College and Research Libraries 268 College & Research Libraries charged to students, their use was also an- alyzed. Metz found that reading patterns of graduate students were similar but not identical to the faculty in the same area as the graduate student, the former showing greater concentration in the area of spe- cialization. Undergraduate use was broader and less predictable. In an interesting chapter, Metz ques- tions if branch libraries affect this exten- sive interdisciplinary use of the collec- tions. He compares VPI (with only two branches) with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, a similar educational institu- tion but one whose library has eleven branches. Using circulation statistics from Nebraska to replicate, as much as possi- ble, the VPI study, Metz concludes that the existence of branch libraries does in- fluence patron use of the collections heav- ily, and what is read by whom. This is an excellent work, one with which all librarians should be familiar. It is a pioneering study in the use of circulation data to study use of a library's collections. Metz' s study will be the model for studies at other libraries.-William Z. Schenck, Uni- versity of Oregon. Lincoln, Alan Jay. Crime in the Library: A Study of Patterns, Impact, and Security. New York: Bowker, 1984. 191p. $26.95. LC 83-22288 . ISBN 0-8352-1863-5. Security for Libraries: People, Buildings, Collections. Ed. by Marvine Brand. Chi- cago: American Library Assn., 1984. 128p. $12.00. LC 84-455 . ISBN 0-8389- 0409-2. Consistent with a long tradition of ser- vice, librarians, especially in public insti- tutions, have tried to provide an environ- ment that encourages active patron use of the materials in their repositories. Attain- ing this laudable goal, however, can often prove elusive because they also have a concomitant responsibility to protect their collections, facilities, fellow staff mem- bers, and patrons from those who destroy property, abuse staf( annoy legitimate us- ers, and damage, if not wrongfully re- move, materials. In the process of per- forming these duties in a publicly accessible library, a staff member may suf- fer physical injury, psychological stress, May 1985 and even loss of life such as that which oc- curred at the Cleveland Public Library in late 1984. Contrary to the public percep- tion of libraries as safe and comfortable in- stitutions, works such as Bruce A. Shu- man's The River Bend Casebook: Problems in Public Library Service (Phoenix: Oryx Pr., 1981), and its 1984 sequel, River Bend Revis- ited, dramatize very well the point that all libraries are far from being sanctuaries from the ills that plague society. Making libraries more secure places is an area that has attracted much attention in the last two decades. As noted in one of the studies reviewed below, for example, the number of articles on matters of library security that were indexed in Library Liter- ature rose from 27 for the period 1950-59 to 336 for the period 1970-79. Interest in this multifaceted area is evident in other forms as well. Not only is there a journal devoted solely to Library and Archival Society; but, on a regular basis, various book-length studies-such as Brand's and Lincoln' s- appear. In addition to four separately authored essays, Brand's book contains a topically arranged bibliography. Each narrative fol- lows a standard format and includes an outline of important points relative to se- curity at the end of the essay. Although this work is designed primarily for aca- demic, public, and school libraries, it pro- vides information that will prove helpful to all librarians whatever their specialty. Thomas W. Shaughnessy's "Security: Past, Present, and Future/' for example, goes well beyond a historical overview and the futuristic concerns of library secu- rity by reviewing many of the advantages and disadvantages of different types of se- curity systems. Other essays focus on the need for a procedures manual, training programs, and the hiring of guards. The final essay, "Legal Aspects of Library Se- curity/' is the most thought-provoking piece, inasmuch as the authors identify is- sues such as the increasingly important area of constitutional or civil rights torts and their relationship to libraries. Among other pertinent aspects are the potential for liability suits and the need to update an institution's liability insurance. Every li- brary director, in particular, should derive some benefit from reading this chapter. Although the essays are very readable and the checklists at the end of each are useful, Security for Libraries has neither an index nor a detailed table of contents list- ing the subheadings in each chapter. Ei- ther of these devices would have facili- tated access to the text. Also, the introduction to the bibliography does not identify the date of the latest publication that is included in the compilation. It is a timely work, and although the bibliogra- phy is useful-especially for its classifica- tion of relevant titles into nine major categories-it includes only works pub- lished before 1983. These minor points notwithstanding, this volume is an excel- lent departure point for librarians who need to become familiar with many of the issues involved in library security. Crime in the Library is of more limited ap- peal. Based on national crime statistics and the results of a nationwide survey, this study contains a wealth of detail on eighteen types of crime, ranging from book damage to arson, that occur in li- braries in the United States. Every state is represented, and the principal focus of the work is on the public library. In terms of format, the information is arranged into six chapters, the first of which discusses more general topics such as national crime patterns. A later section contains a discus- sion on crime in other publicly accessible facilities such as schools, recreational ar- eas, and religious institutions. In addition to a thorough index, the work includes two appendixes, one being the survey in- strument used by the author. Lincoln, an associate professor of law and justice at the University of Lowell, conducted this library crime research proj- ect in five stages over a three-year period. Of 2, 920 surveys sent out, some 57 per- cent, or 1,657, were returned. According to table 9 (p.68), he rejected 94 of these be- cause of unsuitable replies. Of the remain- ing 1,563 valid returns, over 59 percent came from libraries in cities of less than ten thousand people; and, as reflected in table 9, over 85 percent originated from libraries in cities with a population of fifty thou- sand or less. Based on the author's analy- sis, "the typical high-crime library ... Recent Publications 269 was located in a city of nearly 50,000 peo- ple. Only 1 percent was in towns of less than 10,000 people" (p.82). Indeed, no in- . cidence of crime was reported at 95 per- cent of the libraries in municipalities with less than ten thousand people. Although a sizable portion of Lincoln's sample could not be used to identify crime patterns because no episodes were re- ported, the absence of such information is indicative of how carefully the author re- ports his findings and interprets his data. On the whole, his methodology is sound and the survey instrument generally com- prehensive without being cumbersome. Magazine articles on the occurrence of crime in various libraries are also inter- spersed throughout the text and provide momentary respite from the numerous ta- bles and statistics. The tables are valuable but they are diffi- cult to access because there is no central listing for these thirty-four distinct items. A reader must scan the volume before lo- cating pertinent ones, especially for com- parative purposes. Other important infor- mation is virtually nonexistent. The author examines only overt types of crime and disruption; he does not assess the more subtle form of theft involving the in- tentional non-return of overdue materials. Despite this omission, this work is a use- ful source for administrative officers who require recent data to demonstrate that li- brary crime is a serious problem. Prepar- ing a persuasive case is no easy task, and the author identifies the difficulty in- volved in trying to convince library gov- erning boards of the need for a security program. He also shows that libraries tend to expend little or nothing on this activity. Indeed, there is more of a reactive ten- dency than one of initiative in responding to security problems. Crime is neverthe- less an area with which administrators have to deal, and Lincoln provides a vari- ety of statistics that may prove applicable to recommending a better security pro- gram based on the unique needs of one's institution. Among other useful portions of this study is his description of the five major components involved in designing a security system.-James W. Geary, Kent State University, Ohio.