ACRL College & Researc Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

New Publications

George M. Eberhart

Academe in Mystery and Detective Fiction,by John E. Kramer (427 pages, November 2000), is an annotated bibliography of mystery novels that are either set in an institution of higher education or feature characters from colleges or universities who act within their academic roles in off-campus locales. A character index lets the reader look up protagonists and victims by academic discipline, so that librarians can be located in such novels as Marion Boyd’s Murder in the Stacks (1932) and Dorsey Fiske’s Academic Murder (1980). An institutional index offers access to specific colleges; Oxford and Cambridge are the most frequent choices, with Harvard/Radcliffe and the University of Minnesota the U.S. favorites. The annotations offer a satisfying level of detail and analysis. $65.00. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108-3841-9-

Almanac of Architecture and Design, 2001,edited by James P. Cramer (641 pages, February 2001), contains a wealth of information and statistics for architects and design professionals. This second edition includes rankings of firms and schools, salary and compensation figures, state capitols and their architects, specialty design bookstores, the world’s tallest buildings and best skylines, awards, noted individuals, threatened national historic landmarks, construction costs by city, and much more data, lists, and contact information. $34.95. Greenway Consulting, 30 Technology Parkway South, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092. ISBN 0-9675477-1-7.

Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America,edited by Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster (948 pages, December 2000), contains more than 500 entries on ancient America from Mexico to Panama, encompassing resources (maize, jade, hydrology), regional histories (Guatemala Highlands, Northern Arid Zone, Toltec culture, Michoacán region), culture (ceramics, astronomy, mural painting), sites (Texcoco, Uxmal, Monte Albán, Bonampak), research (museums, skeletal analysis), and scholars (Sahagún, Morley, Stephens, and Catherwood). A 94-page index makes finding specific terms and topics easy to find. Well-illustrated with maps and artwork, this volume is an excellent first step in exploring Mesoamerican history. $95.00. Garland. ISBN 0-8153-0887-6.

George M. Eberhart is senior editor of American Libraries; e-mail: geberhart@ala.org

The Baltic and the North Seas,by David Kirby and Merja-Liisa Hinkkanen (353 pages, March 2000), examines the history of northern Europe’s two major maritime environments from the end of the Ice Age to the end of the 20th century. The authors cover sea trade, seafaring, fishing and fishermen, sailors, women, and ecology in the region, which is often given a second-class status in other maritime histories. $65.00. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-13282-7.

The Best of Times: A Personal and Occupational Odyssey,by Paul Wasserman (458 pages, October 2000), is the autobiography of the founder of the University of Maryland’s School of Library and Information Services and longtime library educator, management training consultant, and international adviser on library projects from Paris to Beijing. Wasserman’s personal reminiscences and professional observations cover his life and career from his birth in New Jersey in 1924 through 1998, when he received the University of Maryland’s International Landmark Award. A comprehensive index makes it easy to locate achievements, people, and organizations. $35.00. Omnigraphics. ISBN 0-7808- 0433-3.

A Bibliography and List of Library Holdings of Milwaukee Publisher George Brumder (1839-1910),compiled by Gerhardt Becker (83 pages, November 2000), lists more than 500 titles published by Brumder, America’s leading publisher for German Americans at the turn of the last century. Scholars and others seeking insight into how German immigrants made the transition to life in the United States will find some important documentation here; with a fore- word by Frederick J. Olson. A limited num- ber of complimentary copies are available from Michael Doylen, Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 604, Milwaukee, WI 53201. ISBN 1-879281- 20-1.

Daniel J. Boorstin: A Comprehensive and Selectively Annotated Bibliography,ed- ited by Angela Michele Leonard (247 pages, December 2000), covers every possible piece of writing by historian Boorstin, who was Librarian of Congress from 1975 to 1987. Chapters are arranged by type of material. $79.50. Greenwood. ISBN 0-313-30324-X.

Diaries 1857-1917, Bishop Milton Wright,edited by Dawne Dewey (852 pages, Decem- ber 1999, but released recently for general sales) is a record of the daily experiences re- corded by the father of inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright. Chapters are organized by year and accessed through a comprehensive index that cites references to the Wright brothers’ in- vention of powered flight, social issues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and history of the United Brethren Church. Reproductions of more than 40 rare photographs and docu- ments from the Wright State University Librar- ies special collections and archives are in- cluded. $39-95. Karin Nevius, 126 Dunbar Li- brary, Wright State University, Dayton OH 45435. ISBN 0-9676359-0-X.

Library Disaster Planning and Recovery Handbook,edited by Camila Alire (615 pages, April 2000), covers ev- ery conceivable aspect of di- saster preparation and resto- ration, focusing on practical advice and handy checklists. Alire, who went through a major flooding disaster in July 1997 at Colorado State Univer- sity in Fort Collins and man- aged the library’s recovery, knows all too well what in- formation to include in such a handbook. Sample forms (damaged book acceptance review form, Web-based form for gift offer, etc.) are plentiful. Quite simply the best book of its kind available. $75.00. Neal-Schuman. ISBN 1-55570-373-9.

Presidential Sheet Music: An Illustrated Catalogue,by Danny O. Crew (800 pages, February 2001), is a comprehensive descrip- tion of the thousands of pieces of extant Presi- dential sheet music, song books, and songs printed in newspapers, from George Wash- ington to Bill Clinton. Songs about vice presi- dents, political parties, and defeated candidates are also included. Some favorite titles: “Im- peachment Polka” (Andrew Johnson, 1868), “Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge” (1924), “Give ‘Em Hell—MacArthur!” (1942), “Get on Your Bike and ‘Hike for Ike!”’ (1952), “Down at the Old Watergate” (1973), “Sgt. Shriver’s Bleed- ing Hearts Club Band” (George McGovern, 1976), “Amy Doesn’t Live Here Any More” (Jimmy Carter, 1977). $95.00. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0928-2.

Slithy Toves: Illustrated Classic Herpeto- logical Books at the University of Kansas in Pictures and Conversations,by Sally Haines (180 pages, December 2000), is the catalog of an exhibition arranged by the Uni- versity of Kansas’s Kenneth Spencer Research Library for the 1996 meeting of the SSAR. It was well worth the wait. The color illustra- tions from these rare herp books are well- chosen and superbly reproduced. Such fa- miliar authors as Pliny, Topsell, Agassiz, and Linné share the spotlight with the lesser- known John Hill, Nehemiah Grew, and James Motley. An underlying sense of humor zig- zags through this volume like a salamander in a shallow stream: Each page has an apt Lewis Carroll quotation, per- haps intended to make the reader “curiouser and curiouser” about herpetol- ogy; the plates are given clever captions (“Leapin’ liz- ards,” “What a croc,” “Froggie went a-courtin’”); and some of the exhibition choices are offbeat, especially in the sec- tion on “The Seven Deadly Sins and Other Evils,” which examines reptile symbology (Mark Twain’s Jumping Frog to show gambling, “St. Patrick Banishes Snakes” to illustrate “blarney,” and a Walt Kelly comic strip showing Albert the Alligator for extinction of species). An introductory essay by Kraig Adler on the history of herpetological illustration is illuminating. $60.00. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, c/o Department of Biology, St. Louis University, 3507 La clede Avenue, Room 127, St. Louis, MO 63103-2010. ISBN 0-916984- 53-2.

The Medical Library Association Guide to Managing Health Care Libraries,edited by Ruth Holst (371 pages, September 2000), presents 16 chapters on all aspects of library service to health-care providers. Patterned on MLA’s influential Hospital Library Management, edited by Jana Bradley (1983), this guidebook gives practical tips on financial management, space planning, personnel management, collection development, health information resources, document delivery, and resources for patients and consumers. $75.00. Neal-Schuman. ISBN 1-55570-397-6.

Observing the Moon: The Modern Astronomer’s Guide,by Gerald North (381 pages, October 2000), offers advice on telescopes, cameras, and software in addition to a close examination of 48 interesting lunar features. North’s enthusiasm for the history and science of lunar observation is evident throughout as he takes the amateur selenographer on a tour of the moon’s surface. Of particular interest is his treatment of transient lunar phenomena (lights, mists, and other short-term changes occasionally reported on the moon), a topic not often addressed in the literature even though it has a venerable history. Many photographs and observers’ sketches accompany the text. $39.95. Cambridge University. ISBN 0-521-62274-3.

Thieves, Deceivers and Killers: Tales of Chemistry in Nature,by William Agosta (241 pages, January 2001), offers some intriguing examples of how organisms steal, counterfeit, or interpret the chemical signals of other species. Each story illustrates an aspect of chemical ecology, from plant-ant symbiosis in creating ant gardens in the jungles of Peru to defensive mimicry of ant pheromones by caterpillars, northward-pointing magnetic microbes, and poison-gas-wielding insect larvae. Much of this biochemical interplay was completely unknown until tools developed in the past few decades provided a closer look at molecules that seemed mere waste products. Agosta also offers an overview of how these discoveries lead to new pharmaceuticals, natural pesticides, and other biotechnologies. $26.95. Princeton University. ISBN 0-691-00488-9.

Where Mathematics Comes From,by George Lakoff and Rafael E. Núñez (492 pages, November 2000), is a good read for numbers buffs. Linguist Lakoff and psychologist Núñez contend that mathematics is rooted in everyday human cognitive activity instead of some transcendent Platonist netherworld. To prove their point, they take the reader on a metaphor-filled examination of basic arithmetic, algebra, infinity, and space-time that may put off arithmophobes and old-fashioned prepostmodernists, but will excite anyone who thrills to such terminology as “discretized number-line blend,” the “hierarchy of transfinite cardinals,” and “fictive motion.” A completely different way to look at the origin and structure of mathematical concepts. $30.00. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-03770-4.