ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

New Publications

George M. Eberhart

An Annotated Bibliography of Inuit Art,by Richard C. Crandall and Susan M. Crandall (458 pages, June 2001), provides more than 4,000 entries on Canadian Inuit art in English, arranged alphabetically by author. Works of art include computer ani- mation, music, photography, and videos, as well as more traditional carvings and graphics. Sources are articles, books, exhibition catalogs, and gov- ernment documents; Web sites are excluded. Most entries are post-1975, but there are a significant number of earlier dates. $85.00. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1007-8.

The Great Irish Potato Famine,by James S. Donnelly Jr. (292 pages, May 2001), offers a com- prehensive history of the potato blight that struck Ireland in 1845-1851, causing the deaths of about one million people and resulting in the mass exodus of some two million others, mostly to North America. Donnelly reviews the nationalist and revi- sionist interpretations of the famine, England’s inadequate attempts to provide relief, the forced eviction of thousands of Irish tenant farmers from their homes, the diseases that ravaged the countryside as a result of poverty and starvation, and the complex reasons why the British govern- ment could allow such a tragedy to occur in its backyard. $29-95. Sutton. ISBN 0- 7509-2632-5.

The Holy Grail: The Legend, the History, the Evidence,by Justin E. Griffin (157 pages, July 2001), looks at the evidence for the Grail as a physical relic instead of a mythic symbol. Allegedly the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, the Grail has been the focal point of legends involving King Arthur and the mysterious visit of Joseph of Arimathea to Glastonbury after the cru- cifixion. Griffin covers considerable ground in a short time as he examines relevant information about the New Testament, medieval Grail romances, Glas- tonbury Abbey, the Knights Templar, the Tarot deck, the Spear of Longinus, and all the cred- ible contenders for the sa- cred vessel. He concludes that several artifacts are in- volved, among them the Santo Cáliz of Valencia and the Nanteos Cup. $29-95. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0999-1.

Libraries and Librar- ianship in India,by Jashu Patel and Krishan Kumar (270 pages, March 2001), provides a detailed description of the development of libraries and the state of librarianship in India. Especially relevant are the two chapters on academic libraries and bibliographic control and services. The authors contend that Indian university libraries have not succeeded in setting up sound collection development policies, establishing a wide range of services, or installing automated systems. The history of the country’s professional associations and library schools is also interesting as a comparison to developments in the United States and elsewhere. $74.95. Greenwood. ISBN 0-313-29423-2.

Mexican Phoenix,by David A. Brading (444 pages, July 2001), examines the significance of the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the history of the Mexican church from 1531 to the present. Brading details how the Guadalupe tradition has survived and gained strength in the face of political and theological setbacks—not the least of which are modern doubts about the historicity of the apparition narrative and the authenticity of the image on Juan Diego’s tilma. The real miracle is how one religious icon has been transformed into a cement that has unified Mexico both spiritually and politically. $39-95. Cambridge University. ISBN 0-521-80131-1.

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

Microbes and People: An A-Z of Microorganisms in Our Lives,by Neeraja Sankaran (297 pages, March 2001), contains more than 750 entries explaining in plain language the viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and cells that are relevant to public health. Infectious diseases are certainly a focus, but the role of microbiology in industry, food technology, and the environment are also considered. Supplemented with many photos, tables, and maps, this book provides a good first stop for looking up microbes from Acetobacter to zygotes. $55.00. Oryx. ISBN 1-57356-217- 3.

Networking Neighborhoods,by Erik Van Hove (148 pages, July 2001), examines the links between the concept of neighborhoods within large urban centers and the persistence of urban poverty. The founder of the Neighborhood Development Agency in Antwerp, Belgium, that has succeeded with some unconventional city planning, Van Hove proposes a more efficient global network of urban centers to replace the current system of sovereign nationstates. An interesting, alternative take on urban sociology. $9-95- University of South Carolina. ISBN 1-57003-385-4.

Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos,by Alan W. Hirshfeld (314 pages, May 2001), tells the fascinating story of astronomers’ attempts over 2,000 years to measure the distance from the earth to the stars by detecting stellar parallax—the apparent shift in a star’s position when viewed from opposite ends of the earth’s orbit. But this is not a static tale of instruments and dry calculations; Hirshfeld brings the pioneers of parallax to life, portraying them as enthusiastic innovators with human flaws and aspirations. Today we take for granted that the stars are millions of miles away, but reaching that conclusion and proving it was no simple task. $23.95. W. H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-3711-6.

A Question of Manhood, Volume 2: The 19th Century, from Emancipation to Jim Crow,edited by Earnestine Jenkins and Darlene Clark Hine (482 pages, May 2001), continues the analysis of black masculinity begun in volume 1 for the pre-Civil War period. Culled from various history journals, the 20 essays focus on what it was like to be an African-American man during Reconstruction and the years immediately following. Topics include black politicians in Reconstruction South Carolina, black policemen in New Orleans, black cowboys and convicts, black lawyers and physicians in the New South, black soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and the real man behind the legendary Stagger Lee. A well-referenced, fine-tuned selection. $59-95- Indiana University. ISBN 0-253- 33924-3.

Women of the Book: Jewish Artists, Jewish Themes,by Judith A. Hoffberg (96 pages, March 2001), is the catalog of a traveling exhibition of works of art in book form created by 90 Jewish women artists. Curated by artist-book expert Hoffberg, the exhibition featured themes on family rituals, traditions, and liturgy; the Holocaust; the integration of Jewish culture into art; humorous takes on being “Jewish”; cultural memory; and the celebration of festivals. $23-95. Florida Atlantic University Libraries, P.O. Box 3092, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0992. ISBN 0-9706189-0-5. ■