College and Research Libraries Recent Publications Book Reviews Breivik, Patricia Senn, and E. Gordon Gee. Information Literacy: Revolution in the Library. New York: American Coun­ cil on Education, 1989. 250p. $24.95 (ISBN 0-02-911440-3). LC 89-2845. In Information Literacy: Revolution in the Library Patricia Senn Breivik and E. Gor­ don Gee urge top-level academic adminis­ trators to look beyond the traditional role for libraries in colleges and universities and to consider how library personnel and resources can be used to accomplish cam­ pus priorities. Concerned about the infre­ quent references to libraries in many of the recent reports on educational reform, Breivik, director of the Auraria Library of the University of Colorado at Denver, and Gee, president of the University of Colo­ rado, suggest a wide range of possible roles for the library and librarians on cam­ pus . They spell out the ways academic ad­ ministrators can promote this active role for the library and. librarians and cite ex­ amples from a number of colleges or uni­ versities. The concept of information literacy un­ derpins th~ir vision of an extended role for libraries and librarians, particularly the role of libraries and librarians in reforming instruction. To meet the educational chal­ lenges of today' s information society, col­ leges and universities must transform ed­ ucation into "active and integrated learning" that produces the "self­ directed, lifelong learner.'' Breivik and Gee believe that self-directed, lifelong learning is possible only for those who are effective consumers of information; that is, those who are information literate; and it is the library and librarians that are uniquely qualified to play a role in that process. In addition to envisioning the library and librarians as critical to reforming in­ struction, Gee and Breivik promote and describe a significant role for the library and librarians in three other areas­ increasing the productivity of researchers, serving the community, and supporting university administrative needs. The au­ thors provide the background to enable the university administrator to act effec­ tively to involve libraries in these areas. They succinctly summarize the current is­ sues in library operations, and then high­ light issues of people, technology, and funding for the wide-ranging library activ­ ities recommended. Gee and Breivik reit­ erate two key elements for the success of their vision: the necessity for a partner­ ship between the library director and the academic administrator and the necessity for any expansion in the role of the library to support the university's objectives and mission. Perhaps because of the authors' empha­ sis on advocacy, this book is not as care­ fully argued as one would wish. Breivik 77 78 College & Research Libraries SAVER Conserve shelf space and get fast, easy access to present and past life science discoveries through Biological Abstract~ (BA} on Microfilm and BA Collective Indexes! BA on Microfilm provides citations that lead you to in-depth biological and biomedical research findings derived from approximately 9,000 serials published in over 100 countries. The same comprehensive information found in the printed publication is covered, but with minimal storage space! And, don't miss the latest edition of BA Collective Indexes, 1985-1989 in film or fiche! The Collective Indexes bring together five years of BA Cumulative Indexes to maximize searching convenience and minimize searching time! For more information contact BIOSIS, Marketing Section, Dept. CRL190MF, 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1399 USA. Or call toll free 1-800-523-4806 (USA except PA); (215) 587-4800 (worldwide); Telex 831739; Fax (215) 587-2016. Information for Today's Decisions and Discoveries lllolti(Jiul Abstracts is a registered trademark of BIOSIS. BIOSIS is a registered trademark of Biological Abstracts, Inc. January 1990 and Gee often rely on unsupported gener­ alizations to advance their cause. Many of these seem to exaggerate the importance of the library to scholars across the board and, therefore, are at odds with this re­ viewer's experience as well as with anum­ ber of scholars' descriptions of how they work. Although the reader may not neces­ sarily be converted to the authors' pano­ ramic vision, many of the points they make and ideas they present are valuable, and their book serves as a guide to action, both for the academic officer at whom it is directed, and also for the librarian who wants to involve academic officers effec­ tively in achieving the library's goals. Few of the ideas are likely to be completely new to librarians, but their presentation from the viewpoint of the academic administra­ tor provides a number of fresh insights.­ Melissa D. Trevvett, University of Chicago Li­ brary, Illinois. Nicholas, David, Gertrud Erbach, Yin Wah Pang, and Koren Paalman. End­ users of Online Systems: An Analysis. Lon­ don and New York: Mansell Publish­ ing, 1988. 181p. (ISBN 0-7201-1995-2). LC 88-8220. This book is a final report of an eighteen­ month study funded by the British Li­ brary. It was completed in September 1987. An interim report has been previ­ ously published under the title of Online Searching: Its Impact on Information Users (Mansell, 1987). The stated goal of this project is to examine the effect online sys­ tems are having on information-seeking behavior among those nonlibrarians who perform their own searches in Great Brit­ ain. What it has accomplished is no doubt valuable, but more modest. Given the immense scope of the project, an eclectic approach was adopted to gather the necessary information. The re­ search team employed surveys, inter­ views, case studies, analysis of two mail­ ings of questionnaires administered for management purposes, and literature re­ views where it deemed appropriate. The project population eventually included the newspapers, broadcasting media, fi­ nancial institutions in the City of London, academic departments in the universities