ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

New Publications

George M. Eberhart

Committees in the U.S. Congress 1947—1992, Vol- ume 1: Committee Juris- dictions and Member Ros- ters,by Garrison Nelson (1,015 pages, July 1993), is the first of two volumes that presents a comprehensive history of congressional committee membership. Nelson has drawn on hun- dreds of sources to compile the membership lists of ev- ery House, Senate, joint, se- lect, and special committee since 1947. Party affiliation, ranking, and se- niority level are given for each member for each session. Volume 2, to be published in Novem- ber, will detail each member’s committee as- signments throughout his or her career. Vol- ume 1 costs $225 and may be ordered from Congressional Quarterly Books, Customer Ser- vice, 300 Raritan Center Parkway, P.O. Box 7816, Edison, NJ 08818-7816. ISBN 0-87187-729-5.

Gay and Lesbian Characters and Themes in Mystery Novels,by Anthony Slide (199 pages, August 1993), provides descriptions of more than 500 novels with homosexual themes, both mainstream and those specifically for gays and lesbians. Each entry includes a plot synopsis and critical commentary. Some famous authors are featured—Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, Patricia Highsmith, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and John D. MacDonald—while in the introduction homosexual themes are credited to certain works of Dickens and Balzac. A copy may be purchased for $35-00 from McFarland & Co., Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640. ISBN 0-89950-798-0.

A Guide to the Oxford English Dictionary,by Donna Lee Berg (206 pages, July 1993), compiled in consultation with the OEDs editors, is an essential companion to what many consider the world’s greatest English dictionary. The first part describes each structural element of the OED entries, while the second part consists of alphabetically arranged articles on grammatical, lexicographical, and linguistic terms used in the dictionary. Many examples are given to illustrate concepts discussed in the text, so that first-time users of the OED will be prepared for its abundance of information. The guide costs $18.95 and may be ordered from Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. ISBN 0-19-869179-3.

In The Manley Art of Librarianship, by Will Manley (242 pages, August 1993), the former columnist for the Wilson Library Bul- letin who was fired for writ- ing on librarians and sex sounds off in his characteristic way about the library profession. Manley excels at inventing humorous lists, and this book has them in abundance: 13 good things about the American Library Association; 9 signs that your library has become too bureaucratic; 15 productive uses of a dead cataloger; things overheard at catalogers’ cocktail parties; why food makes librarians talk; how to avoid being assassinated on your first day of work; and 20 questions most censors do not want you to ask them. The infamous sex survey is reprinted here, with embellishments. A potent antidote to biblioangst, or the uncertainty felt at least once in a librarian’s lifetime that lobster fisher- man or shepherdess might have been a more appropriate career choice. A copy may be or- dered for $21.95 from McFarland & Co., Box 6l 1, Jefferson, NC 28640. ISBN 0-89950-866-9.

Special Collections Policies, Procedures and Guidelines,by Christopher Anglim (556 pages, June 1993), was designed to be used as a model plan for the management of special legal collections, but it will also prove pertinent to other special collections. Much of the model plan is based on the mission, administration, scope, services, and policies in place at the South Texas College of Law, where the author is a reference librarian. More than haíf of the book contains reprints of procedures and guidelines, some of them from ACRL’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section and others from the National Archives or the American Association of Law Librarians. Overall, a useful guide to the theory and practice of special collections librarianship. Copies are available for $68.50 from William S. Hein & Co., 1285 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209. ISBN 0-89941-814-7. ■