College and Research Libraries 174 I College & Research Libraries • March 1976 ing library education. For example, the cry to limit enrollments and curtail accredita- tion activities because of an oversupply of librarians is not new. In 1932 the Board of Education for Li- brarianship (predecessor to the COA) ca- pitulated to the unemployment situation and asked accredited schools to reduce their enrollments. 5 What the board failed to see, according to Churchwell, was that unemployment among librarians was due to the great depression and not to an over- supply of trained personnel (p.40). The peak of unemployment was over by 1934, and the situation was greatly improved by 1937. Yet the effects of the board's 1932 decision probably caused acute shortages immediately before and during World War II. It is to be hoped that current pres- sure on the Committee of Accreditation do not result in similar unwise decisions. A reading of Churchwell by graduate students will also demonstrate how a brief span of educational history can be illumi- nated by a careful use of documents and a concern for detail. This small monograph has made a not so small contribution to our understanding of library education.- C. Edward Carroll, Professor of Library Science, University of Missouri-Columbia. REFERENCES 1. William Summers, "The Emergence of Li- brary Education," American Libraries 3:792 (July-Aug. 1972). 2. Mary B. Cassata and Herman L. Totten, eds., The Administrative Aspects of Educa- tion for Librarianship ( Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1975), p.1-28. 3. Jesse Shera, The Foundations of Education for Librarianship ( New York: Becker and Hayes, 1972). . 4. Louis R. Wilson, "Aspects of Education for Librarianship in America," Library Quarter- ly 2:1-10 (Jan. 1932). 5. "Unemployment among Librarians," ALA Bulletin 27:178 (March 1932). Harris, Michael H., ed. The Age of Jewett: Charles Coffin Jewett and American Li- brarianship, 1841-1868. (The Heritage of Librarianship Series, no.1) Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1975. 166p. $11.50. (LC 75-14205) (ISBN 0- 87287-113-4) The plan for the new Heritage of Li- brarianship Series issued by Libraries U n- limited is to present a "carefully selected" collection of the writings of prominent American and European librarians preced- ed by a "substantive critical essay" assess- ing the subject's significance for librarian- ship, past and present. Michael H. Harris, the general editor of the series, is also the editor of this first volume of selections from Charles Coffin Jewett's writings and author of the essay on Jewett. Although European librarians are to be included, the subjects announced for the second and third vol- umes are also Americans: Ainsworth Rand Spofford by John Y. Cole and Charles Ammi Cutter by Francis Miksa. The proj- ect, albeit ambitious, appears promising if judged from the qualifications of these three editor/ authors. Approximately two-thirds of the present volume consists of writings by Jewett. The earliest is a part of his preface to the Brown University Library catalog of 1843, includ- ing the regulations of the Library. His 1846 paper opposing tariffs on imported books is reprinted in full as is his presidential ad- dress and paper given at the Librarians' Conference of 1853. The selections from his first, second, third, and fifth (last) annual reports at the Smithsonian are exceptionally important. These documents reveal his visions of his two now famous failures, the Smithsonian as the national library and the production of library catalogs from clay stereotype plates. The reports also include other products of his fertile mind such as inter- national exchange of duplicates, a monthly bulletin of accessions, and the plan, partial- ly executed, for a national union catalog on cards. Omissions in these selections are in- dicated by the standard ellipses but the ex- tent and general content of the omitted material are not. This was noted particular- ly in the excerpt from his second report in which he refers to his first (p.94). The plan of work referred to, the "general cata- log of American libraries," was omitted from the first selection although it might well have been included as the original method for the compilation of union cata- logs. The selection from On the Construction of Catalogues of Libraries includes all thirty-nine of the rules and a substantial portion of the preliminary essay. The omis- sions from the latter are mainly lengthy quotations supporting Jewett's arguments in addition to the seven opening pages re- peating (from other sources included) his plan for stereotyping the catalog entries. The omission of the two pages on the "Preparation of Titles so as to Serve for both General and Particular Catalogues" is to be regretted, however, as important to later cataloging codes on such matters as editions, copies, and size. The book is a valuable source for those not havi'ng access to the complete works. Nevertheless this reviewer was somewhat disappointed, especially by the quality of Harris' essay. It is more a biographical than a "substantive critical" essay and its tone is more panegyric than critical. Fur- thermore, a more sophisticated style might be expected from a writer of Harris' ex- perience.-Edith Scott, The Library of Congress. Goodell, John S. Libraries and Work Sam- pling. (Challenge to Change: Library Applications of New Concepts, no.1) Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1975. 60p. $5.00 pa. (LC 7 4- 79026) (ISBN 0-87287-087-1) Goodell's book is an auspicious begin- ning for this new series, giving an easy-to- understand presentation of a technical sub- ject. For those unfamiliar with the topic, an example of work sampling is the use of statistical methods to determine the per- centages of the total time circulation clerks spend on their various duties. The informa- tion obtained can then be used to establish a better work schedule. Properly per- formed, work sampling can be a valuable management tool for making more effective use of limited resources. The author does a commendable job of presenting a library-oriented introduction to work sampling. He :first reviews the theory of sampling and then explains the :five steps of a typical study. There are nu- merous examples, tables of statistical infor- mation, clear instructions for using the ta- bles, and :finally there is a review of the literature of sampling as applied to li- Recent Publications I 175 braries. Statistical terminology and mathe- matics have been kept to a minimum, and few people will have trouble understanding the material. This compact book must be read with great care: Its brevity leaves too little room for discussion of areas where the beginner may encounter problems. One can obtain poor results through the use of a biased sample, or through failure to deflne the problem properly, or through a lack of ap- proval and cooperation by the people con- cerned. Goodell touches on these areas, but his warnings are not strong enough. Inac- curate work sampling studies can have harmful effects that may be difficult to overcome. With proper regard for the techniques of work sampling, almost anyone can pro- duce useful studies with only a little experi- ence. Goodell's book is an excellent one for the librarian or graduate student interested in learning the basics, but further informa- tion will be necessary. Detailed guidance on making and using work sampling studies will have to come from experienced practi- tioners and through studying the publica- tions the author lists in his bibliography.- Edward Gibson, Assistant Librarian, Wash- ington College, Chestertown, Maryland. Davies, D. W. Public Libraries as Culture and Social Centers: The Origin -of the Concept. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 167p. $6.00. (LC 74-8420) (ISBN 0-8108-07 38-6) David W. Davies, long an academic li- brarian and a historian and typophile as well, here turns a critical, somewhat ironi- cal eye on the relationship between goals and programs of public libraries in Great Britain and North America. On the basis of both his particular point of view and his research-which is stronger for the early nineteenth century than for later years, es- pecially our own time-he sees public li- braries as having been diverted from their legitimate function, the provision of books and a place to read, by a faulty conception of their social role. Though he promises to follow the progress of scholarly along with popular libraries, the entire book, except for a few paragraphs, is devoted to the latter; there is no attention given to the re-