College and Research Libraries


174 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 

more extensively on citation indexing and 
its applications than any other author. 

The work is highly recommended for all 
librarians and information specialists as well 
as for sociologists and historians of 
science.-Stephen P. Harter, University of 
So~th Florida, Tampa. 

Stone, Elizabeth; Sheahan, Eileen; and 
Harig, Katherine J. Model Continuing 
Education Recognition System in Library 
and Information Science. New York~ 
K. G. Saur, 1979. 313p. $29. LC 79-
11538. ISBN 0-89664-145-7. 
With the increasing concern and partici-

pation in continuing education by the 
library/information/media community, there 
has also been aroused an interest in de-
veloping some type of recognition system 
that would provide a visible means of ac-
countability, contribute to improving the 
quality of the programs, and make it possi-
ble for those who do take continuing educa-
tion courses to gain recognition for their 
efforts. 

The present study, the result of a grant 
awarded to the Continuing Library Educa-
tion Network and Exchange (CLENE) ,and 
Catholic University, addresses two aspects 
of continuing education: (1) the develop-
ment of a model recognition system for 
library/information/media personnel engaged 
in nontraditional programs of study (i.e., 
home study projects) and (2) the design and 
demonstration of a home study course that 
would qualify for recognition in the inclu-
sion of that model. However, although the 
study is limited to nontraditional programs 
of continuing education, the procedures and 
methodology used in collecting data for the 
project provide information relevant to 
questions and issues that may also arise re-
garding recognition for more traditional 
types of continuing education programs. 

This report of the project on model rec-
ognition systems is dhdded into seven chap-
ters, each of which lends itself to discrete 
assessment. Chapter 1, introduction and 
background, discusses the expressed need 
for the study. Chapter 2 deals with the pro-
cedures and methodology used in collecting 
data; these are painstakingly described by 
the authors. It includes procedures for de-
veloping and pretesting home study 

modules, guidelines, processes for dis-
seminating information about home study 
programs, and the use of continuing educa-
tion uni~s in the home study program. 

Chapter 3 explores continuing education 
recognition units used by other prdfessions 
that provide for nontraditional studies. The 
definition of home study and its advantages 
and disadvantages are included. Chapters 4 
and 5 relate to the findings and conclusions 
of library/information/media personnel pre-
sently participating in continuing education 
relative to their perception of the objectives 
of such a system. 

Chapter 6 contains the proposed model 
for a voluntary continuing education recog-
nition system and suggestions for imple-
menting it. 

The results, conclusions, and recommen-
dations of this extensive research project as 
described are impressive in scope, ency-
clopedic in treatment. The authors also an-
ticipate problems and have recognized that 
one of the major barriers to the develop-
ment of home study courses is the lack of 
adequately trained persons and the absence 
of educational institutions with training pro-
grams. 

In collecting data on a model recognition 
system for nontraditional programs, the au-
thors have also collected information dealing 
with concomitant questions that relate to 
recognition units for more traditional con-
tinuing education programs and answer 
some of the following questions: How is the 
quality of a continuing education program 
maintained? Are the objectives of the 
library/information/media programs compat-
ible with those of other organizations? Who 
will maintain the records? Where will the 
records be maintained? Who will grant rec-
ognition? They also wrestle with problems 
of guidelines, standards, and criteria. 

This publication becomes increasingly 
important as one realizes that the literature 
on the subject of nontraditional learning, 
especially in the specific area of home 
study, has not appeared in library journals. 
Thus this work becomes one of the first 
full-length, detailed studies on continuing 
education recognition units published in li-
brary literature. For those skeptics who may 
question whether the limited issue of rec-
ognition units for home study programs is a 



viable and beneficial one on which to spend 
so much time, energy, and money, the an-
swer appears to be an unequivocal yes. 

The significance of this study cannot be 
overemphasized. The need for procedures, 
forms, staffing, and administration of non-
traditional continuing education projects will 
become more and more pressing. Continu-
ing education has not come upon the scene 
without its questions and challenges; and 
this very important book provides a founda-
tion for present needs and future 
studies.-Sylvia G. Faibisoff, Northern Illi-
nois University, DeKalb. 

Stoffie, Carla, Karter, Simon; and Pemac-
ciaro, Samuel. Materials & Methods for 
Political Science Research. Library Edi-
tion. Bibliographic Instruction Series. 
New York: Libraryworks, 1979. 76, 107p. 
$14.95 (plus $1 postage and handling). LC 
78-31927. ISBN 0-918212-11-1. Available 
from: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 64 Uni-
versity Place, New York, NY 10003. 
(Workbooks available for $4.95 each, 
minimum order five copies.) 
Since 1974, librarians at the University of 

Wisconsin-Parkside have been teaching li-
brary research skills to students majoring in 
several disciplines. This is one of the series 
of manuals that have been developed 
cooperatively by librarians and faculty 
members to assist in this effort. Each text is 
designed to introduce the students to li-
brary resources in a relatively short period 
of time and in a way that involves the stu-
dent in the actual use of the materials. 

The library edition of Materials & Meth-
ods for Political Science Research is com-
posed of a workbook and an instructor's 
manual, both of which are available sepa-
rately for course adoption. 

The workshop introduces students to, and 
requires them to use, a wide variety of ref-
erence tools. It focuses on the methods of 
information gathering and the types of in-
formation sources appropriate for research 
and independent study in political science. 
In each of twelve chapters a specific type of 
material and its use for political science stu-
dents is discussed, followed by assignments 
that test the ability of the individual to use 
standard sources in locating information. 
The focus of the last chapter is the study of 

Recent Publications I 175 

techniques and search strategies that are 
necessary to complete a successful research 
project. 

The instructor's manual is designed to be 
used by the instructor in conjunction with 
the workbook Specific suggestions regard-
ing instructional procedures, the role of the 
library staff, and sources are given. A 
checklist of titles used enables the instructor 
to determine whether the library owns the 
exact editions of the titles used for the as-
signments. To save the instructor the time-
consuming chore of creating individual 
question sets for use with the workbook, 
twenty different sets of fill-ins containing 
specific information requests are provided in 
section 7. Thus the assignments are indi-
vidualized. Although every student reads 
the same question, each is asked for a dif-
ferent item of information. 

This volume and others in this series are 
welcome additions to the growing list of ma-
terials that are available for library biblio-
graphic instruction. The workbooks can be 
used for independent or guided study 
courses, noncredit study or continuing edu-
cation programs, and graduate library sci-
ence courses. They are useful either for a 
one-credit course or for the library unit of a 
three-credit methods course. 

The manuals are adaptable and can easily 
be used by academic or library faculty. All 
of the titles used as examples are generally 
available in medium-size college libraries. 
These volumes are invaluable and should be 
available in all academic libraries. Being ac-
quainted with them is a must for all refer-
ence and library instruction librarians.-Roy 
H. Fry, Loyola University of Chicago, 
Chicago, Illinois. 

Cohen, Aaron, and Cohen, Elaine. Design-
ing and Space Planning for Libraries: A 
Behavioral Guide. New York: Bowker, 
1979. 250p. $24.95 plus shipping and 
handling. LC 79-12478. ISBN 0-8352-
1150-9. 
A number of books on the planning of li-

brary buildings were published prior to the 
building boom of the 1960s and early 1970s. 
Those such as Keyes Metcalf s detailed and 
lengthy volume on academic library build-
ings have been heavily used as the source 
for everything we always wanted to know