College and Research Libraries in, they will not be addressing the basic prob- lems of either library or information science. At present, leadership in the profession is coming from a few of those in charge of our great research libraries, from the developing networks and consortia, and from the infor- mation industry itself, not primarily from the nation's library schools. Jane Anne Hannigan's summary chapter is perhaps the best part of this document. She asks, both directly and indirectly, many of the questions the participants touched on all too briefly (if at all), one of which I can answer: "Yes, Ms. Hannigan, we are still 'creating serfs to the faculty' of our institutions." In part this is because library education is simply not demanding enough, not tough enough (whatever its length), and in part because we are having to hire those who are not librarians (and pay them more, I might note) to get the work done that is now necessary in academic libraries. This conference was useful in that this group of men and women publicly began ad- dressing some of the profession's most serious problems, if only by indirection. It was but a tentative first step, and as the Council on Li- brary Resources, and the Association of Re- search Libraries become increasingly con- cerned about library education, as they are, we may at last develop the kind of symbiotic relationship we need between academic li- braries and the library schools that, to date, has at best' existed only in form, not sub- stance. All libraries and librarians will be the better for it.-Stuart Forth, The Pennsyl- vania State University, University Park. An Information Agenda for the 1980s: Pro- ceedings of a Colloquium, June 27-28, 1980. Ed. by Carlton C. Rochell. Chicago: American Library Assn., 1981. 154p. $6.50. LC 80-28634. ISBN 0-8389-0336-3. The Future of the Printed Word: The Impact and Implications of the New Communica- tions Technology. Ed. by Philip Hills. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1981. 172p. $25. LC 80-1716. ISBN 0-313-22693-8. I Here are two books that command atten- tion because they offer just enough basic in- formation and speculation on some of the forces affecting librarianship to stimulate thought. Foremost is a splendid volume con- taining the proceedings of the invitational col- Recent Publications I 383 loquium entitled An Infonnation Agenda for · the 1980s, held at New York University in June 1980 under the auspices of the American Library Association. It brings to the general reader and librarian alike a rich vein of opin- ion on perceptions of the information issues presumably emerging during this decade. The papers selected for publication include those by Lewis M. Branscomb, Douglas Cater, Benjamin M. Com paine, Robert Wedgeworth, Martin M. Cummings, and Dan Lacy. Especially noteworthy is an excel- lent introductory essay by Carlton C. Rochell, which highlights and integrates the major elements of the papers and discussions heard at the colloquium. The advent of information processing on a large scale through electronically based technology raises a host of questions that must be addressed by all segments of society, as well as by leaders in government, com- munications, education, and library service. For this reason, the publication of these thought-provoking papers serves to identify pertinent issues, which, taken as a whole, outline the potential impact of a fundamental change that society is just beginning to ex- perience. Branscomb aptly describes what might be the scope of such change during the next hundred years in the first paper, "Infor- mation: The Ultimate Frontier," and then narrows his focus in "Library Implications of Information Technology." Clarity of expres- sion and keen insight enable him to convey a view of the issues associated with the elec- tronic libraries of the future in a manner that makes them easy to comprehend. Cater treats what could be the central issue of the topic in his paper, "Human Values in the Information Society," when he shifts attention to the pos- sible effects of new technology on mankind. He states, "It is past time that we begin to measure with greater sophistication and then to ponder more deeply the changes in society being wrought by the way we gather, trans- mit, and employ information. We are already well into this revolution and remarkably few people give systematic thought to its conse- quences for good or ill." Compaine's paper, "Shifting Boundaries in the Information Marketplace," summarizes the variety of information systems available now and contemplated during this decade and provides examples of how they may be 384 I College & Research Libraries • july 1981 used. He identifies and examines five ques- tions : Who will pay? Who will have access? Who will profit? How will conflicts be re- solved? and Who will provide what services and under what conditions? Obviously these are fundamental questions and the answers to them are illusive , but Compaine manages to capture the essential elements that should be considered. Wedgeworth and Cummings ad- dress some practical everyday matters and re- late the focus of discussion to current prob- lems in library service. Lacy's contribution is a strong postscript that reflects a clear aware- ness of some basic issues . For example, he states that , " Power is at the center of these questions-power: both its effective use and its equitable distribution. " One can only nod in agreement after reading the preceding papers. The second book ,carries an intriguing title and an outrageous price for such a slim vol- ume of essays . It claims to be "one of the first statements in what is expected to be a con- tinuing debate of increasing importance in the area of the new communications technol- ogy. " Most of the contributors are British academicians , theoreticians , or librarians, al- though two Americans are included in the group . They provide the reader with a rather uneven look at a topic that is at once provoca- tive and perplexing. Nevertheless , some of the thirteen essays are worthy of one's time and attention. John M. Strawhorn , Maurice B. Line , Donald W. King, A. J. Meadows , and A. J. Kent all identify issues of substance and avoid dealing with trivial matters. Simply put, "The Future of the Printed Word" ad- dresses the changes that are taking place in forms and methods of communication from traditional print on p 3p e r to the electronic transmission of words , while attempting to predict the implications of such change. The central theme is that the electronic dimension may have a profound effect on the dissemina- tion of much of the information that tra- ditionally has been published in ink on paper. How we manage the transition to new forms of communication is the question over which much debate will occur. Librarians who ·wish to obtain a good perspective on the potential effects of recent developm e nts in information technology will find these books useful. Of special value is the contribution that ALA and Carlton C. Rochell have made to the literature of the topic through the publication of the NYU col- loquium papers.-Richard A. Olsen , Rhode Island College , Providence. Martin , Susan K. Library Networks, 1981- 82. White Plains, N .Y.: Knowledge Indus- try Publications, 1981. 160p. $29.50; $24 . 50 softcover. LC 80-26710. ISBN 0-914236-55-5; 0-914236-66-0 softcover. Library Networks , 1981-82 is a compen- dium of information written from the perspective of a professional active in systems planning, development , and implementation and a current member of the Research Librar- ies Group (RLG). The book comprises eleven chapters , ranging from " Networks for Librar- ies : An Evolving Resource" to "Implications of Machine-Readable Data" to " Network Or- ganizations" to " Major Efforts" to " Networks and Libraries in the Years Ahead. " The book's strength lies primarily in chapters 8, 9, and 10 in which Martin discusses the history of the national network movement , the technologi- cal elements of communicating, communica- tions systems , systems analysis , standards, and the administration of libraries in the net- work environment. I found the remainder of the book, how- ever , to be sometimes inconsistent, many times in error , often aggravating, and gener- ally failing to reflect the reality of networking that I have experienced in the past ten years. The most serious problem with the book is Martin's misunderstanding of the nature of OCLC' s membership and governance ele- ments . On page 36 (among others) she states that when OCLC changed its organizational structure in 1977 it "became purely a network resource rather than a membership organiza- tion. " This is simply not true since OCLC' s Code of Regulations clearly defines the mem- bership of OCLC as those general members that participate in the OCLC system , outlin- ing their membership in the Users Council and their relationship to the Board of Trust- ees. Because OCLC continues to be a mem- bership organization, its relationship with li- braries is not becoming "more a vendor/ customer relationship than a cooperative rela- tionship" (page 36). This is an essential ele- ment to be considered when comparing cooperatives , and such error is disturbing in a major work.