College and Research Libraries


374 I College & Research Libraries • july 1980 

providing access to information for a fee and 
that libraries "may find it difficult to com-
pete in ease of use or speed of response un-
less they become highly effective managers 
of technology." 

In the remaining chapters, filled with ex-
amples and quotes from the literature and 
the author's experiences, the manager is 
alerted to the steps in the planning process 
(define, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and 
iterate); the need to train staff; the political 
requirements to sell the system of choice; 
failures and pitfalls of automation; and the 
manager's role. There is a brief glossary of 
automation terms, a very selected reading 
list, and a list of selected sources for auto-
mated products and services. 

The guide is very general, organized like 
a handy shopping list of topics with a brief 
description or list of things ta remember 
under each. There are shortcomings, 
however, which must be noted. 

First, the inevitable complexities, alterna-
tives, and combinations in automation deci-
sion making are lost in the effort to sim-
plify, list, and report in a telegraphic style. 
For example, the possibilities of combining 

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minicomputer applications with network use 
or in-house systems are not addressed in 
favor of discussing each as discrete options. 

Second, the discussion of the manage-
ment process is so abbreviated as to leave 
the novice unsure of what to do, especially 
in the requirements and problem definition 
phase. 

Third, the information about current ven-
dors and services will become outdated 
quickly, given the rapid pace of develop-
ment. 

Fourth, the guide frequently advises 
using consultants because library managers 
cannot, should not, or do not master some 
of the complexities involved in automation 
decisions or implementation. The reviewer 
appreciates the role of consultants but sug-
gests that library managers are appropriate-
ly becoming increasingly sophisticated con-
sumers and managers of technology and 
should be encouraged to continue in this 
direction. 

The appropriate audience for the guide is 
the inexperienced librarian/manager or the 
interested nonlibrarian. Others will find it 
incomplete and less usefuL-Eleanor Mon-
tague, University of California, Riverside. 

The Nature and Future of the Catalog: Pro-
ceedings of the ALA's Information Science 
and Automation Division's 1975 and 1977 
Institutes on the Catalog. Edited by 
Maurice J. Freedman and S. Michael 
Malinconico. A Neal-Schuman Profession-
al Book. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1979. 
317p. $16.50 (plus $. 95 for postage and 
handling). LC 79-21629. ISBN 0-912700-
08-4. 

Malinconico, S. Michael, and Fasana, · Paul 
J. The Future of the Catalog: The Li-
brary's Choices. The Professional Librar-
ian Series. White Plains, N.Y.: Knowl-
edge Industry Publications, 1979. 134p. 
$24.50. LC 79-16619. ISBN 0-914236-
32-6. 
Libraries today are faced with two 

momentous prospects for 1981-the closing 
of the Library of Congress catalog and the 
adoption of the Anglo-American Catalogu-
ing Rules, second edition. Consequently, 
librarians must decide whether or not to 
close their own catalogs in order to adjust to 
these changes. Such decisions are made on 



the basis of information, primarily in the 
form of conferences, journal articles, and 
books. Two of the newest sources for librar-
ians are The Nature and Future of the 
Catalog and The Future of the Catalog: The 
Library's Choices. 

The Nature and Future of the Catalog 
contains the edited proceedings of two 
American Library Association-sponsored 
conferences: "The Catalog: Its Nature and 
Prospects" (1975) and · "The Catalog in the 
Age of Technological Change" (1977). These 
papers are especially valuabie to readers in 
that they represent the thoughts of eminent 
individuals in the field of cataloging, includ-
ing Seymour Lubetzky, Joan K. Marshall, 
Frederick G. Kilgour, Sanford Berman, and 
Michael Gorman. The work is further en-
hanced by transcripts of audience discussion 
appended to each presentation . One can 
therefore, according to the editors, "relive 
with some degree of verisimilitude the ex-
citement and stimulation created by these 
institutes and such colloquies as the Kil-
gour-Lubetzky exchange" (p.vii). 

The subject for the 1975 conference is 
"The Catalog: Its Nature and Prospect"-its 
past, present, and possible future. The 
highlights of the conference were talks by 
Lubetzky, Marshall, and Kilgour. Lubetz-
ky' s "Ideology of Bibliographic Cataloging: 
Progression and Retrogression" is a descrip-
tion of past and present cataloging theories 
and their conflict with the first edition of 
AACR. Marshall's paper, "The Catalog in 
the World around It," deals with Library of 
Congress subject headings and how they 
conflict with the needs of nonresearch li-
brary users; -many headings were found to 
be misleading and outdated. Kilgour de-
scribes the format and use of the automated 
catalog in the "Design of Online Catalogs." 

Other papers represent a wide range of 
interests from public to research libraries: 
S. Michael Malinconico's "The Library 
Catalog in a Computerized Environment," 
William J. Welsh's "The Continuing Role of 
the Library of Congress in National Biblio-
graphic Control," Marvin H. Scilkin' s "The 
Catalog as a Public Service Tool," Hugh C. 
Atkinson's "The Electronic Catalog, .. and 
Kenneth Bierman's "The Future of the 
Catalog in North American Libraries." 

Although these lectures took place five 

Recent Publications I 315 

years ago and precede such developments 
as AACR 2, the Research Libraries Informa-
tion Network, and the closing of the Library 
of Congress catalog, they remain timely and 
recommended reading. 

The central theme for the 1977 confer-
ence, · "The Catalog in the Age of 
Technological Change," is the impact of the 
new technology on cataloging. A substantial 
number of the papers are devoted to AACR 2: 
John D. Byrum, \Jr., and Frances Hin-
ton's "The Newest Anglo-American Catalog-
ing Rules," a history and brief summary of 
the new rules ; Phyllis A. Richmond's "The 
AACR, Second Edition, What Next?" a dis-
cussion of the implications of the new code; 
Bernadine E. Abbott Hoduskf s "A Critique 
of the Draft AACR, 2nd Edition: Impact of 
the Rules on Documents Cataloging, .. a 
treatise on the effect of AACR 2 on govern-
ment documents cataloging; and Jean Rid-
dle Weihs' "Problems and Prospects in 
Nonbook Cataloging," a description of the 
effect of AACR 2 on cataloging of audio-
visual materials. 

Additional papers presented are Gorman's 
"Cataloging and the New Technologies," a 
study of the impact of automation on cata-
loging services; Lubetzky' s "The Traditional 
Ideas of Cataloging and the New Revision," 
an analysis of ISBD versus Charles Cutter's 
idea of the catalog; Joseph H. Howard's 
"The Library of Congress as the National 
Bibliographic Service, .. the effect of the 
Library of Congress' policies on the nation's 
libraries; Berman's "Cataloging for Public 
Libraries," a treatment of the cataloging in-
terests of public libraries; and Anne Grod-
zins Lipow' s "The Catalog in a Research 
Library and Alternatives to It," a study of 
the catalog and research library patrons. 

Those deciding what alternative catalog 
form to use may consult The Future of the 
Catalog: The Library's Choices, a readable 
though slightly overpriced book. The work, 
which can serve as an introductory text, 
presents an overview of the catalog and the 
effect of automation on cataloging. Each 
chapter is well documented, and a five-page 
bibliography appears at the end of the book. 
The work is divided into six sections in 
addition to an epilogue and introduction: 
"Traditional Catalog Forms, .. "Machine-
Readable Cataloging Data," "Computer-



376 I College & Research Libraries • july 1980 

Supported Catalogs," "On-Line Interactive 
Catalogs," "Comparison of Catalog Alterna-
tives," and "Implementation of Catalog 
Alternatives." 

"Traditional · Catalog Forms" is an analysis 
of the catalog's objectives, treating theories 
of Lubetzky, Charles Jewett, Charles Cut-
ter, and Thomas Hyde, plus a discussion of 
the advantages and disadvantages of tradi-
tional catalog forms. "Machine-Readable 
Cataloging Data" describes the Library of 
Congress MARC format, ISBD, authority 
control, and the major networks, OCLC, 
RLIN, and WLN. "Computer-Supported 
Catalogs" deals with alternative catalog 
forms such as the automated book form 
catalog system, printed book catalogs, and 
COM catalogs. "On-Line Interactive Cata-
logs" is a study of the automated catalog 
and how it may be accessed. "Comparison 
of Alternative Catalog Forms" and "Imple-
mentation of Catalog Alternatives" present 
the problems involved when a library closes 
its catalog and chooses alternative forms. An 
especially valuable aid is a hypothetical cost 
analysis for each catalog form. 

The Nature and Future of the Catalog 
and The Future of the Catalog furnish li-
brarians with needed information on how to 
manage the coming changes in catalog for-
mats. Tha volumes complement each other, 
offering different points of emphasis to read-
ers. It should be stressed, however, that 
these works only scratch the surface in re-
gard to the catalog's future. Librarians are 
advised to make a thorough study of the 
literature available. Nevertheless, both 
volumes are recommended for purchase by 
libraries. They will be useful additions to a 
much needed collection on the future of the 
catalog.-Lucy T. Heckman, St. John's Uni-
versity, Jamaica, New York. 

Saffady, William. "The Economics of 
Online Bibliographic Searching: Costs 
and Cost Justifications," Library Technol-
ogy Reports 15:567-653 (Sept.-Oct. 
1979). Single issue $40. ISSN 0024-2586. 
(Available from American Library Assn., 
50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60(>11.) 
The first, and longest, section of this 

report lays out the cost components of an 
on-Line search service in a Library and, by 
making some not unreasonable assumptions 

about volume of traffic, salaries, and over-
head, etc., attempts to build up a model of 
the true and complete costs per search. 

The second section uses concepts from 
value engineering to give an overview of 
the main arguments that can be employed 
to justify those costs.- Either the on-line ser-
vice must produce greater efficiency com-
pared to the same task (bibliographic 
searching by librarians) performed in the 
old way, or it must be justified by its provi-
sion of added value, in the form of en-
hanced library service to patrons. The re-
port deliberately does not address the ques-
tion of how the costs of on-line services 
might be met (the fee-for-service issue). 

To juxtapose the costs of an on-line 
search against the costs of a manual search 
is, of course, to enter dangerous waters. 
First, a regular search service encompassing 
from 250 to 1,000 manual searches per year 
was not a feature of life in most libraries-
not even in most libraries which did adopt 
on-line services when they came upon the 
scene. And, second, when performed at all, 
such a manual bibliographic searching ser-
vice was not often rigorously accounted for. 

Thus, even though Saffady is careful to 
use the same assumptions for costing out a 
manual operation as he does for the com-
puterized version, his model inevitably 
starts to sound somewhat artificial. How-
ever, this is more a reproach to traditional 
library accounting practices than to the au-
thor's determination to pursue his compari-
son to a logically consistent conclusion. Not 
surprisingly, the on-line search is shown to 
be less expensive than its manual equivalent 
would have been-between 37 and 42 per-
cent, on average. 

As long as such figures are used only as 
ratios, for comparison against each other, 
they are unexceptionable, although minor 
discrepancies might be argued over. When 
the author attempts to use the on-line cost 
figures as real numbers, to be compared 
against the real cost of subscriptions to 
printed periodical indexes, then it seems to 
me the methodology becomes questionable. 

Appendix C is presented as a type of de-
cision table, based upon dividing the annual 
printed subscription cost by the cost of an 
on-line search, to yield an approximate 
number of uses per year below which the