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Editorial commentary on publications received
ht. Libr. Rev. (1972) 4, 127-136
Editorial Commentary on Publications Received GEORGE
CHANDLER?
As a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary library journal trying to reflect the broad pattern of international library co-operation in all continents and in all types of libraries, the International Library Review is dependent to a large extent on studies specially prepared or selected and forwarded by its honorary consultants and its readers. INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
The work of international organizations is well represented in the studies recently received. Dr H. Coblans, chairman of the UNISIST Working Group on Scientific Information in Developing Countries has forwarded UNISIST: Synopsis of the Feasibility Study on a World Science Information System by the United Nations Educational, Scientijc and Cultural Organization and the International Council of Scientific Unions (UNESCO, Paris, 1971, 92 pp.). This synopsis was prepared as a working document for the Intergovernmental Conference for the Establishment of a World Science in October, 1971, which considered in Information System (UNISIST) detail the 22 recommendations of the synopsis. The Intergovernmental Conference approved a draft resolution containing 19 sections which was referred to the Director General of UNESCO to prepare a report for the next General Conference of UNESCO. This report will, it is hoped, result in action appropriate to the practical nature of UNISIST’s working groups. Apart from the Working Group on Scientific Information in Developing Countries, there were working groups on the evaluation, compression and organization of scientific information; on bibliographical description; on language problems; on research needs in documentation ; on communications format; and on international serials data systems. All these working groups were, therefore, concerned with matters which have for a long time been under consideration and which t 23 Dowsefield
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may, perhaps, attract wider support under the umbrella of a new organization with an impressive name. Another honorary consultant of International Library Review-Frank M. Gardner-has forwarded his Public Library Legislation: a Comparative Study (UNESCO, Paris, 1971, 285 pp., g1.80; 24F.). This study reflects the author’s long association with the problems of public library legislation as UNESCO consultant in India and as chairman of the committee on legislation of the Library Association, which granted the author a research grant to begin the study. The final study was commissioned by UNESCO. Inevitably in a work of this kind, the author must be selective and concentrate on the areas of which he has first-hand knowledge. Within these limitations, the work has a wide span. The 14 studies included four devoted to Scandinavia, two to Central Europe, two to North America, three to Africa and one to India. Unfortunately, the Japan Library Law of 1950 and the situation in the U.S.S.R., South America and the Middle East are not covered. Nevertheless, this is an important pioneer study and more comprehensive than could be expected from any single author not quite so fully dedicated as Frank Gardner. The IFLA Annual 1970 (Scandinavian Library Center, Copenhagen, 1971, 336 pp.) is a handsome volume, edited by Anthony Thompson, which is indispensable to all interested in international and comparative librarianship. It illustrates, however, the difficulty of international bibliographical control of documents submitted to international meetings or published by individual libraries. The 1970 IFLA Council was held in Moscow and many Soviet librarians submitted background papers. A number of these were not listed in the programme, and are therefore not referred to in this annual. Some of these have already been discussed in the International Library Review. A few of these papers were obtained through the good offices of Mrs M. Rudomino as honorary consultant of the International Library Review. From Mrs Dorothy Anderson, secretary of the IFLA Committee on Cataloguing, who contributed a notable article on international cooperation in cataloguing to our June 1971 issue, comes Statement of Principles adopted at the International Conference on Cataloguing Principles, Paris, October, 1961: Annotated Edition with Commentary and Examples by Eva Verona assisted by Franz Georg Kaltwasser, P. R. Lewis and Roger Pierrot (IFLA Committee on Cataloguing, c/o Department of Printed Books, British Museum, London, WClB 3DG, England, Definitive edition 1971, 119 pp., L2.50 or 35 French francs or $6.00). This definitive edition marks an important step forward in international co-operation and is an illustration of the definite international successes which can be achieved in specific non-controversial areas.
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Another example of practical functional co-operation is Educating the Library User: Proceedings of the Fourth Triennial Meeting of IATUL edited by C. M. Lincoln (International Association of Technological University Libraries, c/o University of Technology Library, Loughborough, England, 1970, E2.00). This contains 11 studies-two from the U.S.A., six from the United Kingdom and one each from Hungary, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. In addition, participants came from Ireland, Sweden, India, Netherlands, Denmark and Finland, making a total of 11 countries represented. From INTAMEL-the International Association of Metropolitan City Libraries-comes the Review of the Three Year Research and Exchange Programme 1968-71. (INTAMEL Documentation Center, Brown, Picton and Hornby Libraries, Liverpool, L3 8EW, 1971, 18 pp.) This surveys INTAMEL’s co-operative research activities; exchanges; publications of the Documentation Center; other publications; and recommended international guide lines on the objectives, services, staffing and staff training of metropolitan city library systems. The International Association of Music Libraries (U.K. Branch) has issued Gramophone Record Libraries: their Organization and Practice Second edition, edited by H. F. J. Currall (London, Crosby, Lockwood and Son Ltd. 1970, 303 pp., E2.50). Mainly British in emphasis, the volume also includes chapters on Gramophone Record Libraries in the United States of America, The Record Library of the Music Department, Mu&e de l’Homme, La Phonoteque Nationale, the Central Gramophone Record Library of the Office de Radiodiffusion-Television Francaise and a Selective Bibliography which is substantially international in its coverage, although Western European and North American references predominate. The International Secretariat for the Comparative Study of Rural Libraries, Matica Slovenska, Martin, Czechoslovakia, has forwarded four of its bibliographies-Bibliography of ProblemsFacing Public Libraries in Villages in 1946-1969: Poland by Teresa Koperska, Aleksandra Witkowska and Jan Wolosz (1970, 30 pp.); List of Literature about Rural Libraries in Czechoslovakia by V. Graf (1970, 34 pp.) ; Bibliographic italienne sur les bibliotheques de province 1945-1970 by F. Maraspin (1970, 30 pp.) ; Auswahlbibliographie z.ur Entwicklung des landlichen Bibliothekswesens in der DDR 19451971 (1971, 28 pp.). These bibliographies are useful preliminaries for the comparative study of rural libraries. These will, I hope, be followed by authoritative area surveys based on the bibliographies, which in their turn should make comparative studies possible. Unlike IATUL and INTAMEL, the International Secretariat for the Comparative Study of Rural Literature is not linked with IFLA. Work
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in rural libraries does constitute a definite sub-area in library which greater attention needs to be devoted. AFRICAN
science to
STUDIES
From Dr Max Zehrer, chairman of the IFLA Committee for Official Publications comes a Catalogue of African Oficial Publicatioris available in European Libraries as of 1 May 1971. Compiled by the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Berlin, 1971, 251 pp.). The catalogue concontains 1186 title entries of monographs and periodical publications from 38 African countries. The co-operating libraries totalled 27-20 from the Federal Republic of Germany, two from Hungary and one each from Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Italy and Sweden. It is a melancholy illustration of the limitations of international cooperation that the catalogue had to be limited to European libraries, and that only a minority of these participated. Nevertheless, the catalogue is a useful and valuable list. The Commonwealth Foundation’s Occasional Paper Number VIII is devoted to Conference of Librarians from Commonwealth Universities in A3ica. Report of Proceedings, Lusaka, 1969 (Commonwealth Foundation, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London, S.W.I., 1970, 70 pp.). The delegates came from universities in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia with observors from Ethiopia, Senegal, London, Oxford and the U.S.A. Reports were submitted on the Inaugural Regional Conference of Eastern African Universities Addis Ababa (1968), the International Conference on African Bibliography Nairobi (1967), the future of the Standing Conference of African University Libraries (SCAUL), the acquisition and exchange of government publications, the co-operative acquisition of African materials, classification and cataloguing, and estimates and minimum standards. From the Institute of Librarianship, University of Ibadan, come three papers-librarianship: a faceted clas.s$cation scheme by M. A. Greaves (1970, 21 pp. LO.45) ; The Aslib-Cranfield Studies on the Evaluation of Indexing Systems by S. M. Lawani (rg7o 23 pp. Ao*45), and Geography, Wars and the Nigerian Situation, a bibliographic analysis by Wilson 0. Aiyepeku (1970, 26 pp. EO.45). Although it is pleasing to note that an African school oflibrarianship is publishing occasional papers, it is disappointing that they are not more concerned with problems in Africa. Even the bibliographical analysis is concerned primarily with non-African literature. Much more valuable would have been a bibliographical survey of the documents issued by both sides during the recent Nigerian conflict. Even more appropriate would have been studies of the situation of
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libraries and librarianship in Africa today, which this review is constantly seeking to publish, such as the study of bibliographical control in South Africa in this issue. ASIAN
STUDIES
From Asia comes a model publication promoted by a local universityLibraries in West Malaysia and Singapore-a Short History by Edward Lim Huck Tee (Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaya Library, 1970, 161 pp.). It is true that a pioneer survey cannot be authoritative, and the author acknowledges that “anyone writing a work of this nature, unless he is a monster of omniscience, must deal with a great many matters of which he has no first-hand knowledge” and is “indebted to the librarians and personnel of various institutions”. This reveals that the author has a scholarly approach but has recognized the need to produce pioneer surveys as a basis for further investigations. There is much of great interest in this study and the author deserves to be warmly commended. I have been trying for many years to induce some eminent librarians to write surveys of libraries in the East, and although some agreed, the manuscripts were never completed. Hence I undertook a recent tour of eight Asian countries, which is described in Libraries in the East: an International and Comparative Survey (London, Seminar Press, 197 1,2 14 pp., E2.50). If every country in the world had a survey of its libraries comparable with Libraries in West Malaysia and Singapore the foundations would have been well and truly laid for comparative studies. Even the library achievements of Japan lack a pioneer general survey in English. Dr Y. Sakai, head of the international exchange section of the National Diet Library, has performed a valuable pioneer function in arranging for some Japanese libraries to be surveyed in the JVational Diet Library Newsletter, which he edits. Mr Sakai kindly read the proofs of the three chapters on Japan in my Libraries in the East, and, as honorary consultant for the International Library Review has forwarded recent copies of the jVationa1 Diet Library Newsletter. Each issue normally contains an interesting account of some Japanese collection of national importance, such as the Seikado Bunko branch of the National Diet Library, the Supreme Court Library and the Kunaicho Shoryobu Archives. I hope to publish some of these studies in a future issue. From the Asia Publishing House comes The United Xations Family of Libraries by P. K. Garde (New York, Asia Publishing House, 1970, 252 pp.). This is based on lectures delivered in 1966 under the auspices of the Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science. In addition to the lectures, the address of welcome, the inaugural speech and
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the speeches at the valedictory function are published. Although the theme is international, the discussion on the relevance of the addresses to the situation in India is of wider interest. From Asia have been selected two area studies for this issue of the International Libra9 Reuiew relating the use of medical periodicals and bibliographical control in Thailand. EUROPEAN
CONTRIBUTIONS
From Europe have come a number of area studies which are only international in the sense that they are area studies of a foreign country published in another country as part of an international series. Nevertheless, they are important to all interested in comparative and international librarianship, because they provide some of the factual data necessary to make comparisons. I have, for a number of years, been trying to persuade some expert to write a much needed authoritative survey of libraries in the U.S.S.R. Through the good offices of Mrs Rudomino, honorary consultant, and of her staff, I obtained a copy of Biblioteki S.S.S.R., which was issued in 1967. I referred to this in my editorial commentary in the issue of Jan. 1969. Following this, a number of enquiries were received. Nevertheless, I decided not to arrange for the translation of this volume, because it was written for Russian readers and did not have the background information necessary for other readers, while it covered only a few aspects of librarianship in the U.S.S.R. However, I lent my copy to Simon Francis, one of the inquirers, who arranged for it to be translated and overcame some of the objections by shortening certain chapters. It is now published as Libraries in the U.S.S.R. edited by S. Francis (London, Clive Bingley, 1971), a copy of which has been forwarded by the publisher. It is essential reading for all interested in Soviet libraries, and I hope that it will be followed by more comprehensive studies which make an effort to be comparative. Guides to collections relating to particular countries are becoming increasingly necessary and are important contributions to international librarianship, even when they are limited to the collections of one country. Crosby Lockwood has forwarded its second publication in this field, which follows on a directory related to Oriental and African collections in the United Kingdom. It is Directory of Libraries and Special Collections on Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R. edited for the Slavonic and East European Group of the Standing Conference of National and University Libraries by G. Walker in collaboration with T. H. Bowyer, P. A. Crowther, and J. E. Wall (London, Crosby Lockwood & Son
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Ltd., 1971, 159 pp., E2.50). It contains a description of the Eastern European collections in 148 libraries (including the major national, university and public libraries) together with notes on the services offered. It includes a note on The Slavonic Union Catalogue which contains about 200,000 entries from over 100 libraries; lists of official sources of information, academic associations, academic journals and booksellers and an index. From Pergamon Press comes How To Find Out about Itab by F. S. Stych (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1970, 320 pp., E2.50, $8). This is a comprehensive guide to sources of information on all aspects of the Italian achievement-history, literature, the arts, politics, cooking and so on. It is a companion volume to How To Find Out about France by J. D. Pemberton and How To Find Out about Canada by H. C. Campbell. All these studies are only international in the sense that they are prepared by foreigners primarily for overseas readers, but they are also of interest to the countries themselves, as no comparable volumes have appeared in them. Many libraries are engaged in the international exchange or acquisition of official publications. These are often difficult to trace. Hence a number of guides to official publications have been published including a number relating to British official publications. A study recently received is British Oj%ial Publications by J. D. Pemberton (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1971, 315 pp.) which h as a number of distinctive features. Firstly, it contains specimen pages from selected publications, which may help potential users to assessthe value of official publications for their own purposes. Secondly, it is clearly and simply written and is comprehensive. It appears in the Commonwealth and International Library of Pergamon Press. A new volume has been published in the International Series of Monographs on Library and Information Science of Pergamon PressLibrary Servicefor Young People in England and Wales 1830-1970 by Alec Ellis (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1971, 198 pp.). The author has, whilst concentrating on England, “introduced comparative references at various points to theory and practice in other parts of the British Isles, the Low Countries, Scandinavia and North America”. Butterworths have forwarded two of the volumes in their Information Sources for Research and Development-The Use of Biological Literature edited by R. T. Bottle and H. V. Wyatt, 2nd. edn. (London, Butterworths, 1971, 379 pp., g6.00) and The Use of Economics Literature edited by John Fletcher (London, Butterworths, 1971, 310 pp., E4.50). Both volumes share certain characteristics. Each volume commences with a chapter on the use of libraries. Each volume is written by a panel of
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librarians and subject specialists. Each volume has chapters on various types of literature-reference books, abstracts, etc. and chapters on specialized aspects of the subject. The two volumes differ in their treatment of international material. The Use of Economics Literature has chapters-International Organizations’ Publications and International Economics-two international chapters out of a total of 24. The Use of Biological Literature has two international chapters out of a total of 20Foreign Serials and Translations, and Government and International Organizations’ Publications and Trade Literature. NORTH
AMERICA
From F. K. Cylke, Executive Secretary of the Federal Library Committee, Library of Congress, comes a collection of documents relating to the Federal Library Committee, which are of interest to librarians in other countries who are concerned with the methodology of co-operation between various types of libraries supported by governmental funds. The Federal Library Mission (Federal Library Committee, Washington, October, 1966, 9 pp.) sets out the function of the Federal Library Committee and the purposes of the libraries of governmental departments and agencies. A Research Design for Library Cooperative Planning and Action in the Metropolitan Area, Washington, D.C. (George Washington conUniversity, August, 1970, 69 pp.) was prepared by management sultants for the District of Columbia Public Library with the support of the Federal Library Committee. An essential basis for co-operation between libraries in the listing of research materials is a directory of subjects covered. A Study of Resources and Major Subject Holdings available in U.S. Federal Libraries Maintaining Extensive or Unique Collections of Research Materials by Mildred Benton (U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Bureau of Research, Washington, September 1970, 670 pp.) lists the collections by the Dewey Decimal Classification. In the fields of the sciences and technology there appears to be considerable overlap in the search for comprehensiveness-29 libraries being listed under mathematics and 9 under astronautics. In the coverage of foreign countries, few libraries aim at comprehensiveness. The Library of Congress is the only library listed under 942 British Isles and 951 China, but there are two libraries listed under Eastern Europe. Apart from the governmental libraries aiming to provide research collections, there are many others with less ambitious aspirations. Both categories are listed in Roster of Federal Libraries Part 1 Agency, Part II Geographic, Part 111 Subject, compiled by Mildred Benton and Signe
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Ottersen with funds provided by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Library and Information Science and with the support of the Federal Library Committee (George Washington University, Washington, October 1970, 282 pp.). Co-operation in foreign purchases is important for most types of libraries with similar functions. An investigation on the coverage of Federal libraries, with the exception of the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and the National Agricultural Library, is contained in Selected Federal Library Programs for Acquisition of Foreign Materials by F. K. Cylke (Federal Library Committee, Library of Congress, May 1971, 22 pp.). The Federal Library Committee aims at providing current information through the FLCJVewsletter. An illustration of its coverage is afforded by the contents of its 59th. number in November 1971, which is concerned with administrative management, job evaluation, work group activity, recent appointments, recent publications, and summaries of conferences and meetings. It also includes a Roster of Prospective Federal Librarians and a Vacancy Roster. Studies of the work of the Federal Library Committee include ZXe Federal Library Committee by Paul Howard and Marlene Morrisey, a special issue of the Drexel Library Quarterly for July and October 1970 (vol. 6 Nos. 3 and 4, pp. 205-341) and The Federal Library Committee by J. Robisheaux, a paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Library Science, Texas Woman’s University (Denton, Texas, May 1971, 59 pp.). The Federal Library Committee also co-operates with TISA (Technical Information Support Activities) of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, which has launched a new newsletter TISA Advanced Technology Libraries. Volume 1, number 2, September 1971, surveys computer output microfilm (8 pp.); number 3 October 197 1 surveys facsimile transmission (8 pp.). Both numbers have valuable lists of references. Perhaps the most interesting document from an international point of view which has been forwarded recently by the Canadian Library Association is The Library Technician at Work: Theory and Practice (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 1970, 232 pp. $5), for there is widespread interest in many countries in training sub-professionals. The volume contains the proceedings of a Workshop and also job descriptions for library technicians in a number of public, university and college libraries, which are particularly valuable. Also of general interest is Automation in Libraries 1970 (Canadian Association of College and University Libraries, 1970, 147 pp.). This is
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devoted to the fourth annual workshop on this theme. Detailed descriptions are given of the introduction of automation in four university libraries. The Proceedings, Canadian Library Association Twenty-sixth Annual Conference, 197 1 (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 197 1,42 pp.) are concerned with Reorganization, Recruitment, Results. The conference was attended by over 1000 delegates, due no doubt to the fact that sections and sub-sections held business meetings during the conference, so that librarians of all types were well represented. At a time when IFLA is trying to attract affiliation from all types of libraries, it is significant that the Canadian Music Library Association resolved to “dissolve its present relationship” with the Canadian Library Association to become a national chapter of the International Association of Music Libraries and to establish regional chapters across Canada. Yet, only 16 of 1073 libraries listed in Special Libraries and Information Centres in Canada (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 1970, 168 pp., $7.50) are concerned with music. From Canada has come a most interesting study of Canadian folklore, which was obtained through the efforts of Miss M. Bagshaw, honorary consultant for children’s literature, together with a study of Nigerian folklore. The Canadian study is in itself international for it discusses Eskimo, Indian, French Canadian and English Canadian folklore. It will be published in our next issue.
Editorial Commentary on Publications Received GEORGE
CHANDLER?
As a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary library journal trying to reflect the broad pattern of international library co-operation in all continents and in all types of libraries, the International Library Review is dependent to a large extent on studies specially prepared or selected and forwarded by its honorary consultants and its readers. INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
The work of international organizations is well represented in the studies recently received. Dr H. Coblans, chairman of the UNISIST Working Group on Scientific Information in Developing Countries has forwarded UNISIST: Synopsis of the Feasibility Study on a World Science Information System by the United Nations Educational, Scientijc and Cultural Organization and the International Council of Scientific Unions (UNESCO, Paris, 1971, 92 pp.). This synopsis was prepared as a working document for the Intergovernmental Conference for the Establishment of a World Science in October, 1971, which considered in Information System (UNISIST) detail the 22 recommendations of the synopsis. The Intergovernmental Conference approved a draft resolution containing 19 sections which was referred to the Director General of UNESCO to prepare a report for the next General Conference of UNESCO. This report will, it is hoped, result in action appropriate to the practical nature of UNISIST’s working groups. Apart from the Working Group on Scientific Information in Developing Countries, there were working groups on the evaluation, compression and organization of scientific information; on bibliographical description; on language problems; on research needs in documentation ; on communications format; and on international serials data systems. All these working groups were, therefore, concerned with matters which have for a long time been under consideration and which t 23 Dowsefield
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Liverpool
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G.
CHANDLER
may, perhaps, attract wider support under the umbrella of a new organization with an impressive name. Another honorary consultant of International Library Review-Frank M. Gardner-has forwarded his Public Library Legislation: a Comparative Study (UNESCO, Paris, 1971, 285 pp., g1.80; 24F.). This study reflects the author’s long association with the problems of public library legislation as UNESCO consultant in India and as chairman of the committee on legislation of the Library Association, which granted the author a research grant to begin the study. The final study was commissioned by UNESCO. Inevitably in a work of this kind, the author must be selective and concentrate on the areas of which he has first-hand knowledge. Within these limitations, the work has a wide span. The 14 studies included four devoted to Scandinavia, two to Central Europe, two to North America, three to Africa and one to India. Unfortunately, the Japan Library Law of 1950 and the situation in the U.S.S.R., South America and the Middle East are not covered. Nevertheless, this is an important pioneer study and more comprehensive than could be expected from any single author not quite so fully dedicated as Frank Gardner. The IFLA Annual 1970 (Scandinavian Library Center, Copenhagen, 1971, 336 pp.) is a handsome volume, edited by Anthony Thompson, which is indispensable to all interested in international and comparative librarianship. It illustrates, however, the difficulty of international bibliographical control of documents submitted to international meetings or published by individual libraries. The 1970 IFLA Council was held in Moscow and many Soviet librarians submitted background papers. A number of these were not listed in the programme, and are therefore not referred to in this annual. Some of these have already been discussed in the International Library Review. A few of these papers were obtained through the good offices of Mrs M. Rudomino as honorary consultant of the International Library Review. From Mrs Dorothy Anderson, secretary of the IFLA Committee on Cataloguing, who contributed a notable article on international cooperation in cataloguing to our June 1971 issue, comes Statement of Principles adopted at the International Conference on Cataloguing Principles, Paris, October, 1961: Annotated Edition with Commentary and Examples by Eva Verona assisted by Franz Georg Kaltwasser, P. R. Lewis and Roger Pierrot (IFLA Committee on Cataloguing, c/o Department of Printed Books, British Museum, London, WClB 3DG, England, Definitive edition 1971, 119 pp., L2.50 or 35 French francs or $6.00). This definitive edition marks an important step forward in international co-operation and is an illustration of the definite international successes which can be achieved in specific non-controversial areas.
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Another example of practical functional co-operation is Educating the Library User: Proceedings of the Fourth Triennial Meeting of IATUL edited by C. M. Lincoln (International Association of Technological University Libraries, c/o University of Technology Library, Loughborough, England, 1970, E2.00). This contains 11 studies-two from the U.S.A., six from the United Kingdom and one each from Hungary, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. In addition, participants came from Ireland, Sweden, India, Netherlands, Denmark and Finland, making a total of 11 countries represented. From INTAMEL-the International Association of Metropolitan City Libraries-comes the Review of the Three Year Research and Exchange Programme 1968-71. (INTAMEL Documentation Center, Brown, Picton and Hornby Libraries, Liverpool, L3 8EW, 1971, 18 pp.) This surveys INTAMEL’s co-operative research activities; exchanges; publications of the Documentation Center; other publications; and recommended international guide lines on the objectives, services, staffing and staff training of metropolitan city library systems. The International Association of Music Libraries (U.K. Branch) has issued Gramophone Record Libraries: their Organization and Practice Second edition, edited by H. F. J. Currall (London, Crosby, Lockwood and Son Ltd. 1970, 303 pp., E2.50). Mainly British in emphasis, the volume also includes chapters on Gramophone Record Libraries in the United States of America, The Record Library of the Music Department, Mu&e de l’Homme, La Phonoteque Nationale, the Central Gramophone Record Library of the Office de Radiodiffusion-Television Francaise and a Selective Bibliography which is substantially international in its coverage, although Western European and North American references predominate. The International Secretariat for the Comparative Study of Rural Libraries, Matica Slovenska, Martin, Czechoslovakia, has forwarded four of its bibliographies-Bibliography of ProblemsFacing Public Libraries in Villages in 1946-1969: Poland by Teresa Koperska, Aleksandra Witkowska and Jan Wolosz (1970, 30 pp.); List of Literature about Rural Libraries in Czechoslovakia by V. Graf (1970, 34 pp.) ; Bibliographic italienne sur les bibliotheques de province 1945-1970 by F. Maraspin (1970, 30 pp.) ; Auswahlbibliographie z.ur Entwicklung des landlichen Bibliothekswesens in der DDR 19451971 (1971, 28 pp.). These bibliographies are useful preliminaries for the comparative study of rural libraries. These will, I hope, be followed by authoritative area surveys based on the bibliographies, which in their turn should make comparative studies possible. Unlike IATUL and INTAMEL, the International Secretariat for the Comparative Study of Rural Literature is not linked with IFLA. Work
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in rural libraries does constitute a definite sub-area in library which greater attention needs to be devoted. AFRICAN
science to
STUDIES
From Dr Max Zehrer, chairman of the IFLA Committee for Official Publications comes a Catalogue of African Oficial Publicatioris available in European Libraries as of 1 May 1971. Compiled by the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Berlin, 1971, 251 pp.). The catalogue concontains 1186 title entries of monographs and periodical publications from 38 African countries. The co-operating libraries totalled 27-20 from the Federal Republic of Germany, two from Hungary and one each from Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Italy and Sweden. It is a melancholy illustration of the limitations of international cooperation that the catalogue had to be limited to European libraries, and that only a minority of these participated. Nevertheless, the catalogue is a useful and valuable list. The Commonwealth Foundation’s Occasional Paper Number VIII is devoted to Conference of Librarians from Commonwealth Universities in A3ica. Report of Proceedings, Lusaka, 1969 (Commonwealth Foundation, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London, S.W.I., 1970, 70 pp.). The delegates came from universities in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia with observors from Ethiopia, Senegal, London, Oxford and the U.S.A. Reports were submitted on the Inaugural Regional Conference of Eastern African Universities Addis Ababa (1968), the International Conference on African Bibliography Nairobi (1967), the future of the Standing Conference of African University Libraries (SCAUL), the acquisition and exchange of government publications, the co-operative acquisition of African materials, classification and cataloguing, and estimates and minimum standards. From the Institute of Librarianship, University of Ibadan, come three papers-librarianship: a faceted clas.s$cation scheme by M. A. Greaves (1970, 21 pp. LO.45) ; The Aslib-Cranfield Studies on the Evaluation of Indexing Systems by S. M. Lawani (rg7o 23 pp. Ao*45), and Geography, Wars and the Nigerian Situation, a bibliographic analysis by Wilson 0. Aiyepeku (1970, 26 pp. EO.45). Although it is pleasing to note that an African school oflibrarianship is publishing occasional papers, it is disappointing that they are not more concerned with problems in Africa. Even the bibliographical analysis is concerned primarily with non-African literature. Much more valuable would have been a bibliographical survey of the documents issued by both sides during the recent Nigerian conflict. Even more appropriate would have been studies of the situation of
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libraries and librarianship in Africa today, which this review is constantly seeking to publish, such as the study of bibliographical control in South Africa in this issue. ASIAN
STUDIES
From Asia comes a model publication promoted by a local universityLibraries in West Malaysia and Singapore-a Short History by Edward Lim Huck Tee (Kuala Lumpur, University of Malaya Library, 1970, 161 pp.). It is true that a pioneer survey cannot be authoritative, and the author acknowledges that “anyone writing a work of this nature, unless he is a monster of omniscience, must deal with a great many matters of which he has no first-hand knowledge” and is “indebted to the librarians and personnel of various institutions”. This reveals that the author has a scholarly approach but has recognized the need to produce pioneer surveys as a basis for further investigations. There is much of great interest in this study and the author deserves to be warmly commended. I have been trying for many years to induce some eminent librarians to write surveys of libraries in the East, and although some agreed, the manuscripts were never completed. Hence I undertook a recent tour of eight Asian countries, which is described in Libraries in the East: an International and Comparative Survey (London, Seminar Press, 197 1,2 14 pp., E2.50). If every country in the world had a survey of its libraries comparable with Libraries in West Malaysia and Singapore the foundations would have been well and truly laid for comparative studies. Even the library achievements of Japan lack a pioneer general survey in English. Dr Y. Sakai, head of the international exchange section of the National Diet Library, has performed a valuable pioneer function in arranging for some Japanese libraries to be surveyed in the JVational Diet Library Newsletter, which he edits. Mr Sakai kindly read the proofs of the three chapters on Japan in my Libraries in the East, and, as honorary consultant for the International Library Review has forwarded recent copies of the jVationa1 Diet Library Newsletter. Each issue normally contains an interesting account of some Japanese collection of national importance, such as the Seikado Bunko branch of the National Diet Library, the Supreme Court Library and the Kunaicho Shoryobu Archives. I hope to publish some of these studies in a future issue. From the Asia Publishing House comes The United Xations Family of Libraries by P. K. Garde (New York, Asia Publishing House, 1970, 252 pp.). This is based on lectures delivered in 1966 under the auspices of the Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science. In addition to the lectures, the address of welcome, the inaugural speech and
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the speeches at the valedictory function are published. Although the theme is international, the discussion on the relevance of the addresses to the situation in India is of wider interest. From Asia have been selected two area studies for this issue of the International Libra9 Reuiew relating the use of medical periodicals and bibliographical control in Thailand. EUROPEAN
CONTRIBUTIONS
From Europe have come a number of area studies which are only international in the sense that they are area studies of a foreign country published in another country as part of an international series. Nevertheless, they are important to all interested in comparative and international librarianship, because they provide some of the factual data necessary to make comparisons. I have, for a number of years, been trying to persuade some expert to write a much needed authoritative survey of libraries in the U.S.S.R. Through the good offices of Mrs Rudomino, honorary consultant, and of her staff, I obtained a copy of Biblioteki S.S.S.R., which was issued in 1967. I referred to this in my editorial commentary in the issue of Jan. 1969. Following this, a number of enquiries were received. Nevertheless, I decided not to arrange for the translation of this volume, because it was written for Russian readers and did not have the background information necessary for other readers, while it covered only a few aspects of librarianship in the U.S.S.R. However, I lent my copy to Simon Francis, one of the inquirers, who arranged for it to be translated and overcame some of the objections by shortening certain chapters. It is now published as Libraries in the U.S.S.R. edited by S. Francis (London, Clive Bingley, 1971), a copy of which has been forwarded by the publisher. It is essential reading for all interested in Soviet libraries, and I hope that it will be followed by more comprehensive studies which make an effort to be comparative. Guides to collections relating to particular countries are becoming increasingly necessary and are important contributions to international librarianship, even when they are limited to the collections of one country. Crosby Lockwood has forwarded its second publication in this field, which follows on a directory related to Oriental and African collections in the United Kingdom. It is Directory of Libraries and Special Collections on Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R. edited for the Slavonic and East European Group of the Standing Conference of National and University Libraries by G. Walker in collaboration with T. H. Bowyer, P. A. Crowther, and J. E. Wall (London, Crosby Lockwood & Son
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Ltd., 1971, 159 pp., E2.50). It contains a description of the Eastern European collections in 148 libraries (including the major national, university and public libraries) together with notes on the services offered. It includes a note on The Slavonic Union Catalogue which contains about 200,000 entries from over 100 libraries; lists of official sources of information, academic associations, academic journals and booksellers and an index. From Pergamon Press comes How To Find Out about Itab by F. S. Stych (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1970, 320 pp., E2.50, $8). This is a comprehensive guide to sources of information on all aspects of the Italian achievement-history, literature, the arts, politics, cooking and so on. It is a companion volume to How To Find Out about France by J. D. Pemberton and How To Find Out about Canada by H. C. Campbell. All these studies are only international in the sense that they are prepared by foreigners primarily for overseas readers, but they are also of interest to the countries themselves, as no comparable volumes have appeared in them. Many libraries are engaged in the international exchange or acquisition of official publications. These are often difficult to trace. Hence a number of guides to official publications have been published including a number relating to British official publications. A study recently received is British Oj%ial Publications by J. D. Pemberton (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1971, 315 pp.) which h as a number of distinctive features. Firstly, it contains specimen pages from selected publications, which may help potential users to assessthe value of official publications for their own purposes. Secondly, it is clearly and simply written and is comprehensive. It appears in the Commonwealth and International Library of Pergamon Press. A new volume has been published in the International Series of Monographs on Library and Information Science of Pergamon PressLibrary Servicefor Young People in England and Wales 1830-1970 by Alec Ellis (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1971, 198 pp.). The author has, whilst concentrating on England, “introduced comparative references at various points to theory and practice in other parts of the British Isles, the Low Countries, Scandinavia and North America”. Butterworths have forwarded two of the volumes in their Information Sources for Research and Development-The Use of Biological Literature edited by R. T. Bottle and H. V. Wyatt, 2nd. edn. (London, Butterworths, 1971, 379 pp., g6.00) and The Use of Economics Literature edited by John Fletcher (London, Butterworths, 1971, 310 pp., E4.50). Both volumes share certain characteristics. Each volume commences with a chapter on the use of libraries. Each volume is written by a panel of
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librarians and subject specialists. Each volume has chapters on various types of literature-reference books, abstracts, etc. and chapters on specialized aspects of the subject. The two volumes differ in their treatment of international material. The Use of Economics Literature has chapters-International Organizations’ Publications and International Economics-two international chapters out of a total of 24. The Use of Biological Literature has two international chapters out of a total of 20Foreign Serials and Translations, and Government and International Organizations’ Publications and Trade Literature. NORTH
AMERICA
From F. K. Cylke, Executive Secretary of the Federal Library Committee, Library of Congress, comes a collection of documents relating to the Federal Library Committee, which are of interest to librarians in other countries who are concerned with the methodology of co-operation between various types of libraries supported by governmental funds. The Federal Library Mission (Federal Library Committee, Washington, October, 1966, 9 pp.) sets out the function of the Federal Library Committee and the purposes of the libraries of governmental departments and agencies. A Research Design for Library Cooperative Planning and Action in the Metropolitan Area, Washington, D.C. (George Washington conUniversity, August, 1970, 69 pp.) was prepared by management sultants for the District of Columbia Public Library with the support of the Federal Library Committee. An essential basis for co-operation between libraries in the listing of research materials is a directory of subjects covered. A Study of Resources and Major Subject Holdings available in U.S. Federal Libraries Maintaining Extensive or Unique Collections of Research Materials by Mildred Benton (U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Bureau of Research, Washington, September 1970, 670 pp.) lists the collections by the Dewey Decimal Classification. In the fields of the sciences and technology there appears to be considerable overlap in the search for comprehensiveness-29 libraries being listed under mathematics and 9 under astronautics. In the coverage of foreign countries, few libraries aim at comprehensiveness. The Library of Congress is the only library listed under 942 British Isles and 951 China, but there are two libraries listed under Eastern Europe. Apart from the governmental libraries aiming to provide research collections, there are many others with less ambitious aspirations. Both categories are listed in Roster of Federal Libraries Part 1 Agency, Part II Geographic, Part 111 Subject, compiled by Mildred Benton and Signe
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Ottersen with funds provided by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Library and Information Science and with the support of the Federal Library Committee (George Washington University, Washington, October 1970, 282 pp.). Co-operation in foreign purchases is important for most types of libraries with similar functions. An investigation on the coverage of Federal libraries, with the exception of the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine and the National Agricultural Library, is contained in Selected Federal Library Programs for Acquisition of Foreign Materials by F. K. Cylke (Federal Library Committee, Library of Congress, May 1971, 22 pp.). The Federal Library Committee aims at providing current information through the FLCJVewsletter. An illustration of its coverage is afforded by the contents of its 59th. number in November 1971, which is concerned with administrative management, job evaluation, work group activity, recent appointments, recent publications, and summaries of conferences and meetings. It also includes a Roster of Prospective Federal Librarians and a Vacancy Roster. Studies of the work of the Federal Library Committee include ZXe Federal Library Committee by Paul Howard and Marlene Morrisey, a special issue of the Drexel Library Quarterly for July and October 1970 (vol. 6 Nos. 3 and 4, pp. 205-341) and The Federal Library Committee by J. Robisheaux, a paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Library Science, Texas Woman’s University (Denton, Texas, May 1971, 59 pp.). The Federal Library Committee also co-operates with TISA (Technical Information Support Activities) of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, which has launched a new newsletter TISA Advanced Technology Libraries. Volume 1, number 2, September 1971, surveys computer output microfilm (8 pp.); number 3 October 197 1 surveys facsimile transmission (8 pp.). Both numbers have valuable lists of references. Perhaps the most interesting document from an international point of view which has been forwarded recently by the Canadian Library Association is The Library Technician at Work: Theory and Practice (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 1970, 232 pp. $5), for there is widespread interest in many countries in training sub-professionals. The volume contains the proceedings of a Workshop and also job descriptions for library technicians in a number of public, university and college libraries, which are particularly valuable. Also of general interest is Automation in Libraries 1970 (Canadian Association of College and University Libraries, 1970, 147 pp.). This is
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devoted to the fourth annual workshop on this theme. Detailed descriptions are given of the introduction of automation in four university libraries. The Proceedings, Canadian Library Association Twenty-sixth Annual Conference, 197 1 (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 197 1,42 pp.) are concerned with Reorganization, Recruitment, Results. The conference was attended by over 1000 delegates, due no doubt to the fact that sections and sub-sections held business meetings during the conference, so that librarians of all types were well represented. At a time when IFLA is trying to attract affiliation from all types of libraries, it is significant that the Canadian Music Library Association resolved to “dissolve its present relationship” with the Canadian Library Association to become a national chapter of the International Association of Music Libraries and to establish regional chapters across Canada. Yet, only 16 of 1073 libraries listed in Special Libraries and Information Centres in Canada (Canadian Library Association, Ottawa, 1970, 168 pp., $7.50) are concerned with music. From Canada has come a most interesting study of Canadian folklore, which was obtained through the efforts of Miss M. Bagshaw, honorary consultant for children’s literature, together with a study of Nigerian folklore. The Canadian study is in itself international for it discusses Eskimo, Indian, French Canadian and English Canadian folklore. It will be published in our next issue.