College and Research Libraries


of jargon. Useful bibliographies appear at 
the end of each study. They should be of 
value to library students in both Britain 
and the U.S.A., not only for their insight 
into current problems in library manage­
ment but also for the valuable background 
information they contain. 

Practising librarians may well not wish 
to read every study .in detail, but the ma­
jority should find something of relevance 
and value in this volume.-]. K. Roberts, 
Librarian, University of Wales Institute of 
Science & Technology, Cardiff, Wales. 

Archive-Library Relations. Edited by Rob­
ert L. Clark, Jr. · New York: Bowker, 
1976. 218p. $15.95. LC 76-18806. ISBN 
0-8352-0770-6. 
Expecting much from a book with such 

a title and from contributors of recognized 
stature, I was . aqutely disappointed. This 
volume, designed to explore the relation­
ships that exist between the library and 
archival professions, is weak becaus_e it is 
devoid of analysis and without demonstra­
ble historic~! perspective. The principal 
authors, Robert L. Clark, Jr., and Frank C. 
Burke, simply don't get to the heart of the 
matter. 

For example, most major manuscript col­
lections have developed within the context 
of libraries, more particularly within "spe­
cial collections" units administered by those 
with a rare books orientation. In addition, 
early manuscript collecting was for reasons 
of institutional prestige, was inherently 
elitist, and . did not attempt to be compre­
hensive in its documentary, coverage of 
events and developments. Under these his­
torical circumstances a rarities approach 
seemed to be suited. Not so for modern 
manuscript collections which seek compre­
hensiveness of documentation and which 
are becoming the repositories for corporate 
records and personal papers as quickly as 
they reach inactive status. 

No heed is given to the fact that archives 
for public records are primarily extensions 
of administration and have only secondary 
value for research, thereby clearly differen­
tiating them from manuscript collections 
which are assembled primarily for research. 
Historically, it was this same kind of con­
fusion of purposes (and demonstrated here 
by Clark and Burke) which impeded the 

Recent Publications I 169 

development of archival theory and prac­
tice in the U.S. The writings· of Margaret 
Cross Norton1 and T. R. Schellenberg2 
point this out, but arguing cogently and 
convincingly against the appropriateness of 
applying library methodology to archives 
and manuscript collections. Neither Burke 
nor Clark shows evidence of any familiarity 
with the writings of Norton or Schellen­
berg, yet I'm confident they are. 

If the above judgment seems unduly neg­
ative, it is, nevertheless, justified in light of 
the recent Modern Manuscripts by Kenneth 
Duckett. 3 For all the good things about 
Duckett's book, it is absolutely archaic in 
its 'Coverage of contemporary ·collection de­
velopment and recommendations for "bib­
liographical control." Burke and Clark share 
his weakness, and all three look to technol­
ogy to save us, Burke through Spindex and 
Clark through MARC. 

Clark avoids the historical/ institutional 
setting in dealing with the administrative 
placement of the management of archival 
and manuscript collections in libraries, be­
lieving the problem i,s a personality issue, 
not an institutional one (see especially 
p.157-60) . . As noted above, the placement 
of manuscript collections under special col­
lections units has been damaging historical­
ly, impeding the development of an appro- . 
priate body of theory and pr~ctice to deal 
effectively with the man~gement of manu­
script collections. The placement of state 
archives under library administration as 
well confounds the primary function of a 
state archives which is an extension of state 
administration (see p.156-60). 

If the above assessment of this book is 
harsh, it is intended to be just that. Both 
B'!Jrke and Clark act as though the differ­
ences of these disparate functions ought to 
be blurred if we are to nurture amiable re­
lationships. But if that is their hope, we 
will continue in a miasma lacking the neces­
sary historical perspective, and without that 
no analysis of these relationships will lead 
us out of the fog. 

There are strengths in the book, how­
ever. Both Burke and Clark, despite their 
shortcomings, do describe (but do not 
"analyze") the archival and library "set­
tings," methodology, education, collection, 
policies, and administrative relations. Miri­
am Crawford's sections on '1egislation, 



170 I College & Research Libraries • March 1977 

copyright and literary rights, access and 
confidentiality, and social responsibility" are 
written with considerable perception and 
clarity. Hers is much the strongest part of 
the book and would be worth excerpting 
for special publication if updated at the 
time. 

Frazer Poole's chapter on preservation 
is quite good, but Duckett's relevant chap­
ters in Modern Manuscripts are in more 
detail. Together they provide valuable read­
ing. Robert L. Brubacker' s chapters on 
professional communication are useful in 
showing the need for the various associations 
of librarians, archivists, and historians to col­
laborate more closely if we are to deal with 
all of these common problems more effec­
tively in the future. We might begin by 
influencing the Public Documents Commis­
sion in its deliberations on the status of fed­
eral records. Marietta Malzer' s chapter, 
"Writings on Archive-Library Related Top­
ics," provides an excellent introduction to 
the literature.-Richard C. Berner, Head, 
University Archives and Manuscripts Divi­
sion, University of Washington. 

REFERENCES 

1. Norton on Archives, edited by Thornton W. 
Mitchell (Carbondale: Southern Illinois 
Univ. Pr., 1975). 

2. T. R. Schellenberg, The Management of 
Archives (New York: Columbia Univ. Pr., 
1965). 

3. Kenneth W. Duckett, Modern Manuscripts: 
A Practical Manual for Their Management, 
Car~ and Use (Nashville, Tenn.: American 
Association for State and Local History, 
1975). 

Rosenberg. Kenyon C., and Doskey, JohnS. 
Media Equipment: A Guide and Dictio­
nary. Preface by James W. Brown. Little­

. ton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1976. 
190p. $11.50. LC 76-25554. ISBN 0­
87287 -155-X. 
Next to building construction schematics, 

nothing is guaranteed to cause the uninitiat­
ed librarian more sleepless nights than the 
preparation or checking of specifications for 
future media equipment purchases. And 
like a capital construction project, language 
and terminologies are more difficult than 
one normally encounters while final deci­
sions are often based on compromising 
function to economics. 

This book's aim is to guide an individual 
in selecting the most suitable media equip­

ment for a library or learning center. How­
ever, only the most commonly used dissem­
ination hardware is covered: film, filmstrips, 
slides, overhead and opaque projectors, and 
audio recording and playback equipment. 

The book is divided into three sections. 
The first gives the basic criteria one should 
consider when purchasing any media hard­
ware. It is very short and ends with a 
checklist of questions which repeat, almost 
word for word, the considerations which 
preceded it in the section. 

The second section outlines specific me­
dia hardware and hardware systems by di­
viding each into its important parts, often 
defining these parts and outlining the rela­
tionships between the parts. Performance 
specifications for most pieces of electronic 
hardware are given as well. Evaluation 
ch~cklists for thirteen pieces of equipment 
are appropriately placed within this sec­
tion. 

The largest part of the book, however, 
is devoted to a "Dictionary of Technical 
Media Equipment Terms." More glossary 
than dictionary, it contains definitions for 
selected terms as well as the full names and 
addresses of principal trade, professional, 
and governmental organizations concerned 
with educational media. Simple line draw­
ings illustrate many of the equipment parts 
and systems defined. 

The preface of the book acknowledges 
that it should be used "in conjunction with 
otper helpful publications." A study of each 
of the three sections confirms that this vol­
ume is merely an introduction to some of 
the very traditional kinds of media equip­
ment. The first section's coverage of general 
criteria is sketchy and redundant. While 
one can understand why media production 
equipment was excluded from the second 
section, it is harder to excuse the absence 
of dissemination and duplication hardware 
which complements the audio and visual 
equipment which is covered. There is an 
almost total absence of guidelines for main­
tenance and repair. Scant coverage given 
to video equipment in the section is not re­
deemed by the large number of video defi­
nitions appearing in the "Dictionary." The 
bibliography is short and incomplete. 

Certainly not a harmful or misleading 
book, it is probably worth the purchase 
price. However, one is continually struck 
by the fact that firmer editorial direction