The depreciation of knowledge

“The Depreciation of Knowledge,” edited by Miranda L Pao and Amy J Wdmer Ltbmrv Trends 41 (Spnng 1993) 545-736 [University of Illmors, Graduate School ot Llbrdry and Information Science $18 SO ISSN 002-l-2594]

v I

Book Reviews

v

The Depreciatron of Knowledge Edited by Mu-anda L Pao and Amy J Warner Rrl IW eci II\ Rolmtl

Prtsotr.

. . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , ,233

Designing Information Edlted bq Linda C Snuth and Prudence W Dalr>mple Re\wu

ccl bv Marl

Encyclopedia

Mmgtrter

Benson

. . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . .233

of Library Histoq

Edlted by Wa! ne A b’legand

dnd Donald G Daws. Jr

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 Electronic 4ccess to Information

Re\w~~ ed h

Mrc hel

H

Edlted by Win-Shm

Harr IS.

S Chlanp and Nancy E Ellungton

, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . .234

Rel uw eci 1~ Lets Jo&

The Future Is Now Rtv

ICW cd

bv

Information

S Inrtter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...235 Retrieval Toda]

ShetIn

Bq F 1\‘llfrld

Lancaster and Am) J Warner

D&~rti Shm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...235 The Knowledge Econom? Rtslve\\ td b\ Gcrr~ D Btrt her. . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . ,236 Library Research Models Re~~w\~ eci h

By Thorna\

hl,mn

Re\ te\l ed hv Ellett

4I~tttcvt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Records Management By C,lnd\ Relve\l

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236

and the Library

Schwartz and Peter Hemon Thtttm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 esterday, Today. and Tomorrow

E Ntsottge~

Research Libraries-I Edited b) \+‘IIII~I

J Welsh

B111SChrrck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Rethinking Reference In Academic Libraries

Re\w\i

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Edited by Anne Grodzlns

LIPON

Clrrrsn Zhos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...238 Sourcebook for Blbhographlc Instruction Rtl\ te\\ rd O\

Edited b) Kathenns

Branch et al

td .!I\ Kerdl Skuqt~t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...239 Using Government Information Sources

RPI Ien

B> Jean L Sear> ‘Ind hl‘llnl>n Rt,\ tc\i td b\ Roherr

F Rose.

K Mood)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . .239

Edlted by tno of the late Manfred Kochen’s collengues at the Umvzrsity of Michigan. this Lolume begms ulth d blbllometnc andlysls of Kochen’s ~olununous and wide-rangmp nntlng Cited okcr 450 tunes and frequently beyond InformatIon SCIence fields hrs work influenced commumcatlons technolog!, artificial lntelllgence orgamzatlonal theory and mform‘ltlon management The eight tilcles that tallow examme \anatlons on d theme ot the llte cycle of hno~ ledge, that knob ledge hd> \ alue which detenorates. deprecl,ltes. and even become5 obsolete Don SHamon, M,wnce Lme, dnd Dianne Rothenberg contnbute particularly challenging pieces Swanson belreles that the mtormatron explosion wll become an opportunity euploslon f p 6 19) As knom ledge expands and speclalrzes or tragmen&, new kno\hlcdge ma) come horn nen reldtlonshlps among the fragments Lme attacks slmpllstlc notions of obsolescence as obJective and cautions against quick fixes tor Heeding problems He favors using technology to develop table ot contents databases tor book3 much I~he those existing for JOLIIndl Ilterdture Rothenberp dlstlngulshes betkeen utility and value ot materials ober time, and she too finds the IWI~ to be cornpIe\. callmg obsolescence habed on use alone Imalld In the other essays Richard M&tesslch categorizes Intormatlon and knom ledge In econonuc terms as raw matenal and bystem Thus. one may depreciate matenal becwse ot Its phqslcal condltlon or because ot the obsolescence ot Its Inowledpe hllchele Cloonan looks at preset-\ atIon concerns 01 er sa\ mg Indl\ Idual Item5 \erws presenmg know ledge P‘ltnck Wll\on argue\ that current! or keeping up, ’ IS. tor knowledge workers d socd requuement Evelyn Daniel ewnune\ Ilternture on total quality management (TQM) and rather \aguel) appl~rs It to mtormdtlon selection Flnnlly. FrancIs N,lnn ,md Domlnlc Oli\astro perform extenslke stdtistlcdl compansons on patent cltatlon literature to show that the technological hfetlme of an ImentIon may differ trom Its commercial llte Practicing IlbranJns UIII find the sum ot thlh Iesh than borne ot the parts, honr\er man> ot these essays do contam valuable wnunanes ot the research In these fields Virtually no Ilbrarq especially an dcadenuc one, can avoid concern about collectlon growth and weeding This volume helps point out not only the complevltles ot the problem but also the penls ot hoping for simple solutions apphcdble to all situations -Rhttti Persott, As usmtiI Scwttce Ltbnit uiti Soirrht~rtr Illrnor r L/nil et sin Ltlmm

Cnrlwritinlt~

IL 6?9/JI -6632

Designing Information: New Roles for Llbrarlans edited bl Linda C Srruth and Prudence W Dalrqmple (P‘lpers presented at the I992 Clmlc on Llbrruy Apphcdtlons ot Data Processing Apnl 5-7 1992) Lfrbana-Champaign IL Um\ersltJ ot Illmolb Graduate School ot Llbruv and Intormatlon Science. 1993 222~ $35 ISBN 0-87845-08XISSN 00694789 Acid-free paper This \olums contams the I? maJor papers from the 29th annual Cllmc on Library Appllc&lons ot Data Proce>slng A> has been true tar the past several years. the hcope of the Cllmc papers goes beyond data procewng. the paper> In thlb kol-