College and Research Libraries


the school library (val. 1) to censorship 
(val. 2) and from academic library build-
ings (val. 3) to productivity measures 
(val. 6) . All volumes in this series will be 
wanted in academic and research libraries 
and should be considered basic reading for 
serious students of library and information 
science.-Fred Blum, Director, Center of 
Educational Resources, Eastern Michigan 
Urniversity, Ypsilanti. 

Grogan, Denis. Science and Technology: 
An Introduction to the Literature. 3rd 
ed. rev. London: Clive Bingley; Hamden, 
Conn.: Linnet Books, 1976. 343p. 
$12.50. LC 76-43272. ISBN 0-85157-
223-5 Bingley; 0-208-1534-5 Linnet. 

It may be convenient to categorize all 
books of this sort as "guides to the litera-
ture." However, the present author aptly 
distinguishes between two types. The "ref-
erence book" type strives for comprehen-
siveness in its listing and annotations; 
Malinowsky's Science and Engineering Ref-
erence Sources and Jenkins' Science Refer-
ence Sources are familiar examples. The 
"textbook type," on the other hand, empha-
sizes the function which each type of pub-
lication performs in the overall pattern of 
information transfer; and illustrative ex-
amples are then incorporated in the text. 
The Grogan volume is a "textbook" type in-
tended for students; Parker and Turley's 
Information Sources in Science and Tech-
nology is another but in its case is designed 
for the working scientist or engineer. 

While the second edition was enlarged 
about 10 percent over the first, this third 
edition is some 35 percent larger than its 
predecessor. Whole new chapters have 
been added on "Computerized Data Bases" 
and "Microforms." Three chapters have 
each been expanded by 50 percent: "The 
Literature," "Periodicals," and "Books in 
the Field." In nearly all instances, growth 
is not due to added examples; many of 
these are carried over from the preceding 
edition, though there is a good salting of 
later dates as well. Enlargement derives 
from discussion of additional aspects of sci-
entific information and dissemination (oral 
communication, user studies, cost implica-
tions to libraries, prospect for alternative 
modes of publication, etc.). 

Recent Publications I 431 

A particular excellence is the care with 
which Grogan tries to develop the reader's 
capacity to make distinctions. Students are 
repeatedly cautioned not to be misled by 
titles (e.g., "Encyclopedia of ... ") and re-
minded that needed forms of literature are 
often buried in other forms (e.g., bibliogra-
phies published in journals). It is quite im-
portant to read the whole book, since items 
relevant to a given factor occur in unex-
pected chapters. 

Of caveats and shortcomings there are 
few. The British origin influences the ap-
proach of certain sections, such as that of 
patenting procedures. Discussion of com-
puterized data bases reflects the relative ab-
sence at the time of writing of on-line 
services familiar to U.S. readers. The chap-
ter on "Indexing and Abstracting Services" 
is perhaps the least satisfactory; some of the 
information on the Bibliography of Agricul-
ture and the defunct Pandex is out of date, 
and differentiation between printed and 
machine-readable formats is occasionally 
blurred. 

The index intentionally excludes any 
mention of individual titles, since they are 
said to be "examples" only. Nonetheless, 
the reader will often wish to look up the 
treatment of a known example and to find 
it embedded in a section on similar works. 
Finally, there is scanty documentation for 
the scores of supporting and illuminating 
statements and for the well-chosen quota-
tions and other included intelligence. The 
author considers "excess of bibliographic 
scruple is out of place in a textbook for 
students." Perhaps he underestimates how 
intriguing his references are, or the number 
of "keen" readers who might wish to pursue 
them. 

Writing in an eminently readable style, 
Grogan provides the reader with the ft.Ill 
flavor and feel of the literature and qf the 
scope and variety of the "information prob-
lem." Not only students will find illumina-
tion, but experienced librarians; scientists, 
and engineers will benefit from reading this 
book.-Irma Y. Johnson, Science Librarian, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Hebrew Printing and Bibliography. Studies 
by Joshua Bloch and Others, Reprinted 
from the Publications of the New York