College and Research Libraries Cleveland, Harlan. The Knowledge Execu- tive: Leadership in an Information Society, New York: Dutton, 1985. 263p. $18.95. LC 85-4442. ISBN 0-525-24307-0. What are the qualities essential for lead- ership in the next decade? How will the ''informatization of society'' (Cleveland's phrase) change the way we work and communicate? Can social and educational institutions change rapidly enough to keep pace with technology? These ques- tions are all too familiar by now. As Cleve- land acknowledges, "in a remarkably short span of years-the 1970s and the early 1980s-the once prescient notion that industrial society was being trans- formed into a postindustrial, 'informa- tion,' or 'knowledge' society has become a cliche.'' Beyond the superficial discussions of in- formation and technology, complex issues are still waiting to be explored. The prem- ise of The Knowledge Executive, a new defi- nition of leadership based on the restruc- turing of social relationships within an information rich society, seems to promise new insights. Unfortunately, Cleveland delivers little more than a series of gener- alizations, loosely interwoven with per- sonal anecdotes and quotations from fa- miliar figures. His analysis of information begins with the crucial distinction be- tween symbols and tangible goods, be- tween the inherent limits of natural re- sources and the exponential expansion of information. He points out the advances in information transfer and briefly dis- cusses how these have affected our con- cept of owning, copying, and storing data in all formats. All too soon, however, the focus shifts to Cleveland's personal expe- . riences, and an anecdotal deluge swamps any budding theory of information. By the end of the book, the reader will know a great deal about the author's varied career but very little more about the issues out- lined in the introduction. Cleveland does discuss the characteris- tics of his ideal knowledge executive at length, although not necessarily with any real depth. Those who aspire to be "get-it- all-together people," as Cleveland terms them, must first and foremost be general- ists. Attitudes are more important than Recent Publications 289 specific skills, and a liking for "process" seems to be essential. In addition, knowl- edge executives will share certain con- cepts such as ''the notion that crises are normal, tensions can be promising, and complexity is fun; a realization that para- noia and self-pity are reserved for people who don't want to be executives; and a sense of personal responsibility for the sit- uation as a whole.'' Probably the most thought-provoking aspect of the book is what it leaves out. The storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information are central to the mission of libraries. Almost all of the information is- sues discussed in The Knowledge Executive are exemplified in today' s library systems. The extent of the future gap between in- formation rich and information poor may ultimately depend upon the expansion or contraction of free library services. Never- theless, Cleveland does not mention a word about libraries in his entire presenta- tion. This, of course, is an oversight he shares with many who write about the fu- Heritage on Microfilnt Rare and out-of-print titles and documents on 35mm silver halide microfilm. • French Books before 1601 • Scandinavian Culture • 18th Century English Literature • Victorian Fiction • Literature of Folklore • Hispanic Culture Send for catalog and title information today. ~~~~~ ~COv\P~ 70 Coolidge Hill Road Watertown, MA 02172 (617) 926-5557 290 College & Research Libraries ture information society. If libraries are in- deed fulfilling their information mission, why do they have so little impact on pub- lished views of the future? This is a ques- tion that The Knowledge Executive does not even consider. Perhaps those concerned with the future of libraries should give it some thought.-Mary f. Cronin, Loyola University Libraries, Chicago, Illinois. Costing and the Economics of Library and Information Services. Ed. by Stephen A. Roberts. London: Aslib, 1984. 349p. · £20. ISBN 0-85142-176-8. I am interested in how the falling cost of electronic systems may change the cost structures of libraries and so cause us to rethink how libraries function. I think of cost as a measure of the resources, human and otherwise, that are committed to a particular activity. When libraries commit resources to electronic systems, will the electronic activity so enhance library ser- vices that the library will receive a net in- crease in resources when it adds the elec- tronic system? Or will the electronic system largely represent a shift in re- sources from conventional activities? I look to a study of library costing to shed light on this issue. I am aware that academic libraries have competition. Most faculty members sub- scribe to some journals privately, buy and hold books personally, correspond with colleagues, and send and receive working papers. Often, departments have libraries-some just subscribe to a news- paper or a few journals; some are quite large and formal. Academic libraries themselves may operate as a single facility or as a constellation of libraries with some organizational superstructure. I would like to know what mix of private and col- lective action is best; what balance of cen- tral and distributed facilities achieves the highest level of net benefit? What is the to- tal cost of information flows under each different pattern? What are we willing to pay for libraries under each pattern? Will electronic systems change the relative cost advantage and the pattern of willingness to pay for one pattern over others? I turn for advice to the collection of es- says under review. The questions I pose May 1986 are difficult and will not yield quickly to systematic investigation. I will find satis- faction if the volume provides sound guid- ance on how to address these questions. There are some glimmers of insight here. Ross and Brooks' essay "Costing Manual and Computerized Library Circu- lation Systems" (1972) measures time (a resource) under an existing system and forecasts how much time will be required under an electronic system. They look at user time as well as library staff time, and so gauge willingness to pay as well as im- plementation expense. One would like to know the outcome. Now that electronic circulation systems are commonplace, why not report a before-and-after evalua- tion or a comparison of a library that has a manual system with one that has an elec- tronic system? At least there is sound guidance as to method in the essay pre- sented. Bookstein; s "Economic Model of Li- brary Service" (no source is given for it) also has some good ideas. At an abstract level, the essay identifies a balance be- tween cost and willingness to pay. Its strength is in identifying alternative decision-making regimes. It would be in- teresting to see these ideas made more concrete. If electronic systems are likely to be fee based while print remains with zero incremental charge, how will libraries evolve? Is such an evolution desirable? Raffel's essay, ''From Economic to Polit- ical Analysis of Library Decision Making'' (1974}, is useful. Conflicting interests will be resolved differently when consumers shop with dollars than when they shop with votes or influence. Willingness to pay depends on who's paying. I suspect, however, that who's paying is usually clearer than Raffel intimates. Libraries are often found in hierarchical environments where conflicts can be resolved at modest cost. In any event, analysis may narrow the scope of conflict. Line's "Psychopathology of Uneco- · nomics" (1979) is a light but wise essay on the foibles of library managers when con- fronted with changing costs. Overall, however, this 347-page book is disappointing. Many of the essays are old. The median publication date of the articles