collections, re-
sponsiveness to the needs of users, and an 
informed constituency. In working effective-
ly toward these goals and in helping those 
both inside and outside the library to un-
derstand them Professor Buck has served 
Harvard well and has earned the respect of 
all academic librarians-Andrew ]. Eaton, 
Washington University. 

Technical Libraries: Users and Their De-
mands. By Margaret Slater. Aslib, 1964. 
126p. 26s. 

This report gives the chief results of a 
pilot study on the use made of a selected 
number of technical libraries located in 
Greater London during 1962 and 1963. The 
study was carried out by the Aslib research 
department of which Miss Slater is a staff 
member. Since a subsequent larger-scale 
study is to be undertaken the author cau-
tions the reader that this is an interim re-
port and that the findings are preliminary. 

The three prime aims of this study are: 

1. "to discover what items of information or 
documents customers seek, why they 
seek them and how they obtain them." 

2. "to test a hypothesis; that it is possible 
to classify customers into user groups 
possessing recognisable common features 
and characteristic behaviour patterns, 
and to classify group needs." 

3. "to measure the demand on librarians 
and libraries, in terms of expenditure of 
their time and skill, and use of stock 
made by different user groups." 

Responses were obtained from the users 
of libraries of thirteen industrial firms ( 212 
users), six academic institutions ( 223 us-
ers) , four ·learned societies ( 79 users) , and 
two government laboratories (75 users). 
Broad subject coverage was achieved as 
practically all types of scientific and tech-
nical backgrounds were represented in the 
583 persons conb·ibuting directly to the 
study. The questionnaire sought to deter-
mine: ( 1) background information about 
the respondent; ( 2) information about the 
particular demand on the library service 
described in the questionnaire (purpose, re-
lationship to user's normal work, degree of 
success, category of document used, search 

Book Reviews I 337 

time taken, etc.) ; and ( 3) information 
about the extent of participation of librarian 
arid user in the search. 

Analysis of the data gathered was carried 
out by discipline, by type of employer, and 
by type and level of job. The results reveal 
nothing particularly different from those 
produced by previous use studies of tech-
nical libraries. Periodicals remain the chief 
vehicle for the transfer of scientific and 
technical information. Most data sought is 
directly related to the immediate work of 
the individual involved. Needed data first is 
sought in personal files, by questioning col-
leagues, or in handbooks, before the search 
is carried to the library. Many users do not 
use the services and skills of the librarian 
efficiently. The scientist relies less on the 
librarian for help than does his engineer 
counterpart. Most users seldom go beyond 
their own library in the search. Eighty-three 
per cent report success in their searches 
and, in general, the user feels that the li-
brary service rendered is excellent. An ac-
cessible location is a tremendous incentive 
to frequent library use. 

These are some of the findings. None are 
really new or startling. Little real evidence 
is offered to support the hypothesis that 
customers of technical libraries can be clas-
sified into meaningful user groups. Never-
theless, administrators of technical libraries 
will find this to be an interesting and, per-
haps, useful report. It brings together in 
one cover information on the habits of the 
users of several kinds of technical libraries. 
While it may not provide sufficient evidence 
for the general application of its finding to a 
particular technical library it does by rais-
ing many questions provide library admin-
istrators with a checklist of pertinent points 
which should be considered for efficient and 
flexible service. It is hoped that the project-
ed larger study will provide more answers 
to many of the questions raised in this pilot 
report.-E. G. Roberts, Georgia Tech. 

Libraries and Automation. Proceedings of 
the Conference on Libraries and Auto-
mation Held at Airlie Foundation, War-
renton, Virginia, May 26-30, 1963. 

The Airlie Conference on Libraries and 
Automation was held in the summer of 
1963 under the sponsorship of the Library 
of Congress, the National Science Founda-
tion, and the Council on Library Resources.