College and Research Libraries r 342 I College & Research Libraries • July 1977 Doyle, James M., and Grimes, George H. Reference Resources: A Systematic Ap- proach. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1976. 293p. $10.00. LC76-7080. ISBN 0-8108-0928-1. The authors intend this as a new ap- proach to teaching reference bibliography courses. Instead of learning individual ti- tles, students learn a classified system of published reference sources and a struc- tured approach to literature searching. The dynamics of communication and the uses of resources, as revealed in user studies, are also a part of this method. A question nego- tiation simulation exercise provides practice in the technique of the reference interview. The printed formats of reference litera- ture are presented in the "bibliographic chain." The "links" of the chain proceed from the inception of an idea through print- ed formats-institutional resources, work- in-progress, unpublished studies, periodi- cals, reports and monographs, indexing and abstracting services, bibliographic reviews, annual reviews and state-of-the-art, and books and encyclopedic summaries. This bibliographic chain, linked with user needs and the searching process, is presented in a flow chart which illustrates the informa- tion searching process. The "discipline resource package" is the name of the annotated reference book bib- liography for subjects in the areas of social sciences, humanities, science, and technolo- gy. These "packages" are basic guides to subject literature and are organized by printed formats. "General works," e.g., al- manacs, biographical and statistical sources, and dictionaries, include those reference sources which do not fit into the structure of the subject-oriented packages. The au- thors note that this section is also useful to the "average, intelligent adult" who is do- ing research. The "search procedure form" lists the titles from these packages and provides space for writing the negotiated and redefined search question and for the keywords to use in the information search. Unfortunately, all subjects do not have titles that fit neatly into the formats in the bibliographic chain. Rather than acknowl- edge this by pointing out the lack of pub- lications and the uneven development in various subjects, the authors include titles which are usually not associated with these formats. The source given for work-in- progress for all subjects is Contemporary Authors. While this title may be "basic" for the social sciences and humanities, a quick check of scientists' names found more omissions than inclusions. Titles listed for annual reviews for political science and his- tory include America Votes, Facts on F'ile, and Statistical Yearbook. Encyclopedic summaries include biographical directories, directories of corporations, and quotation books, along with encyclopedias and dic- tionaries. The content or use of the refer- ence source is subordinated, and the format, broadly interpreted, becomes more important. Careful editing would have eliminated an unevenness of bibliographical detail. Older editions are cited rather than more recent ones. The dates publications ceased are often not given. Changes in publication format which occurred several years ago are not noted. For many of the serials, the be- ginning date of publication is omitted, so the student or researcher would not know the coverage the source provides. One would assume library school educa- tors are aware of reference interviews, inter-personal communication dynamics, user studies, and patterns of subject litera- ture organization. If not, sections I and II (p.3-71) give a brief introduction. Re- searchers would find other subject guides to the literature more useful than the pack- ages because of their inconsistencies.-Jean Herold, Reference Librarian, The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Aus- tin. The Information Age: Its Development, Its Impact. Edited by Donald P. Hammer. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1976. 275p. $10.00. LC 76-10603. ISBN 0-8108- 0945-1. The Information Age is intended, accord- ing to the preface, to be an "interesting, rewarding and informative account of sig- nificant events and activities" of the period 1965-75 in information science. One of the requirements placed on the twelve contrib- utors was that the book be readable. The intent is only partially fulfilled; the informa- tion is there all right, but many parts of the book are, alas, nearly unreadable. The decade was indeed an exciting one, which saw very dramatic developments and changes in the fields of information and li- brary science, but that drama is largely lost in the volume, perhaps because of the un- evenness of the writing. The most readable and downright sensi- ble section is Markuson's on library net- works; I found Orne on standards and Jackson and Wyllys on professional educa- tion useful and succinct. The most irritat- ing reading is Kraft and McDonald on library operations research, which I am not entirely convinced even belongs in the book. The other sections are workmanlike and mostly cover the ground adequately, if not with flair. The single most valuable section may well be Stephen Salmon's contribution, an intelligent summary of problems and fail- ures which are generally not available in a form which puts them into perspective. Salmon does this very well, and he makes a sober and dignified case for reporting on Recent Publications I 343 negative results in an honest and timely fashion as part of professional responsibili- ty. I was prepared to like The Information Age better than I did. No doubt some of the dullness I find in the books is caused in part by the standard Scarecrow format, but essentially the book is disappointing be- cause it is uneven and diffuse and fails to capture the real feeling of the decade.- Fay Zipkowitz, University Library, Univer- sity of Massachusetts, Amherst. Designing a National Scientific and Tech- nological Communication System: The SCATT Report. By Rus.sell L. Ackoff, Thomas A. Cowan, Peter Davis, Martin C. J. Elton, James C. Emery, Marybeth L. Meditz, and Wladimer M. Sachs. Philadelphia: Univ. of Pennsylvania Pr., 1976. 173p. $12.00. LC 76-20150. ISBN 0-8122-7716-3. This idealized design of a national system for scientific and technical communication transfer is intended, in the words of its au- Cost accounting for nonfinancial executives. A superb book for managers not trained as accountants. In non- technical language covers: cost and data reports ... inventory valuation ... overhead allocation ... cost-volume-profit ... stan- dard costs ... direct vs. absorp- tion costing ... plus much more. COST ACCOUNTING CONCEPTS FOR NONFINANCIAL EXECUTIVES by Joseph Peter Simini $12.95 A DIVISION OF AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS 135 West 50 Street, New York, N.Y. 10020