College and Research Libraries


84 I College & Research Libraries • January 1980 

research methodology at Yale. 
The guide lists and annotates 543 refer-

ence tools including bibliographies, ency-
clopedias, dictionaries, indexes and 
abstracts, guidebooks and manuals, catalogs, 
commentarie:;, and a few monographs con-
taining extensive bibliographies. It is lim-
ited primarily to English-language works of 
recent vintage. Of necessity, some older 
works that have not been superseded have 
been included. 

While there are some references to world 
religions broadly, the primary coverage is 
that of the Judeo-Christian tradition, includ-
ing both Protestant and Catholic Chris-
tianity. The basic framework follows the 
classic theological divisions of biblical 
studies, systematic theology, historical 
studies, and practical theology. In addition 
to these, there are sections on bibliography; 
encyclopedias and dictionaries; and a gen-
eral section on biography, almanacs, direc-
tories, yearbooks, quotation and poetry in-
dexes, and style manuals. 

Each of the 543 entries is given a terse 
descriptive annotation indicating the con-
tents, purpose, scope, arrangement, depth, 
and perspective of the work. No attempt is 
made to give critical evaluations of the 
items. There is a comprehensive author and 
title index. 

There are brief but helpful introductions 
to each of the chapters giving some de-
finitions and guidelines as to the usefulness 
of the various kinds of tools listed in each 
section. Where there is unevenness in the 
coverage of a particular section, we believe 
that this reflects unevenness in the tools 
available to the researcher rather than any 
lack of perspective in the compilation. 

The guide includes both secular and reli-
gious works of value in the field. Where an 
item has application in more than one sub-
ject area, a cross-reference is given. This 
book should be a basic piece for the study 
of theological bibliography and should be 
found in any significant reference collection 
as well as many a pastor's study.-John B. 
Trotti, Union Theological Seminary in 
Virginia, Richmond. 

Morrow, Carolyn Clark. A Conservation 
Policy Statement for Research Libraries. 
University of Illinois Graduate School of 

Library Science Occasional Papers, 
no.139. Urbana: t.Jniv. of Illinois Gradu-
ate School of Library Science, 1979. 23p. 
$2 (prepaid). ISSN 0073-5310. 
The preface of the Conservation Policy 

Statement contains a sentence that sums up 
its major flaw: "It was personally more fun 
to outline a positive program (even if fic-
tional and wildly unrealistic) than to de-
scribe the very real limitations." This per-
sonal statement of the ideal conservation 
program does have unrealistic aspects, and 
these may deter a library from any conser-
vation efforts. 

Rather than encouraging basic preserva-
tion efforts, with a staff and budget that can 
be expanded as necessary, the author out-
lines a massive program and emphasizes 
how expensive conservation is. The organi-
zation chart for the conservation department 
shows eighteen full-time staff members (five 
librarians and thirteen clerical or technical 
workers) and fifteen student workers. Even 
with a staff of this size, binding is done out-
side the library, and departmental librarians 
do minor 'repairs for their own areas. 

The Conservation Policy Statement can be 
helpful for conservation planning in 
academic libraries if the policymakers are 
already familiar with preservation theory 
and practice. The lists of "Principles of Con-
servation" and "Priorities of the Conserva-
tion Program" suggest areas of activity that 
a library could pursue. The bibliography of 
sixty-four readings provides some useful ci-
tations although the standard reference 
works by Bernard Middleton, George and 
Dorothy Cunha, and Howard Winger and 
Richard Smith are not included. 

For a more practical approach to a re-
search library policy and pr~gram see the 
University of Wisconsin-Madison Statement 
on the Conservation of Library Materials. 
The recently published Toward a California 
Document Conservation Program, by ]: 
Michael Bruer, demonstrates how many 
facets of Morrow's ideal library conservation 
program could be assumed by a statewide 
or regional center.-Catherine Asher, In-
diana University, Bloomington. 

Rowley, J. E. Mechanised In-House Infor-
mation Systems. London: Clive Bingley; 
New York: K. G. Saur, 1979. 208p.