College and Research Libraries


230 I College & Research Libraries • May 1978 

helpful as an introduction to the field. Even 
those dealing mainly with children and ado-
lescents who have such disabilities as 
hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, and spina 
bifida would be valuable in understanding 
the background of the handicapped college 
student. For others, however, the book is 
one to be skimmed, since only a few articles 
are relevant to academic libraries. -Lucille 
Whalen, State University of New York at 
Albany. 

Conference on Resource Sharing in Librar-
ies, University of Pittsburgh, 1976. Li-
brary Resource Sharing. Proceedings of 
the 1976 Conference on Resource Sharing 
in Libraries, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By 
Allen Kent and Thomas J. Galvin. Books 
in Library and Information Science, v.21. 
New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1977. 
356p. $29.75. LC 77-5399. ISBN 0-8247-
6605-9. 
Many librarians and administrators have 

considered resource sharing a partial answer 
to the escalating cost of library staff and ma-
terials. Encouraged by government and pri-
vate foundation support, library consortia 
have multiplied to the point where the li-
brary without a consortia! affiliation is the 
exception. With so much interest and in-
volvement in cooperative library arrange-
ments, it was to be expected that the 
Pittsburgh Conference on Library Resource 
Sharing held from September 29 to October 
1, 1976, would attract outstanding con-
tributors and participants, and that the pa-
pers presented would provide, not only a 
better understanding of the state of library 
cooperation, but also a look into its future. 

Through prior distribution of position pa-
pers contributed primarily by members of 
the University of Pittsburgh faculty, confer-
ence participants were encouraged to focus 
on the goals of resource sharing, progress 
towards goals, problems needing attention, 
the economies of libraries, telecommunica-
tions, and the future. The varying quality of 
these key papers is reflected in the re-
sponses of the principal speakers or reac-
tors. Some papers, such as Allen Kent's dis-
cussion of "The Goals of Resource Sharing 
in Libraries," stimulate thoughtful and ap-
posite responses, while others appear to be 
politely disregarded by the respondents. 

Transcripts of discussions following the pre-
sentation of each major topic provide useful 
additional information. 

The strength of this collection of papers is 
in the contributions of some of the outside 
principal speakers. Connie Dunlap's consid-
eration of the cost of cooperation and our 
tendency to see it as the solution to all our 
problems; Allen Veaner' s well-developed 
statement on progress and growth in re-
source sharing; William Axford's examina-
tion of obstacles to resource sharing; James 
Rush's contention that "pride in collection 
has got to be supplanted by pride in patron-
age (users)"; and John McDonald's plea for 
the establishment of a national periodical li-
brary are among the most thought-pro-
voking essays. One could only wish that 
Allen Kent had expanded his limited com-
ments on "Directions for the Future" at the 
conclusion of the conference. 

Unfortunately, the quality of the editing 
leaves much to be desired. In view of the 
price of this volume, one would have hoped 
for more care in its preparation for publica-
tion. 

Despite its shortcomings, Library Re-
source Sharing is a valuable book that 
should be read by librarians, most of whom 
find themselves involved in cooperative li-
brary programs.-Willis Bridegam, Amherst 
College, Amherst, Massachusetts. 

Louis Round Wilson Centennial Day. "Li-
brary Education in the Southeast Since 
World War II" and "University Libraries 
and Change." Proceedings of Two Sym-
posia Sponsored in Honor of Louis Round 
Wilson's 100th Birthday by the School of 
Library Science and University Library, 
University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill, December 2, 1976. Chapel Hill, 
N.C.: University Library, University of 
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1977. 65p. 

The Responsibility of the University Library 
Collection in Meeting the Needs of its 
Campus and Local Community. A sym-
posium in Honor of Melvin J. Voigt upon 
His Retirement as University Librarian of 
the University of California, San Diego, 
Friday, September 17, 1976. La Jolla, 
Calif.: Friends of the UCSD Library, 
1977. 52p. $3 if check accompanies order. 
(Order from Friends of the UCSD Li-