ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

New Publications

George M. Eberhart

The Boer War,by Denis Judd and Keith Surridge (352 pages, March 2003), offers a clear statement of the issues that led to the 1899–1902 war in South Africa and the events that made it a watershed in the history of the British Empire. The outcome of the war was the incorporation of the Afrikaners into a greater South Africa that paved the way for the apartheid state in 1948. In addition to the military campaigns, the authors examine the roles of big business, the press, concentration camps, poets, non-whites, and the pro-Boer British in the conflict. $29.95. Palgrave. ISBN 1-4039-6159-6.

The Bottom Line: Determining and Communicating the Value of the Special Library,by Joseph R. Matthews (186 pages, January 2003), addresses the common problem of how to convince corporate managers that the library is much more than an extraneous overhead expense. Information consultant Matthews shows that the best approach is to present management with a balanced scorecard—a set of evaluative measures that gauge not only past financial success but also reflect future performance. $42.00. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-004-8.

Devil Dogs and Jarheads,by Victor W. Peam (119 pages, May 2003), contains 78 evocative poems inspired by the author’s experiences in die Marine Corps from 1969 to 1972. Although originally published in the compilation American Western Song (Xlibris, 2000), these poems have been revised for the current edition. Peam’s imagery resonates with anyone who has been in the military and will give those who are about to join something to think about. $14.95. Busca, POB 854, Ithaca, NY 14851. ISBN 0-9666196-3-3.

The Encyclopedia of College and University Name Histories,by Morgan G. Brenner (383 pages, July 2003), presents the name, merger, and location history of more than 1,300 four-year institutions in the United States. For example, Boston University was established as the Newbury Biblical Institute in 1839, and what was known as Dubuque College in 1914 eventually became Loras College. $70.00. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-8108-4849-X.

Family Secrets: Crossing the Colour Line,by Catherine Slaney (249 pages, February 2003), tells the extraordinary stoiy of how the author— born to white parents in 1951 and for 25 years a professor of animal science and ethics at Sheridan College in Ontario—found out that her great-great-grandfather was Anderson R. Abbott, the first Canadian-born Black to graduate from medical school in Toronto in 1861, who served as a surgeon in the American Civil War and later married a Canadian woman of mixed race. Fortunately, Abbott’s papers are housed in the Toronto Reference Library, allowing Slaney to uncover the family secret that many in her light-skinned extended family had passed for white in the early 20th century. Slaney explores the complex reasons why this might occur in relatively tolerant Ontario, as she systematically reconnects with long-lost relations throughout North America. $17.95. USD. National Heritage Books, POB 95, Station O, Toronto, Ontario M4A 2M8.

A Field Guide to Bacteria,by Betsey Dexter Dyer (355 pages, May 2003), describes the major groups of bacteria and how to identify their presence in the wild. Instead of focusing on microscopic characteristics, Dyer identifies the habitat and visible field marks of common bacteria, from the archaea to planctomycetes. Prominent field marks include bubbles, slimes, crusts, scums, odors and flavors, stains and pigmentations, oxides, animal and human symbionts, and fermentations of food and drink. Included are 98 color plates; appendices offer tips on culturing bacteria, taking safety precautions, and using a microscope; and a

George M. Eberhart is senior editor of American Libraries‚ e-mail: geberhart@aia.org glossary. $49.95. Cornell University. ISBN 0-8014-3902-7.

Field Guide to the Samoan Archipelago: Fish, Wildlife, and Protected Areas,by Meryl Rose Goldin (330 pages, October 2002), gives the English, Samoan, and scientific names for some 500 species of marine and terrestrial fauna that visitors might am across in the islands of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) and American Samoa. The guide also covers the ecology of area coral reefs, gives advice on snorkeling and diving, and describes the parks, preserves, sanctuaries, and natural landmarks in the islands. $14.95. Bess Press, 3565 Harding Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816. ISBN 1-57306-111-5.

Fundamentals of Information Studies: Understanding Information and Its Environment,by June Lester and Wallace C. Koehler Jr. (306 pages, July 2003), serves as a broad introduction to the history, structure, dynamics, management, sociology, economics, politics, ethics, and future of the information environment. Designed as a text for an introductory undergraduate LIS course, the book will also be useful as a background reader for related courses. $55.00. Neal-Schuman. ISBN 1-55570-474-3.

The Image and Role of the Librarian,edited by Wendi Arent and Candace R. Benefiel (186 pages, July 2003, copublished as The Reference Librarian, number 78), examines the cultural image of librarians in American media and popular perceptions of librarians among die populations diey serve. Of particular interest are Gary Mason Church’s survey of faculty perceptions; Beth Posner’s comparison of the cultural images of librarians as know-it-alls, know-nothings, or geeks with what librarians really know and do; Jody Fagan’s study on student perceptions of academic librarians; and Johnnie Love’s essay on the changing role of education librarians. Similarly intriguing is Doug Highsmith’s review of librarian characters in comic books. $24.95. Haworth. ISBN 0-7890-2099-8.

JSTOR: A History,by Roger C. Schonfeld (412 pages, July 2003), traces the history of JSTOR from its origin as a Mellon Foundation-sponsored project at the University of Michigan, through its establishment as an independent nonprofit in 1995, to its current status as one of the most successful digital archives containing more than 2 million articles from the backfiles of 322 scholarly journals. Schonfeld’s detailed treatment highlights the challenges and roadblocks that the project had to meet and overcome to be self-sustaining. An epilogue summarizes the lessons that librarians, publishers, and grant providers can learn from the JSTOR case study. Readable, rewarding, and well-researched. $29.95. Princeton University. ISBN 0-691-11531-1.

Musings, Meanderings, and Monsters, loo: Essays on Academic Librarianship,edited by Martin H. Raish (195 pages, July 2003), consists of 19 chapter-length, informal ruminations on the disquieting problems that threaten to change academic librarianship as we know it— primarily the escalating need to teach critical-thinking skills and information literacy to students, and the transformative effect of information technology on the profession. Contributors include Barbara Fister, David Isaacson, Ilene Rockman, Diana Shonrock, and Tony Amodeo. $24.95. Scarecrow. ISBN 0-81084767-1.

iRevolución! Cuban Poster Art,by Lincoln Cushing (131 pages, June 2003), showcases 120 examples of Cuban posters printed between the 1960s and the mid-1980s. These artistic, noncommercial posters were distributed widely and covered such social topics as occupational health, the tobacco harvest, sports events, solidarity with oppressed peoples, folk music and film festivals, and revolutionary anniversaries. Most were produced by the Cuban Film Institute, the publishing department of the Cuban Communist Party, and a nongovernmental third-world solidarity organization based in Havana. A librarian at the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute of Industrial Relations, Cushing has participated in efforts to create a digital archive of Cuban poster art. $19.95. Chronicle Books. ISBN 0-8118-3582-0.

Another excellent Cuban cultural tide is The Cuban Filmography, 1897 through 2001, by Alfonso J. García Osuna (216 pages, August 2003), which offers an entertaining chronicle of Cuban cinema followed by reviews of Cuba-related films with cast lists and credits. (Gabriel Veyre, the French representative of the Lumière brothers in Latin America, on February 7, 1897, filmed the first movie made in Cuba, Simulacro de incendio, which shows firemen actors going out on a rescue call.) $45.00. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1275-5. ■