College and Research Libraries


mation policy," defined by Mason as a set 
of interrelated laws and policies con-
cerned with the creation, collection, man-
agement, distribution, and retrieval of in-
formation. Here the relationship between 
the government and the private sector is 
examined in an economic context, where 
information becomes a commodity. Ma-
son points out the balance that exists be-
tween subsidizing the creation of govern-
ment information and establishing 
property rights for information. 

Political, economic, and technological 
conditions in our society make the role of 
the federal government in library and in-
formation services of major importance 
not only to libraries and librarians, but to 
all citizens. Mason has drawn together in a 
single volume a review of the philosophi-
cal base, the historical development, and 
the policy issues. She then suggests ap-
propriate roles for federal involvement in 
the future. This is not an in-depth analysis 
of each area included but gives a perspec-
tive and basis for further discussion and 
future policy development.-Sandra K. Pe-
terson, Yale University. 

Rogers, A. Robert, and Kathryn McChes-
ney. The Library in Society . Littleton, 
Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1984. 285p. 
(Library Science Text Series) $28.50. LC 
84-15440. ISBN 0-87287-379-X. 
The authors and their six contributors, 

who intended this work as an introduc-
tory text for library science students, state 
that they seek to provide a theoretical and 
conceptual framework that would aid in 
developing a better understanding of the 
role of libraries in society. They set out to 
accomplish this by presenting a view of li-
brarianship in an international context. 

The book is divided into four main 
parts. Part 1 attempts to encourage stu-
dents to view libraries as integral parts of 
the societies in which they developed. 
Chapter 1 describes the role of the library 
in meeting societal needs. Philosophies of 
librarianship are presented in chapter 2 . 
Chapter 3 surveys the history of libraries 
and librarianship from antiquity to the sta-
tus of libraries at the end of World War II 
with an emphasis on the West. Part 2 de-
scribes the major types of libraries. There 

Recent Publications 371 

are separate brief chapters on national li-
braries, school and media centers, college 
and university libraries, public libraries, 
special libraries and information centers, 
and other governmental and quasi-
governmental libraries. Part 3 presents 
overviews of librarianship from various 
regions of the world. Basic concepts of in-
ternational and comparative librarianship 
are presented in the first chapter, setting 
the stage for the slightly more detailed de-
scriptions oflibrarianship in Europe, Asia, 
Australia and New Zealand, Africa, and 
Latin America that follow. Part 4 surveys 
the impact of professional associations on 
library development in the first chapter. 
Major professional issues in industrial and 
postindustrial societies as they affect li-
braries and librarianship are discussed in 
the next chapter. Problems and prospects 
of libraries in the Third World are pre-
sented in the last chapter. At the end of 
each chapter a bibliography of basic 
sources mentioned in the chapters for fur-
ther reading are given. This is often pro-
ceeded by a short list of questions for dis-
cussion and reflection-both appear to be 
useful to students. 

The authors state in their preface that 
they wished to view librarianship in an in-
ternational context while most "library in 
society'' books seemed to focus almost ex-
elusively on the United States. They have 
succeeded in their effort to present li-
braries in society in general terms in an in-
ternational context; however, so much 
ground is covered that it seems to lack ad-
equate depth and detail and often results 
in a superficial, less meaningful presenta-
tion as a whole. The textbook's tone and 
many generalities may be somewhat irri-
tating to a reader seeking more detailed 
knowledge; perhaps it is not possible to 
do more with an objective of presenting an 
introductory survey such as this.-Pat Kis-
singer, Northern Illinois University . 

College Librarianship: The Objectives and 
the Practice. Ed . by A. Rennie McElroy. 
London: The Library Assn., 1984. 447p. 
$50. ISBN 0-85365-785-8. (Dist. in the 
U.S. by Oryx). 
College Librarianship: The Objectives and 

the Practice belongs to the Handbook on Li-



372 College & Research Libraries 

brary Practice series, which includes mon-
ographs on serials, medical, unive!sity, 
and picture librarianships. Edited by A . 
Rennie McElroy, this collection of essays 
is distinctly British in content and perspec-
tive. "The Educational Environment," 
''Colleges and Their Libraries,'' and ''The 
Librarianship" are the major headings, 
which correspond to the three theses 
stated in the introduction: (1) to contribute 
to the management of the parent body, (2) 
to understand the parent body's needs, 
wishes, and problems, and (3) to sell the 
library to its users (p.xv). McElroy main-
tains that this work is more philosophical 
than practical. He asserts that it is "about 
objectives and policies, rather than day-
to-day practice of college librarianship" 
(p.xvi), yet the subtitle and the essays in 
the last half of the book contradict this in-
tent. 

Within the first grouping one wanders 
amid a plethora of acronyms for the vari-
ous educational councils, committees, 
and governing bodies in the United King-
dom. Such dotted language necessitated a 
five-page glossary of abbreviations and ac-
ronyms preceding the index. McElroy's 
own essay, "The Library in the College: 
Working in Education,'' reflects a clear 
sense of direction about college librarian-
ship and a strong commitment to its en-
hancement. He emphasizes the impor-
tance of the teaching role for a librarian 
and the need to be seen and heard on fac-
ulty boards and college committees. He 
contends that ''college librarianship tradi-
tionally requires considerable flexibility of 
library management, a willingness to ex-
periment with significant changes in ma-
jor aspects of service, and the frequent ab-
sence of the librarian from his library'' 
(p.3). As essayist, McElroy successfully 
touches upon the crucial issues outlined 
for discussion within this work. 

"Colleges and Their Libraries," the sec-
ond division, covers an assortment of Brit-
ish levels of higher education. Small li-
braries (20,000 volumes or less), 
polytechnic colleges of further education 
(vocational), monotechnic (navigation, 
art), sixth form, tertiary, and the libraries 
in polytechnic library schools receive con-
sideration within the context of the oper-

July 1985 

ating environment for college libraries. In 
"Polytechnics and Central Institutions" 
John Cowley observes that "library, com-
puter, and educational technology ser-
vices will grow closer together as disci-
plines and systems converge into an 
integrated learning resource" (p.151). 
Such predictions fall close to home with 
the U.S. librarians' recommendations in 
Alliance For Excellence. 

In the final section, and by far the long-
est, the essays drift from very specific, 
even practical, discussions of staffing pat-
terns and duties, collection development 
(stock exploitation), finance, reader ser-
vices, user education, and new technol-
ogy to the status of libraries in North 
America (limited to community college 
learning resource centers), Australia, and 
Continental Europe. John Bate concludes 
the volume with his essay, "Some Trends 
in Further and Higher Education to 2000: 
The Libraries' Response." He expresses a 
realization that the future of Great Britain 
(and that of us all) bespeaks an increas-
ingly leisure-oriented society with empha-
sis on technical, specialized training, and 
continuing education. 

If one strips away the British slant and 
searches for the philosophical enlighten-
ment of forces pressuring and motivating 
college librarians and if one reflects upon 
McElroy's proposed theses, then one can 
digest some worthwhile information scat-
tered among the separate essays. The 
apologies of the editor for whatever faults 
exist in his not tampering with the selec-
tions do not alleviate the redundacy and 
incohesiveness facing the reader. With the 
potential of assessing the value of college 
libraries to lifelong learning in a changing 
society, College Librarianship falls short of 
its objectives. The whole does not equal 
the sum of its parts nor the purchase 
price.-Constance L. Foster, Western Ken-
tucky University, Bowling Green. 

Caputo, Janette~· The Assertive Librarian. 
Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx, 1984. 254p. $19.50 
LC 83-43252 ISBN 0-89774-085-8. 
Assertiveness training is based on the 

premise that people are free to choose 
how they will behave from one situation · 
to the next. The assertive option involves