ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

PUBLICATIONS

• Basic Statistics for Librarians, by I. S. Simpson (256 pages, 3d ed., April 1988), will help the library manager to make informed decisions on such issues as the use of core collections, coverage and overlap of abstracting journals, and book repair fund allocation. Each statistical operation is presented in the context of practical library applications, with numerous examples and illustrations. The basic operations covered are: tables and graphs, averages, dispersion, sampling, probability, statistical tests, analyses of variance, time series, correlations, regression, bibliometrics, and computer packages. Co-published by Clive Bingley, Ltd., and ALA Publishing. Cost: $25. Contact ALA Publishing Services, 50 E. Huron St. ‚ Chicago, IL 60611-2795. ISBN 0-8389-2100-0.

• Carolina Bays, Mima Mounds, Submarine Canyons, and Other Topographical Phenomena, compiled by William R. Corliss (245 pages, January 1988), is a catalog and bibliography of nearly 70 topographical anomalies such as patterned ground, astroblemes, glacial eskers, curious columnar structures, horseshoe-shaped depressions, and oriented lakes. Each category is rated in terms of anomalousness, briefly described, and supplemented with a representative list of scientific sources. Copies may be ordered for $17.95 from The Sourcebook Project, P.O. Box 107, Glen Arm, MD 21057. ISBN 0-915554-22-4.

• The Collection Development Policy Statement for Arizona State University Libraries (243 pages, 1987) contains both narrative policies and LC class displays of collection levels. The format of the statement is modeled on that of the University of California, Berkeley, and is the result of an extensive curriculum content analysis and survey of faculty research activities. Copies may be ordered for $15 from the Arizona State University Libraries, Collection Development, Tempe, AZ 85287.

• The Directory of Library and Information Professionals, published in CD-ROM format (March 1988), provides recent data on approximately 45,000 individuals in the information community. The database is a collaborative project of Research Publications and the American Library Association, with special help from the Special Libraries Association, American Society for Information Science, Information Industry Association, Medical Library Association, Canadian Library Association, and 20 other associations in North America. The software is designed for use with stand-alone CD-ROM and magnetic disk desktop databases. It has full Boolean search capability, with field and numeric range searching, save set capability, and cross-tabulations for on-screen variable analysis. An IBM or compatible microcomputer with 640K RAM, DOS 3.1 or higher, and a CD-ROM disk drive are the requirements. Demonstration floppy diskettes are available for $20, applicable to the purchase of the full database (price $495). Contact ALA Publishing Services, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611-2795. ISBN 0-8389-0486-6.

• Employee Benefits for Part-Timers, by Diane S. Rothberg and Barbara Ensor Cook (80 pages, 2d ed. ‚ 1987), shows employers how to establish equitable benefits packages for part-time employees and how to pro-rate benefits automatically. Other subjects covered by this handbook are the Tax Reform Act of 1986, legally required benefits, paid and unpaid leave with job protection, group insurance, retirement plans, and flexible benefits programs. Copies may be ordered for $18.95 from the Association of Part-Time Professionals, P.O. Box 3419, Alexandria, VA 22302. ISBN 917449-03-7.

• How to Use Academic Libraries in the United States, by Chiou-sen Chen (134 pages, March 1988), introduces the Chinese student to the information resources and services available in American academic libraries and explains how they differ from library services in Asian cultures. The Chinese text allows the student to gain a basic understanding of what is available in the library, but common library terms are given in English wherever they appear in the text. The table of contents and preface are bilingual. Aspects of library service covered are the organization of academic libraries, the card catalog, basic reference tools, periodicals and indexes, reader services, and nonprint materials. An English to Chinese glossary of library terminology is included. Endorsed by the Chinese American Librarians Association, the handbook is published by the Joint Publishing Company of Hong Kong. Copies are $7.95, available from ALA Publishing, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611- 2975. ISBN 962-04-591-9.

• Meteor Showers: A Descriptive Catalog, by Gary W. Kronk (320 pages, March 1988), contains historical data on the 112 most active meteor radiants, including orbits, duration of activity, probable daily movement, brightness and color, frequency of detection, and historical anecdotes. Showers are listed by the month of their occurrence under the constellation of radiation. One of the appendices provides a list of comets and asteroids that contribute meteoric material to particular showers. Copies may be ordered for $24.50 from Enslow Publishers, Bloy St. and Ramsey Ave., Box 777, Hillside, NJ 07205. ISBN 0-89490-072-2.

• Music Subject Headings‚ by Perry Bratcher and Jennifer Smith (ca. 400 pages, forthcoming in July 1988), contains all the headings found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, 10th ed., and its weekly supplements through December 1987. The format has been changed to the new LCSH format that uses UF, BT, RT, and SA terms. The use of music subject headings is explained in the introduction. Pre-publication price is $35; after publication, $50. Contact the Soldier Creek Press, Postal Drawer U, Lake Crystal, MN 56055. ISBN 0-936996-31-5.

• Our Memory at Risk: Preserving New York’s Unique Research Resources (56 pages, 1988) is a report, with recommendations to the citizens of New York State, by the New York Document Conservation Advisory Council. Funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, the report proposes three dozen recommendations to confront the challenge of preserving research resources, among them improved public awareness, improved identification and procedures for the systematic selection of unique materials, comprehensive records retention and disposition schedules, and regional and subject-based documentation plans to guide selection and preservation efforts. The report gives an excellent introduction to the scope of preservation problems and brittle books not only in New York State but in research libraries nationwide. Copies may be requested from the New York State Education Department, Albany, NY 12234.

• Postcard Journal (vol. 1, 1984- ) is the news journal of the Curt Teich Postcard Collection of the Lake County Museum, Lake County, Illinois. The Curt Teich Company operated in Chicago from 1898 to 1974 as a printer of postcards, advertising pamphlets and brochures, maps, and blotters. Eventually it became the largest volume producer of postcards in the world. The Museum has preserved the company’s industrial archives and encourages research into the importance postcard views have for understanding the history of 20th-century America. Their quarterly journal contains articles (illustrated with Curt Teich postcards) on such diverse topics as: World War II and the homefront, Carnegie libraries, American movie theaters, Illinois River industries, and bowling alleys. For a subscription/membership, send $20 to: Katherine Hamilton-Smith, Lake County Museum, Lakewood Forest Preserve, Wauconda, IL 60084; (312) 526-8638. ISSN 07430-7617.

• Remote Access to Online Catalogs, SPEC Kit #142 (March 1988), describes a Fall 1987 survey of ARL libraries that offer access to their catalogs from remote locations. The kit contains four examples of user instruction, 12 examples of user aids, three job descriptions, one policy statement, three examples of formats for user input, three proposals, and a selected reading list. Kits are $20 plus $5 postage (prepayment required) ‚ available from the SPEC Office of Management Studies, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036.

• The Search Committee Handbook: A Guide to Recruiting Administrators, by Theodore J. Marchese (64 pages, 1987), is the product of a yearlong, Exxon-supported project conducted by the American Association for Higher Education. An Advisory Board was set up by AAHE to examine previous research, visit with committees and executive recruiters, conduct regional hearings, and correspond with candidates. Many of the examples it uses are drawn from library searches—Sharon Rogers, university librarian at George Washington University, served on the Advisory Board. The handbook’s seven chapters correspond to typical steps in the recruitment process: the vacancy, the search committee, the position, the search, screening, interviews, and the appointment. Single copies are $8.95, five or more $6.95 each, 25 or more $5.95 each (checks payable to AAHE Publications). Orders under $25 must be prepaid. Contact AAHE, Suite 600, One Dupont Circle, N.W., Washington, DC 20036.

• World of Cookbooks (vol.l, 1987- )_is a bimonthly review newsletter devoted exclusively to cookbooks, both in English and in many foreign languages. In addition to book reviews, the newsletter features new trends in cookery literature, profiles of chefs and authors, news of forthcoming books, and reports on major international food magazines. Subscriptions for individuals and libraries are $30/year (payable to World of Cookbooks). Contact Grace Kirschenbaum, Editor, 1645 S. Vineyard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019.

• Writings on Scholarly Communication, by Herbert C. Morton and others (151 pages, April 1988) , is an annotated bibliography of books and articles on publishing, libraries, scholarly research, and issues related to the advancement of learning in the humanities and social sciences. It provides substantial annotation for more than 100 books and journal articles as well as a listing of an additional 150 related titles. Herbert C. Morton, formerly director of the Office of Scholarly Communication and Technology, discusses the major themes emerging from the literature in an introductory essay. Copies are available for $27.50 (hardback) or $14.75 (paper) from the University Press of America, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706. ISBN 0-8191-6825-4; 0-8191-6826-2 (pb).

• Die Wunderbare Neue Welt, compiled by Ilse E. Kramer (229 pages, 1988), is the first “pilot edition” of a comprehensive list of German books and related materials about the Americas in the John Carter Brown Library from 1493 to 1840. This volume begins with a 1474 calendar by Joannes Regiomontanus (a copy of which Columbus carried with him on his fourth voyage) and ends with the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War in 1618. Roughly one quarter of the Library’s German Americana holdings are listed; some 1,500 entries will be included in subsequent fascicles, bringing the imprint dates forward to 1840. The catalogue lists work by German authors in any language and works by non-German authors that were translated into German. A limited number of copies are available for sale at $20 from the John Carter Brown Library, Brown University, Box 1894, Providence, RI 02912.