College and Research Libraries


Machines that Think 

Giant Brains; or, Machines that Think. By 
E d m u n d C a l l i s B e r k e l e y . N e w Y o r k , J o h n 
W i l e y & Sons [01949], xvi, 27op. $4.00. 
" T h e l i b r a r i e s a r e f u l l of b o o k s : m o s t of 

t h e m w e c a n n e v e r h o p e t o r e a d in o u r l i f e -
t i m e . . . . T h e r e is a big g a p b e t w e e n s o m e -
body's k n o w i n g s o m e t h i n g and e m p l o y m e n t of 
t h a t k n o w l e d g e by you o r m e w h e n w e need 
i t . " T h u s M r . B e r k e l e y describes one of t h e 
p r o b l e m s w h i c h o u r " g i a n t b r a i n s " m u s t solve. 
T h i s a c c o u n t of t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of c o m p l e x 
c a l c u l a t i n g m a c h i n e s is p r e s e n t e d in as r e a d a -
ble a style as could be devised, c o n s i d e r i n g 
t h e difficulty of t h e s u b j e c t . M r . B e r k e l e y 
h a s n o t been c o m p l e t e l y s u c c e s s f u l in w r i t i n g 
an a c c o u n t to be r e a d , as he i n t e n d e d , by 
everyone, b u t he h a s succeeded in p r e s e n t i n g 
t h e m e c h a n i c a l b r a i n s in a f a s h i o n simple 
e n o u g h to be u n d e r s t o o d by t h e c a r e f u l r e a d e r 
w i t h a f a i r a m o u n t of m a t h e m a t i c a l k n o w l -
edge. M r . B e r k e l e y ' s s c h e m a t i c a n d v e r b a l 
d e s c r i p t i o n s of " S i m o n , " a simple m e c h a n i c a l 
b r a i n , s e r v e t o give t h e a v e r a g e r e a d e r suffi-
cient confidence t o go on to t h e e x p l a n a t i o n s 
of t h e c a l c u l a t o r s a t M . I . T . , H a r v a r d , and 
e l s e w h e r e . H o w e v e r , t h o s e e x p l a n a t i o n s a r e 
n e c e s s a r i l y t o o involved f o r t h e l a y m a n . 

A l t h o u g h it m a y be d i s h e a r t e n i n g in s o m e 
respects, one of t h e p r o p o s e d a p p l i c a t i o n s of 
m e c h a n i c a l b r a i n s m u s t be c o n s i d e r e d by t h e 
l i b r a r i a n : 

" W e can foresee the development of m a -
chinery that will make it possible to consult 
information in a l i b r a r y automatically. Sup-
pose that you go into the l i b r a r y of the f u t u r e 
and wish to look up ways f o r m a k i n g biscuits. 
You will be able to dial into the catalogue 
m a c h i n e ' m a k i n g biscuits.' T h e r e w i l l be a 

flutter of m o v i e f i l m in t h e m a c h i n e . S o o n it 

w i l l stop, a n d , in f r o n t of y o u on t h e s c r e e n , 

w i l l be p r o j e c t e d t h e p a r t of t h e c a t a l o g u e 

w h i c h s h o w s t h e n a m e s of t h r e e or f o u r b o o k s 

c o n t a i n i n g r e c i p e s f o r b i s c u i t s . I f y o u a r e s a t i s -

fied, y o u w i l l p r e s s a b u t t o n ; a c o p y of w h a t 

y o u s a w w i l l b e m a d e f o r y o u a n d c o m e o u t of 

t h e m a c h i n e . 

" A f t e r f u r t h e r d e v e l o p m e n t , all t h e p a g e s of 

a l l b o o k s w i l l be a v a i l a b l e b y m a c h i n e . T h e n , 

w h e n y o u p r e s s t h e r i g h t b u t t o n , y o u w i l l be 

a b l e t o g e t f r o m t h e m a c h i n e a c o p y of the 

e x a c t r e c i p e f o r b i s c u i t s y o u c h o o s e . 

" W e a r e not y e t at t h e e n d of f o r e s e e a b l e 

d e v e l o p m e n t . T h e r e w i l l be a t h i r d s t a g e . Y o u 

w i l l t h e n h a v e in y o u r h o m e a n a u t o m a t i c c o o k -

i n g m a c h i n e o p e r a t e d b y p r o g r a m t a p e s . Y o u 

w i l l stock it w i t h v a r i o u s s u p p l i e s , a n d it w i l l 

p u t t o g e t h e r a n d c o o k w h a t e v e r d i s h e s y o u d e -

s i r e . T h e n , w h a t y o u w i l l n e e d f r o m t h e l i -

b r a r y w i l l be a p r o g r a m or r o u t i n e on m a g n e t i c 

t a p e to c o n t r o l y o u r a u t o m a t i c c o o k . A n d t h e 

l i b r a r y , i n s t e a d of p r o d u c i n g a p i c t o r i a l c o p y 

of t h e r e c i p e f o r y o u to r e a d a n d a p p l y , w i l l 

p r o d u c e a r o u t i n e on m a g n e t i c t a p e f o r c o n -

t r o l l i n g y o u r c o o k i n g m a c h i n e . . . . " ( p p . 1 8 1 - 8 2 ) 

W h i l e this conception of t h e l i b r a r y m a y at 
first seem to lead t o w a r d t e c h n o l o g i c a l u n -
e m p l o y m e n t ( a topic c o n s i d e r e d in C h a p t e r 
12—"Social C o n t r o l " ) , t h e relief f r o m 
r o u t i n e s r e s u l t i n g could give t h e l i b r a r i a n 
t i m e f o r r e s e a r c h and reflection on t h e m a j o r 
p r o b l e m s c o n f r o n t i n g h i m . A n y l i b r a r i a n 
i n t e r e s t e d in m e c h a n i z i n g r e p e t i t i v e t a s k s 
s h o u l d r e a d at l e a s t C h a p t e r 4 ( " C o u n t i n g 
H o l e s : P u n c h - C a r d C a l c u l a t i n g M a c h i n e s " ) 
and r e v i e w t h e b i b l i o g r a p h y on p u n c h - c a r d 
m a c h i n e s on p a g e s 232-39.—Ralph Blasin-
game, Jr., School of Library Service, Co-
lumbia University. 

Photography and Librarians 

The History of Photography from 1839 t° the 
Present Day. By B e a u m o n t N e w h a l l . 
N e w Y o r k , t h e M u s e u m of M o d e r n A r t , 
I949-

Die Geschichte der Kleinbildkamera ( T h e 
H i s t o r y of t h e M i n i a t u r e C a m e r a ) . By 
E r i c h S t e n g e r . W e t z l a r , E r n s t L e i t z , 1949. 
T h e r e a r e s e v e r a l excellent r e a s o n s w h y t h e 

l i b r a r i a n , i n d i v i d u a l l y a n d collectively, should 

w a n t t o c o n c e r n himself w i t h t h e h i s t o r y of 
p h o t o g r a p h y . 

1. I n his use of t h e m i c r o f i l m a n d t h e 
p h o t o s t a t he is n o t only b e n e f i t i n g f r o m c e r -
t a i n specific f o r m s of p h o t o g r a p h y , b u t he is 
also d e v e l o p i n g t h e m and m a k i n g a c o n t r i -
b u t i o n of f a r - r e a c h i n g i m p o r t a n c e . T h e 
l i b r a r i a n ' s e m p l o y m e n t of p h o t o g r a p h i c 
m e t h o d s as t i m e - s a v i n g devices, as i n s t r u m e n t s 

180 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



to r e c o r d , m u l t i p l y a n d o r g a n i z e k n o w l e d g e , 
as a r e s e a r c h tool and, l a s t b u t n o t least, as 
an i n s t r u m e n t of b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l analysis, con-
s t i t u t e s a d i s t i n c t and o r i g i n a l d e v e l o p m e n t 
of the c a m e r a . 

2. T h e use of p h o t o g r a p h s on t h e p r i n t e d 
page h a s c a u s e d t h e origin of a n e w species 
of books. T h e h i s t o r i a n of t h e f u t u r e w i l l 
find in t h e h u n d r e d s and t h o u s a n d s of b o o k s 
u s i n g p h o t o g r a p h s a n d v e r y o f t e n b u i l t 
a r o u n d t h e m , a n e w kind of r e c o r d . T h e 
p r e s e r v a t i o n of this e x t r e m e l y i m p o r t a n t body 
of p i c t o r i a l i n f o r m a t i o n , w h e t h e r t h e l i b r a r i a n 
is a w a r e of this o r n o t , is one of t h e m a n y 
n e w f u n c t i o n s w h i c h society m a y v e r y w e l l 
expect him to f u l f i l . T h e s e a r e s i m i l a r obli-
g a t i o n s to those w h i c h he h a s a l r e a d y accepted 
in his c a r i n g f o r t h e p h o n o g r a p h r e c o r d , and, 
in c e r t a i n instances, t h e m o t i o n p i c t u r e film 
and o t h e r n e w f o r m s of r e c o r d s . 

3. T h r o u g h a b e w i l d e r i n g v a r i e t y of p h o t o -
m e c h a n i c a l r e p r o d u c t i o n processes t h e c a m e r a 
has n o t only added n e w kinds of books t o t h e 
existing types, b u t h a s e x t e n d e d and ampli-
fied t h e use of o l d e r , n o n p h o t o g r a p h i c p i c t u r e s 
as a v i t a l body of p i c t o r i a l d o c u m e n t a t i o n in 
t h e c u r r e n t s t r e a m of book p r o d u c t i o n . I n 
o t h e r w o r d s , t h e c a m e r a h a s a s s u m e d a posi-
tion of u n f o r e s e e n , and n o t t o t a l l y r e c o g n i z e d 
i m p o r t a n c e in t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n of o u r c u l -
t u r a l h e r i t a g e t h r o u g h t h e p r i n t e d page. A n 
u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e n a t u r e of this role, I be-
lieve, w i l l be e x t r e m e l y u s e f u l t o t h e l i b r a r i a n 
of t h e n o t t o o d i s t a n t f u t u r e . 

A n y o n e f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e p e r p l e x i t i e s of 
p i c t o r i a l r e f e r e n c e w o r k w i l l a g r e e w i t h m e 
on this point, I a m s u r e . A high p e r c e n t a g e 
in any g r o u p of p r o f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r i a n s w o u l d 
be able to i n v e s t i g a t e w i t h the n e c e s s a r y in-
telligence and skill t h e a u t h e n t i c i t y of a given 
s t a t e m e n t o r q u o t a t i o n in a book. F r o m 75 
t o go p e r cent w o u l d k n o w h o w to go a b o u t 
such a t a s k . B u t if you w e r e t o ask t h a t 
s a m e g r o u p a q u e s t i o n a b o u t the a u t h e n t i c i t y 
of a given p i c t o r i a l s t a t e m e n t of f a c t , f o r 
instance, a p o r t r a i t or an h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t o r 
a m a n u f a c t u r i n g process, t h e p e r c e n t a g e of 
p e r s o n s c a p a b l e of even s t a r t i n g o u t intelli-
g e n t l y to a n s w e r such a q u e s t i o n w o u l d be 
v e r y l o w , p e r h a p s 3 o r 5 p e r cent. T h e 
r e a s o n f o r this is, of c o u r s e , t h a t u n t i l r e l a -
tively r e c e n t l y w o r d s h a v e played a v e r y m u c h 
m o r e i m p o r t a n t role t h a n p i c t u r e s . 

B u t t h a t is n o l o n g e r t r u e t o d a y . I t w o u l d 

be easy to p r o v e s t a t i s t i c a l l y , o r in m a n y 
o t h e r w a y s , t h a t p i c t u r e s play a l a r g e r role 
in o u r lives and in o u r books a n d o t h e r 
p r i n t e d m a t t e r , t h a n they e v e r did b e f o r e . 
T h i s is p r i m a r i l y d u e t o the i n v e n t i o n of 
p h o t o g r a p h y . 

I t is only a question of time, in m y opinion, 
u n t i l t h e s e f a c t s w i l l be c l e a r l y and g e n e r a l l y 
recognized and t a k e n i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n by 
those c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l ac-
c o m p l i s h m e n t s and skills of t h e w e l l - e d u c a t e d 
l i b r a r i a n in t h e r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y . 

T h e h i s t o r y of p h o t o g r a p h y h a s been c u l t i -
v a t e d , b o t h h e r e and a b r o a d , by a limited 
n u m b e r of specialists and s o m e a t t e m p t s at 
p o p u l a r i z a t i o n of t h e t h e m e h a v e been m a d e . 
B e a u m o n t N e w h a l l ' s n e w History of 
Photography is a p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e l l i g e n t and 
u s e f u l as w e l l as a t t r a c t i v e s t a t e m e n t . T h e 
book is based on t w o e a r l i e r s t u d i e s by t h e 
a u t h o r , one a c a t a l o g of an exhibition held 
a t t h e M u s e u m of M o d e r n A r t in 1937, t h e 
o t h e r a second, revised edition in 1938. Since 
t h a t t i m e t h e a u t h o r h a s n o t only a d d e d to 
his p r a c t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e in t h e field of pho-
t o g r a p h y ( h e held an i m p o r t a n t w a r t i m e 
position as p h o t o g r a p h i c e x p e r t w i t h t h e 
a r m e d s e r v i c e s ) , he h a s also been f o r t u n a t e 
e n o u g h t o e n j o y a G u g g e n h e i m F e l l o w s h i p as 
a m e a n s of p u r s u i n g a d v a n c e d r e s e a r c h h e r e 
a n d a b r o a d and in c o n t a c t w i t h e x p e r t s all 
o v e r t h e w o r l d . 

T h e m e t h o d w h i c h he p u r s u e s , and his o r -
g a n i z a t i o n of m a t e r i a l a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y s u i t a b l e 
f o r a book w h i c h a r e s e a r c h l i b r a r i a n m i g h t 
wish to s t u d y f o r g e n e r a l o r i e n t a t i o n a n d in 
o r d e r to find specific a n s w e r s to v a r i o u s 
q u e s t i o n s . T h e technical e v o l u t i o n of p h o -
t o g r a p h y , t h o u g h f u l l y e x p l o r e d and d o c u -
m e n t e d h e r e , is n o t t h e only point of v i e w . 
T h e g r a d u a l u n f o l d i n g of t h e n e w invention, 
t h e a s s u m i n g of d i s t i n c t a e s t h e t i c and d o c u -
m e n t a r y f u n c t i o n s , t h e c l a r i f i c a t i o n of w h a t 
and w h a t n o t to expect f r o m t h e p h o t o -
g r a p h i c image, these m a t t e r s h a v e been 
h a n d l e d both c o m p e t e n t l y and i m a g i n a t i v e l y . 
C h a p t e r 10, d e a l i n g w i t h " t h e v a l u e of p h o t o -
g r a p h s as a u t h e n t i c , p e r s u a s i v e d o c u m e n t s " 
and C h a p t e r 13, on t h e a d a p t a t i o n of pho-
t o g r a p h y to t h e p r i n t e d page, w i l l be f o u n d 
of p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t , I should t h i n k , to t h e 
m a n and w o m a n w o r k i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l l y w i t h 
books in a r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y . 

M o r e o v e r , t h e book is in a g e n e r a l w a y a 

APRIL, 1950 181 



f a s c i n a t i n g r e c o r d of t h e l a s t 100 y e a r s as 
seen t h r o u g h t h e lens of t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r . 
N o t only t h e r e s u l t s , b u t also t h e i n t e n t i o n 
behind t h e p i c t u r e s a r e of g r e a t significance. 

O f m o r e specialized a p p e a l is a v o l u m e r e -
cently issued by t h e L e i c a W o r k s , t h e f i r m 
of E r n s t L e i t z in W e t z l a r , to c e l e b r a t e t h e 
o n e - h u n d r e d t h a n n i v e r s a r y of t h e f i r m . 
E r i c h S t e n g e r , f o r m e r l y p r o f e s s o r of scientific 
p h o t o g r a p h y a t t h e B e r l i n T e c h n i s c h e H o c h -
schule, a n d one of t h e l e a d i n g h i s t o r i a n s of 

p h o t o g r a p h y — a n d t h e r e a r e n o t m a n y in 
e x i s t e n c e — i s t h e a u t h o r . H e h a s p r e s e n t e d 
a f a s c i n a t i n g a n d p i c t u r e s q u e a c c o u n t , w e l l 
i l l u s t r a t e d , of t h e v a r i o u s a t t e m p t s t o c r e a t e a 
m i n i a t u r e c a m e r a . I do n o t k n o w if t h e 
b o o k w i l l be c o m m e r c i a l l y a v a i l a b l e . B u t 
i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t this c a n u n d o u b t e d l y be 
o b t a i n e d by w r i t i n g to t h e E r n s t L e i t z W o r k s 
in W e t z l a r . — H e l l m u t Lehmann-Haupt, 
School of Library Service, Columbia Uni-
versity. 

T h e Analysis of Library Problems: Three Surveys 
Report of a Survey of the Library of Stanford 

University for Stanford University, Novem-
ber 194.6—March 1947. By L o u i s R . W i l -
son and R a y n a r d C . S w a n k . ( O n behalf 
of t h e A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n . ) 
C h i c a g o . A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n , 
1947. 222p. $2.50. ( M i m e o g r a p h e d ) 

Report of a Survey of the Libraries of the 
Alabama Polytechnic Institute, November 
1948—March 1949. By L o u i s R . W i l s o n 
a n d R o b e r t W . O r r . A u b u r n , A l a b a m a 
P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e , 1949. 2i5p. 

Report of a Survey of the Library of the Uni-
versity of New Hampshire, January— 
February, 1949. By S t e p h e n A . M c C a r t h y . 
[ I t h a c a , N . Y . , 1949] 77p. ( H e c t o -
g r a p h e d ) 
O f s u r v e y s t h e r e a p p e a r s t o be no end. 

T h e t h r e e s u r v e y s listed above r e p r e s e n t n e w 
a d d i t i o n s t o o u r s u r v e y l i t e r a t u r e , a n d ex-
tend t h e a m o u n t of d e t a i l e d i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t 
w e h a v e a b o u t t h r e e l i b r a r i e s : S t a n f o r d , A l a -
b a m a P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e , and N e w H a m p -
shire. 

T h e S t a n f o r d s u r v e y w a s r e l e a s e d by t h e 
A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n a n d S t a n f o r d 
U n i v e r s i t y l a s t y e a r , a l t h o u g h t h e r e p o r t w a s 
m a d e in 1947. A c c o m p a n y i n g t h e r e p o r t is a 
m i m e o g r a p h e d l e t t e r t o t h e E x e c u t i v e S e c r e -
t a r y of t h e A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n 
f r o m D e a n C l a r e n c e H . F a u s t , c h a i r m a n of 
t h e S t a n f o r d L i b r a r y C o m m i t t e e . T h e l e t t e r 
is significant b e c a u s e it i n d i c a t e s t h a t s o m e 
of t h e deficiencies t h a t D r s . W i l s o n and 
S w a n k single o u t in t h e S t a n f o r d s u r v e y h a v e 
a l r e a d y been c o r r e c t e d . " A j o b analysis h a s 
been c o n d u c t e d , a position classification h a s 
been developed, and r e a s o n a b l y a d e q u a t e 
s a l a r y scales h a v e been a d o p t e d . A n u m b e r 

of n e w positions h a v e been c r e a t e d , i n c l u d i n g 
an a s s i s t a n t d i r e c t o r s h i p . Staff p a r t i c i p a t i o n 
in l i b r a r y p l a n n i n g and a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s 
been e n c o u r a g e d w i t h excellent r e s u l t s , " 
w r i t e s D e a n F a u s t . 

M o r e o v e r , book f u n d s h a v e been increased, 
d e p a r t m e n t a l a l l o c a t i o n s a d j u s t e d , r e l a t i o n s 
b e t w e e n f a c u l t y and l i b r a r y m o r e firmly e s t a b -
lished, a c q u i s i t i o n a l a n d a c c o u n t i n g m e t h o d s 
i m p r o v e d , c a t a l o g i n g speeded u p , a n d s e r i a l s 
p r o c e d u r e s simplified. 

F o r t h e m o s t p a r t , t h e S t a n f o r d s u r v e y 
f o l l o w s t h e p a t t e r n of a p p r o a c h to l i b r a r y 
p r o b l e m s t h a t h a s been so w e l l e s t a b l i s h e d 
by D e a n W i l s o n . A l l aspects of t h e S t a n f o r d 
L i b r a r y a r e c a r e f u l l y c o n s i d e r e d , and specific 
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s m a d e f o r i m p r o v e m e n t . 
T h e r e p o r t is d i s t i n g u i s h e d by its f r a n k n e s s 
a n d d i r e c t n e s s . Since D r . S w a n k is n o w 
d i r e c t o r of t h e S t a n f o r d l i b r a r i e s , he h a s t h e 
u n u s u a l responsibility of p u t t i n g i n t o effect 
t h e p r o g r a m designed by D e a n W i l s o n and 
h i m s e l f . 

T h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s of D e a n W i l s o n t o 
A m e r i c a n l i b r a r i a n s h i p since his r e t i r e m e n t as 
d e a n of t h e G r a d u a t e L i b r a r y School of t h e 
U n i v e r s i t y of C h i c a g o h a v e been so signifi-
c a n t t h a t one c a n n o t help b u t t a k e n o t e of 
t h e m . S u r v e y o r of S t a n f o r d , D e n v e r , C o r -
nell, S o u t h C a r o l i n a a n d A l a b a m a P o l y t e c h n i c 
I n s t i t u t e , a m o n g o t h e r s , he h a s w r i t t e n books, 
p a p e r s a n d r e v i e w s w h i c h h a v e s h o w n his 
keen insight i n t o t h e p r o b l e m s of a c a d e m i c 
l i b r a r i a n s h i p . A s e d i t o r of t h e U n i v e r s i t y 
of N o r t h C a r o l i n a S e s q u i c e n t e n n i a l P u b l i c a -
tions, a series of 18 v o l u m e s , h e e n g i n e e r e d 
a p r o j e c t of g r e a t m a g n i t u d e . T h o s e li-
b r a r i a n s w h o h a v e h a d a c h a n c e t o w o r k w i t h 
h i m on s u r v e y s also k n o w of t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n 

182 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES