College and Research Libraries 360 I College & Research Libraries· July 1982 and its endorsement by ACRL. Martin's posi- tion on the topic of faculty status is not new to those familiar with the literature on the subject. The cries of woe heard throughout the country from those forced to cope with promotional criteria designed not for librari- ans but for teaching and research faculty clearly indicate that Martin, as well as hun- dreds of other academic librarians, including this reviewer, see other avenues of pursuit in seeking improvements in their individual sta- tus. Martin sees professionalism and status as one of the challenges in this decade. Those still grappling with such problems, as well as those disillusioned or frustrated with their current institutional status, would do well to consider Martin's analysis of the issues and his remedies for their resolution. In the epilogue, the author states: "The goal of personnel management is to match personnel resources with programs. It ap- pears that this aspect of management faces no diminution of its importance in the years ahead." Despite their imperfections and lim- itations, he finds that performance appraisal programs, staff development, MBO, and other tools and techniques of personnel man- agement all have a role to play in meeting the challenges of the future. He sees the real problem as one of developing new programs to meet the challenges of technological change, the crisis in scholarly publishing, fi- nancial stringency, retrenchment in higher education, and increased user demands. Mter bringing his seemingly irresolvable problems to the attention of a former univer- sity library director, a colleague once told me that his experience was inspirational, "like calling Dial-A-Prayer." I came away from this book with a similar feeling, not because Martin provides ready answers, but because he has the ability to make one excited by the challenges we face. Martin does not list the ability to inspire as one characteristic of good leadership, but I doubt if he would disagree that good leadership includes the ability to motivate librarians to see the forest as well as the trees. The references at the end of the book pro- vide a good bibliography of recent writing on general management topics, personnel man- agement, technology, resource sharing, and organization. Unionization is only referred to briefly, and only several works on the sub- ject appear in the references. The book should be required reading in li- brary schools. Its timeliness and importance should put it high on the reading list of all ac- ademic librarians. -Frederick Duda, Co- lumbia University Libraries, New York City. Creth, Sheila and Duda, Frederick. Person- nel Administration in Libraries. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1981. 333p. $19.95. LC 81-11348. ISBN 0-918212- 25-1. Those involved with personnel adminis- tration in libraries at all levels will find this a useful source that examines the essence of personnel functions. This volume provides background information on current trends and developments, focuses on major areas of responsibility, and provides direction on techniques that may be effective in various types and sizes of library organizations. Edited by Sheila Creth and Frederick Duda, the book is divided into seven chap- ters. Chapter one reviews the legal frame- work governing personnel administration in libraries and summarizes the many chal}ges in policies and practices that affect employee management including laws, arbitration rul- ings, local ordinances, and administrative regulations. Three chapters are devoted to staffing patterns, personnel planning and utilization, and staff recruitment and selec- tion. Each underscores the importance of communication, the need for careful plan- ning, well-defined position descriptions, classification systems, compensation pack- ages, and search strategies. Information on internal and external pressures that govern the size and complexity of staffing are partic- ularly useful. Collective bargaining, con- tract negotiation, and grievance resolution, which have become key factors in the admin- istration of library personnel, are ably cov- ered in this volume. Staff development and performance ap- praisals, while capsuled in separate chapters, share a common goal- to assist the employee in reaching maximum potential. Many li- braries are using the appraisal process as a tool for recording accomplishments and out- lining areas that may need improvement, as well as a means for identifying goals or devel- opment opportunities that can facilitate the growth of the individual and the organiza- tion. Both chapters outline the role of the manager and problems that may be encoun- tered in the development of training and ap- praisal programs. The selected sources in the appendix pro- vide information on materials and resource organizations that can be of assistance to those who work with the administration of personnel. Each chapter includes footnotes and/or additional resources that can further aid the reader in acquiring more information on the topics covered. Myriad information is treated in each of this work's chapters, pro- viding an excellent overview of the role of personnel administrators and managers, the laws that govern them, and practical sugges- tions for implementation.- Carolyn]. Hen- derson , Stanford University Libraries, Stan- ford, California. King, Donald W. et al. Telecommunications and Libraries: A Primer for Librarians and Information Managers. White Plains, N.Y.: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1981. 184p. LC 81-6040. ISBN 0-91423- 688-1 hardcover; 0-91423-651-2 paper. This is not another of those texts that claim Recent Publications I 361 the ability to convert the layperson into a telecommunications (TC) expert in one quick and easy reading. Besides being a readable introduction to general technical concepts and policy issues of TC, this primer can serve as a good, though not exhaustive, list of re- cent TC experiments and operations of im- mediate interest to libraries. The traditional role of the library as an intermediary be- tween information suppliers and informa- tion consumers is brought into question by this book. Readers are encouraged to take a broad view of the many available technologies, be- cause no single approach can be expected to satisfy all TC requirements. Since the library market is relatively small from the perspective of an AT&T, IBM, or COMSAT, a commercially developed, custom-tailored library network is unlikely. Library TC needs may best be met by crea- tive combinations of products and services designed for richer markets. Ten thoughtful, well-edited chapters written by knowledge- able people for a nontechnical audience make worthwhile reading for the current or aspiring librarian or information manager f~ ~ I A . ·t· L.b . ~ ~ cqutst ton 1 rartans ..... t 1 I l : I I II J j t • f i Now is the time to try the best source for: • any book in print • accurate invoicing e meaningful reports e rush order service e competitive discounts t e PLUS MANY OTIIERSERVICES I ! CALL TOLL-FREE TODAY I l-800-248-1146 J 1 In Canada & Michigan I i CALL coLLECT (517) 849-2117 OTHER SERVICES ..... include binding of paperbacks upon request, returning slips in books; standing orders, staff orders, and up to date information on open orders. the BOOK HOUSE JO •• EIIS SEIIYINQ LI.IIAIIIES WITH ANY •ooK IN ~IIINT SINCE 1M2 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET JONESVILLE. MICHIGAN 49250 SAN 169-3859