College and Research Libraries 152 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 lished form, however, the volume should have contained at least some background in- formation for the uninitiated who wish to acquire a more complete knowledge of au- tomated systems in archives. The table of contents also should be paginated in more detail. Such criticisms should not detract from the overall value of the work, especially since it helps to elucidate some of the appli- cations, as well as some of the problems, of the SPINDEX system in archival repositories.-James W. Geary, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. Tymn, Marshall B.; Zahorski, Kenneth J.; and Boyer, Robert H. Fantasy Literature: A Core C oUection and Reference Guide. New York: Bowker, 1979. 273p. $14.95 plus shipping and handling. LC 79-1533. ISBN 0-8352-1153-3. This work "is intended to serve ... as an acquisitions tool for librarians building core fantasy collections; as a guide to the litera- ture for teachers; as a reference handbook for fantasy scholars and researchers; and as a comprehensive introduction to the literature of fantasy and its related activities for in- terested readers." Unfortunately, it falls short of the mark much of the time. The opening chapter, "On Fantasy," at- . tempts to define fantasy literature and its subsections in fairly · rigid terms. The au- thors admit to exceptions; but rather than admit that an academic attempt to bring order to a fairly chaotic literature is at best a tentative working model, they play word games that at times attempt to hammer the exceptions into line with the definitions. · The chapter "Fantasy Scholarship" is quite thorough in its listings, but when I am ego-gratifyingly but inaccurately described as "America's foremost map scholar and li- brarian" one wonders at the correctness of the other brief annotations. One can't argue with the listings of peri- odicals, fantasy societies, and literary awards (with winners over the years). The list of fantasy collections in the U.S. and Canada is useful but far from complete. The directory of publishers is thorough. The index is good. Fortunately, this book is saved from triv- iality by the excellent "Core Collection" list, which represents most of the work. While one can argue with the selection of authors, titles, and even with the selection of collec- tions and editiops cited, the annotations are extensive, detailed, thorough, and good- most of the time. Plot, theme, and charac- ter are discussed in detail, making this ex- tremely useful to teachers who haven't read the stories. Based on British Books in Print 1978, the listing of British editions of works cited in the "Core Collection" enhances the utility to U.K. libraries. Though this is far from the comprehen- sive and definitive work claimed by the au- thors and publisher, it is a very useful list- ing of works in the genre of fantasy and should be in all large libraries. When used with a book like Diana Waggoner's Hills of Faraway (Atheneum, 1978), Fantasy Litera- ture can provide a solid basic collection list. When taken with a healthy disrespect for its definitions of the parts of fantasy, it can even provide some meaningful insights into an increasingly important literary genre. Whatever the faults of this work, any final evaluation must be positive if for no other reason than the thoroughness of the exten- sive annotations.-]. B. Post, Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Libraries in Society: A Reader. Edited by David Gerard. London: Clive Bingley; New York: K. G. Saur, 1979. 163p. $13.25 ISBN 0-85157-260-X Bingley. This collection of fifteen essays, written between 1881 and the present, is brought together in an effort to reevaluate the role of the library in society. While there is a definite British emphasis in the chosen arti- cles, there are also contributions by Ameri- cans, a South African, and an Australian. The last article, written especially for this publication by two Russian scholars, at- tempts to define the role of the library in modern Russian society. In addition, there is an introductory article by the editor and a brief preface to each article that provides a general philosophical statement and iden- tifies the author. The spotlight is mainly on the public li- brary, but one of the longer essays deals with the function of the university library and its role in the university community. About half the selections are by librarians wldt!IIIDI'iiadlrrlillirt:llitcAate by many private and public organizations. These sources offer hard, authoritative data on 'issues that range from the energy crisis and environmental pollution to inflation and recession , balance of trade deficits, and countless other hot (and not-so-hot) topics. But how can you provide your library's users with access to this information? Congressional Information Service has the answer. The new Statistical ~efe~ence Index and SRI Microfiche Library can help you quickly 1dent1fy, evaluate, and obtain statistical information issued by: trade and professional associations and institutes; corporations and commercial or- ganizations; university and independent research centers; state govern- ment agencies; and other significant sources. Yo~·ve waited a long time for this kind of service. Now that it's here, that hot top1c doesn't have to go cold while you look for information. I I 0 Yes. I would like to receive full details on SRI. I I I I ·I Name/Position Organization/Department Address City/State/Zip 154 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE · SOURCE OF GERMAN BOOKS AND PERIODICALS? TRY: STERN-VERLAG JANSSEN & CO •• •• YOUR RELIABLE GUIDE TO THE GERMAN BOOK WORLD Stern-Verlag Janssen & Co International Booksellers & Subscription Agents POB 7820 · 0-4000 Dusseldorf W-Germany We invite you to visit our booth at the SLA and ALA annual conferences and the others by sociologists, political sci- entists, economists, and educators, who provide a variety of points of view about the philosophy, economics, and social respon- sibilities of libraries and librarians. The perspective is frequently historical, tracing the evolution of libraries from a lim- ited service for an already privileged class with sufficient education and leisure to make use of whatever the library offered to the multicultural center of today that at- tempts to provide something for all ages and all classes. However, Mary Lee Bundy in a 1972 ar- ticle lashes out at those responsible for li- brary service in the inner cities for not meeting the needs of ethnic minorities and the disadvantaged. As she puts it: "The pub- lic library is among the institutions which misuses [sic] its public charge to promote one set of cultural values and one cultural heritage as if it were superior to others." She believes the library should act as an in- formation and r~ferral service helping to link people and community action groups. Similar sentiments are echoed by Len Davies in his article "Libraries, Culture and Blacks." This traditional middle-classness of libraries and the need to revise the basic ideology of librarianship and the role of the library in the community are recurring themes in many of t~e articles. References are printed at the end of each article and there is an additional seven-page bibliography for further reading. The book has been most carefully edited, but the format is somewhat unattractive. Pages are closely printed and net easily skimmed. While many common ideas are expre~sed by the fifteen authors, readers are left to create their own unity of thought from the multi- ple points of view expressed. Persons look- ing for solutions' to the usual library prob- lems of automation, staffing, shrinking budgets, and rising costs .._.will not read very far, but those interested in the philosophy of libraries and in library and social history will find food for thought.-Dorothy F. Thomson, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Alexander, Edward P. Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums. Nashville, Tenn.: