reviews Book Reviews 599 that best fit their institution and can glean from them the parts that will best work for them. With more than twenty pages of appendices, Breivik provides ample information to support any new informa­ tion literacy endeavor. This volume is an important resource for all academic libraries that are looking at ways to create information literacy pro­ grams or to enhance existing instructional programs. Instruction librarians unsure of where to start in the implementation of a new literacy program will be well served by the information found in this book.—Laverne Simoneaux, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond. Chilling Admissions: The Affirmative Action Crisis and the Search for Alternatives. Ed. Gary Orfield and Edward Miller. Cam­ bridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Publishing Group, 1998. 132 p. $15.95 (ISBN 1-891792-00-8). LC 98-71079. Affirmative action is a loaded term these days. In some instances, the discussion of affirmative action focuses on the wide­ spread discrimination in hiring and pro­ motion practices that it is intended to address, as well as the under-representa­ tion of women and minorities in many professions and in administrative posi­ tions (including those in academic librar­ ies). At other times, and in other contexts, the discussion is focused on what is per­ ceived, by some, to be another type of discrimination—which they believe is being perpetuated by affirmative action policies and “minority set-aside” pro­ grams. In the academic environment, there are important considerations both with regard to the composition of faculty, staff, and student body, but also to the representation of diverse perspectives in the classroom and library. Chilling Admissions, the publication of the results of a project funded by the MacArthur, Mellon, Rockefeller, and Charles Stewart Mott Foundations, among others, is the first publication by the new think tank, the Harvard Civil Rights Project. Working with a variety of theoretical perspectives, historical analy­ sis, and empirical research, this book is based on the premise that there is a com­ pelling need for the use of empirical data in the investigation of issues related to af­ firmative action. It is also based on the assumption that there is a need to pro­ vide substantive evaluation of both the results of eliminating race, as a factor, in admissions and financial aid decisions, and of the potential for success of alter­ native strategies—such as affirmative ac­ tion based on class—in achieving a cul­ turally diverse student body. The foreword and introduction, writ­ ten by Harvard law and education fac­ ulty, Edley and Orfield respectively, frame the discussion in terms of the legislation and judicial decisions that have shaped civil rights and affirmative action pro­ grams and debate in the U.S., including Brown vs. the Board of Education, the Bakke case, and Hopwood. Other authors—in­ cluding administrators and academics in the areas of law, education, public affairs, and sociology—provide historical over­ view and current analysis of the issues. They focus on critical legal cases as they relate to affirmative action in the states of California, Texas, Maryland, and Missis­ sippi. These authors provide evidence which disproves many of the widely held assumptions about affirmative action, in­ cluding the idea that enrollments of white and Asian students will rise sharply with the elimination of affirmative action and that only admissions, not applications and enrollment, of minorities will be af­ fected by the elimination of race-based approaches. Chilling Admissions is generally well- written and relatively comprehensive in coverage. The focus is on those states which have been most affected by recent court decisions and legislation. Major shortcomings are the lack of an index, and the inconsistent handling of lists of refer­ ences and notes, and in the presentation and discussion of data among the chap- ters—the latter making comparison and synthesis difficult. This book presents a convincing argu­ ment that the abandonment of affirma­ 600 College & Research Libraries November 1999 tive action programs has had a negative impact on minority admissions. Its aban­ donment also affects enrollment; the number of minority applicants declines and some of those who are accepted choose to attend other institutions which may offer more welcoming environments and more students like themselves. The reader is presented, in Chilling Admissions, with a substantive, research-based discus­ sion of an issue critical to academic librar­ ies.—Mark Winston, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Digital Culture: Maximising the Nation’s Investment: A Synthesis of JISC/NPO Studies on the Preservation of Electronic Materials. Ed. Mary Feeney. London: British Library Board, 1999. 85p. (ISBN 0-7123-4645-7). It has been clear for some time that in digi­ tal preservation matters the U.K. and Australian library and archival commu­ nities are well in advance of those in the U.S.A. This booklet emphatically marks the practical progress that Britain has made so far and is an essential framework for anyone working in the difficult area of digital preservation. Its eight chapters are related to the previous work of a num­ ber of U.K. agencies; the seven relevant studies are included in the brief bibliog­ raphy. (JISC is the Joint Information Ser­ vices Committee of the U.K. Higher Edu­ cation Funding Council, an outgrowth of the 1993 Follett Commission that articu­ lated the digital library needs for U.K. universities; NPO stands for the National Preservation Office.) We can be grateful to the Digital Archive Working Group (DAWG) and its chair Peter Fox for commissioning this progress report. Its collation of the cru­ cial studies over the past three years (none older than 1997) shows the remarkable speed with which important work can be done. This summary also displays one common characteristic of the varied study groups: the usefulness that each one found in taxonomy. The chapter on stakeholders describes potential interested parties (e.g., creators, rights-holders, providers, archivists, regulators) and the nature of their inter­ ests. The chapter on technological deci­ sions examines the major technological approaches: technology preservation, technology emulation, and data migra- Statement of ownership, management, and circulation College & Research Libraries, ISSN 0010-0870, is published bimonthly by the Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611-2795. The editor is Donald E. Riggs, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796. Annual subscription price, $60.00. Printed in U.S.A. with sec­ ond-class postage paid at Chicago, Illinois. As a nonprofit organization authorized to mail at special rates (DMM Section 424.12 only), the purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding twelve months. Extent and nature of circulation (Average figures denote the average number of copies printed each issue during the preceding twelve months; actual figures denote actual number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date: September 1998 issue.) Total number of copies printed: average 12,888; actual 13,458. Sales through dealers, carriers, street vendors, and counter sales: none. Mail subscription: av­ erage 12,609; actual 12,721. Free distribution: average 38; actual 39. Total distribution: average 12,647; actual 12,760. Office use, leftover, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: average 241; actual 698. Total: average 12,888; actual 13,458. Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (PS Form 3526, Sept. 1998) for 1999 filed with the United States Post Office Postmaster in Chicago, October 1, 1999.