College and Research Libraries


date of publication, other resources (this 
would be very helpful to the users on the local 
campus), reference to other subject policy 
statements of interest to this clientele, levels 
of collecting intensity, and, finally, a state-
ment on the collection's strengths and weak-
nesses. 

The policy uses a system of six levels for 
definition of collecting levels, the five from 
Library Resources & Technical Services 21:42 
(Winter 1977), plus one called "exhaustive." 
These designations are overly broad, though a 
few are further broken down, such as for maps 
and music. The statements are usually in 
standard English, rather than library-ese, so 
that even students and faculty can com-
prehend them! Some are refreshingly 
honest-for example, the strengths and weak-
nesses summary for architecture and urban 
design. 

Business administration covers fourteen 
pages, including an entire page on purpose , a 
summary of the reference collection, business 
periodicals, business books, a study of the ef-
fectiveness of the approval and standing order 
program as it affects monographs , the percent-
age of publications received, importance of the 
work of the bibliographer, and a study of core 
titles (wandering a bit afield?). 

The children's collection statement tells 
what it is not, plus the admission that it is an 
"unselective collection." For economics there 
is much on the history of the local collection , 
including comments on the uncataloged 
titles-one may question if this belongs in a 
collection development policy. 

There are policies on some new or unusual 
collections, such as women's studies, univer-
sity archives, special collections, social wel-
fare, radiation biophysics, other foreign lan-
guages, museum of natural history, current 
fiction, and applied English. Much work went 
into this compilation, and it is well 
indexed.-Wilmer H. Baatz , Indiana Univer-
sity, Bloomington. 

Martin , Susan K. Library Networks, 1978-79. 
White Plains, N.Y.: Knowledge Industry 
Publications, 1978. 144p. $24.50 pbk.; 
$29.50 hardbound. LC 78-10666. ISBN 
0-914236-26-1; 0-914236-18-0 pbk. 
This is the third edition of a work that was 

originally issued by Knowledge Industry Pub-
lications in 1974. Although Susan Martin did 

Recent Publications I 183 

not prepare the first edition, she revised it in 
1976 and again last year. By heeding criticisms 
of the earlier volumes, Martin has managed to 
produce a generally excellent overview of re-
cent activities in on-line bibliographic net-
working throughout North America. Her new 
book discusses computerized library systems 
in terms of individual libraries , regional net-
works , and national programs. 

Writing for librarians and for those in busi-
ness who require only a brief introduction to 
on-line networks for libraries, Martin has not 
created a scholarly monograph , but she has 
included some footnotes and a bibliography. 

The eleven chapters deal concisely with 
such topics as: the growth and scope of net-
working; uses and standards for machine-
readable data; major computer utilities 
(OCLC, BALLOTS, UTLAS, and WLN); 
existing network organizations; commercial 
suppliers of services and systems; relations 
with hardware manufacturers, subcontractors, 
and consultants; selection, operation, and 
management of on-line systems; unsolved is-
sues and problems in network development 
and implementation; planning for a national 
library information network; and merging tra-
ditional library cooperatives with on-line sys-
tems . Computer-based indexing and abstract-
ing services are only mentioned par-
enthetically. 

The information supplied is definitely cur-
rent, with references to 1978 publications and 
events , including the adoption of Proposition 
13, appearing frequently in this volume. Net-
working plans for 1979 and subsequent years 
are also given in some instances. In the appen-
dix are up-to-date (mid-1978) listings for 
twenty-six on-line bibliographic networks 
operating in the United States and Canada. 
While entries vary considerably in detail, most 
provide the following data: location, mem-
bership (with a complete list of member librar-
ies), director, a status report, and future plans. 

This book contains a two-page bibliography 
and a two-page index, both of which need 
improvement. Nevertheless, Library Net-
works, 1978-79 is a very useful, albeit inordi-
nately overpriced, publication. -Leonard 
Grundt, Nassau Community College, Garden 
City, New York. 

Jeffries, John. A Guide to the Official Publica-
tions of the European Communities. New