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A guide to the literature of electronic publishing: CD-ROM, desktop publishing, and electronic mail, books, and journals
The Review Section
247
superseded and thereby limit its usefulness and timeliness. The flip side of this however, is that potential users of his information must write for the most current publications list from an agency, review the contents of this list for items of interest, and then send for these items. These steps are not free. My criticisms of this distinctive tool are two. The first, a minor point on format, is a preference for the inclusion of the agency address with the agency entry in part two rather than in a separate section at the back of the book. My second criticism, a major point, concerns the coverage of the work. Spencer does not claim to be comprehensive (p. 7). He also notes that if an agency’s publications list included items which “were for sale or. . . written for specialists” (p. 12) they were omitted. The result is some rather surprising omissions. Readers will find these federal departments and their respective subject areas, among others, untouched: Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Transportation. While these branches of the federal government may produce publications lists which include technical items or specialized publications they merited some inclusion, especially given their role in our lives, in the contents of Spencer’s book. A work on free government publications is singular in topic and potentially of immense utility to all libraries. As Spencer himself notes, the depository program administered by the Government Printing Office (GPO) provides tremendous access to government documents. The GPO however, does not print nor make available everything released by federal agencies. The agencies themselves can often be the only sources for items. With this in mind, all libraries may be able to employ agency publications lists to their benefit. Success in acquiring items via publications lists will be determined by the resources and routines available for the work required. Libraries which are not part of the depository program should find this work most helpful. Libraries which do participate in the depository program will need to evaluate the usefulness of the publication list concept and the items received using such lists in conjunction with their current depository profiles and receipts. Those libraries which require technical or specialized publications will find Spencer’s work least useful. Michael D. Cramer Science Reference Librarian University Libraries Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA 24061-0434
A Guide to the Literature of Electronic Publishing: CD-ROM, Desktop Publishing, and Electronic Mail, Books, and Journals. Michael R. Gabriel. Foundations in Library and Information Science, Volume 24. Greenwich, CT; JAI Press Inc., 1989. xiii, 187 pp. $58.50 ISBN I-55938-044-6. This book is principally a bibliography of English language books, journal articles, proceedings, and special reports from 1944 to 1988 on the topic of electronic publishing. Secondar-
248
The Review Section
ily, it is a series of essays on four topics: electronic books, journals, and libraries; videotex, teletext, and electronic mail; desktop publishing; and optical disk systems. There are more pages of bibliography than text. There is also an appendix with a list of “Periodicals of Value for Information about Electronic Publishing,” and a five-page subject index (which does not connect to the bibliographies). The essays discuss the four topics above and cite some of the articles contained in the bibliographies. Online databases are treated peripherally in the first two chapters but are not covered at all in the remainder of the book since the author points out there is already a comprehensive bibliography on this topic. In his summary, the author discusses the cultural role of electronic media, comparing television (a pictorial medium) with electronic publishing (a print medium) and postulates that the paperless society may not result in as great a change in behavior as originally predicted. He does not see electronic publishing moving into the consumer market as rapidly in this country as it has in European countries. He also sees the major impact of electronic publishing in the areas of technology and education. For the student interested in the history of the introduction of technology into the pubiishing of books and journals, the chapters on electronic books, journals and libraries and on desktop publishing are very interesting and show the progression of technology-making the production of books and journals much easier and cost effective. The author also compares the advantages and disadvantages of the two media: the book and the electronic document system. The book shows advantages of accessibility, portability, and convenience whereas the electronic media are not static and can add graphics and sound. Electronic media can also be revised and updated easily. Although electronic media are tied to a machine, it is possible to get print-outs. Finally, there is frequently discomfort attached to the use of electronic media. The essay on videotex, teletext, and electronic mail has an informative discussion of the developments in Europe compared to those in the United States, concluding that governmentsponsored programs in England and France have resulted in more users than commerciallysponsored efforts in this country. There is interesting historical background on Prestel in England and on Minitel in France. He sees the failure of videotex in the United States as a matter of pricing. The chapter on desktop publishing gives a short history of the origin of this type of publishing, starting with the Xerox Alto in the 1970s and the major breakthrough in 1984 with the Macintosh and its facilities of text editing and camera-ready copy (with a Laserprinter). Gabriel points out that small publishing has nourished since the advent of desktop technology, moving from 1,000 publishers in 1958 to 14,000 in 1985. The final essay in the chapter on Optical Disk systems is a disappointment. The essay is four pages long and covers only the basic technical differences between CD-ROM, WORM, and erasable disks. There is no discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM, the expansion of the industry, or its future. Since this area is a major growth area in electronic publishing, it is unfortunate the coverage is so slight. The bibliographies in the book are not very “user friendly” to borrow an electronic publishing term. There is no author or subject index. The bibliographies are not in small subject groups, but rather in long alphabetic lists. Since there are no annotations (except for the very few discussions in the text), it is hard to tell what is important literature and what is not. One presumes this is a selective bibliography. However, with close to a 100 pages of bibliography, there should have been some evaluative criteria. The essays seem to stand by themselves. fndeed in one essay (page 123) there is a very poor citation to an article by Jack Shoemaker. Cited in the text (no footnote) and not in the bibliography, the reference is as follows: (“Will
The Review Section
249
books survive,” 1985). Strangely, this reference is not noted in the large bibliography following the chapter on electronic books, journals, and libraries. One wonders why, since this book is supposed to be a “Guide to the Literature,” there are no annotations, no detailed subject breakdowns, and no index of authors or subjects. This work really provides no guidance to the literature. One would be better off looking at an electronic index, or perhaps using printed indexes, than using this book since it contains no evaluative information. Gabriel’s book is not recommended for purchase by libraries since it does not do what it has set out to do, that is, provide a tour of the literature on the topic of electronic publishing. In any case, the essays are a redeeming feature of the book. They are uniformly informative and provide good historical background to the developments in this field. Nevertheless, the book is not worth purchasing for the essays alone. Not only are some very short, but portions of two articles have been published elsewhere. Frederick C. Lynden Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services Brown University Library Providence, Rhode Island 02912
Acquisitions Manual: Guidelines for Librarians, Bookdealers, and Publishers. William D. Ilgen and Deborah Jakubs. Madison, WI; SALALM Secretariat, University of Wisconsin Library, 1988. 95 pp. $18.00. ISBN O-917617-18-5. With the demise of the Latin American Cooperative Acquisitions Project (LACAP), Latin American bibliographers have come to depend more heavily than before on bookdealers in Latin America to satisfy their needs for literature of that region. Consequently, many established bookdealers grew stronger while new ones appeared on the scene. However, Latin American bibliographers began experiencing a lack of communication between themselves and the dealers regarding correct bibliographic information about materials the latter offered for sale. This problem was discussed in a Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM) workshop in 1974 and the idea of compiling a manual, such as the present one, was broached. The idea finally came to fruition in 1988. The manual is in three language versions: English, Spanish, and Portuguese, each taking up about 31 pages. In Part I, which deals with lists, catalogues, and order forms, the authors recommend norms for bibliographic description of items offered for sale. They include all the elements of standard cataloging practice and, in addition, deal with such other matters as sets and series, subscriptions and standing orders, classified lists, and so forth. Part II deals with selection and acquisition practices of libraries, bibliographic searching, ordering, claiming, cancelling, returns, invoicing, payments, and so forth. There is a four-page analytical index at the end. The manual meets a long-standing demand and will be useful not only to Latin American bibliographers but others as well. The title is recommended for all types of libraries buying regularly from Latin America and other Third World countries. The manual is available from
247
superseded and thereby limit its usefulness and timeliness. The flip side of this however, is that potential users of his information must write for the most current publications list from an agency, review the contents of this list for items of interest, and then send for these items. These steps are not free. My criticisms of this distinctive tool are two. The first, a minor point on format, is a preference for the inclusion of the agency address with the agency entry in part two rather than in a separate section at the back of the book. My second criticism, a major point, concerns the coverage of the work. Spencer does not claim to be comprehensive (p. 7). He also notes that if an agency’s publications list included items which “were for sale or. . . written for specialists” (p. 12) they were omitted. The result is some rather surprising omissions. Readers will find these federal departments and their respective subject areas, among others, untouched: Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, and Department of Transportation. While these branches of the federal government may produce publications lists which include technical items or specialized publications they merited some inclusion, especially given their role in our lives, in the contents of Spencer’s book. A work on free government publications is singular in topic and potentially of immense utility to all libraries. As Spencer himself notes, the depository program administered by the Government Printing Office (GPO) provides tremendous access to government documents. The GPO however, does not print nor make available everything released by federal agencies. The agencies themselves can often be the only sources for items. With this in mind, all libraries may be able to employ agency publications lists to their benefit. Success in acquiring items via publications lists will be determined by the resources and routines available for the work required. Libraries which are not part of the depository program should find this work most helpful. Libraries which do participate in the depository program will need to evaluate the usefulness of the publication list concept and the items received using such lists in conjunction with their current depository profiles and receipts. Those libraries which require technical or specialized publications will find Spencer’s work least useful. Michael D. Cramer Science Reference Librarian University Libraries Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA 24061-0434
A Guide to the Literature of Electronic Publishing: CD-ROM, Desktop Publishing, and Electronic Mail, Books, and Journals. Michael R. Gabriel. Foundations in Library and Information Science, Volume 24. Greenwich, CT; JAI Press Inc., 1989. xiii, 187 pp. $58.50 ISBN I-55938-044-6. This book is principally a bibliography of English language books, journal articles, proceedings, and special reports from 1944 to 1988 on the topic of electronic publishing. Secondar-
248
The Review Section
ily, it is a series of essays on four topics: electronic books, journals, and libraries; videotex, teletext, and electronic mail; desktop publishing; and optical disk systems. There are more pages of bibliography than text. There is also an appendix with a list of “Periodicals of Value for Information about Electronic Publishing,” and a five-page subject index (which does not connect to the bibliographies). The essays discuss the four topics above and cite some of the articles contained in the bibliographies. Online databases are treated peripherally in the first two chapters but are not covered at all in the remainder of the book since the author points out there is already a comprehensive bibliography on this topic. In his summary, the author discusses the cultural role of electronic media, comparing television (a pictorial medium) with electronic publishing (a print medium) and postulates that the paperless society may not result in as great a change in behavior as originally predicted. He does not see electronic publishing moving into the consumer market as rapidly in this country as it has in European countries. He also sees the major impact of electronic publishing in the areas of technology and education. For the student interested in the history of the introduction of technology into the pubiishing of books and journals, the chapters on electronic books, journals and libraries and on desktop publishing are very interesting and show the progression of technology-making the production of books and journals much easier and cost effective. The author also compares the advantages and disadvantages of the two media: the book and the electronic document system. The book shows advantages of accessibility, portability, and convenience whereas the electronic media are not static and can add graphics and sound. Electronic media can also be revised and updated easily. Although electronic media are tied to a machine, it is possible to get print-outs. Finally, there is frequently discomfort attached to the use of electronic media. The essay on videotex, teletext, and electronic mail has an informative discussion of the developments in Europe compared to those in the United States, concluding that governmentsponsored programs in England and France have resulted in more users than commerciallysponsored efforts in this country. There is interesting historical background on Prestel in England and on Minitel in France. He sees the failure of videotex in the United States as a matter of pricing. The chapter on desktop publishing gives a short history of the origin of this type of publishing, starting with the Xerox Alto in the 1970s and the major breakthrough in 1984 with the Macintosh and its facilities of text editing and camera-ready copy (with a Laserprinter). Gabriel points out that small publishing has nourished since the advent of desktop technology, moving from 1,000 publishers in 1958 to 14,000 in 1985. The final essay in the chapter on Optical Disk systems is a disappointment. The essay is four pages long and covers only the basic technical differences between CD-ROM, WORM, and erasable disks. There is no discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM, the expansion of the industry, or its future. Since this area is a major growth area in electronic publishing, it is unfortunate the coverage is so slight. The bibliographies in the book are not very “user friendly” to borrow an electronic publishing term. There is no author or subject index. The bibliographies are not in small subject groups, but rather in long alphabetic lists. Since there are no annotations (except for the very few discussions in the text), it is hard to tell what is important literature and what is not. One presumes this is a selective bibliography. However, with close to a 100 pages of bibliography, there should have been some evaluative criteria. The essays seem to stand by themselves. fndeed in one essay (page 123) there is a very poor citation to an article by Jack Shoemaker. Cited in the text (no footnote) and not in the bibliography, the reference is as follows: (“Will
The Review Section
249
books survive,” 1985). Strangely, this reference is not noted in the large bibliography following the chapter on electronic books, journals, and libraries. One wonders why, since this book is supposed to be a “Guide to the Literature,” there are no annotations, no detailed subject breakdowns, and no index of authors or subjects. This work really provides no guidance to the literature. One would be better off looking at an electronic index, or perhaps using printed indexes, than using this book since it contains no evaluative information. Gabriel’s book is not recommended for purchase by libraries since it does not do what it has set out to do, that is, provide a tour of the literature on the topic of electronic publishing. In any case, the essays are a redeeming feature of the book. They are uniformly informative and provide good historical background to the developments in this field. Nevertheless, the book is not worth purchasing for the essays alone. Not only are some very short, but portions of two articles have been published elsewhere. Frederick C. Lynden Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services Brown University Library Providence, Rhode Island 02912
Acquisitions Manual: Guidelines for Librarians, Bookdealers, and Publishers. William D. Ilgen and Deborah Jakubs. Madison, WI; SALALM Secretariat, University of Wisconsin Library, 1988. 95 pp. $18.00. ISBN O-917617-18-5. With the demise of the Latin American Cooperative Acquisitions Project (LACAP), Latin American bibliographers have come to depend more heavily than before on bookdealers in Latin America to satisfy their needs for literature of that region. Consequently, many established bookdealers grew stronger while new ones appeared on the scene. However, Latin American bibliographers began experiencing a lack of communication between themselves and the dealers regarding correct bibliographic information about materials the latter offered for sale. This problem was discussed in a Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM) workshop in 1974 and the idea of compiling a manual, such as the present one, was broached. The idea finally came to fruition in 1988. The manual is in three language versions: English, Spanish, and Portuguese, each taking up about 31 pages. In Part I, which deals with lists, catalogues, and order forms, the authors recommend norms for bibliographic description of items offered for sale. They include all the elements of standard cataloging practice and, in addition, deal with such other matters as sets and series, subscriptions and standing orders, classified lists, and so forth. Part II deals with selection and acquisition practices of libraries, bibliographic searching, ordering, claiming, cancelling, returns, invoicing, payments, and so forth. There is a four-page analytical index at the end. The manual meets a long-standing demand and will be useful not only to Latin American bibliographers but others as well. The title is recommended for all types of libraries buying regularly from Latin America and other Third World countries. The manual is available from