College and Research Libraries


242 j College & Research Libraries • May 1975 

American counterparts, and of such cata-
logs as Schwann and the Gramophone 
Long Playing Classical Record Catalogue 
can prove very enlightening to anyone con-
cerned with the purchase of recordings.-
Kenyon C. Rosenberg, Associate Professor, 
School of Library Science, Kent State Uni-
versity, and Classical Recordings Editor, 
Previews Magazine. 

Dessauer, John P. Book Publishing: What 
It Is, What It Does. New York: Bowker, 
1974. 231p. $11.95. (74-12162). (ISBN 
0-8352-0758-7). 

Book publishing today is a complex ac-
tivity, making use of diversified skills and 
expertise. It is now and always has been a 
curious blend of art and business, and the 
role of entrepreneur is one which publishers 
have assumed. John Dessauer has provided 
us with a broad survey of the subject, and 
he writes out of his experience as book-
seller, book club executive, and member of 
a consulting firm serving publishers and the 
communications industry. 

Dessauer defines the publishing process 
as including the following areas of respon-
sibility: editorial, production, marketing, 
fulfillment, administration. In no sense are 
these topics dealt with equitably in his 
book. The editorial aspect of publishing is 
touched upon very lightly, and the real em-
phasis is on the processes of manufacturing 
and selling a commodity, which in this case 
happens to be books. This emphasis may 
be offensive to those who are preoccupied 
with the literary and cosmetic aspects of 
books and have little interest in the market-
place. On the other hand, it is well known 
that publishing houses have foundered and 
died because of ineffectual business prac-
tices. 

It is not easy to deal effectively with the 
processes of typesetting, printing, and bind-
ing in a few pages; but in the chapter 
"How Books Are Manufactured" the au-
thor has handled the subject with clarity 
and skill, providing the layman with a good 
introduction to the subject. The chapter on 
"How Books Are Marketed" describes the 
complex and often cumbersome methods 
by which books are distributed to readers 
in the United States, and should be of par-
ticular interest to acquisitions librarians. He 

cites three major problems of the book in-
dustry: "the need to curtail overproduction, 
the need for greater standardization in man-
ufacturing, and the need for an effective 
distribution system." He also reminds us 
that publishing is in sore need of ongoing 
research into the desires and needs of the 
consumers of its product. 

Dessauer writes in a straightforward, no-
nonsense manner; there is a total absence 
of footnotes. A "Bibliographic Note" lists 
eleven well-known books on publishing and 
related subjects. The book is well indexed, 
and there is a useful glossary of terms used 
in publishing and book manufacturing.-
Dorothy Ethlyn Cole, Associate Professor, 
School of Library and Information Science, 
State University of New York at Albany. 

Benewick, Anne J. Asian and African Col-
lecti0<718 in British Libraries: Problems 
and Prospects. ( Librarianship and In-
formation Studies) Stevenage, Herts., 
England: Peter Peregrinus Ltd., 197 4. 
(Distributed in the U.S. and Canada by 
International Scholarly Book Services, 
P.O. Box 4347, Portland, OR 97208). 
139p. $17.00. 

This book is the revised version of the 
author's M.A. thesis for the Postgraduate 
School of Librarianship and Information 
Science, Sheffield University, England. It 
is a "history of developments in the organi-
zation of British Asian and Mrican collec-
tions" and an attempt "to describe in detail 
many of the problems peculiar to area col-
lections and their impact on British librar-
ies." The former is presented in a straight-
forward fashion giving much useful infor-
mation on the historical background of 
these collections and their achievements, 
especially in the years following the widely 
acclaimed Scarbrough Report of 1947 and 
the Hayter Report of 1961-two national 
surveys which greatly contributed to the 
subsequent development of area studies 
and area libraries in Great Britain. The 
latter is discussed under headings such as 
regional library groups, acquisitions prob-
lems and techniques, the role of the area 
specialist, etc. 

In addition to being the most up-to-date, 
informative, and candid account of the sub-
ject in hand, this reviewer finds Ms. Bene-