College and Research Libraries


the words which give meaning to our 
collective experience. Although not spe-
cifically aimed at librarians, Language, 
Gender, and Professional Writing gives us 
another tool with which to examine a 
range of assumptions about libraries and 
what they do--and do not-contain. 
Along with offering practical solutions 
to daily communication problems, the 
collection provides the theoretical 
framework for us to enter intelligently 
into the debate about language and usage 
and to analyze how we, as librarians, 
may also effect change.-Ellen Broidy, 
University of California, Irvine. 

Hernon, Peter. Statistics for Library Deci-
sion Making: A Handbook. Norwood, 
NJ: Ablex, 1989. 200p. $35 (ISBN 0-
89391-586-6). paper, $19.95 (ISBN 0-
89391-605-6). LC 89-6744. 

Slater, Margaret, ed. Research Methods in 
Library and Information Studies. Lon-
don: Library Association, 1990. 182p. 
$35 GSBN 0-85365-908-7). 

The London Times once Classified re-
search under three headings: "the proof 
of the blindingly obvious;" "the great 
leap sideways" towards an irrelevant or 
unjustified conclusion; and the "we'll 
prove it if it kills you" presentation of 
incomprehensible statistics intended to 
overcome any criticism by quantity 
alone. On the other hand, as Sherlock 
Holmes said, "Data, data, data!. . .I can't 
make bricks without clay." The two 
books under review offer guidance to 
library managers, library school stu-
dents, and other researchers in finding 
the clay for the bricks of "action re-
search," which Peter Hernon describes 
as applied research through data collec-
tion and analysis for decision-making 
concerning library programs, collec-
tions, services, operations, and staffing. 

The two books complement each other 
and are complemented by a third recently 
published book: Arthur Hafner's De-
scriptive Statistical Techniques for Librari-
ans (Chicago: American Library Assoc., 
1989). Hafner's is an introduction to de-

Book Reviews 207 

Biological Abstractse (BA) 
on Microfilm and 

BA Collective lndexes ... your 

BA on Microfilm provides cita-
tions that lead you to in-depth 
biological and biomedical re-
search findings derived from 
approximately 9,000 serials 
published in over 100 countries. 
The same comprehensive 
information found in the print-
ed publication is covered, but 
with minimal storage space! 

And, don't miss the latest edi-
tion of BA Collective Indexes, 
1985-1989 in film or fiche! The 
Collective Indexes bring togeth-
er five years of BA Cumulative 
Indexes to maximize searching 
convenience and minimize 
searching time! 

Call Today! 
1-800-523-4806 (USA except PA) 

(215) 587-4800 (worldwide) 

Information for Today's Decisions and Discoveries 

BIOSIS. Marketing section CRL391SS, 2100 Arch 
Street Philadelphia, PA 19103·1399 USA. 

Blologk• Ab.str.as Is a registered trademark 
of BIOSIS. BIOSIS Is a registered trademark 

of Biological Abstracts, Inc. 



208 College & Research Libraries 

scriptive statistics, such as ratios, per-
centages, means, medians, and so on. He 
discusses how to round numbers, for ex-
ample, and how to lay out bar and pie 
charts. He stops short of inferential sta-
tistics-sampling, probability, testing of 
hypotheses. 

Hernon's book, written with the col-
laboration of six doctoral students, goes 
beyond descriptive statistics to inferen-
tial statistics, as well as to the more gen-
eral subject of quantitative analysis. It 
opens with chapters on research and de-
cision making, on quantitative research 
in library literature, and on the use of 
microcomputer applications, such as 
Mini tab, for research. The next two chap-
ters cover measurement and descriptive 
statistics in thirty-seven pages, to 
Hafner's 250-plus. Hernon devotes the 
bulk of his book to statistical inference, 
hypothesis testing, correlation, and ad-
vanced stati~tical techniques like regres-
sion analysis, analysis of variance, and 
factor analysis. He covers a wide range 
of statistical material here and reminds 
readers more than once that consultation 
of standard statistics textbooks will be 
necessary to flesh out the subjects intro-
duced in his book. In the useful final 
chapter, Hernon offers some examples of 
statistical applications in libraries, in-
cluding a particularly interesting tech-
nique for measuring and evaluating 
usage and availability of CD-ROMs. 
From Hernon's book alone, however, a 
reader is not likely to be equipped to 
understand the Poisson distribution un-
derlying the CD-ROM technique. 

Nevertheless, as an introduction to the 
higher realms of statistical literacy and 
quantitative research, Hernon is a very 
capable guide. Especially helpful are the 
classified bibliographies of articles from 
library literature on the various statisti-
cal topics that Hernon discusses. Librar-
ians concerned with quantitative research 
will find Hernon worth keeping at hand 
for these references to and explanations 
of available techniques. 

Margaret Slater's book contains well-
edited a11-d integrated essays by ten Brit-
ish librarians, information specialists, 
and social scientists. Slater's focus is on 

March 1991 

both quantitative and qualitative data 
collection and analysis. Where Hafner 
has rrorethan 250 pages on quantitative 
measurement and statistics, and Hernon 
more than 150, Slater's book covers the 
same subject in a chapter of thirty pages. 
(The author of the chapter warns read-
ers, probably unnecessarily, that explo-
ration of statistical techniques will 
require "a clear mind and a cool head.") 
The rest of the book concentrates partic-
ularly on data collection through sur-
veys. There are chapters on sampling 
techniques and recruiting respondents, 
questionnaire design and question 
phrasing, interviews, group discussions, 
and observation of subjects (for exam-
ple, managers using information in their 
daily work). Of particular interest are the 
chapters on the currently fashionable 
field of qualitative research. Slater ad-
mits that qualitative research is open to 
the accusation of "manufacturing a mys-
tique to mask mere mumbo-jumbo and 
undisciplined charlatanry." Slater and . 
her collaborators, however, offer brief 
but compelling arguments that qualita-
tive research can complement quantita-
tive research-that where quantitative 
methods can measure the what and the 
when and the where, the qualitative ap-
proach, through in-depth interviews and 
related techniques, can elucidate the 
how and the why. Within its brief com· 
pass, Slater's book can be recommended 
as an introduction to the broad field of 
library research. 

Like Hernon, Slater and her authors 
remind readers that her book is intended 
only as an overview. There are sufficient 
bibliographical references (though not as 
numerous as Hernon's) to point readers 
in the direction of standard texts on the 
research methods covered in Slater. 
Hernon and Slater also offer an interesting 
contrast in concluding chapters on com-
munication of findings. Hernon concen-
trates on a written report for publication, 
and most of his chapter is devoted to 
illustrating the use of a software package 
for checking grammar and rhetoric. 
Slater's chapter discusses oral and writ-
ten communication of results· to various 
audiences (including, for example, spon-



sors of the research and respondents to 
questionnaires) throughout the course of 
the research. 

Hafner, Hernon, and Slater, therefore, 
together offer a useful introduction to 
library research-what it is, how to col-
lect data for research, how to do quanti-
tative and qualitative analysis of data, 
and how to turn research into deci-
sions.-Kendon Stubbs, University of Vir-
ginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Forester, Tom, and Perry Morrison. 
Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and 
Ethical Dilemmas in Computing. Cam-
bridge, MA: The MIT Pr., 1990. 193p. 
$19.95 (ISBN 0-262-06131-7). LC 89-
71358. 

The computerization of society during 
the last twenty years has brought with 
it astounding gains in our ability to col-
lect, store, manipulate, and manage in-
formation. The power of the tools that 
computers place in our hands has led 
many-one need not search long for ex-
amples-to make extravagant claims 
about the ability of computer technology 
to provide revolutionary solutions for a 
host of previously intractable problems, 
from office management to automated 
factories, from ATM machines to expert 
systems. It is against the grain of these 
claims that Forester and Morrison's vol-
ume attempts to work by relating in de-
tail a constellation of problems that they 
believe are inherent to computers: they 
are subject both to malfunctions in hard-
ware and software and to misuse by 
human beings. What is the downside of 
information storage if not the invasion of 
privacy, and what is the downside of 
information management if not the com-
pletely automated battleground of Star 
Wars? 

Computer Ethics has its origins in 
Forester's and Morrison's classroom 
work (both teach in Australia) on the 
human and social context of computing. 
It is their attempt to highlight some of 
the more important social and ethical 
issues that arise from computerization. 
The book is well suited for both the class-
room and for the general reader, and 

Book Reviews 209 

1.1 National Library Bibliotheque nationale of Canada du Canada 
Canadiana Products from 
the National Library of 
Canada 
The National Library is responsible for promot-
ing, gathering and preserving the published her-
itage of Canada. The Library has a vast 
collection of Canadiana dating from Canada's 
earliest days to the present. In order to provide 
access to Canada's published heritage the Li-
brary has developed various products which are 
invaluable to those with an interest in Canadian 
Studies or research. 

The Library produces Canadiana, a compre-
hensive bibliography which documents the na-
tion's published heritage. Canadiana is a 
valuable aid for Canadian Studies and is avail-
able in printed and microfiche formats and on 
magnetic tape. 

Canadiana authorities lists verified name head-
ings of Canadian origin and can help in compil-
ing bibliographies and answering research and 
reference questions. 

Canadian Theses is a microfiche bibliography 
of masters' and doctoral theses accepted by 
Canadian universities~ as well as selected 
foreign theses of Canadian authorship or inter-
est. 

DOBIS is a Canadian online library system that 
provides access to the collections of many Ca-
nadian libraries via its continuously updated 
Canadian Union Catalogue of more than 
5 000 000 bibliographic records. 

For more information or a descriptive brochure 
of Canadiana products please contact: 
Canadiana Editorial Division 
National Library of Canada 
395 Wellington Street 
Ottawa, Canada 
K1AON4 

Canada