College and Research Libraries


Book Reviews 
Guide to Library Facilities for National 

Defense. E d i t e d by C a r l  L . C a n n o n f o r 

the J o i n t C o m m i t t e e on L i b r a r y 

Research Facilities f o r N a t i o n a l E m e r -

gency . . . P r e l i m i n a r y edition. A m e r i -

can L i b r a r y Association, 1940. 235 p. 

$ 1 . 2 5 ( P l a n o g r a p h e d ) 

I N A PERIOD of less than six months the 
Joint C o m m i t t e e on L i b r a r y Research F a -

cilities has compiled the information con-

tained in this guide to the resources of 

some 200 general and 400 special A m e r i -

can libraries. E a c h of the cooperating 

libraries supplied the joint committee w i t h 

a description of its holdings on defense 

subjects. 

E a c h entry included in the guide con-

sists of a description of the holdings of 

an individual library on subjects w h i c h 

concern national defense and w a r indus-

tries. T h e data is explicit, in some cases, 

as to the number of titles and periodicals 

on each subject and as to special collec-

tions or services offered by the l i b r a r y . 

Photostat and microfilm services are men-

tioned w h e r e these are available as are 

also special indexes, bibliographies, re-

search reports, pamphlets, and trade cata-

l o g collections. In no case, h o w e v e r , are 

specific titles mentioned. 

T h e material contained in the guide is 

arranged under f o r t y - t w o broad subject 

headings such as aeronautics, automotive 

engineering, chemicals, E u r o p e a n W a r 
I 9 3 9 " , explosives, foreign relations, labor 

and l a b o r i n g classes, military science, sci-

entific instruments, etc. U n d e r these 

f o r t y - t w o headings the material is f u r t h e r 

divided by a number of subheadings. T h e 

entries appearing under these subheadings 

are arranged alphabetically by library 

name and are grouped in geographical 

areas. A comprehensive subject and li-

brary index facilitates the use of the guide 

and an added aid in its use is a complete 

list of the cooperating libraries w i t h their 

addresses and the names of their librar-

ians. 

T h e chief weakness of this survey, as 

pointed out by the j o i n t committee and 

the editor, lies in the incomplete and vague 

descriptions of many important library 

collections. A more detailed analysis of 

the holdings of each cooperating library 

w o u l d add immeasurably to the value of 

this publication. T h e guide in its present 

incomplete f o r m is the beginning of an 

important index to the library resources 

of this country on national defense sub-

jects. T h e joint committee expects to 

prepare a revised and enlarged edition 

early this year.  I t is sincerely hoped that 

all libraries concerned w i l l submit more 

detailed information f o r inclusion in the 

revised e d i t i o n . — C h a r l e s M. Mohrhardt, 

Public Library, Detroit. 

JVorld List of Historical Periodicals and 

Bibliographies.  P . C a r o n and  M . J a r y c , 

editors. International C o m m i t t e e of 

H i s t o r i c a l Sciences, O x f o r d , E n g l a n d , 

1 9 3 9 - 3 9 0 P - $ 6 . 0 0 . 

T H E EDITORS of this publication are al-
ready w e l l k n o w n f o r their Repertoire des 

Periodiques de Langue Franqaise Philo-

sophiques, Historiques, Philologiques, et 

Juridiques, w h i c h listed 700 historical 

j o u r n a l s . A l s o to be remembered in con-

nection w i t h the w o r k under r e v i e w is the 

" W o r l d L i s t of H i s t o r i c a l R e v i e w s " pub-

l i s h e d  i n 1 9 3 6  i n t h e Bulletin of the Inter-

national Committee of Historical Sciences. 

MARC hi, 1941 151