College and Research Libraries Gregmy, Ruth W. and Stoffel, Lester L. Public Libraries in Cooperative Sys- tems: Administrative Patterns for Ser- vice. Chicago: American Library Associ- ation, 1971. 315p. $9.95. This mistitled volume, widely anticipated in the public library world, is a distinct dis- appointment-mainly because it says very little about systems, and what it does say consists of reassuring generalizations and platitudes designed to prove to local li- braries that they need have no fear of co- operative systems and that there are naught but benefits to be derived from member- ship. Whole chapters belong in a basic book of public library administration. And often where the role of the system could be use- ful, it is overlooked or minimized. For ex- ample, in the chapter on capital improve- ments the system consulting staff and sys- tem knowledge are entirely overlooked. Sys- tem staff can assist in selecting the right ar- chitect, help to select the best site, and so on. Nothing of the sort is mentioned. The authors and ALA are capitalizing on inter- est in a popular subject without really writ- ing about it. The section on supportive sys- tem services should have occupied half the book instead of the mere nineteen pages de- voted to it. Comments like "It [the cooperative li- brary system] presents absolutely no threat to the library's local prestige ... " represent ideas not shared by a large number of member libraries throughout the nation. In light of New York State's massive direct- access problems, such as those which prompted the recent pullout of the Finkel- stein Memorial Library (Spring Valley, New York) from the Ramapo-Catskill Li- brary System, it is idiotic to use a 1963 comment by Jean L. Connor to prove that "an anticipation of serious drains on any member library ... is not justified by ex- perience records." That's just not true. And many libraries would disagree with the view that "the system is the voice of the member units in library and related planning and research councils." Essential cooperation with nearby large municipal libraries (Chicago, New York, etc.) is overlooked. While the importance of communication is stressed, no mention Recent Publications I 417 is made of the enormous problem of inform- ing member library staffs, and not just the directors. In the appendixes, the authors rely heavi- ly on materials of the Suburban Library System. While this surely was quick and easy and may be fine for Stoffel's ego, since he is director of that system, it unfairly overlooks the many superior documents de- veloped by other systems. The model by- laws, for example, do not even suggest that the director should serve as secretary to the board, a common and desirable practice. The authors are working on a new manu- script which will consider the problems of cooperative library systems. Maybe that will result in the book we've all been wait- ing for.-Guenter A. Jansen, Director, Suf- folk Cooperative Library System. Michael H. Harris. Reader in American Library History. Washington, D.C.: NCR Microcard Editions, 1971. 242p. This volume is a compilation of previous- ly-published materials concentrating upon selected aspects of American library history. The fifth volume in a growing series, it in- cludes writings by such authors as David Mearns, Kenneth Brough, and Howard Clayton on the historic development of American libraries and librarianship. Three of the selections are admirably suited as study-pieces in American intellectual his- tory courses: "Democratic Strivings" by Sidney Ditzion; "Causal Factors . . ." by Jesse H. Shera; and " ... Rise of Research and Research Libraries, 185G-1900" by Samuel Rothstein. Ranis's credentials for this undertaking include his Guide to Re- search in American Library History (Scare- crow, 1968) and numerous bibliographic contributions to The Journal of Library His- tory. The book excerpts and journal articles number twenty-four, and each selection is prefaced with a brief explanatory state- ment. The text is printed on "raggy" paper (National Cash Register Company main- tains its own paper mill) with double-col- umn paging for the body of each selection. The selections are arranged into six topic headings ranging from colonial library his- tory through Melvil Dewey and ALA to twentieth century specialization (library 418 I College & Research Libraries • September 1972 service to children, growth of the library catalog, etc.). Introduced by a short intro- duction, these topic headings all end with a bibliography of suggested "Additional Readings." Due to the potential student audience for such a work, such frivolous study-impair- ments as text-illustrations or an index have been omitted. One may criticize the litho- graph cover illustration depicting an interi- or scene of an English library, drawn by ei- ther David Loggan (1635-1700?) or one of his contemporaries. This cover is stan- dard for all titles in this series. A seven- teenth century English library interior may be an appropriate cover for a Reader in Li- brary Administration or Reader in the Aca- demic Library, etc.; but as the single illus- tration for a book dealing with American library history, it is of questionable value. Other criticisms include misspelled words within the text, such as "Pennsylvaina" (p. 204), "farily" (p. 175) and "made" in the phrase "could made an exchange" (p. 66). An identical Justin Winsor quotation appears in two neighboring selections (p. 206 and p. 212). Unlike the earlier American Libmry His- tory Reader ( ed. by John David Marshall), no separate biographical essays on Ameri- can librarians are included. Marshall's book was compiled from papers delivered before the American Library History Roundtable; whereas Harris depends upon bibliographi- cal selection from among a multitude of widely scattered subject-related materials. On the whole, this is an excellent, thought- fully-constructed reader that can be heartily recommended for background study in American intellectual history or library sci- ence-oriented reserve collections.-Paul A. Snowman, III, form erly at Sullivan Coun- ty Community College, South Fallsburg, New York. Conference on Interlibrary Communica- tions and Information Networks Pro- ceedings. Joseph Becker, ed. (and con- ference director) . Chicago: ALA, 1971. $15.00 (Sponsored by the American Li- brary Association and the U.S. Office of Education, Bureau of Libraries and Edu- cational Technology held at Airlie House, Warrenton, Virginia, Sept. 28, 1970- 0ct. 2, 1970). These are the proceedings of what must be the most elaborate, expensive, and well- organized library conference yet held. A planning group, representing some seven- teen professional organizations, worked for over a year to plan the conference and to commission thirty-one studies that were distributed in advance to the 125 invited participants who were selected to represent all interested professional communities, all types of libraries and information centers, all geographic areas, and "new blood." The participants were then convened for five days to "identify and discuss the proposi- tions fundamental to the establishment and operation of a national network of libraries and information centers." They were given three tutorial sessions-one on telecommu- nications, one on librarianship and interli- brary cooperation, and one on computer concepts and the relationship of the com- puter to library automation-in order to provide a common basis for the terminology and concepts of the interdisciplinary groups represented; heard a keynote speech on "Federal Telecommunications Policy and Library Information Networks"; and then organized into five working groups-net- work needs and development, network ser- vices, network technology, network organi- zation, and network planning-which ex- amined in detail the commissioned papers, discussed the issues, and prepared written summary reports of discussions and recom- mendations. These recommendations, un- fortunately, consisted mainly of statements of sentiments that all can endorse but few can enforce. ("Personal privacy and other human considerations should be protected in the interface with technology, and free- dom of access to information without the constraints of censorship should be guaran- teed.") The conference passed two major resolu- tions. The first asked "That, as a matter of priority, the National Commission on Li- braries and Information Science devise a comprehensive plan to facilitate the coordi- nated development of the nation's libraries, information centers, and other knowledge resources." The second asked the Federal Communications Commission to allocate specific frequencies for space and terrestial noncommercial public and educational ser-