ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

PUBLICATIONS

• Adrienne Rich: The Poet and Her Critics, by Craig Werner (199 pages, April 1988), examines the evolving relationship between political and aesthetic values in the writings of contemporary American poet Adrienne Rich. The author’s analysis proceeds from close readings of major poems from each distinct period of Rich’s career, including “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” “Necessities of Life,” “Diving into the Wreck,” “Rape,” and “Sources.” Three major poetic themes are identified: Rich’s critique of patriarchy, her effort to contribute to a woman-centered alternative, and her experiments in the creation of a radical poetic voice. Published as part of a series on critical writings about British and American poets, the volume is available for $19.95 from ALA Publishing, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. ISBN 0-8389-0487-4.

• Alternative Library Literature, 1986/87, edited by Sanford Berman and James P. Danky, with drawings by Jackie Urbanovic (288 pages, 1988), is the editors’ third biennial anthology of socially relevant, pop cultural, and/or humorous gleanings from library literature and other esoteric sources. Some of the chapter headings are: Women, Nukes/Peace, Censorship, A/V, and the Central American/Nicaraguan Connection, which last includes a piece by the Nicaraguan Minister of Culture. Some of the more fun stuff includes chapters on mail art, rock videos, “The Librarian’s Songbook,” and “Dewey’s Believe It or Not!” Copies are $35 and may be ordered from McFarland & Company, Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640. ISBN 0- 89950-336-5.

• Building Use Policies, SPEC Kit #144 (May 1988), analyzes documents gathered in a 1986 ARL survey that dealt with food and drink, smoking, general building use, and aesthetics in the library. The kit contains a SPEC survey tally, food and drink policies from 16 libraries, smoking policies from 14 libraries, four statements on aesthetics, and a selected reading list. SPEC Kits are available for $20 (prepayment required) from SPEC, Office of Management Services, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036.

• Developing Microcompu ter Work Areas in Academic Libraries, edited by Jeannine Uppgard (124 pages, 1988), presents five case studies in which public access microcomputer centers were designed and established and how the scope of their services was determined. The libraries in question are the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the State University of New York at Geneseo, the University of Cincinnati, California Polytechnic State University, and Rhode Island College. Appendices provide a brief annotated bibliography and a directory of library installations that lists the contact person, the type and number of micros, and the number of software titles available. Copies may be ordered for $37.50 from Meekler Corporation, 11 Ferry Lane West, Westport, CT 06880. ISBN 0- 88736-233-8.

• Dostoyevsky, Poe & Co.: Songs and Snappy Patter, a record album produced by Anthony Wellman, contains poetry and prose performed from the writings of Sören Kierkegaard, Ambrose Bierce, Thomas Hardy, Victor Hugo, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Edgar Allan Poe. All of the selections are humorous or satirical, and may attract to the classics an undergraduate who would otherwise be put off by anything written prior to 1980. My favorites are the Bierce selections. Performances are by Mason Adams (of the Lou Grant show) and Henry Morgan. Copies may be ordered for $9.98 (plus $2 handling) from Anthony Wellman Productions, 19 W. 34th Street, New York, NY 10001.

• Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals, by James E. Neal Jr. (136 pages, 5th ed., 1988), contains more than 1,000 phrases for describing key factors on most appraisal forms. All the comments are positive, but can easily be altered to indicate weak areas. The phrases are grouped into 43 subject areas (such as Communicative Skills, Initiative, Motivation), while lists of helpful adjectives and verbs are appended. Ideally the evaluator would never need such a manual, but everyone has days when the right words refuse to appear spontaneously. Some of the phrases seem silly or superfluous (“originates unsought ideas,” “displays good posture”), but perhaps these are appropriate in other professions. The guide costs $6.95 (plus $1.50 shipping) from Neal Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 451, Perrysburg, OH 43551. ISBN 0-9609006-5-9.

• Financial Aid for the Disabled and Their Families, 1988-1989, by Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber (275 pages, June 1988), is a compilation of all scholarships, fellowships, loans, grants, awards, and internships designed exclusively for the disabled and their spouses, children, parents, or siblings. More than 600 references and cross- references are provided to programs sponsored by professional organizations, foundations, educational associations, military/veterans organizations, and federal or state government agencies. The aid applies to such activities as education, research, travel, training, career development, or emergency situations. Copies are available for $32.50 (plus $2.50 handling) from Reference Services Press, 10 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite B308, Redwood City, CA 94065. ISBN 0-918276-04-7.

• Fontanus (vol. 1, 1988- ), is an annual publication containing scholarly articles in French or English based on the collections in the libraries, museums, and archives of McGill University. Edited by Hans Möller, the first issue includes articles on Tudor and Stuart history, Moses Maimonides, British Parliamentary papers, and physicist Ernest Rutherford. A subscription costs $25 for institutions ($15 for individuals) plus $3 handling (checks payable to McGill University). Send orders to Director of Libraries, McGill University, 3459 McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1Y1. ISSN 0838-2026.

• The Jones Dictionary of Cable Television Terminology, by Glenn R. Jones (108 pages, 3d ed., May 1988), defines more than 1,600 terms covering such areas in the cable industry as operations, marketing, management, programming, systems, and regulatory systems. All acronyms are cross- referenced to guide readers from industry shorthand to the acronyms’ original meanings. Relevant foreign terms and industry-related agencies and services are also identified. Copies may be ordered for $14.95 from Jones 21st Century, Inc., 9697 E. Mineral Ave., Englewood, CO 80112. ISBN 0- 9453-7300-7.

• Learning Styles: Implications for Improving Educational Practices, by Charles S. Claxton and Patricia H. Murrell (103 pages, May 1988), has been published as ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report no. 1987-4. The report examines the varying approaches to learning style from the viewpoints of personality, information processing, social interaction, and instructional methods. Four recommendations are given for institutions interested in making learning style an important part of the teaching-learning process. Copies are available for $10.00 from the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Dept. P4, One Dupont Circle, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036. ISBN 0- 913317-39-X.

• The Louisiana State University Library Lecture Series, which began on March 5, 1965, through a grant from the LSU Foundation and continues by means of funds provided by the late Ella V. Aldrich Schwing, has released its 55th and 56th numbers. Over the years the series has featured contributions by many distinguished librarians, administrators and scholars. This most recent pair of lectures consists of Beverly Lynch’s “Strategic Decision-Making: What We Say and What We Do” and Charles R. McClure’s “Management Data for Library Decision Making: The Role of the Researcher.” To request a free copy of the lecture booklets or a complete list of the lectures, contact the LSU Libraries, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

• The Maine Union List of Serials (1988 microfiche edition) has been published by the Fogler Library, University of Maine at Orono. This edition includes 18,300 titles in 44,200 holdings statements for 80 academic, public and special libraries in Maine. Copies are available for $15.00 prepaid (including handling) from Marie Willette, Fogler Library, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469. Specify 24x or 42x reduction.

• Members of the Club: A Look at One Hundred ALA Presidents, by Wayne A. Wiegand and Dorothy Steffens (30 pages, April 1988), has been published as Occasional Paper no. 182 of the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science. This paper identifies those socioeconomic and professional characteristics whose frequency distributions remained constant for all past presidents, and those group characteristics whose frequency distributions did change over the 110-year period. The authors have concluded that striking changes have taken place within the ALA leadership since the mid-1960s. A copy may be ordered for $3.00 prepaid (plus $.50 handling) from Occasional Papers, GSLIS Publications Office, University of Illinois, 249 Armory Building, 505 E. Armory Street, Champaign, IL 61820.

• Past, Present, and Future of Biomedical Information (112 pages, May 1988) is a collection of papers that examine the development of medical libraries in America, including the National Library of Medicine, its current status, and its future in the Information Age. The papers celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Library’s founding in 1836. Copies may be ordered for $12.00 (prepaid) from Dept. 36-G, Superintendent of Documents, Washington, DC 20402-9325. Stock no. 017-040-00506-7.

• Search Procedures for Senior Library Administrators, SPEC Kit #143 (107 pages, April 1988), examines recruitment methods, search and evaluation, the differences between director and AD- level searches, and changes in search procedures over the last decade. The kit contains tabulated results of the ARL survey, policy and procedure statements from 11 libraries, rating and screening procedures from eight libraries, and a selected reading list. SPEC Kits are available for $20 (prepayment required) from SPEC, Office of Management Services, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036.

• The Wisconsin Bibliographic Instruction Clearinghouse Holdings Catalog, prepared by the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians’ Bibliographic Instruction Clearinghouse Ad Hoc Committee (9 pages, April 1988), lists subject categories for materials currently available for borrowing, as well as subject categories for materials to be acquired in the future. For this catalog or for further information on Clearinghouse activities, contact Mary Jo Am an, University of Wisconsin Reference Department, P.O. Box 604, Milwaukee, WI 53201; (414) 229-4659.