- Email: [email protected]
Local history collections in libraries
The ReviewSection
243
Intemet resources using AACR2r and the USMARC computer file format. She further explains, in detail, three recommendations made by the committee: "changes to the cataloging rules, changes to USMARC, and guidelines to be used in cataloging." Finally, she lists the problems that need to be addressed, such as the physical format of the electronic resource, e.g., ASCII, EBCDIC; compressed, uncompressed; and the issue of electronic location information. During concurrent session II, the future of subscription agents is analyzed. Four papers presented include the description of the functions and strategies devised by agents in dealing with the changing market as well as offering predictions for the future. "New publishing, new serials" is addressed by two projects in progress. The Red Sage Project, a collaboration among AT&T Bell Laboratories, Springer-Verlag, and the University of California at San Francisco was presented by Richard E. Lucier and Robert C. Badger. The purpose of this project is "to identify, and study the technical, legal, business, economic, and social issues sun~unding the creation and delivery of scientific, technical, and medical information in an electronic, networked environment." This project along with Michael E. Van Steenberg's "NASA STELAR Experiment" comprise the presentations in concurrent session l]I. The STELAR, the Study of Electronic Literature for Astrophysics Research experiment, explores the technical and practical requirements for bringing the astrophysics literature online. Concurrent session IV covers copyright and the electronic environment. Two papers were presented in this session by Laura N. Gasaway and Brian Kahin. This section also includes the discussion that followed Brian Kahin's presentation, demonstrating the strong interest of the audience in this issue. Preconference workshop reports consist of two papers entitled: "NASIGNET and Beyond: A Guided Tour of Electronic Networking Resources for Serialists" and "How to Plan and Deliver a Great Workshop." Workshop session reports comprise 18 papers presented by one or more workshop leaders and written by a recorder. These reports are sometimes accompanied by the recorder's impression of the audience's reaction or their questions. The topics of these workshops cover a wide variety of areas concerning such practical serial topics as invoicing, union lists, journal use studies, magazine fulfillment centers, cancellation projects, standing orders, standards, the international serials data system, automation, vendor choice, CD-ROMs and locally mounted databases, serials public service, duplicate materials, claims, Electronic Data Interchange, format integration, and the organization of serials work. A 1992 workshop on serials cataloging that was left out of the seventh proceedings is also included here. In summary, this is an excellent representation of the ever-changing, complicated, and exciting world of serials. The papers deal with a wide range of issues that should concern library decisionmakers at all levels. A copy of this book can be used as a reference to today's serials issues. In addition, the information about presenters provides the reader with contacts for discussion on a specific issue. The majority of the writings in this volume will be of interest to collection development and acquisitions librarians. It is recommended for libraries of all sizes and all types especially, those not subscribing to Serials Librarian.
PII S0364-6408(96)00005-1
Zary Mostashari Shafa Assistant Director of Technical Services University of Dallas Library Irving, TX 75062-4736 Internet: [email protected]
Local History Collections in Libraries. By Faye Phillips. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1995. xi, 164 pp. $32.00 ($38.50 outside North America). ISBN 1-56308-141-5.
244
The Rev~wS~fi~
Faye Phillips has written an exemplary manual for individuals responsible for local history collections in libraries. Expressly designed to update and expand upon the small guide written by Enid T. Thompson (Local History Collections: A Manual for Librarians. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1978), Phillips' guide provides coverage of matters pertaining to access, acquisitions, administration, preservation, public relations, and usage of all types and formats of materials. More detailed and technical than its acknowledged predecessor, Phillips' book is oriented primarily toward librarians, but its pithy contents will also benefit archivists, manuscript curators, administrators, and students. Drawing on her experience with the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections at Louisiana State University, the author addresses a broad range of issues under the following eight chapter headings: "Introduction"; "Defining and Building the Local History Collection"; "Maintaining the Local History Collection: Access"; "Maintaining the Local History Collection: Preservation"; "New Technologies for Access and Preservation"; "The Users of Local History Collections"; "Public Relations and Outreach"; and "Administration of Local History Collections." The portions of the text dealing with time-sensitive subjects such as preservation, copyright, legal issues, and computer applications are especially valuable. An attribute that this reviewer immensely appreciates is the perceptive commentary relating to day-to-day operations of the local history collection, insightfulness obviously rooted in the author's professional experience. Following a brief introduction that explains the study of local history and the nature of local history collections, Phillips carefully reviews the responsibilities associated with collection development, collection evaluation, acquisitions, documentation, and appraisal. As Phillips aptly observes, each local history collection needs a collection development policy in order to fulfill its mission, and all planning is actually predicated on such a policy. To assist in the formulation of a collection development policy, she delineates the basic components and includes a sample policy in Appendix A. Also referenced in this chapter are a sample documentation strategy (the nittygritty implementation of collection development) in Appendix B and an appraisal checklist for evaluating additions to the collection in Appendix D. Throughout the book, the author includes generous examples of forms, checklists, logs, accession records, and lists. In all, there are 29 different examples or lists, as well as 4 appendices. Many of these items serve as models that can be adapted to local needs. Besides discussing essential library and archival practices, Phillips peppers her comments with practical observations. For example, she emphasizes that donors should not be neglected once the initial transaction has been completed. These individuals may be contributors again in the future or may influence other potential donors. Access is the central theme of the third chapter. After succinctly describing the primary resources used in the cataloging and classification of print materials, the author devotes the remainder of the discussion to the arrangement and description of archives and manuscripts. In this section Phillips introduces the reader to the archives control component of the RLIN online national database and Steven Hensen's manual for the arrangement and description of archives and manuscripts (Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts, 2d ed. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1989), which also instructs individuals in the proper use of the MARC format for Archival Manuscript Control (USMARC-AMC). Sample segments of an RLIN Archival and Manuscripts Control record are also provided. The chapter on preservation contains excellent guidelines and recommendations for conserving resources held in local history collections. The author is commended for statements that might be considered by some as self-evident procedures (e.g., "Before producing a microfilm of a book, consult Microform Masters to determine whether a film already exists." p. 66). This book distinguishes itself by its thorough coverage of basic procedures and by its repeated admonitions that the reader consider problems carefully before initiating action.
The ReviewSection
245
In marked contrast to the other sections, the fifth chapter, dealing with new technologies, is extremely disappointing. Not only is the treatment of the subject inadequate, it completely ignores the revolutionary potential of the Internet for making local archival and history collections universally available in multimedia formats. Concomitantly, there is no mention of the ever-increasing number of imaging projects already in place or in process that can be accessed over the Internet. The only comment about the Internet pertains to reference inquiries, and even this does not appear as an entry in the index. Although Phillips describes several current commercial scanning devices and imaging software packages (including prices), she fails to document sufficiently the application of these technologies in libraries and archives (except for the Library of Congress's American Memory Project). The most recent source cited in the endnotes of this chapter has a 1992 publication date; the remaining citations are from 1990 and 1991. The author and the publisher are equally culpable for neglecting to update this critical area. The chapter dealing with "users" of the local history collection contains fertile suggestions for facilitating access to materials and for assisting patrons with their research. Phillips briefly outlines the impact of copyright laws on unpublished papers and cites several recent court decisions (involving J.D. Salinger and L. Ron Hubbard) to alert librarians to the restrictions placed on publishing manuscript items. Recurring problems with subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreements plague this chapter. On page 81 there are two instances where the antecedent "each" is followed by the pronoun "they," and on the following page the text reads "Rare Book and Manuscript Section.. • have developed . . . . "Furthermore, the author repeatedly alternates between using "staff" as a collective plural and a collective singular noun. A similar inconsistency is evident with the term "Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections." Other examples of grammatical peccadilloes include an apostrophe that is missing from "users needs" on page 85 and the inexplicable shift of tenses in the last sentence on page 96. The chapter on public relations and outreach is outstanding. Librarians too frequently ignore the marketing aspect of librarianship. Phillips provides a concise analysis of public relations activities (press releases, brochures, newsletters, and journals) that can enhance the image of the collection, including a model public relations plan. The author warns against overly ambitious projects, however, which can place excessive demands on the staff. The second segment on outreach programs offers suggestions for exhibitions, lectures, friends groups, volunteers, and scholarly projects involving research fellowships, oral history, and presentations to community organizations. Policies and procedures, staffing, performance evaluations, planning, and budgeting are the topics discussed in the final chapter on administrative responsibilities. Phillips stresses the increasing importance of grants as sources of revenue for local history collections and offers several insights into successful grantsmanship. This concluding chapter contains numerous grammatical errors that seem to indicate minimal editorial vigilance. "Short-term" and "long-term" are always hyphenated as adjectives, but both terms are handled inconsistently throughout the text. On page 125 a sentence fragment appears ("The mission of the organization, the collection development policies, budget, staffing, and short-range (or yearly) plans."). There is a typographical error on page 127 ("in one are[a]"), and on page 130 the author mixes Arabic numerals and written numbers in citing percentages ("ten or 20 percent"). A five and one-half page bibliography includes, among others, standard works by David Gracy, Nancy Gwinn, Steven Hensen (misspelled "Henson" in the citation), and Fredric Miller. Not included, however, are the following two important publications relating to the nature of historical research: Thomas E. Felt, Researching, Writing, and Publishing Local History, 2d ed. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1981 and Carol Kammen, On Doing Local History: Reflections on What Local Historians Do, Why, and What It Means, Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1986.
246
The ReviewSection
One is curious why Phillips quotes from William A. Katz's fifth edition of Introduction to Reference Works on pages 84-85 but lists the sixth edition in the bibliography, erroneously cited as a 1992 rather than a 1991 publication. Local History Collections in Libraries has much to recommend it. It clearly replaces Enid Thompson's publication as the standard authority on the subject. Nevertheless, it is regrettable that the message has been compromised by careless composition and slip-shod editorial supervision. The repeated grammatical errors and inconsistencies seriously detract from what otherwise is a first-rate publication. In this case due diligence was not exercised by the publisher. PII S0364-6408(96)00004-X
Michael G. Webster CEO, Arkansas Curriculum & Library Service 28 Timothy Lane Conway, AR 72032
Academic Library Budgets, By Murray S. Martin. Foundations in Library and Information Science, Vol. 28. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1993. 270 pp. $73.25. ISBN 1-55938-597-9. Murray S. Martin published his first edition of this work, Budgetary Control in Academic Libraries and also volume five of the Foundations in Library and Information Science series, in 1978. Since then, Martin notes, changes within higher education and within libraries now require a "more active approach" toward library budgeting and financing of library operations by library managers. In this work, Martin attempts to aid those persons responsible for developing budgets achieve this more active approach by presenting the various steps involved in creation, presentation, and monitoring of a library budget. Martin begins his examination of the budgetary process by repeating many of the same basic budgetary principles covered in his first edition, starting with the need for fiscal management. Martin then turns to an examination of the institutional setting within which the librarian responsible for financial management must work. His treatment, necessarily broad due to the variety of academic institutions, still makes some valuable points. He notes the difficulty many librarians face by not having a clear place within the planning and policy-making structure of the institution. That structure, designed to meet the institution's academic goals, relegates the library with other academic support services to a subordinate role. The library must now compete with other university services at a time when information needs continue to grow and require even more attention. In his chapter on the financial setting of the library, Martin points out the need for libraries to change their existing budgetary strategies. Those have been based primarily on historical patterns and do not reflect the changes caused by the adoption of automation and new technologies. Automation has shifted the patterns of expenditures from the time-honored proportions of 60:30:10 for personnel, materials, and support services to a new proportion of 55:30:15. This change requires more flexibility in financial planning so libraries can respond appropriately to the institution's changing needs. In his chapter on the budgetary process, Martin briefly outlines the typical process and then discusses the various differences between institutions that require a diversion from that course. These differences include income, the choice between centralized and decentralized budget procedures, size of the institution, timing of the budgetary cycle, style of budget, and participants in the budget process. In the same chapter, he includes a sample budget in several styles for comparison, point-
243
Intemet resources using AACR2r and the USMARC computer file format. She further explains, in detail, three recommendations made by the committee: "changes to the cataloging rules, changes to USMARC, and guidelines to be used in cataloging." Finally, she lists the problems that need to be addressed, such as the physical format of the electronic resource, e.g., ASCII, EBCDIC; compressed, uncompressed; and the issue of electronic location information. During concurrent session II, the future of subscription agents is analyzed. Four papers presented include the description of the functions and strategies devised by agents in dealing with the changing market as well as offering predictions for the future. "New publishing, new serials" is addressed by two projects in progress. The Red Sage Project, a collaboration among AT&T Bell Laboratories, Springer-Verlag, and the University of California at San Francisco was presented by Richard E. Lucier and Robert C. Badger. The purpose of this project is "to identify, and study the technical, legal, business, economic, and social issues sun~unding the creation and delivery of scientific, technical, and medical information in an electronic, networked environment." This project along with Michael E. Van Steenberg's "NASA STELAR Experiment" comprise the presentations in concurrent session l]I. The STELAR, the Study of Electronic Literature for Astrophysics Research experiment, explores the technical and practical requirements for bringing the astrophysics literature online. Concurrent session IV covers copyright and the electronic environment. Two papers were presented in this session by Laura N. Gasaway and Brian Kahin. This section also includes the discussion that followed Brian Kahin's presentation, demonstrating the strong interest of the audience in this issue. Preconference workshop reports consist of two papers entitled: "NASIGNET and Beyond: A Guided Tour of Electronic Networking Resources for Serialists" and "How to Plan and Deliver a Great Workshop." Workshop session reports comprise 18 papers presented by one or more workshop leaders and written by a recorder. These reports are sometimes accompanied by the recorder's impression of the audience's reaction or their questions. The topics of these workshops cover a wide variety of areas concerning such practical serial topics as invoicing, union lists, journal use studies, magazine fulfillment centers, cancellation projects, standing orders, standards, the international serials data system, automation, vendor choice, CD-ROMs and locally mounted databases, serials public service, duplicate materials, claims, Electronic Data Interchange, format integration, and the organization of serials work. A 1992 workshop on serials cataloging that was left out of the seventh proceedings is also included here. In summary, this is an excellent representation of the ever-changing, complicated, and exciting world of serials. The papers deal with a wide range of issues that should concern library decisionmakers at all levels. A copy of this book can be used as a reference to today's serials issues. In addition, the information about presenters provides the reader with contacts for discussion on a specific issue. The majority of the writings in this volume will be of interest to collection development and acquisitions librarians. It is recommended for libraries of all sizes and all types especially, those not subscribing to Serials Librarian.
PII S0364-6408(96)00005-1
Zary Mostashari Shafa Assistant Director of Technical Services University of Dallas Library Irving, TX 75062-4736 Internet: [email protected]
Local History Collections in Libraries. By Faye Phillips. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1995. xi, 164 pp. $32.00 ($38.50 outside North America). ISBN 1-56308-141-5.
244
The Rev~wS~fi~
Faye Phillips has written an exemplary manual for individuals responsible for local history collections in libraries. Expressly designed to update and expand upon the small guide written by Enid T. Thompson (Local History Collections: A Manual for Librarians. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1978), Phillips' guide provides coverage of matters pertaining to access, acquisitions, administration, preservation, public relations, and usage of all types and formats of materials. More detailed and technical than its acknowledged predecessor, Phillips' book is oriented primarily toward librarians, but its pithy contents will also benefit archivists, manuscript curators, administrators, and students. Drawing on her experience with the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections at Louisiana State University, the author addresses a broad range of issues under the following eight chapter headings: "Introduction"; "Defining and Building the Local History Collection"; "Maintaining the Local History Collection: Access"; "Maintaining the Local History Collection: Preservation"; "New Technologies for Access and Preservation"; "The Users of Local History Collections"; "Public Relations and Outreach"; and "Administration of Local History Collections." The portions of the text dealing with time-sensitive subjects such as preservation, copyright, legal issues, and computer applications are especially valuable. An attribute that this reviewer immensely appreciates is the perceptive commentary relating to day-to-day operations of the local history collection, insightfulness obviously rooted in the author's professional experience. Following a brief introduction that explains the study of local history and the nature of local history collections, Phillips carefully reviews the responsibilities associated with collection development, collection evaluation, acquisitions, documentation, and appraisal. As Phillips aptly observes, each local history collection needs a collection development policy in order to fulfill its mission, and all planning is actually predicated on such a policy. To assist in the formulation of a collection development policy, she delineates the basic components and includes a sample policy in Appendix A. Also referenced in this chapter are a sample documentation strategy (the nittygritty implementation of collection development) in Appendix B and an appraisal checklist for evaluating additions to the collection in Appendix D. Throughout the book, the author includes generous examples of forms, checklists, logs, accession records, and lists. In all, there are 29 different examples or lists, as well as 4 appendices. Many of these items serve as models that can be adapted to local needs. Besides discussing essential library and archival practices, Phillips peppers her comments with practical observations. For example, she emphasizes that donors should not be neglected once the initial transaction has been completed. These individuals may be contributors again in the future or may influence other potential donors. Access is the central theme of the third chapter. After succinctly describing the primary resources used in the cataloging and classification of print materials, the author devotes the remainder of the discussion to the arrangement and description of archives and manuscripts. In this section Phillips introduces the reader to the archives control component of the RLIN online national database and Steven Hensen's manual for the arrangement and description of archives and manuscripts (Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts, 2d ed. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1989), which also instructs individuals in the proper use of the MARC format for Archival Manuscript Control (USMARC-AMC). Sample segments of an RLIN Archival and Manuscripts Control record are also provided. The chapter on preservation contains excellent guidelines and recommendations for conserving resources held in local history collections. The author is commended for statements that might be considered by some as self-evident procedures (e.g., "Before producing a microfilm of a book, consult Microform Masters to determine whether a film already exists." p. 66). This book distinguishes itself by its thorough coverage of basic procedures and by its repeated admonitions that the reader consider problems carefully before initiating action.
The ReviewSection
245
In marked contrast to the other sections, the fifth chapter, dealing with new technologies, is extremely disappointing. Not only is the treatment of the subject inadequate, it completely ignores the revolutionary potential of the Internet for making local archival and history collections universally available in multimedia formats. Concomitantly, there is no mention of the ever-increasing number of imaging projects already in place or in process that can be accessed over the Internet. The only comment about the Internet pertains to reference inquiries, and even this does not appear as an entry in the index. Although Phillips describes several current commercial scanning devices and imaging software packages (including prices), she fails to document sufficiently the application of these technologies in libraries and archives (except for the Library of Congress's American Memory Project). The most recent source cited in the endnotes of this chapter has a 1992 publication date; the remaining citations are from 1990 and 1991. The author and the publisher are equally culpable for neglecting to update this critical area. The chapter dealing with "users" of the local history collection contains fertile suggestions for facilitating access to materials and for assisting patrons with their research. Phillips briefly outlines the impact of copyright laws on unpublished papers and cites several recent court decisions (involving J.D. Salinger and L. Ron Hubbard) to alert librarians to the restrictions placed on publishing manuscript items. Recurring problems with subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreements plague this chapter. On page 81 there are two instances where the antecedent "each" is followed by the pronoun "they," and on the following page the text reads "Rare Book and Manuscript Section.. • have developed . . . . "Furthermore, the author repeatedly alternates between using "staff" as a collective plural and a collective singular noun. A similar inconsistency is evident with the term "Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections." Other examples of grammatical peccadilloes include an apostrophe that is missing from "users needs" on page 85 and the inexplicable shift of tenses in the last sentence on page 96. The chapter on public relations and outreach is outstanding. Librarians too frequently ignore the marketing aspect of librarianship. Phillips provides a concise analysis of public relations activities (press releases, brochures, newsletters, and journals) that can enhance the image of the collection, including a model public relations plan. The author warns against overly ambitious projects, however, which can place excessive demands on the staff. The second segment on outreach programs offers suggestions for exhibitions, lectures, friends groups, volunteers, and scholarly projects involving research fellowships, oral history, and presentations to community organizations. Policies and procedures, staffing, performance evaluations, planning, and budgeting are the topics discussed in the final chapter on administrative responsibilities. Phillips stresses the increasing importance of grants as sources of revenue for local history collections and offers several insights into successful grantsmanship. This concluding chapter contains numerous grammatical errors that seem to indicate minimal editorial vigilance. "Short-term" and "long-term" are always hyphenated as adjectives, but both terms are handled inconsistently throughout the text. On page 125 a sentence fragment appears ("The mission of the organization, the collection development policies, budget, staffing, and short-range (or yearly) plans."). There is a typographical error on page 127 ("in one are[a]"), and on page 130 the author mixes Arabic numerals and written numbers in citing percentages ("ten or 20 percent"). A five and one-half page bibliography includes, among others, standard works by David Gracy, Nancy Gwinn, Steven Hensen (misspelled "Henson" in the citation), and Fredric Miller. Not included, however, are the following two important publications relating to the nature of historical research: Thomas E. Felt, Researching, Writing, and Publishing Local History, 2d ed. Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1981 and Carol Kammen, On Doing Local History: Reflections on What Local Historians Do, Why, and What It Means, Nashville, TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1986.
246
The ReviewSection
One is curious why Phillips quotes from William A. Katz's fifth edition of Introduction to Reference Works on pages 84-85 but lists the sixth edition in the bibliography, erroneously cited as a 1992 rather than a 1991 publication. Local History Collections in Libraries has much to recommend it. It clearly replaces Enid Thompson's publication as the standard authority on the subject. Nevertheless, it is regrettable that the message has been compromised by careless composition and slip-shod editorial supervision. The repeated grammatical errors and inconsistencies seriously detract from what otherwise is a first-rate publication. In this case due diligence was not exercised by the publisher. PII S0364-6408(96)00004-X
Michael G. Webster CEO, Arkansas Curriculum & Library Service 28 Timothy Lane Conway, AR 72032
Academic Library Budgets, By Murray S. Martin. Foundations in Library and Information Science, Vol. 28. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1993. 270 pp. $73.25. ISBN 1-55938-597-9. Murray S. Martin published his first edition of this work, Budgetary Control in Academic Libraries and also volume five of the Foundations in Library and Information Science series, in 1978. Since then, Martin notes, changes within higher education and within libraries now require a "more active approach" toward library budgeting and financing of library operations by library managers. In this work, Martin attempts to aid those persons responsible for developing budgets achieve this more active approach by presenting the various steps involved in creation, presentation, and monitoring of a library budget. Martin begins his examination of the budgetary process by repeating many of the same basic budgetary principles covered in his first edition, starting with the need for fiscal management. Martin then turns to an examination of the institutional setting within which the librarian responsible for financial management must work. His treatment, necessarily broad due to the variety of academic institutions, still makes some valuable points. He notes the difficulty many librarians face by not having a clear place within the planning and policy-making structure of the institution. That structure, designed to meet the institution's academic goals, relegates the library with other academic support services to a subordinate role. The library must now compete with other university services at a time when information needs continue to grow and require even more attention. In his chapter on the financial setting of the library, Martin points out the need for libraries to change their existing budgetary strategies. Those have been based primarily on historical patterns and do not reflect the changes caused by the adoption of automation and new technologies. Automation has shifted the patterns of expenditures from the time-honored proportions of 60:30:10 for personnel, materials, and support services to a new proportion of 55:30:15. This change requires more flexibility in financial planning so libraries can respond appropriately to the institution's changing needs. In his chapter on the budgetary process, Martin briefly outlines the typical process and then discusses the various differences between institutions that require a diversion from that course. These differences include income, the choice between centralized and decentralized budget procedures, size of the institution, timing of the budgetary cycle, style of budget, and participants in the budget process. In the same chapter, he includes a sample budget in several styles for comparison, point-