College and Research Libraries


154 I College & Research Libraries • March 1972 

which it is not classified. However, this is 
clearly a minor criticism and a small subject 
index does help. Its positive advantage as 
an introduction to any aspect of archival 
and manuscript work is of immense value, 
and indeed this is clearly the purpose. How 
much easier it is now to be able to refer to 
a single volume instead of combing through 
The American Archivist and Archivum. 

Some of the less common archival topics 
that librarians will find useful are chapters 
on: Cartographic and Related Records; Still 
Pictures and Other Pictorial Records; Mo-
tion Pictures and Film Archives; Sound Re-
cordings; Microphotography and Other 
Copying Methods; Oral History; Automa-
tion and the Control of Archives and Man-
uscripts. 

Librarians and archivists will benefit 
from this work. It is hoped that annual sup-
plements and cumulations will follow so 
that maximum usefulness will be sustained. 
-Richard C. Berner, University of Wash-
ington, Seattle. 

Book Catalogs. Maurice F. Tauber and 
Hilda Feinberg. Metuchen, N.J.: Scare-
crow Press, 1971. 572p. $15.00. 

This collection of twenty-five papers con-
stitutes a record of what has been develop-
ing in the production and use of book cata-
logs since the publication of Kingery and 
Tauber's Book Catalogs in 1963. The pa-
pers cover the period 1964-1970; some pa-
pers were written specifically for this vol-
ume, while others are reprints of articles 
published in journals since 1963. 

The primary emphasis of the papers is 
on the comparison of book catalogs to card 
catalogs, now that technological develop-
ments, particularly the computer, have 
made the production and updating of book 
catalogs feasible and economical. Coverage 
includes book catalogs as a substitute for 
or supplement to the card catalog, produc-
tion costs, formats, production methods, 
and problems such as coding, computer fil-
ing. and updating techniques. Experiences 
with book catalogs by specific college and 
university libraries, medical libraries, coun-
ty library systems, public libraries, school 
libraries, and mail order library services are 
recounted. A lengthy article by Hilda Fein-
berg, "Sample Book Catalogs and Their 

Characteristics," presents sample pages 
from thirty-two catalogs and gives the char-
acteristics (page size, format, arrangement, 
general description), method of production, 
frequency of issue, costs, and person ( s) re-
sponsible for each catalog. The one histori-
cal article is John Cronin's "History of the 
National Union Catalog, Pre-1956 Im-
prints." A lengthy, well-chosen chronologi-
cal bibliography is provided for the years 
1964-1970; and the editors have appended 
ALA's recent book catalog directory, "Book 
Form Catalogs: A Listing Compiled from 
Questionnaires Submitted to the Book Cata-
logs Directory Subcommittee, ALA, 1968." 

There is considerable overlap and dupli-
cation between papers in the collection, 
since many papers were not written with 
this volume in mind. The introduction pro-
vides an overview which ties the separate 
papers to the main theme; the articles can-
not be read separately if the reader is to get 
an overview of developments in the last 
fifteen years. Taken as a whole, however, 
the collection does a good job of describing 
new developments in and future directions 
of the production and use of book catalogs. 
On the basis of the articles, the editors pre-
dict that "Recent technological advances 
in computer capabilities, along with de-
creasing computer costs, increase the likeli-
hood that librmies will venture in the fu-
ture towards increased computer-aided 
book catalog production .... The need for 
card catalogs for current records and for 
special listings will no doubt continue." 

This volume is pertinent to any librarian 
interested in current library technology and 
its effects on bibliographic control and pa-
tron usage of catalogs, and to any librarian 
contemplating the use of book catalogs in 
his library. It is a necessity for any library 
school collection.-Nancy L. Eaton, The 
University of Texas at Austin. 

Melcher on Acquisition. Daniel Melcher, 
with Margaret Saul. Chicago: American 
Library Association, 1971. ix, 169p. 
$8.00. 

This book doesn't have a subtitle-and 
probably doesn't need one since the three-
word title says it all. But even so, I am 
tempted to paraphrase one, something like 
"Plain Language from Truthful Dan." It is