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author also addresses the current re-evaluation of archival principles in a digital environment. The basic concepts of the profession are not easy to grasp, even for fledgling archivists, so a few brief, concrete examples of the principles in action would have made their introduction to this audience even clearer. This is particularly true of the section on archival description where the sample encoded archival description document type definition (Figure 3) will have little meaning to those unfamiliar with the content and shape of traditional archival finding aids. The second half of this work is devoted to a description of the utility of the archival paradigm in the digital environment. The author concentrates on the ways in which the archival community is making significant contributions to research and development in areas such as integrity, metadata, knowledge management, risk management, and knowledge preservation. Each area is introduced briefly and followed with references to recent and ongoing projects demonstrating the ways in which the archival community has played a leading role in setting the agenda or integrating the archival perspective into the digital information environment. One wishes the volume could have been longer, for it is here that readers will find the real issues of the day. Fortunately, the author provided an excellent bibliography, with URLs to many of the projects mentioned. This inclusion should entice non-archivists and archivists alike to venture out for further information.—Megan Sniffin–Marinoff, Head, Institute Archives and Special Collections, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 14N-118, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 . Evaluating Reference Services: A Practical Guide, edited by Jo Bell Whitlatch. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2000. 226p. $39.00 ($35.10, ALA members). ISBN 0-8389-0787-3 (alk. paper). According to the preface, “this practical guide is designed to get people started [in doing an evaluation study] by not only providing information on the basic techniques that are commonly used to collect data for evaluating reference service, but also by providing examples of studies readers can use to get started” (p. v). Furthermore, the editor suggests that “an excellent way to begin is to replicate, at least in part, other studies in the field” (p. v). Omitted from inclusion in the work is coverage of “the evaluation of library instruction in a classroom or laboratory setting and of online searching by appointment” (p. v). This guide, to which the editor and 16 others contributed, is divided into four sections: “Planning the Evaluation of Reference Services;” “Selecting Appropriate Evaluation Methods;” “Collecting, Analyzing, and Communicating Study Data and Results;” and “Reference Assessment Annotated Bibliography.” Half of the work comprises the annotated bibliography, biographical statements on the contributors, and the index. This means that a total of 112 pages is devoted to the topics addressed in the first three sections. Consequently, many points are mentioned very briefly without examples and reference to the research methods literature for clarification and amplification. Furthermore, the sources in the annotated bibliography were often not integrated into the first three sections. Any evaluation of reference, in the opinion of this reviewer, should acknowledge

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more the World Wide Web and electronic services provided remotely to library users. The discussion of “quality” is simplistic, especially given the work of Danuta A. Nitecki and others. In the opinion of this reviewer, any discussion of evaluation, and by extension planning, should address vision and mission statements and continuous quality improvement, and should relate benchmarking to the meeting of goals and objectives. I would have also liked inclusion of customer satisfaction and a better explanation of outcomes. Regrettably, this guide cannot be recommended. Its weaknesses far outweigh its strengths. The guide does not provide sufficient guidance to the novice investigator and ignores key factors in the conducting of a study (e.g., a statement of the evaluation problem, justification of that problem’s value to the organization, research design, statistics, and methods of data display). Simple random sampling differs from a systematic sampling (Chapter 4). How did the author of that chapter reach the conclusion that “a sample size of 100 to 300 people is sufficient to ensure confidence in the results” (p. 30); there is no discussion of the concept of confidence. Nancy Van House, Beth T. Weil, and Charles R. McClure, in the source cited on page 34, for instance, suggest a sample size of approximately 400. Yet, there is no acknowledgment of (or disagreement with) their recommendation. Fortunately, pages 42– 45 mention e-mail and online surveys, but the discussion is not particularly good. Pages 48 – 49 mention URLs for some Survey Web sites. There are other basic methods of data collection (some of which are passive, rather than pro-active, approaches), and the conduct of a survey involves an imposition on those intended to complete it. In today’s environment of overuse of self-reporting surveys, how can researchers most likely get the survey sample to complete the instrument? Discussions such as these would have been useful. It would seem that there is still need for a good guide for novice researchers on evaluating reference service in the unfolding millennium. Until such a guide materializes, there is a high-quality literature on the evaluation of library services in general, which, for whatever reason, was not mentioned—Peter Hernon, Professor, Simmons College, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115-5898 . Introduction to Automation for Librarians, 4th ed., by William Saffady. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1999. 339p. $60.00. ($54.00 for ALA members.) ISBN 0-8389-0764-4. Ever wish you knew more about the technology in your library? This meticulous overview of library automation examines the history and issues surrounding technology in libraries. Like earlier editions, the book is organized in two parts. The first part, basic-computing technologies, covers computer hardware, software, data management and communications, and automated office systems. The second part, library automation systems and services, covers cataloging, integrated library systems, automated reference, and digital libraries. Although the focus is on U.S. libraries, technologies and services from other countries are also briefly discussed. As in the third edition, the book contains brief summaries at the end of each chapter. Unfortunately, the fourth

edition leaves out the useful bibliographies at the end of each chapter. Although the book presents concepts clearly and logically, the densely packed text may be slow-going for some readers. The use of tables to impart some information, particularly the numerous databases supplied by various vendors, could have alleviated some of the lengthier text passages. The illustrations are adequate, although surprisingly absent at times, like in the discussion of network topologies. Given the tremendous amount of information presented, the novice may require a computer glossary for quick reference. Although the back cover trumpets this book as the “best introductory guide to what’s hot in library technology,” the coverage of truly cutting-edge innovation is minimal. Instead of e-mail and Web delivery of interlibrary loan materials, the book describes delivery by fax and fee-based document delivery services. Instead of full-text Web-based databases, the chapter on virtual reference focuses primarily on commandtype systems like DIALOG and the use of CD-ROMs. Reserve modules are briefly mentioned as a way to maintain lists of reserved items, rather than to provide electronic access to the items themselves. Other current issues like Dublin Core standards for digitized materials, real time reference via video or software, and user authentication technology for distance education are likewise ignored. Although the discussion of older technology provides useful historical background, the amount of attention given occasionally seems unwarranted. The description of dictation services, for example, receives roughly the same length treatment as the Internet, despite the obvious difference in library usage. The true value of this book is its thorough overview of library automation that helps us to understand the changes in technology use in libraries. It is the book to use when one needs to know the basic differences between the cataloging services of RLIN and OCLC, the reasons why it is not economically feasible for a library to digitize its entire collection, or the unique problems of automating serials processing. It also lists the source to learn the cost differences in assembler language programming and C⫹⫹, the effect of phone lines on modem speeds, or the use of videotext in Europe. It is this detailed information surrounding library automation history and issues, not ‘hot technology’, that make this book a strong source for library students, new librarians, and those who know that understanding the past is the best way to prepare for the future.—Michelle Mach, Web Librarian, Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1019 . Management Basics for Information Professionals, by G. Edward Evans, Patricia Layzell Ward, and Bendik Rugaas. New York: Neal–Schuman, 2000. xvii, 560p. $55.00. ISBN 1-55570-370-4 (alk. paper). Evans, Ward, and Rugaas have written one of the largest single volumes of management for librarians/information professionals! This volume is organized in three parts: Introduction; Management: Knowledge and Skills; and Managing Resources. There are 18 chapters; at the end of each one there are references supporting the text and other recommended readings, for example, recommended “further reading;” “general” recommended reading; and recommended

“library and information services” reading. Each chapter contains some well-positioned sidebars titled “For Further Thought.” These sidebars help break up some of the rhetoric and sometimes boring text. The book has 38 figures (e.g., sample organization charts and sample components of a budget) and seven tables (e.g., leadership styles). The authors have done quite well in writing this compendium on the basics of management. Of the 18 chapters, there are only two that are obviously weak. Chapter 7 (planning) should have included more in-depth emphasis on strategic planning. The reader of this chapter could conclude that the authors favor traditional planning over strategic planning. Furthermore, some classics are omitted from the authors’ recommended reading list, for example, George Steiner’s Strategic Planning: What Every Manager Must Know (Free Press, 1979), is an apparent omission. Chapter 13 (leadership) is the weakest of all the chapters. The authors place the leadership chapter under Part II (Management: Knowledge and Skills), while acknowledging that there is a difference between management and leadership. It is evident that the authors could have done more reading and research on leadership. It was a bit painful to discover that the authors failed to mention James MacGregor Burns’s prize winning Leadership (Harper & Row, 1978) in their recommended readings. It was equally surprising and painful not to see any of Warren Bennis’s books on leadership listed; Bennis is widely considered the modern-day guru on leadership. Burt Nanus’s Visionary Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your Organization (Jossey–Bass, 1992) is another obvious omission. Based on the examples of neglect, one should not depend on this volume for the best writing on planning and leadership. Why should one acquire this book? First, it brings together between two covers most of what one needs to know about the fundamentals of library management. The cost ($55.00) is high for a paperback; however, the element of convenience (i.e., having most of the management basics in one volume) may justify the cost.—Donald E. Riggs, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian, Nova Southeastern University, Einstein Library, 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796 . Managing Public-Access Computers: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, by Donald A. Barclay. New York: Neal–Schuman, 2000. 223p. $59.95. ISBN 1-55570-361-5. LC 99-089995. This practical guide to public computers in libraries is written from a public service orientation rather than from a systems perspective. Barclay states in his preface that his “intended audience for this book is front-line to upper-level managers who need to make critical decisions about publicaccess computers in libraries and other institutions.” The book does not limit itself to the manager but encompasses all public service staff that help library users with computers. The first chapter on technology gives a very basic overview of computer concepts and terminology and sets the stage for the emphasis on managing and handling computers in public areas. Other chapters on computer hardware, software, CD-ROM, and printing review current trends and op-

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