- Email: [email protected]
Annual Review of Information Science and Technology
Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
Reviews LISR considers for review reference works, periodicals, dissertations, research methods texts, computer software, and professional literature concerning the research process and applications of research. Views expressed are those of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect views of the Board of Editors or publisher. Anyone wishing to write reviews or suggest titles should contact Marilyn Domas White, LISR Review Editor, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, Hornbake Library, South Wing, 4117F, College Park, MD 20742 . Publishers and authors likewise are requested to forward announcements or copies of new or forthcoming titles that may interest LISR readers.
Annual Review of Information Science and Technology Edited by Martha E. Williams. Volume 35. Medford, NJ: Information Today (for American Society for Information Science and Technology), 2001. 580 pp. $79.95 (ASIST members); $99.95 (nonmembers). ISBN 1-57387-115-X. For more than three decades, researchers, professionals, and students have turned to the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) for comprehensive and timely reviews on topics of interest and importance. Volume 35 marks the 25th anniversary of Martha E. Williams’ editorship; as she bids farewell, she presents the readers once again with an excellent volume. This ARIST volume includes nine chapters organized into four sections: ‘‘Planning Information Systems and Services’’ (four chapters); ‘‘Basic Techniques and Technologies’’ (three chapters); ‘‘Applications’’ (one chapter); and ‘‘The Profession’’ (one chapter). All the topics are carefully selected to balance those in previous volumes according to a master plan that takes into consideration the dynamism of the field and the needs and interests of the researchers and professionals, especially ASIST members. These scholarly, critical reviews are readable by a broad audience from the authors’ immediate peers, researchers, and practitioners, to students. In the first section, two chapters are considered first-time topics: Chapter 1, ‘‘The Concept of Situation in Information Science,’’ by Colleen Cool, and Chapter 3, ‘‘Distributed Information Management,’’ by William M. Pottenger, Miranda R. Callahan, and Michael A. Padgett. Cool argues that situation is different from context, a closely related concept, and can be disambiguated usefully from it. She also brings together six approaches to situations by various fields, including sociology, anthropology, psychology, and ecology. Further, she concludes that the concept situation does not have a single definition but is a potentially 0740-8188/02/$ – see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
400
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
important unit variable in theoretical developments and empirical studies of informationseeking behavior and information-retrieval interaction. In Chapter 3, the authors acknowledge that what constitutes a distributed information management system (a synonym of the more popular term, digital library) is not clearly defined. Numerous driving factors underlie this rapidly developing domain, other challenges face the profession. Further research is needed to go beyond the current exploratory projects. The identified research areas include new organizing standards and access methods for scalable multimedia information resources, paradigm shifting of scholarly publishing, cultural and social influences, multidisciplinary collaborations, and personalized information environments. This well-written chapter should have included Borgman’s (1999) article, ‘‘What Are Digital Libraries? Competing Visions,’’ based on a 1996 National Science Foundation–funded conference on social aspects of digital libraries. Included also in the first section are two reviews updating and expanding previously treated topics. Chapter 2, ‘‘Conceptual Frameworks in Information Behavior,’’ by Karen E. Pettigrew, Raya Fidel, and Harry Bruce, updates the classic and frequent topic of information needs and uses (occurred last time in Volume 25, 1990). The authors defend the use of the term ‘‘information behavior’’ (whose semantics and syntax were well debated on the JESSE listserv1 in December 1999) and further ‘‘define it as a study of how people need, seek, give, and use information in different contexts, including the workplace and everyday living’’ (p. 44). In fact, Schamber (1994) used this term to title her ARIST chapter (although not referred to in this chapter). Pettigrew, Fidel, and Bruce acknowledge two more frequently cited theories — Kuhlthau’s information search process and Dervin’s sense-making approach, and fit the new theoretical developments into three broad categories: cognitive approaches, social approaches, and multifaceted approaches. They conclude that research must continue to enhance existing frameworks and to derive new ones, and they call for greater dialog and collaboration between behavioral theorists and system designers. This well-written chapter would have been more inclusive if Ingwersen’s (1992, 1996) model of cognitive information retrieval interaction had been included, although his name was mentioned along with Belkin, Dervin, Kuhlhthau, and Wilson. Given that the chapter cites De Mey (1980, 1982) and Belkin and Vickery (1985), this reviewer believes that Ingwersen’s work is important in advancing this line of theorization. Chapter 4, ‘‘Digital Privacy: Toward a New Politics and Discursive Practice,’’ is more concerned with conceptualization of privacy and digital privacy rather than with policy. Although the topic of privacy has been reviewed twice in previous volumes, Philip Doty focuses on digital privacy specifically. He challenges current conceptions and codified practices of privacy, especially in digital environments, by addressing its weakness and problems. He treats the subject in depth by offering a more inclusive and complex understanding of its development in many disciplines and current situations in various
1
JESSE listserv is an electronic Open Library and Information Science Education Forum for the Association of Library and Information Science Education. Its archives, dating back to 1994, can be found at http:// listserv.utk.edu/archives/jesse.html (accessed July 26, 2002).
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
401
private and public settings. The hope for true protection of privacy in digital environments depends on members of society integrating the complex understandings into everyday social practice and discursive behavior, rather than just on legal, philosophical, moral, and other guarantees, such as privacy-enhancing technology. This, the longest, chapter has 131 pages and 325 citations. In the third section, there are three first-time topics: chapter 5, ‘‘Subject Access Points in Electronic Retrieval,’’ by Birger Hjørland and Lykke Kyllesbech Nielsen; Chapter 6, ‘‘Methods of Generating and Evaluating Hypertext,’’ by James Blustein and Mark S. Staveley; and Chapter 7, ‘‘Digital Preservation,’’ by Elizabeth Yakel. Chapter 5 uses subject access points (SAPs) as a synonym for search fields or document representations. The authors believe that SAPs are essential in information retrieval but less researched than are users. They identify five stages of historical developments of SAPs: collectiondependent manual cataloging and classification, content-access-oriented documentation (indexing and abstracting), computerized information storage and retrieval, citation-based retrieval, and full text and hypertext. Criteria are used to compare various access points and methods, such as derived versus assigned, author-generated versus indexer-assigned, precoordinated versus postcoordinated. A close look is given to specific SAPs: titles, abstracts, citations, and full text; the other SAPs, such as descriptors, identifiers, and classification codes, are briefly discussed and noted as big areas in information science. Chapter 6 begins with defining hypertext and identifying the types of hypertext and their applications. The authors review the various approaches to generating hypertext, from manual to interactive. Three mathematical models (matrices) are used to evaluate hypertext: computing path lengths (achieving the shortest path between all pairs of documents), computing coverage (how documents are connected within the collection), and computing correlation (measuring the distance of similar documents). Human factors relevant to evaluation are examined through experiments as part of an interactive design development process or human-computer interaction research. In Chapter 7, Yakel focuses on preservation of textual and image-based digital materials. Preservation of two types of materials is examined: born-digital and digitally recreated. Preservation of born-digital materials has been the subject of a considerable amount of research, whereas preservation of digitally recreated materials needs to move from a technological focus to other important issues, such as selection, long-term management, and economics. She also notes that the dominant research method has been case studies; a variety of research methods and more rigorous methodologies are needed. The third section features one new topic, which is presented in Chapter 8, ‘‘Knowledge Management: An Introduction,’’ by Noreen MacMorrow. Although many definitions exist, ‘‘knowledge management (KM) is used loosely to refer to a broad collection of organizational practices and approaches related to generating, capturing, disseminating, and applying knowledge’’ (p. 382). She further discusses the types of knowledge as conceptualized by various writers (from philosophers to information and KM researchers), the economic context in which KM is developing, the relationship between intellectual capital and KM, the interest in building learning organizations (organizational learning), and KM strategies and processes. Empirical studies are reviewed to provide reports of current practice of KM.
402
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
Finally, the role of the information professional in the corporate environment should be reoriented toward connecting people with information and those who want and need it. She concludes that KM must be integrated and embedded in the organization, its strategy, people, processes, and culture to be successful and that KM does not belong to a single discipline or profession. The final section, Chapter 9, ‘‘Library and Information Science Education in the Nineties,’’ is by Elisabeth Logan and Ingrid Hsieh-Yee. They look back on the historical low points in the 1980s when 10 American Library Association–accredited library programs were closed. The 1990s, however, marked the turning point of the profession in finding a new identity. The social and political context, and the technological and economic context, facilitated the transformation of library and information science (LIS) education. LIS schools underwent restructuring and expanding curricula; they broadened the scope beyond traditional library focus to include information and technology, extending into new domains, such as distance education, undergraduate programs, and continuing education, and strengthening faculty with new members with diverse expertise. The authors note optimistically, ‘‘the field is much stronger now than at the end of the eighties’’ (p. 425) and ‘‘LIS programs are poised for an exciting future’’ (p. 454). As highlighted previously, the volume is well worth reading closely for its content and coverage. The structure and format of ARIST chapters are also exemplary. All chapters are structured with an introduction, main body (may include several sections), and conclusion. Headings of different levels are identifiable by centering, bold font, uppercase or title case letters, and italicizing. Reference style follows closely the ANSI Z39.29 standard; additional elements, such as ISBN and CODEN, are included, and cited names are spelled fully in uppercase letters for easy locating. According to the editor, the editorial staff verified each of the cited references for accuracy by obtaining a copy of the sources. The volume includes a well-prepared index (subjects and names). For entries of the cited authors, both the text pages and the bibliography pages are referenced, but differentiated by italicizing the latter. The book, however, does not include brief biographic sketches and e-mail addresses of the contributing authors, only their institutional affiliations and mailing addresses. As a value-added part, the volume has a cumulative keyword and author index of titles for the entire series, the 35 ARIST volumes. Although the cumulative indexes are valuable to the readers in tracing relevant topics previously covered, the volumes grow bulkier over time. At the time of this writing, volume 36 of the ARIST (Blaise Cronin, editor, and Debora Shaw, associate editor) has been published without a cumulative index of the series. As an alternative for future volumes, the cumulative index could be made as a CD-ROM database with enhanced search functions.
References Borgman, C. L. (1966). What are digital libraries? Competing visions. Information Processing & Management, 35, 227 – 243. Ingwersen, P. (1993). Information retrieval interaction. London: Taylor Graham.
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
403
Ingwersen, P. (2000). Cognitive perspectives of information retrieval interaction: Elements of a cognitive IR theory. Journal of Documentation, 52, 3 – 50. Schamber, L. (1991). Relevance and information behavior. In M. E. Williams (Ed.), Annual review of information science and technology ( pp. 3 – 48). Cambridge, MA: Learned Information.
Peiling Wang School of Information Sciences The University of Tennessee–Knoxville Knoxville, TN 37996, USA E-mail address: [email protected] PII: S 0 7 4 0 - 8 1 8 8 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 5 7 - 3
International Librarianship: Cooperation and Collaboration Edited by Frances Laverne Carroll and John Frederick Harvey. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001. 384 pp. $65.00 (hardcover). ISBN 0-8108-3921-0. ‘‘Although it is typical for people to be somewhat parochial, parochialism is not a good strategy for the future . . . . A society cannot remain isolated from the rest of the world today; however, a society and its members can still be parochialistic if they do not understand the existence of cultural differences. Collaboration is one means to overcome parochialism’’ (p. 203). Mirja Iivonen and Maria Parma, from Finland, writing with an American, Diane Sonnenwald, exemplify the goal of this book in this passage from their article, as they discuss cooperation and collaboration among librarians of the small towns, islands, and sparsely populated rural areas of the Barent region, the northern perimeters of Finland; Norway; Sweden; and Russia. This collection has something to offer any professional with an interest or need to know about international cooperation among librarians, whether in a particular region or on a type of library service. International Librarianship: Cooperation and Collaboration is an antidote to the dry and tedious reports of conferences and international organizations that sometimes appear in professional journals. The best articles are inspiring stories of dedicated and creative professionals. Many of the authors write from parts of the world where information for decision making or the value of freedom of access to information are tenuous concepts. Government resources devoted to library collections, materials, and equipment are usually a tiny fraction of support provided by U.S. organizations to equivalent institutions. Librarians in the United States are often found in the forefront of international organizations, and frequently take part in international collaborative efforts with their counterparts around the globe. They are also frequently asked to consult around the world as experts in their area of library work. The influence of the United States on library services, whether in cataloging standards, the curriculum for library education programs, the organization of reference services, or the architectural design for library buildings, to name a few issues, is overwhelming around the world. Yet, U.S. experts know they are mistaken if they assume that U.S. solutions to library problems can solve library problems in other parts of the world. Many chapters in this book describe successful efforts that integrate international standards
Reviews LISR considers for review reference works, periodicals, dissertations, research methods texts, computer software, and professional literature concerning the research process and applications of research. Views expressed are those of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect views of the Board of Editors or publisher. Anyone wishing to write reviews or suggest titles should contact Marilyn Domas White, LISR Review Editor, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, Hornbake Library, South Wing, 4117F, College Park, MD 20742 . Publishers and authors likewise are requested to forward announcements or copies of new or forthcoming titles that may interest LISR readers.
Annual Review of Information Science and Technology Edited by Martha E. Williams. Volume 35. Medford, NJ: Information Today (for American Society for Information Science and Technology), 2001. 580 pp. $79.95 (ASIST members); $99.95 (nonmembers). ISBN 1-57387-115-X. For more than three decades, researchers, professionals, and students have turned to the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) for comprehensive and timely reviews on topics of interest and importance. Volume 35 marks the 25th anniversary of Martha E. Williams’ editorship; as she bids farewell, she presents the readers once again with an excellent volume. This ARIST volume includes nine chapters organized into four sections: ‘‘Planning Information Systems and Services’’ (four chapters); ‘‘Basic Techniques and Technologies’’ (three chapters); ‘‘Applications’’ (one chapter); and ‘‘The Profession’’ (one chapter). All the topics are carefully selected to balance those in previous volumes according to a master plan that takes into consideration the dynamism of the field and the needs and interests of the researchers and professionals, especially ASIST members. These scholarly, critical reviews are readable by a broad audience from the authors’ immediate peers, researchers, and practitioners, to students. In the first section, two chapters are considered first-time topics: Chapter 1, ‘‘The Concept of Situation in Information Science,’’ by Colleen Cool, and Chapter 3, ‘‘Distributed Information Management,’’ by William M. Pottenger, Miranda R. Callahan, and Michael A. Padgett. Cool argues that situation is different from context, a closely related concept, and can be disambiguated usefully from it. She also brings together six approaches to situations by various fields, including sociology, anthropology, psychology, and ecology. Further, she concludes that the concept situation does not have a single definition but is a potentially 0740-8188/02/$ – see front matter D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
400
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
important unit variable in theoretical developments and empirical studies of informationseeking behavior and information-retrieval interaction. In Chapter 3, the authors acknowledge that what constitutes a distributed information management system (a synonym of the more popular term, digital library) is not clearly defined. Numerous driving factors underlie this rapidly developing domain, other challenges face the profession. Further research is needed to go beyond the current exploratory projects. The identified research areas include new organizing standards and access methods for scalable multimedia information resources, paradigm shifting of scholarly publishing, cultural and social influences, multidisciplinary collaborations, and personalized information environments. This well-written chapter should have included Borgman’s (1999) article, ‘‘What Are Digital Libraries? Competing Visions,’’ based on a 1996 National Science Foundation–funded conference on social aspects of digital libraries. Included also in the first section are two reviews updating and expanding previously treated topics. Chapter 2, ‘‘Conceptual Frameworks in Information Behavior,’’ by Karen E. Pettigrew, Raya Fidel, and Harry Bruce, updates the classic and frequent topic of information needs and uses (occurred last time in Volume 25, 1990). The authors defend the use of the term ‘‘information behavior’’ (whose semantics and syntax were well debated on the JESSE listserv1 in December 1999) and further ‘‘define it as a study of how people need, seek, give, and use information in different contexts, including the workplace and everyday living’’ (p. 44). In fact, Schamber (1994) used this term to title her ARIST chapter (although not referred to in this chapter). Pettigrew, Fidel, and Bruce acknowledge two more frequently cited theories — Kuhlthau’s information search process and Dervin’s sense-making approach, and fit the new theoretical developments into three broad categories: cognitive approaches, social approaches, and multifaceted approaches. They conclude that research must continue to enhance existing frameworks and to derive new ones, and they call for greater dialog and collaboration between behavioral theorists and system designers. This well-written chapter would have been more inclusive if Ingwersen’s (1992, 1996) model of cognitive information retrieval interaction had been included, although his name was mentioned along with Belkin, Dervin, Kuhlhthau, and Wilson. Given that the chapter cites De Mey (1980, 1982) and Belkin and Vickery (1985), this reviewer believes that Ingwersen’s work is important in advancing this line of theorization. Chapter 4, ‘‘Digital Privacy: Toward a New Politics and Discursive Practice,’’ is more concerned with conceptualization of privacy and digital privacy rather than with policy. Although the topic of privacy has been reviewed twice in previous volumes, Philip Doty focuses on digital privacy specifically. He challenges current conceptions and codified practices of privacy, especially in digital environments, by addressing its weakness and problems. He treats the subject in depth by offering a more inclusive and complex understanding of its development in many disciplines and current situations in various
1
JESSE listserv is an electronic Open Library and Information Science Education Forum for the Association of Library and Information Science Education. Its archives, dating back to 1994, can be found at http:// listserv.utk.edu/archives/jesse.html (accessed July 26, 2002).
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
401
private and public settings. The hope for true protection of privacy in digital environments depends on members of society integrating the complex understandings into everyday social practice and discursive behavior, rather than just on legal, philosophical, moral, and other guarantees, such as privacy-enhancing technology. This, the longest, chapter has 131 pages and 325 citations. In the third section, there are three first-time topics: chapter 5, ‘‘Subject Access Points in Electronic Retrieval,’’ by Birger Hjørland and Lykke Kyllesbech Nielsen; Chapter 6, ‘‘Methods of Generating and Evaluating Hypertext,’’ by James Blustein and Mark S. Staveley; and Chapter 7, ‘‘Digital Preservation,’’ by Elizabeth Yakel. Chapter 5 uses subject access points (SAPs) as a synonym for search fields or document representations. The authors believe that SAPs are essential in information retrieval but less researched than are users. They identify five stages of historical developments of SAPs: collectiondependent manual cataloging and classification, content-access-oriented documentation (indexing and abstracting), computerized information storage and retrieval, citation-based retrieval, and full text and hypertext. Criteria are used to compare various access points and methods, such as derived versus assigned, author-generated versus indexer-assigned, precoordinated versus postcoordinated. A close look is given to specific SAPs: titles, abstracts, citations, and full text; the other SAPs, such as descriptors, identifiers, and classification codes, are briefly discussed and noted as big areas in information science. Chapter 6 begins with defining hypertext and identifying the types of hypertext and their applications. The authors review the various approaches to generating hypertext, from manual to interactive. Three mathematical models (matrices) are used to evaluate hypertext: computing path lengths (achieving the shortest path between all pairs of documents), computing coverage (how documents are connected within the collection), and computing correlation (measuring the distance of similar documents). Human factors relevant to evaluation are examined through experiments as part of an interactive design development process or human-computer interaction research. In Chapter 7, Yakel focuses on preservation of textual and image-based digital materials. Preservation of two types of materials is examined: born-digital and digitally recreated. Preservation of born-digital materials has been the subject of a considerable amount of research, whereas preservation of digitally recreated materials needs to move from a technological focus to other important issues, such as selection, long-term management, and economics. She also notes that the dominant research method has been case studies; a variety of research methods and more rigorous methodologies are needed. The third section features one new topic, which is presented in Chapter 8, ‘‘Knowledge Management: An Introduction,’’ by Noreen MacMorrow. Although many definitions exist, ‘‘knowledge management (KM) is used loosely to refer to a broad collection of organizational practices and approaches related to generating, capturing, disseminating, and applying knowledge’’ (p. 382). She further discusses the types of knowledge as conceptualized by various writers (from philosophers to information and KM researchers), the economic context in which KM is developing, the relationship between intellectual capital and KM, the interest in building learning organizations (organizational learning), and KM strategies and processes. Empirical studies are reviewed to provide reports of current practice of KM.
402
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
Finally, the role of the information professional in the corporate environment should be reoriented toward connecting people with information and those who want and need it. She concludes that KM must be integrated and embedded in the organization, its strategy, people, processes, and culture to be successful and that KM does not belong to a single discipline or profession. The final section, Chapter 9, ‘‘Library and Information Science Education in the Nineties,’’ is by Elisabeth Logan and Ingrid Hsieh-Yee. They look back on the historical low points in the 1980s when 10 American Library Association–accredited library programs were closed. The 1990s, however, marked the turning point of the profession in finding a new identity. The social and political context, and the technological and economic context, facilitated the transformation of library and information science (LIS) education. LIS schools underwent restructuring and expanding curricula; they broadened the scope beyond traditional library focus to include information and technology, extending into new domains, such as distance education, undergraduate programs, and continuing education, and strengthening faculty with new members with diverse expertise. The authors note optimistically, ‘‘the field is much stronger now than at the end of the eighties’’ (p. 425) and ‘‘LIS programs are poised for an exciting future’’ (p. 454). As highlighted previously, the volume is well worth reading closely for its content and coverage. The structure and format of ARIST chapters are also exemplary. All chapters are structured with an introduction, main body (may include several sections), and conclusion. Headings of different levels are identifiable by centering, bold font, uppercase or title case letters, and italicizing. Reference style follows closely the ANSI Z39.29 standard; additional elements, such as ISBN and CODEN, are included, and cited names are spelled fully in uppercase letters for easy locating. According to the editor, the editorial staff verified each of the cited references for accuracy by obtaining a copy of the sources. The volume includes a well-prepared index (subjects and names). For entries of the cited authors, both the text pages and the bibliography pages are referenced, but differentiated by italicizing the latter. The book, however, does not include brief biographic sketches and e-mail addresses of the contributing authors, only their institutional affiliations and mailing addresses. As a value-added part, the volume has a cumulative keyword and author index of titles for the entire series, the 35 ARIST volumes. Although the cumulative indexes are valuable to the readers in tracing relevant topics previously covered, the volumes grow bulkier over time. At the time of this writing, volume 36 of the ARIST (Blaise Cronin, editor, and Debora Shaw, associate editor) has been published without a cumulative index of the series. As an alternative for future volumes, the cumulative index could be made as a CD-ROM database with enhanced search functions.
References Borgman, C. L. (1966). What are digital libraries? Competing visions. Information Processing & Management, 35, 227 – 243. Ingwersen, P. (1993). Information retrieval interaction. London: Taylor Graham.
Reviews / Library & Information Science Research 24 (2002) 399 – 407
403
Ingwersen, P. (2000). Cognitive perspectives of information retrieval interaction: Elements of a cognitive IR theory. Journal of Documentation, 52, 3 – 50. Schamber, L. (1991). Relevance and information behavior. In M. E. Williams (Ed.), Annual review of information science and technology ( pp. 3 – 48). Cambridge, MA: Learned Information.
Peiling Wang School of Information Sciences The University of Tennessee–Knoxville Knoxville, TN 37996, USA E-mail address: [email protected] PII: S 0 7 4 0 - 8 1 8 8 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 5 7 - 3
International Librarianship: Cooperation and Collaboration Edited by Frances Laverne Carroll and John Frederick Harvey. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001. 384 pp. $65.00 (hardcover). ISBN 0-8108-3921-0. ‘‘Although it is typical for people to be somewhat parochial, parochialism is not a good strategy for the future . . . . A society cannot remain isolated from the rest of the world today; however, a society and its members can still be parochialistic if they do not understand the existence of cultural differences. Collaboration is one means to overcome parochialism’’ (p. 203). Mirja Iivonen and Maria Parma, from Finland, writing with an American, Diane Sonnenwald, exemplify the goal of this book in this passage from their article, as they discuss cooperation and collaboration among librarians of the small towns, islands, and sparsely populated rural areas of the Barent region, the northern perimeters of Finland; Norway; Sweden; and Russia. This collection has something to offer any professional with an interest or need to know about international cooperation among librarians, whether in a particular region or on a type of library service. International Librarianship: Cooperation and Collaboration is an antidote to the dry and tedious reports of conferences and international organizations that sometimes appear in professional journals. The best articles are inspiring stories of dedicated and creative professionals. Many of the authors write from parts of the world where information for decision making or the value of freedom of access to information are tenuous concepts. Government resources devoted to library collections, materials, and equipment are usually a tiny fraction of support provided by U.S. organizations to equivalent institutions. Librarians in the United States are often found in the forefront of international organizations, and frequently take part in international collaborative efforts with their counterparts around the globe. They are also frequently asked to consult around the world as experts in their area of library work. The influence of the United States on library services, whether in cataloging standards, the curriculum for library education programs, the organization of reference services, or the architectural design for library buildings, to name a few issues, is overwhelming around the world. Yet, U.S. experts know they are mistaken if they assume that U.S. solutions to library problems can solve library problems in other parts of the world. Many chapters in this book describe successful efforts that integrate international standards