College and Research Libraries


as Baker and Taylor's LIBRIS. 
George Lowry's A Searcher's Manual 

(Shoe String, 1965), based on the Searching 
Unit of the Acquisitions Department of the 
Columbia University Libraries, is a similar 
manual that is less slanted toward one li-
brary's unique practices. In gaining its uni-
versality, it sacrifices some of its potiential 
to spark ideas for new methods springing 
from specific practices. Also, because of its 
age, it does not include searching in the 
data bases of any of the computer networks 
such as OCLC' s. It would be worth having, 
however, if one needs to make a study of 
existing manuals before developing one's 
own. 

Another source for ideas is Ted Grieder's 
1978 book Acquisitions: Where, What, and 
How (Greenwood Press). This book contains 
a useful chapter on compiling a search 
manual. However, it also was published be-
fore the author had much experience with 
network searching and, in addition , is inten-
tionally more general than Lowry's manual. 

Anyone wanting a good example of a de-
tailed search manual for a large university 
library will find Cornell' s to be a worth-
while purchase.-Martha Willett, Indiana 
State University, Evansville. 

Cargill, Jennifer S. , and Alley , Brian. Prac-
tical Approval Plan Management. 
Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx, 1979. 95p. $12.95. 
LC 79-23389. ISBN 0-912700-52-1. 
After several years in hiding, articles and 

books on approval plans have reappeared , 
with an entire conference being devoted to 
the subject last fall . Jennifer Cargill, head of 
acquisitions at Miami University (Ohio) and 
Brian Alley , head of technical services at 
Miami, have joined this renaissance with a 
study directed to the librarian who needs 
guidance in actually establishing and operat-
ing approval plans . Since the two major 
books on acquisitions (Ford, Acquisitions of 
Library Materials ; Grieder, Acquisitions) 
give little guidance in this area, a practical 
study is certainly a worthwhile goal. Unfor-
tunately, the book falls short of its promise . 

The slim volume (only eighty-eight pages, 
not including a very short bibliography and 
index) covers establishment of approval 
plans, selection of a dealer, profiling, pro-
cessing of material received, bids and con-

Recent Publications I 469 

tracts, and fiscal management. The latter 
two chapters, which are the strongest, pro-
vide some information not readily available. 
The majority of the book, however, gives 
only a general overview and fails to convey 
to the reader the complexity involved in 
operating a successful approval plan. The 
authors do not provide a critical analysis of 
approval plans but unwarrantably assume 
that such plans are the most efficient and 
economical way to obtain books. The study 
is based primarily on approval plan services 
offered by Blackwell North America and 
Baker and Taylor; these two dealers are 
often quoted and used uncritically as 
sources of information. This is a question-
able practice, something akin to quoting 
OCLC to prove the advantages of network-
ing. Variations of approval plans , such as 
those designed to obtain publications of cer-
tain presses or authors, are not mentioned, 
nor is there any information on foreign 
plans (except for a few comments about 
Blackwell's, ·England), a major oversight as 
such plans can't be built on the same model 
used to construct domestic plans. Also miss-
ing is any -description of monitoring the 
plans to verify receipt of materials, or how 
to claim nonreceived items. 

The simplistic view of approval plans and 
the lack of coverage of many important 
topics related to approval plans make it im-
possible to recommend this book. This is 
unfortunate, for not only is the topic impor-
tant, but also the authors have demon-
strated much better work in their quarterly 
publication, IULC Technical Services News-
letter .-William Schenck, University of 
North Carolina at Chapel Hill . 

United States. Library of Congress. 
Processing Dept. Library of Congress 
Cataloging Service, with a Comprehen-
sive Subject Inckx. Bulletins 1-125. De-
troit: Gale, 1980. 2v. $78. LC 79-25343. 
ISBN 0-8103-1103-8. 
This handsomely bound two-volume set is 

a reprint of all Cataloging Service bulletins 
emanating from the Library of Congress, 
beginning with the first in June 1945 
through Spring 1978. The bulletins, which 
reflect LC policy and practice in every area 
of monographic and serials cataloging, are 
an indispensable tool in every cataloging de-