College and Research Libraries 368 I College & Research Libraries • july 1980 reporter, collared busy people and sought their notions about the future of libraries, the needs of patrons, and how to satisfy them. Emphasis was placed on the point of contact between the service and the person. There emerge in the potpourri some ideals, some warnings, much interest, and some daring solutions, together with a hard look at present-day economic stress. Reflected throughout and approached from different avenues is the conflict be- tween the place of the book in libraries and the mechanized supplying of information through data bases. Contrasting viewpoints should be studied, such as the conversations from Daniel Melcher, publishing consultant for Bowker, John Linford, director of NELINET, and Joseph Becker, of the con- sulting firm of Becker & Hayes. Interesting to note are the stances taken by several re- garding the place of the book versus au- diovisual material, especially the videodisc. (See Rohlf, Linford, Heneghan, Jimmie Jones, and Reich.) Although more public librarians were in- terviewed, there is a good mix among rep- resentatives from other libraries and set- vices, except school media specialists, e. g., state libraries, research and university li- braries, information specialists, library schools, regional systems, a publisher, and the users. As a result, practically every topic studied in library schools pertaining to library trends and current problems receive attention. (This fact might be a shock to some practitioners who are convinced that library schools are totally unaware of that real world out there.) Permeating the entire issue is the odor of funding deficiency with some attempts at realistic solutions, especially the need for political involvement. (See Sakey, Rohlf, and Melcher.) Although it seemed clear that technology would serve the needs of people in the fu- ture, not nearly the stress on it appeared that was feared would occur in the White House Conference on Library and Informa- tion Services. All technical advances should be strongly considered, but with cautionary optimism. They should not predominate. Most librarians will probably rejoice in learning that a strong case is made for the public service librarian-one who learns how to help people solve their problems, rather than one who becomes a slave to automated machinery for its own sake, in- stead of a help to the client. Furthermore, that aid is to be tendered to patrons to answer their questions from the resources collected and organized for this express pur- pose. So the librarian is not a social worker, at least not while professionally on duty. Cooperative efforts must increase; thus some restructuring may well occur, even between types of libraries. Automation and new forms of communication can come into their own in this manner, ending provincial- ism and abetting interlibrary cooperation. The role of the public library is of great concern and may have to be redefined, e. g., its relation to academic libraries and with continuing education, becoming more people-oriented, specializing on helping the users, and becoming an information and re- ferral center. After this investigative journey, librarians ought to be convinced that they are in a lively, challenging, if sometimes fearful, vocation. With so many advances prognosti- cated, with so many problems begging for solution, what greater enticements could there be?-Rev. Jovian P . Lang, OFM, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York. Bahr, Alice Harrison. Video in Libraries: A Status Report, 1979-80. Professional Librarian Series. White Plains, N.Y.: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1980. 119p. $24.50. LC 79-25951. ISBN 0- 914236-49-0. Bahr' s assessment of library video use is a follow-up to a 1977 public library survey by the same publisher. Video technology has been in a constant state of evolution, creat- ing problems of equipment compatibility and tape standardization. Many libraries have not been too eager to leap into video due to the copyright restrictions and budgetary limitations. Little has changed in library video services since 1977, although there appears to be more interest in video due to the availability of reasonably inex- pensive home videocassette recorders. This book merely scratches the surface in terms of video programming, and it should be taken at face - value. Only twelve public li- braries were surveyed in this report; at best it is an overview. H the price of $24.50 a copy for this paperback seems excessive, it is. Public library video represents a very fragmented and restrained service. Video is predominantly used for programs that are locally produced by amateurs. Most pro- grams are of a cultural or informational na- ture. Since the 1977 survey, budgets for video production remain small, and many programs exist on the basis of grants. As grants are terminated, unfortunately so are video programs. Also, videotape collections remain stilted, and selection is often based on nebulous criteria. This book may be of value to medium- size and smaller public libraries considering the purchase of a portapak or a half-inch cassette recorder. There are some good, although brief, discussions of video prob- lems that will surely be encountered. Among them are problems of funding, pro- gram selection, hardware compatibility and standardization, cataloging, and copyright. The BOCES case and network news off-air taping provide some insight into copyright problems. Educational uses of video are touched upon. Video is often used in the community involving services to the handicapped and disadvantaged. The information presented here on services is very specific and written in a case-by-case style . Closed circuit televi- sion is also used as an information retrieval medium, particularly in some medical cen- ters. Video is so versatile and complex that the medium must_ be critically assessed as to its purpose in the library in accordance with community interest and needs. Whether video is used for entertainment, education, information retrieval, or creative interest, its use must be balanced with community awareness, budgets, etc. The future of video seems to rest with the videodisc as a playback-only means of entertainment and education and with cablevision as a two-way medium for information transfer. Both have particulary interesting implications for libraries. User profiles of the twelve public librar- ies are one page or less in length and pro- vide an outline of programs, sources of funding, collections development, and com- Recent Publications I 369 munity involvement. The public library pro- files offer an information base for adding video programs or for comparing current levels of service with other libraries. Col- lege and university librarians will find this book of little value.-William A. Mcintyre, New Hampshire Vocational-Technical Col- lege, Nashua. Matthews, Joseph R. "The Four Online Bibliographic Utilities," Library Technol- ogy Reports 15:665--838 (Nov.-Dec. 1979). Single issue $40. ISSN 0024-2586. Avail- able from: American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago IL 60611. Jacobs, Mary Ellen; Woods, Richard; and Yarborough, Judith. Online Resource Sharing II: A Comparison of OCLC, In- corporated, Research Libraries Informa- tion Network, and Washington Library Network. Editor: Susan K. Martin. San Jose, Calif.: California Library Authority for Systems and Services, 1979. 99p. $18.50 CLASS members ; $22.00 nonmembers. Available from: CLASS, Heritage on Microfilnt Rare and out-of-print titles and documents on 35mm silver halide microfilm. • French Books before 1601 • Scandinavian Culture • 18th Century English Literature • Victorian Fiction • Literature of Folklore • Hispanic Culture Send for catalog and title information today. GENEW\L MICROFilM COMP~Y 100 Inman St. , Cambridge, MA 02139 Tel. (617) 864-2820