College and Research Libraries 82 I College & Research Libraries • January 1979 Dodson, Suzanne Cates, ed. Microform Re- search Collections: A Guide. Microform Review Series in Library Micrographics Management, no.8. Westport, Conn.: Microform Review, Inc., 1978. 410p. $35. LC 77-16012. ISBN 0-913672-21-1. This review of 200 research collections from 40 publishers should prove very useful to research libraries, both as a selection tool and as a guide to the contents, organization, and use of specific microform collections held by the library. Selection was made on the basis of general usefulness. Size and complexity, timeliness of subject matter, the availability of reviews, and ownership by many libraries favored inclusion. An attempt was made to achieve a broad coverage of subject areas and to include collections of similar content for the sake of comparison. The editor chose not to evaluate the collec- tions. Entries are arranged alphabetically by title, listing publisher, date, format, price, and review citations. Under each entry there is a detailed description of arrange- ment and bibliographic control and a listing of bibliographies, indexes, and other related MCGREGOR "PERSONALIZED SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE" EVIIY customer is assigned an experienced "Home Office" 111presentatlve. You correspond direct; any title needs, changes, cancellations or problems can be handled promptly by letter or phone. This makes your job easier ar}d keeps you ab1111St of your subscription needs at all times. With over 45 years expe'*tce, McGn~gor has built a reputation of prompt and courteous service on both domestic and international titles. We p111pay subscrip- tions ahead of time. Our customers, large and small, like the prompt attention we give them. We think you would tool Ask about McGn~gor's "Automatic Renewal" plan de- scribed in our new brochu111. Write today for your free copy. OUR 46th YEAR Mount Morris, llllnols81054 materials. Scope and content notes were taken primarily from publishers' brochures and statements but sometimes from a review or the bibliography forming the basis of the collection. Those without citation, which presumably were written by the editor, are informative and concise, but the quality of the others varies considerably. Many are verbose; condensation would in- crease convenience of consultation. It would have been helpful to have the title of the collection under review as a page heading rather than the title of the guide. The dictionary index gives extensive and excellent page references to all the bib- liographic citations from variant titles and names associated with them . Omitting sub- titles and other descriptive matter would make it more concise. References from var- iant titles and added entries are in see ref- erence form to other entries in the index, instead of giving the page in the body of the work. This often results in an unnecessary two-step look up. The same is true for sub- jects: e.g., "Funnies see Comic books, strips, etc." instead of "Funnies-Canadian, 61" (the only entry under comic books being "-Canadian"). There are also inconsistencies, e.g., "Hol- land see Dutch literature: Europe-but no entry under Netherlands and none under other European countries referring to Europe. Many subject entries are of an ana- lytic nature. There are references from "An- thropology," "Fisheries," "Mycology," and many other subjects to the U.S. depository government publications. A separate subject index would have permitted rapid overview and spotting of these repetitious analytic entries. Price information is up to date as of June 1976, while reference to reviews is current to the fall of 1977. Some caution is advised. Dodson lists Documents on Contemporary China, 1949-1975 as ca. 4,000 microfiche, issued in six sections at $5,850. The only indication that the information may be ten- tative are two sentences: "Each section . . . will have its own bibliography/index. When the collection is complete these sections will be combined into one entity." The same collection, reviewed in Microform Review (v. 7, no.2 [March/ April 1978]) is quoted at $4,800 for 525 microfiche issued in five sec- tions. The guide itself is advertised at $35 while Books in Print 1977/78 quotes a price of $17.50. At the latter price it should be in every research library. For a detailed description of the guide consult Dodson ' s article "Toward Biblio- graphic Control: The Development of a Guide to Microform Research Collections" in Microform Review 7:'203-12 (July/Aug. ~ 1978). At the present rate of new collections publication , a more comprehensive and streamlined second edition with cumulative updates would be welcome .-Leo R. Rift , Ithaca College , Ithaca , New York. Rubin , Rhea Joyce . Using Bibliotherapy: A Guide to Theory and Practice. A Neal- Schuman Professional Book . Phoenix , Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1978. 245p. $11.95 . LC 78-9349. ISBN 0-912700-07-6. Bibliotherapy Sourcebook. Edited by Rhea Joyce Rubin. A Neal-Schuman Profes- sional Book. Phoenix , Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1 ' 1978 . 393p. $14.95. LC 78-939. ISBN 0-912 700-04-1. Bibliotherapy is " a program of activity based on the interactive processes of the use of print and nonprint materials whether imaginative or informational, facilitated by a librarian or other professional , to achieve insight into normal development or to effect changes in emotionally disturbed behavior," according to the author. In Using Bibliotherapy: A Guide to Th eory and Practice Rhea Joyce Rubin traces the development of this adjunct ther- apy in the United States. During a typical session the bibliotherapist presents the ma- terial to a group or to an individual, hoping that identification with a remote character and projection leading to catharsis will oc- cur. Essential to the process is discussion on a personal level, an avenue for the client's insight into the solution of his or her own problems . The differences between bib- liotherapy and the newer poetry therapy are enumerated. Both have proved beneficial in hospitals , correctional institutions , educa- tional environments, and community set- tings . Success for bibliotherapists seems to de- pend more on personal qualities such as emotional stability and the ability to relate well with people than on academic back- Recent Publications I 83 ground. Professionally, the preferred com- bination of disciplines includes library sci- ence, psychology, and literature, with field service training recommended. Rubin quotes from several sources on each of the above points to demonstrate that the infor- mation on bibliotherapy is conflicting and confusing. In selecting materials for bibliotherapy, the content is more important than the literary quality. The suggested juvenile books and films, arranged and cross- referenced by topic, draw heavily from those of the last five years. An extensive , much-needed bibliography of poems , plays , short stories , films , and books for adults deals with subjects causing problems for them. In the companion volume, Bibliotherapy Sourcebook , Rubin gathers studies from var- ious sources and disciplines into a book to fac ilitate research. The section , "Classic Works on Bibliotherapy (1927-1949)," in- cludes selections by William Menninger , Alice I. Bryan, and Caroline Shrodes. The second part, "The View from Other Disciplines," shows that bibliotherapy com- bines with a number of fields. The editor selected writings illustrating how bib- liotherapy is linked to psychiatry, education , counseling, occupational therapy , and poetry therapy . " Bibliotherapy and Library Science ," the third part, begins with two articles that pro- vide an overview of the goals, methods , and limitations of bibliotherapy . Other contribu- tions demonstrate the opportunitie s for its use in diverse settings. During the last twenty years , foreign journals have published much on bib- liotherapy . The final section , " Foreign Perspectives," describes such programs in England , Canada, New Zealand, South Af- rica, the USSR, and Sweden, none of which are so sophisticated as those in the United States. Numerous references at the end of every chapter, plus bibliographies, appendixes, and indexes in both volumes , increase their usefulness. Because they include the works of the best-known authors in the field , these could be used as textbooks for a course on bibliotherapy . They should help to fulfill Margaret E. Monroe's wish in the foreword