- Email: [email protected]
Librarians and professional status: Continuing professional development and academic libraries
398
Book Reviews
which newswire items are grouped into a limited number of categories (typically a few hundred). The data provided on human development and machine processing time requirements show that this method has limitations-but makes clear that it can be quite valuable for applications requiring high volume with limited specificity. Some possible more advanced applications are also described. Maarek describes a system for adding hypertext links to online system documentation. The links are generated on the basis of “lexical affinity.” Hearst describes a domain-independent text understanding system. Unlike the typical NLP system, however, this one is not concerned with topics, or what an item is about; instead, it is concerned with directionality, such as for/against, or improving/deteriorating. The editor states that the goal of this volume is ‘to provide a “snapshot” of current research and practice.’ The book definitely achieves this goal. It is a well rounded collection demonstrating a variety of approaches. In general, the authors seem to have a clear understanding of the scope and limitations of their findings, and they state these for the reader. The work comes at an opportune time, when the findings of years of research in natural language processing and information retrieval are beginning to be applied in commercial systems. Even treating the retrieval statistics with caution, as noted above, these papers contain a great deal of value, aiding the reader in making informed judgments about the direction in which efforts to develop large-scale text-based systems are heading.
The JELEM Company Brookfield, CT
JESSICAL. MILSTEAD
Librarians and Professional Status: Continuing Professional Development and Academic Libraries. N. ROBERTSand T. KONN. The Library Association, London (1991). xiv + 208 ,pp., f24.50 (US$SS.OO from UNIPUB, Lanham, MD). ISBN 0-85157-452-l. The purpose of this book is more accurately described by the subtitle than by the title, for it is concerned very specifically with issues relating to professionalism and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and not with the status of librarians in general. Roberts is a distinguished, recently retired, British library educator, and Konn a practising librarian with experience of CPD as a training officer in university libraries, as well as outside the academic sector. It is a field that both know well, and on which they are well qualified to write. It is also a field in which a monographic study was needed, for there have been many recent developments. A great deal of data is scattered, not merely through the formal literature, but in library annual reports, research reports, and similar ephemeral documents. Roberts and Konn have searched widely, especially among the British hterature, to the great benefit of their book. As academic librarians on both sides of the Atlantic find their positions challenged both technologically (leading to a degree of deprofessionalisation of some formerly core tasks) and structurally (through the on-going debate about the means of comparing faculty and librarian achievements for career progression purposes), such a study is particularly timely. A survey conducted at Loughborough with funding from the British Library, on which Roberts and Konn have drawn heavily (with generous acknowledgments) showed a growing concern among librarians at all levels in Britain about the need for CPD and the lack of adequate provision of it. The American literature cited here suggests that a similar situation persists in the U.S.A. The book itself, however, welcome as it is, is slightly odd. Almost half of it is not concerned with librarianship at all, but with the concept of professionalism itself, and discussions of how other professions have dealt with CPD in recent years. Accountants, physicians, lawyers, and architects are among those whose professional attitudes and CPD programs are examined. In itself, this was a good idea, for nothing would have been worse than to undertake a tunnel-visioned self-examination with no points of reference outside librarianship. Unfortunately, the comparisons are perhaps a little indiscriminate, not wholly recognising the implications of the fact that some professions (such as medicine) have their status established and protected by law, whereas others (including, of course, librarianship) do not. For a reader in Europe, it is also disappointing to find that so little is said about the implications of European Community law and directives on the harmonisation and mutual recognition of qualifications in the member states. The central issue of the nature of the professionalism of a librarian is, however, dealt with squarely, although ultimately (perhaps inevitably) a little inconclusively. In effect, Roberts and Konn argue that although we have some skills in common with other professions (most obviously those of management), there is a core of unique skills (in information service delivery) that identify us as a unique professional group. This is true, but unlikely to convince the doubters. When the focus of the book narrows to CPD in academic libraries it is much stronger, although
399
Book Reviews
there is one important qualification to that judgment, which will be dealt with later in this review. Roberts and Konn show that historically we neglected CPD as much as any other professional group, and have only recently begun to take it seriously. Thanks to our professional associations, and a long tradition of self-improvement, we have, however, made up some lost ground, and our record is no worse than any other profession, and probably better than some. The authors show how, in the United Kingdom, one group of academic libraries (in the vocationally oriented polytechnics) led the way in CPD and in the recognition of the different but equal professionalism of librarians vis-ri-vis faculty, while libraries in the more traditional university sector for the most part only slowly followed. They also show that in times of economic hardship, CPD is likely to be high on the list of victims of financial cutbacks unless the library director is strongly committed to it, as the best of them are. All of this is excellent, but for American readers it may be a little confusing. As the book progresses, the authors have taken more and more of their examples from the U.K. and fewer and fewer from the U.S.A. Indeed, the historical account of the development of CPD m Chapter 7, which is excellent, makes a few references to the very different American experience, but is basically about Britain. In particular, the authors’ (wholly justified) strictures on traditional British attitudes to management (that it is essentially a matter for the instinctive, intelligent amateur) will read very strangely to American librarians with their much longer history of professionalised management skills. Despite these slight reservations, this is an interesting and useful book for practitioners and educators alike. For the practitioner, at every level, there is much here to promote the idea of CPD as an integral part of one’s professionalism. For the junior professional, there are ample arguments to support their case for CPD, and for the seniors many reasons for granting the validity of that case. For the educators, whether in library schools or in CPD programs themselves, there is much food for thought. I know that, within five years of graduation, the best of my students will be in jobs in which they will make almost no use of the specific skills we have taught them in library school. What they will carry with them is, I hope, an attitude to, and an understanding of, the profession they have entered. CPD is not an optional extra in this enterprise. Roberts and Konn make it abundantly clear that it is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the work and commitment of every professional librarian.
Department of Information Loughborough University U.K.
and Library Studies
Information in Action: Soft Systems Methodology. L. don (1991). xiii + 169 pp., ISBN O-333-56539-8.
JOHN FEATHER
DAVIES
and P.
LEDINGTON.
Macmillan,
Lon-
Developed in the 197Os, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was originally designed as a way of using systems ideas to tackle messy, ill-structured problems. Two decades later, SSM is no longer seen as an algorithm that will mechanically generate solutions to complex problems; rather, SSM is now viewed as providing a “. . . formal and explicit framework for understanding the learning process” (P. 6). Although SSM has been the subject of several monographs (Checkland, 1981; Wilson, 1984; Checkland & Scholes, 1990), Information in Action provides a much-needed textbook on SSM that is specifically designed to (a) introduce the reader to the principles and techniques of SSM and (b) assist the reader in developing the skills needed to use SSM effectively (p. 154). To their credit, Davies and Ledington have succeeded in writing a text that achieves both of these goals. Despite its overall excellence, Information in Action does have some minor limitations as a textbook. Since this book was written as a tutorial, it would have been helpful, especially for those using the book for self-study, if more worked exercises had been included. In addition, the terminology used in the text can, at times, prove a formidable obstacle to understanding. For example, the title might lead one to believe that the book was about managing information systems or decision support systems. What the authors mean by “Information in Action,” however, is that the learning process basically revolves around capturing and storing information about the world, which is then continually reconstructed and interpreted by each individual in order to make sense of the world (pp. 4, 158). Although this view of information is an accepted one in cognitive science, it may be novel to many information professionals. Information in Action is an important work that merits a place on the bookshelf of any information professional involved in the design and evaluation of information systems. The Soft Systems Methodology possesses two strengths that are particularly relevant to the needs of the practicing information professional. First, SSM provides a detailed and practical method that shows the practiIPH 29:3-I
Book Reviews
which newswire items are grouped into a limited number of categories (typically a few hundred). The data provided on human development and machine processing time requirements show that this method has limitations-but makes clear that it can be quite valuable for applications requiring high volume with limited specificity. Some possible more advanced applications are also described. Maarek describes a system for adding hypertext links to online system documentation. The links are generated on the basis of “lexical affinity.” Hearst describes a domain-independent text understanding system. Unlike the typical NLP system, however, this one is not concerned with topics, or what an item is about; instead, it is concerned with directionality, such as for/against, or improving/deteriorating. The editor states that the goal of this volume is ‘to provide a “snapshot” of current research and practice.’ The book definitely achieves this goal. It is a well rounded collection demonstrating a variety of approaches. In general, the authors seem to have a clear understanding of the scope and limitations of their findings, and they state these for the reader. The work comes at an opportune time, when the findings of years of research in natural language processing and information retrieval are beginning to be applied in commercial systems. Even treating the retrieval statistics with caution, as noted above, these papers contain a great deal of value, aiding the reader in making informed judgments about the direction in which efforts to develop large-scale text-based systems are heading.
The JELEM Company Brookfield, CT
JESSICAL. MILSTEAD
Librarians and Professional Status: Continuing Professional Development and Academic Libraries. N. ROBERTSand T. KONN. The Library Association, London (1991). xiv + 208 ,pp., f24.50 (US$SS.OO from UNIPUB, Lanham, MD). ISBN 0-85157-452-l. The purpose of this book is more accurately described by the subtitle than by the title, for it is concerned very specifically with issues relating to professionalism and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and not with the status of librarians in general. Roberts is a distinguished, recently retired, British library educator, and Konn a practising librarian with experience of CPD as a training officer in university libraries, as well as outside the academic sector. It is a field that both know well, and on which they are well qualified to write. It is also a field in which a monographic study was needed, for there have been many recent developments. A great deal of data is scattered, not merely through the formal literature, but in library annual reports, research reports, and similar ephemeral documents. Roberts and Konn have searched widely, especially among the British hterature, to the great benefit of their book. As academic librarians on both sides of the Atlantic find their positions challenged both technologically (leading to a degree of deprofessionalisation of some formerly core tasks) and structurally (through the on-going debate about the means of comparing faculty and librarian achievements for career progression purposes), such a study is particularly timely. A survey conducted at Loughborough with funding from the British Library, on which Roberts and Konn have drawn heavily (with generous acknowledgments) showed a growing concern among librarians at all levels in Britain about the need for CPD and the lack of adequate provision of it. The American literature cited here suggests that a similar situation persists in the U.S.A. The book itself, however, welcome as it is, is slightly odd. Almost half of it is not concerned with librarianship at all, but with the concept of professionalism itself, and discussions of how other professions have dealt with CPD in recent years. Accountants, physicians, lawyers, and architects are among those whose professional attitudes and CPD programs are examined. In itself, this was a good idea, for nothing would have been worse than to undertake a tunnel-visioned self-examination with no points of reference outside librarianship. Unfortunately, the comparisons are perhaps a little indiscriminate, not wholly recognising the implications of the fact that some professions (such as medicine) have their status established and protected by law, whereas others (including, of course, librarianship) do not. For a reader in Europe, it is also disappointing to find that so little is said about the implications of European Community law and directives on the harmonisation and mutual recognition of qualifications in the member states. The central issue of the nature of the professionalism of a librarian is, however, dealt with squarely, although ultimately (perhaps inevitably) a little inconclusively. In effect, Roberts and Konn argue that although we have some skills in common with other professions (most obviously those of management), there is a core of unique skills (in information service delivery) that identify us as a unique professional group. This is true, but unlikely to convince the doubters. When the focus of the book narrows to CPD in academic libraries it is much stronger, although
399
Book Reviews
there is one important qualification to that judgment, which will be dealt with later in this review. Roberts and Konn show that historically we neglected CPD as much as any other professional group, and have only recently begun to take it seriously. Thanks to our professional associations, and a long tradition of self-improvement, we have, however, made up some lost ground, and our record is no worse than any other profession, and probably better than some. The authors show how, in the United Kingdom, one group of academic libraries (in the vocationally oriented polytechnics) led the way in CPD and in the recognition of the different but equal professionalism of librarians vis-ri-vis faculty, while libraries in the more traditional university sector for the most part only slowly followed. They also show that in times of economic hardship, CPD is likely to be high on the list of victims of financial cutbacks unless the library director is strongly committed to it, as the best of them are. All of this is excellent, but for American readers it may be a little confusing. As the book progresses, the authors have taken more and more of their examples from the U.K. and fewer and fewer from the U.S.A. Indeed, the historical account of the development of CPD m Chapter 7, which is excellent, makes a few references to the very different American experience, but is basically about Britain. In particular, the authors’ (wholly justified) strictures on traditional British attitudes to management (that it is essentially a matter for the instinctive, intelligent amateur) will read very strangely to American librarians with their much longer history of professionalised management skills. Despite these slight reservations, this is an interesting and useful book for practitioners and educators alike. For the practitioner, at every level, there is much here to promote the idea of CPD as an integral part of one’s professionalism. For the junior professional, there are ample arguments to support their case for CPD, and for the seniors many reasons for granting the validity of that case. For the educators, whether in library schools or in CPD programs themselves, there is much food for thought. I know that, within five years of graduation, the best of my students will be in jobs in which they will make almost no use of the specific skills we have taught them in library school. What they will carry with them is, I hope, an attitude to, and an understanding of, the profession they have entered. CPD is not an optional extra in this enterprise. Roberts and Konn make it abundantly clear that it is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the work and commitment of every professional librarian.
Department of Information Loughborough University U.K.
and Library Studies
Information in Action: Soft Systems Methodology. L. don (1991). xiii + 169 pp., ISBN O-333-56539-8.
JOHN FEATHER
DAVIES
and P.
LEDINGTON.
Macmillan,
Lon-
Developed in the 197Os, Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was originally designed as a way of using systems ideas to tackle messy, ill-structured problems. Two decades later, SSM is no longer seen as an algorithm that will mechanically generate solutions to complex problems; rather, SSM is now viewed as providing a “. . . formal and explicit framework for understanding the learning process” (P. 6). Although SSM has been the subject of several monographs (Checkland, 1981; Wilson, 1984; Checkland & Scholes, 1990), Information in Action provides a much-needed textbook on SSM that is specifically designed to (a) introduce the reader to the principles and techniques of SSM and (b) assist the reader in developing the skills needed to use SSM effectively (p. 154). To their credit, Davies and Ledington have succeeded in writing a text that achieves both of these goals. Despite its overall excellence, Information in Action does have some minor limitations as a textbook. Since this book was written as a tutorial, it would have been helpful, especially for those using the book for self-study, if more worked exercises had been included. In addition, the terminology used in the text can, at times, prove a formidable obstacle to understanding. For example, the title might lead one to believe that the book was about managing information systems or decision support systems. What the authors mean by “Information in Action,” however, is that the learning process basically revolves around capturing and storing information about the world, which is then continually reconstructed and interpreted by each individual in order to make sense of the world (pp. 4, 158). Although this view of information is an accepted one in cognitive science, it may be novel to many information professionals. Information in Action is an important work that merits a place on the bookshelf of any information professional involved in the design and evaluation of information systems. The Soft Systems Methodology possesses two strengths that are particularly relevant to the needs of the practicing information professional. First, SSM provides a detailed and practical method that shows the practiIPH 29:3-I