College and Research Libraries the United States revised its copyright statute in 1976 have been practical advice on the law's implications for classroom, interlibrary loan, reserve, and photocopy room operations. In contrast, in their study prepared for IFLA, Fran~oise He- bert and Wanda Noel consider in terms of international law the needs of a minority of library users, those who cannot read standard print. For the handicapped, copyright restrictions are of critical impor- tance because they must have standard print transcribed into an alternative medium-Braille, large print, or audio- tape-before they can use it. Materials in alternative media are pro- duced principally by nonoprofit organiza- tions including libraries. Libraries take copyright law into account both at the time of original transcription and at dis- semination. The authors point out that ob- taining the right to transcribe usually en- tails delay and is sometimes costly. Rights to disseminate are usually divided geo- graphically, and obtaining them fre- quently involves considerable time and expense. While Hebert and Noel see special pro- visions in domestic laws as the ultimate way to meet the needs of the handi- capped, they expect the process leading to these provisions to be long and difficult. They recommend that IFLA in conjunc- tion with the World Council for the Wel- fare of the Blind, prepare positions that can be presented to the Berne and Univer- sal Copyright Conventions, UNESCO, and member nations of these groups. Most important among their recommen- dations is that IFLA ''must give serious consideration to the principle that a copy- right owner should not have the right to refuse permission for a published work to be transcribed into another format for use by a person unable to read the printed edi- tion" (p.67). Because of the great variation throughout the world in rules governing remuneration to copyright holders for transcription of their works, the authors contend that IFLA should not object to re- muneration if copyright owners agree to the proposed payment system in a given country. Their position on remuneration is consistent with what they argue else- Recent Publications 301 where in the book. But their recommenda- tion that IFLA ''must give serious consid- eration" to elimination of an author's right of refusal to transcriptions is weaker than arguments against such refusals that they make in earlier pages. Their analysis persuaded this reviewer that there is no reasonable or moral basis (although there is a technical legal basis) for such a right of refusal, particularly if there are guarantees of remuneration. Since 1976 academic librarians who spe- cialize in copyright have mastered the ba- sics and now read with profit discussions of international law and of issues beyond photocopying. Copyright Law and Library Materials for the Handicapped is a brief and well-organized discussion that will ex- pand one's understanding of the implica- tions of copyright law for library services.-Stephen E. Wiberley, Jr., Univer- sity of Illinois at Chicago. Online Search Strategies. Ed. by Ryan E. Hoover. White Plains, N.Y.: Knowl- edge Industry Publications, 1982. 345p. $29.50 paper. LC 82-17179. ISBN 0- 86729-004-8. The first in a Professional Librarians se- ries, this work is aimed at the intermediate to advanced searcher of bibliographic databases and presumes a familiarity with at least one search system, a background in library or information science, and a knowledge of general search strategy. Its purpose is "to stimulate ... searching cu- riosity . . . to try new approaches and techniques.'' Ten chapters cover government infor- mation, chemistry, the biosciences, en- ergy and the environment, social and be- havioral sciences, patents, legal research, health sciences, news banks and news databases, and business and economics. They discuss the primary databases for the subject area, their special characteris- tics, and sometimes their specific indexing practices. Sample searches done on multi- ple files are provided. Though the chap- ters take the same general outline, some are more detailed than others, usually dic- tated by the number of databases in a field. The four chief vendors-BRS, DIA- LOG, NLM, and SDC-are emphasized, 302 College & Research Libraries but mention is made of other systems and bases, such as LEXIS and DOE, when ap- propriate. The editor, Ryan Hoover, acknowl- edges that some of the information may be out-of-date even as the book is published, but most of the search tips are general enough that this is not a drawback. Refer- ence to an up-to-date vendor or producer guide is stressed. One of the strengths of this book is the sense of the practitioner at work that comes through. The examples given and the problems encountered are quite obvi- ously real ones. Readers should not study just the chapters on areas they search most frequently because useful search techniques are scattered throughout the book, e.g., the biosciences section lists ways to increase precision and the social and behavioral sciences chapter has a ta- ble on when to use free-text searching. The major criticism of this work is that it does not cover all searchable subject areas, a fact not mentioned in the introduction. There is no chapter on the humanities, and even some of the sciences like phys- ics, geology, engineering, and computer science are neglected. With the exceptions of law, business, and economics, all the social sciences are lumped into one chap- ter, albeit an excellent one. Perhaps a sec- ond volume could address these lacks. The tables and sample searches pro- vided are excellent, but they are often pages away from the text referring to them. Although all search systems are mentioned, not every chapter takes into account all systems on which the data- bases are loaded in its discussion. One could question some individual author de- cisions, e.g. the Monthly Catalog is not dis- cussed in the chapter on government databases, and some internal inconsisten- cies exist, e.g., ABI/INFORM is variously listed as having journal coverage of 250, 450, and 500. All in all, the chapters are at a consis- tently high level. Hoover's introductory ''thoughts on search strategy'' may seem deceptively simple, but they have a wis- dom distilled from hard experience. It is this experience in searching that shines through and makes this work a useful pur- chase and a reasonable one considering July 1983 the cost of online training.-Carol M. To- bin, Princeton University Library. Cunha, George and Cunha, Dorothy. Li- brary and Archives Conservation: 1980s and Beyond. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1983. 2v. 645p. $39.50 set. LC 82-10806. ISBN 0-8108-1587-7. For two decades George Cunha has been zealously proclaiming to the library community the pressing need for immedi- ate action to cope with the burgeoning problem of deterioration of library materi- als. His first publication in 1967 was enti- tled Conservation of Library Materials. It was considered a ground-breaking ·compila- tion by some and was severely criticized for oversimplification, inaccuracy, and unprofessionalism by others. In 1971 a two-volume work of the same title was published by George and Dorothy Cunha and included in its second volume an ex- tensive bibliography of more than 4,000 references and citations. The present two- volume work entitled Library and Archives Conservation: 1980s and Beyond is both an updating and an extension of the earlier works. It must be looked upon as one more demonstration of the commitment of the Cunhas to raise the consciousness of the library profession to the continuing challenge of preserving library collections. In a more gentle and tranquil age (if ever there were one), librarians expended their energy on the technical aspects of acquisi- tions, classification, and circulation. Con- servation was not a concern to the profes- sion. But, in 1983 it is abundantly clear that the library world still needs a George Cunha to play the role of Jeremiah to a continually complaisant computer- bemused library community. This two- volume work demands the attention of all library managers to their conservation re- sponsibilities. It is an extension and revi- sion of the 1971 publication that, with a certain amount of literary license, can also be read as a partial autobiography of the Cunhas. Volume 1 includes nine chapters cover- ing a broad range of topics that are all rele- vant to a discussion of library conserva- tion but that are not always intellectually or stylistically related to each other. The primary focus of the work is directed to-