College and Research Libraries B y D A N A L . F A R N S W O R T H Psychiatry and Libraries1 Dr. Farnsworth is medical director, Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology. WILLIAM A l l e n W h i t e , a t t h e b e g i n -n i n g of a l e c t u r e a t W i l l i a m s C o l l e g e in 1 9 3 9 s a i d : " N o s u b j e c t is m o r e a t t r a c t i v e t o m e t h a n m y s e l f ; I ' m m y o w n f a v o r i t e h e r o . T h e r e ' s n o t h i n g I l i k e t o t a l k a b o u t b e t t e r t h a n m y s e l f . " J u d g i n g f r o m t h e i n t e r e s t in r e c e n t y e a r s in b o o k s a b o u t e m o - t i o n a l p r o b l e m s , t h e p u b l i c l i k e s n o t h i n g b e t t e r t h a n t o r e a d a b o u t i t s e l f , t o o . P o s - s i b l y t h e i m p e t u s f o r this i n t e r e s t m a y be in- s e c u r i t y a n d a n x i e t y , b u t w h a t e v e r i t s o r i g i n it h a s t o be t a k e n i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n b y t h e l i b r a r i a n w h o is on t h e r e c e i v i n g e n d of r e q u e s t s f o r b o o k s on p e r s o n a l i t y , s e l f - h e l p , m e n t a l d i s o r d e r s , a n d r e l i g i o n . O p i n i o n s d i f f e r s h a r p l y as t o w h e t h e r t h e use of s u c h r e a d i n g m a t e r i a l s h o u l d be e n c o u r a g e d o r n o t . T o a n e d i t o r i a l w r i t e r in a r e c e n t issue of t h e American Journal of Psychiatry the a n s w e r t o t h e a r g u m e n t is c l e a r : So f a r as the present w r i t e r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n goes the practice of r e c o m m e n d i n g or p r e - scribing f o r patients, t e x t s d e a l i n g w i t h m e n t a l processes, n o r m a l o r a b n o r m a l , is to be con- demned. N o t only can the r e a d i n g of such a book not t a k e the place of a planned indi- v i d u a l r e h a b i l i t a t i o n p r o g r a m , but it may be positively h a r m f u l , adding to the s y m p t o m s the patient a l r e a d y has. I r e c a l l one patient w h o b r o u g h t in one of these s e l f - c u r e m a n u a l s studded w i t h question m a r k s at scores of pas- sages that had a r o u s e d n e w f e a r s in his mind. T h e first item of t r e a t m e n t w a s to deposit the p r o f f e r e d book g e n t l y in the w a s t e b a s k e t . T h e r e is n o d o u b t t h a t s u c h a n e x t r e m e v i e w h a s s o m e t h i n g t o be s a i d f o r it b u t i t 1 Paper read at A . C . R . L . meeting, A . L . A . Regional Conference, Swampscott, Mass., Oct. 15, 1949- o v e r l o o k s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e i n t e r e s t in p e r - s o n a l p r o b l e m s is so g r e a t t h a t i t w i l l n o t be d e n i e d . P e o p l e w i l l r e a d , w h e t h e r t h e m a t e r i a l is g o o d o r b a d , a n d t h e e m p h a s i s s h o u l d be p l a c e d on g e t t i n g p r o p e r m a t e r i a l i n t o t h e i r h a n d s r a t h e r t h a n e x e r c i s i n g a s o r t of c e n s o r s h i p . P s y c h i a t r y , b e i n g t h e c e n t r a l d i s c i p l i n e in t h e f i e l d of h u m a n b e h a v i o r , h a s been in t h e s p o t l i g h t f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s , a n d p r o b a b l y u n d e s i r a b l y so. P u b l i c i t y a b o u t it h a s t e n d e d t o o v e r s e l l i t , t o i n f e r t h a t i t c a n a c c o m p l i s h m i r a c l e s , a n d t o a r o u s e u n d u e f e a r s in t h e m i n d s of t h o s e w h o w o n d e r if t h e y a r e d e v e l o p i n g m e n t a l disease. P s y c h i a t r y is t h a t p a r t of m e d i c i n e w h i c h c o n c e r n s i t s e l f w i t h t h e s t u d y , d i a g n o s i s , t r e a t m e n t a n d p r e v e n t i o n of d i s o r d e r s of t h e p e r s o n a l i t y . I t is a r e l a t i v e l y y o u n g dis- c i p l i n e b e c a u s e o n l y r e c e n t l y h a s m e d i c i n e been c o n t e n t t o o w n it as o n e o f its f a m i l y . T h e d e f i n i t i o n I h a v e g i v e n is p u r p o s e l y a r a t h e r b r o a d o n e ; u n t i l t h e a d v e n t of d y - n a m i c p s y c h o l o g i s t s i n t o t h e f i e l d , p s y c h i a t r y w a s p r i m a r i l y i n t e r e s t e d in the c a r e of psy- c h o t i c p a t i e n t s . F o r t u n a t e l y it is n o w f u l l y as i n t e r e s t e d , if n o t m o r e , in p r e v e n t i n g m e n t a l i l l n e s s as in t r e a t i n g it. F u r t h e r - m o r e , it e n v i s a g e s p r e v e n t i o n in t e r m s of s t u d y i n g a n d t r e a t i n g a s i c k s o c i e t y in a d - d i t i o n t o e l i m i n a t i n g e m o t i o n a l h a z a r d s in t h e l i f e of i n d i v i d u a l s . T h i s l a t t e r v i e w - p o i n t is n o t b y a n y m e a n s u n a n i m o u s a m o n g p s y c h i a t r i s t s . S o m e of the o l d s c h o o l a r e m u c h d i s t u r b e d a t s u c h " r a d i c a l " t r e n d s a n d insist t h a t a p h y s i c i a n w h o d e p a r t s f r o m t h e t r e a t m e n t of s i c k p e o p l e is n o t t o be t r u s t e d , a n d is p r o b a b l y s o m e t h i n g of a c h a r - l a t a n . B e t h a t as i t m a y , m o r e a n d m o r e 110 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES p e r s o n s i n a n d o u t of t h e p s y c h i a t r i c f i e l d a r e i n t e r e s t i n g t h e m s e l v e s i n a t t e m p t i n g t o p r e v e n t e m o t i o n a l i l l n e s s , a n d if t h a t is t o be d o n e , t h e b o d y of p r i n c i p l e s a n d k n o w l - e d g e a c c e p t e d b y p s y c h i a t r y m u s t be m a d e a p a r t of t h e t h i n k i n g of a l l i n t e l l i g e n t m e n . N a t u r a l l y t h i s d i s s e m i n a t i o n w i l l be a s l o w a n d a t t i m e s d a n g e r o u s p r o c e s s . A f e w p e r s o n s w i l l b e c o m e d i s t u r b e d b u t t h a t c o n - s t i t u t e s n o r e a s o n f o r s e t t i n g u p a c e n s o r s h i p , o r r e f u s i n g t o i m p a r t u s e f u l i n f o r m a t i o n e x - c e p t u n d e r t h e r e s t r i c t e d p h y s i c i a n - p a t i e n t r e l a t i o n s h i p . I t is a n o l d s t o r y i n a n y c o l - l e g e t h a t a n o c c a s i o n a l s t u d e n t is a p p a r e n t l y t h r o w n i n t o a n a c u t e p e r s o n a l i t y d i s o r d e r , a t t i m e s a p s y c h o s i s , w h i l e s t u d y i n g p h i - l o s o p h y o r p s y c h o l o g y . I n s t e a d of a s s u m i n g t h a t t h e c o u r s e c o n t e n t c a u s e d t h e i l l n e s s it is q u i t e l i k e l y m o r e a c c u r a t e t o p o s t u l a t e t h a t t h e s t u d e n t w a s a w a r e of p e r s o n a l i n - s e c u r i t y a n d h o p e d t o find r e l i e f o r a solu-1 t i o n b y t a k i n g t h e c o u r s e . T h e r i s k of w i d e d i s s e m i n a t i o n of p s y c h i a t r i c k n o w l e d g e s e e m s w o r t h t a k i n g f o r t h e g r e a t g o o d it m a y a c c o m p l i s h , g r a n t i n g a t t h e s a m e t i m e t h a t s o m e p e r s o n s w i l l b e d i s t u r b e d b y w h a t t h e y r e a d . T h e r e a r e a n u m b e r of r a t h e r l o o s e l y u s e d t e r m s t h a t a r e f r e q u e n t l y e n c o u n t e r e d in t h e field of e m o t i o n a l d i s o r d e r s a n d p e r - h a p s i t w o u l d b e a n a i d t o c l e a r t h i n k i n g if t h e s e w e r e d e f i n e d . P s y c h i a t r y i t s e l f h a s a l r e a d y b e e n d e f i n e d . P s y c h o a n a l y s i s is t h o u g h t b y m a n y p e r s o n s t o b e s y n o n y m o u s w i t h p s y c h i a t r y , b u t t h i s is n o t t r u e . P s y - c h o a n a l y s i s o w e s i t s o r i g i n t o t h e w o r k of S i g m u n d F r e u d , is n o t o v e r 6 0 y e a r s o l d , a n d r e f e r s t o a t l e a s t t h r e e d i f f e r e n t c o n - c e p t s . I t m a y d e n o t e F r e u d ' s p s y c h o l o g i c a l t h e o r y , a n i n v e s t i g a t i v e p r o c e d u r e o r a m e t h o d of t r e a t m e n t . F o r o u r p u r p o s e s w e m a y c o n s i d e r p s y c h o a n a l y s i s a s a s p e c i a l b r a n c h of p s y c h i a t r y — a s p e c i a l t y w i t h i n a s p e c i a l t y . W i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n of s o - c a l l e d l a y a n a l y s t s , a l l p s y c h o a n a l y s t s a r e p s y - c h i a t r i s t s , b u t o n l y a f e w p s y c h i a t r i s t s a r e p s y c h o a n a l y s t s . P s y c h i a t r i c t r e a t m e n t m a y b e of l o n g o r s h o r t d u r a t i o n w h i l e p s y c h o - a n a l y s i s r e q u i r e s l o n g p e r i o d s of t i m e , f r e - q u e n t l y a n h o u r d a i l y f o r o n e o r t w o y e a r s o r m o r e . I n t h e l a s t h a l f c e n t u r y , a n d p a r - t i c u l a r l y i n t h e l a s t 1 0 y e a r s , t h e b a s i c c o n - c e p t s of p s y c h o a n a l y s i s h a v e i n f i l t r a t e d i n t o t h e g e n e r a l b o d y of p s y c h i a t r i c k n o w l e d g e a t a c o n s t a n t l y i n c r e a s i n g r a t e . M e n t a l h y g i e n e r e f e r s t o t h e p r i n c i p l e s of l i v i n g t h a t p r o m o t e g o o d m e n t a l h e a l t h . I t is v e r y g e n e r a l i n i t s s c o p e a n d i t s p r o - m o t i o n is a j o i n t u n d e r t a k i n g of m i n i s t e r s , t e a c h e r s , s o c i a l w o r k e r s , j u d g e s , a n d p a r e n t s as w e l l a s p h y s i c i a n s , a n d p s y c h i a t r i s t s . I t d r a w s h e a v i l y o n p s y c h i a t r y , p s y c h o a n a l y s i s , a n d p s y c h o l o g y f o r b a c k i n g , g u i d a n c e , a n d i l l u s t r a t i v e m a t e r i a l , b u t is b a s i c a l l y a c o m - m u n i t y n o n p r o f e s s i o n a l o r m u l t i p r o f e s s i o n a l u n d e r t a k i n g . P e r s o n a l c o u n s e l i n g is a n e v e n m o r e g e n - e r a l t e r m , a n d i t is h a r d t o t e l l w h a t i t m e a n s . I t m a y b e p s y c h i a t r i c i n n a t u r e b u t m o r e o f t e n c o u n s e l i n g is d o n e b y p s y c h o l o - g i s t s , g u i d a n c e e x p e r t s , m i n i s t e r s , s o c i a l w o r k e r s o r b y p e o p l e t r a i n e d by C a r l R o g e r s of C h i c a g o w h o d o " n o n d i r e c t i v e " c o u n s e l - i n g . P s y c h o l o g y , b e i n g t h e s c i e n c e of n o r m a l b e h a v i o r , o r d i n a r i l y d o e s n o t c o n c e r n itself w i t h t h e t r e a t m e n t of sick p e o p l e , b u t i n r e c e n t y e a r s c l i n i c a l p s y c h o l o g i s t s h a v e s p r u n g u p w h o a r e t r a i n e d t o d o t h e r a p y u n d e r t h e s u p e r v i s i o n of p s y c h i a t r i s t s . S o m e of t h e m o c c a s i o n a l l y a t t e m p t t o t r e a t p a t i e n t s i n d e p e n d e n t l y ; t h e i r s t a t u s is a t p r e s e n t c l o u d e d b y l e g a l u n c e r t a i n t y . A s m e m b e r s of m e d i c a l t e a m s w o r k i n g i n c o n - j u n c t i o n w i t h p s y c h i a t r i s t s a n d s o c i a l w o r k - e r s t h e y h a v e b e e n of g r e a t v a l u e in t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d t r e a t m e n t of e m o t i o n a l d i s o r d e r s . T h e r e l a t i o n of p s y c h i a t r y t o r e l i g i o n is a f a s c i n a t i n g o n e , a n d i n t e r e s t i n t h e c o m b i - n a t i o n is o n t h e i n c r e a s e . A t t h e 1 9 4 8 m e e t i n g of t h e A m e r i c a n P s y c h i a t r i c A s - APR1L, 1950 111 sociation in Washington, D.C., a round table discussion on "Psychopathology and F a i t h " was one of the most popular and best attended of any of the various meetings. T h e late Rabbi Liebman's success with Peace of Mind indicates the extremely great interest of the public in this field. O r - dinarily the psychiatrist works with a pa- tient in a rather neutral way letting him form his own value judgments. T h i s is not to say that psychiatry is not interested in morality; rather it is not interested in any one particular standard of morality ex- clusively but works in the direction of de- veloping strength of character regardless of the religious background of the patient. Frankly inspirational books have probably helped many people and have harmed very few. It should be needless to say that true religion and psychiatry are neither in con- flict nor competition. W h e n confronted with an inquiry about psychiatric reading material by a patron who is obviously anxious and agitated, the librarian could well profit by knowledge of some of the basic concepts of psychiatry. Such a person is disturbed because of real and understandable disturbances in inter- personal relationships, even though all the causes may not be clear either to the pa- tient or to those with whom he comes in contact. W h e n he seeks help to alleviate his anxiety, he is likely to go to the most impersonal sources for it, rather early. If this happens to be the library, then the li- brarian is in a position to help allay his anxiety by maintaining an attitude of con- fidence and competence, or he can increase it by mirroring the lack of confidence and insecurity of the patron. H o w does a person react to disturbances in interpersonal relations? First of all he becomes anxious, and since anxiety is always painful, he attempts to find a way to get rid of it. Sometimes the sources of his anxiety are not clear or only partly so. If they are clear, it is quite possible that nothing can be done about them, that is, no change is possible. As the tangled web increases in size and complexity, the individual may unconsciously change the apparent source of his discomfort and develop symptoms which tend to replace the psychological problem as a basis for concern and worry. T h u s fear of heart disease, cancer, or infections effec- tively screens off the person from his real problems. Another person may project his problems out to others and blame them for his plight. Another may become very self- critical and depressed. T h e n there are some who deny reality altogether and they are said to be psychotic. W h a t e v e r method (and there are many) may have been adopted by the individual to solve the prob- lem, it is likely to be accompanied by a feel- ing that all is not w e l l ; in other words the patient himself has a more or less vague realization that a more sound and sensible solution might have been found. Ideally it might be a good thing if all professional people, librarians included, could have a list of consultants in psychi- atry to which any disturbed client could be referred. T h i s is not practicable, however, for two major reasons; first, it would be resented by the person thought to be emo- tionally ill, and second, there are not enough psychiatrists to treat all persons who might profit by such treatment. W h a t does the psychiatrist do, anyway? First of all he is a physician and so should be as skilled in knowing what not to do as knowing what to do. Patients develop mental symptoms from physical causes that are often indistinguishable from those due to disturbed interpersonal relations. T h e psychologist without a medical background, or who does not work with a physician, oc- casionally is embarrassed by learning that the patient with the emotional illness in reality had a brain tumor or an infection. T h e first and possibly the most important 112 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES t h i n g t h e p s y c h i a t r i s t d o e s w h e n t h e p a t i e n t p r e s e n t s h i m s e l f , in a d d i t i o n t o d e t e r m i n i n g t h e p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n , is t o o b t a i n a c o m - p l e t e a n d a c c u r a t e l i f e h i s t o r y . I n f a c t , it m a y s e e m t o t h e p a t i e n t t h a t t h i s is t h e o n l y t h i n g t h e p s y c h i a t r i s t d o e s . T h e r e a s o n f o r t h i s is t h a t m a n y p e r s o n s a r e a b l e t o w o r k o u t t h e i r o w n p r o b l e m s o n c e t h e y c a n be s u r e w h a t t h e y a r e . If t h e p s y c h i a t r i s t is a b l e t o h e l p t h e p a t i e n t see his o w n r e l a t i o n - s h i p t o o t h e r s , a n d his i n n e r c o n f l i c t s , in a n o b j e c t i v e m a n n e r , h e h a s i n d e e d b e e n d o i n g e f f e c t i v e t r e a t m e n t e v e n t h o u g h h e h a s a p - p a r e n t l y b e e n t a k i n g a h i s t o r y a l l t h e t i m e . I h e r e a r e m a n y d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o r v a r i e t i e s of p s y c h o t h e r a p y , b u t a l l t h e s o u n d o n e s i n - v o l v e v a r i o u s c o m b i n a t i o n s of e x p l a n a t i o n , r e a s s u r a n c e , s u g g e s t i o n , specific i n s t r u c t i o n o r c o u n s e l i n g . P s y c h o a n a l y s i s is o n e of t h e s p e c i a l f o r m s of p s y c h o t h e r a p y r e s e r v e d f o r s e v e r e n e u r o s e s a n d w h i c h is d e s i g n e d t o m a k e t h e p a t i e n t a w a r e of t h e u n c o n s c i o u s e l e m e n t s in h i s e m o t i o n a l c o n f l i c t s . P s y c h o - a n a l y t i c a l p r i n c i p l e s a r e u s e d f r e e l y in brief f o r m s of p s y c h o t h e r a p y , b u t t h a t d o e s n o t m a k e s u c h f o r m s of t r e a t m e n t p s y c h o - a n a l y s i s . P s y c h o t h e r a p y is f r e q u e n t l y s u p p l e m e n t e d b y o t h e r f o r m s of t r e a t m e n t s u c h as n a r c o - s y n t h e s i s , i n s u l i n , s h o c k , e l e c t r i c s h o c k , se- d a t i o n , h e a t o r f e v e r t r e a t m e n t , h y d r o - t h e r a p y , a n d p r e f r o n t a l l o b o t o m y . T h e m o r e s e r i o u s of t h e s e p r o c e d u r e s a r e u s u a l l y c a r r i e d o u t in a h o s p i t a l o r s a n a t o r i u m , w h e r e , in a d d i t i o n , e v e r y d e v i c e k n o w n t o i m p r o v e a p a t i e n t ' s p h y s i c a l c o n d i t i o n is u s e d . O n e of t h e r e a s o n s t h a t t r e a t m e n t in p r i v a t e p s y c h i a t r i c h o s p i t a l s is so e x - p e n s i v e is t h a t r e l a t i v e s of p a t i e n t s i n s i s t o n t h e b e s t of c a r e , m u c h i n d i v i d u a l a t t e n t i o n f r o m n u r s e s a n d p h y s i c i a n s , a n d c o m p l e t e p r i v a c y as w e l l . T h e o r e t i c a l l y s u c h c a r e is d e s i r a b l e , b u t a d m i n i s t e r i n g t h e p r o p e r s a f e - g u a r d s o n a p r i v a t e basis is v e r y d i f f i c u l t . B u t , t o g e t b a c k t o o u r c e n t r a l t h e m e of w h a t t o p r e s e n t t o t h e r e a d i n g p u b l i c c o n - c e r n i n g p s y c h i a t r y , l e t u s l o o k a t w h a t t h e p u b l i c is r e a d i n g . A c c o r d i n g t o a s t a t e m e n t in t h e O c t . I , 1 9 4 9 , Publishers Weekly o v e r 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 copies of F r e u d ' s Dream and Sex Theories h a v e b e e n s o l d b y o n e p u b l i s h e r . A l f r e d A d l e r ' s Understanding Human Nature h a s s o l d o v e r 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 c o p i e s . J o s e p h J a s t r o w ' s Keeping Mentally Fit h a s sold 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 c o p i e s . I d o n o t k n o w h o w m a n y copies of D a l e C a r n e g i e ' s b o o k s h a v e b e e n s o l d , b u t t h e y d o r u n i n t o t h e m i l l i o n s . If a n a u t h o r t a k e s a f e w o r i g i n - a l l y s o u n d i d e a s a n d w r a p s t h e m u p in t h e j a r g o n of t h e a d v e r t i s i n g f r a t e r n i t y , h e c a n p e r s u a d e m a n y p e o p l e t o b u y his b o o k in t h e h o p e of r i d d i n g t h e m s e l v e s of s o m e h a n d i - c a p . A s R a l p h B a r t o n P e r r y says, " E v e r y m a n is a f f l i c t e d w i t h s o m e t h i n g h e w o u l d l i k e t o be f r e e f r o m . " F o r t u n a t e l y t h e r e a r e m a n y b o o k s a b o u t p s y c h i a t r y a n d m e n t a l h e a l t h t h a t a r e ac- c u r a t e , t h o u g h t f u l , w r i t t e n in a s o b e r , u n - s p e c t a c u l a r m a n n e r , a n d n o t l i k e l y t o be d i s t u r b i n g t o p o t e n t i a l p a t i e n t s . O p i n i o n s d i f f e r , e v e n a m o n g p s y c h i a t r i s t s , as t o w h e t h e r a l l of t h e m a r e g o o d o r n o t ; e a c h p e r s o n w i l l f i n d a g o o d b o o k m i s s i n g f r o m m y list o r o n e o n it w h i c h h e d e p l o r e s . H o w e v e r , I b e l i e v e t h a t m u c h m o r e g o o d t h a n h a r m w o u l d be b r o u g h t a b o u t if a n a p p r o x i m a t i o n of t h e f o l l o w i n g list c o u l d be m a d e e a s i l y a v a i l a b l e in e v e r y c o l l e g e a n d p u b l i c l i b r a r y . Psychiatry for the Curious—Preston—Far- rar and Rinehart The Substance of Mental Health—Preston — F a r r a r and Rinehart You and Psychiatry—Menninger and Leaf —Scribners Discovering Ourselves—Strecker and A p - pel—M acmillan Mental Health in Modern Society—Rennie and Woodward—Commonwealth Fund Emotional Maturity—Saul—Lippincott Psychiatry in a Troubled World—Men- ninger—M acmillan Mind and Body; Psychosomatic Medicine —Dunbar—Random House APR1L, 1950 113 The Person in the Body—Hensie—Norton The Doctor's Job—Binger—Norton The Happy Family—Levy a n d M o n r o e — Knopf Our Age of Unreason—Alexander—Lippin- cott Living Wisely and Well—Terhune—Dut- t o n It's How You Take It—Caner—Coward- McCann The History of Medical Psychology— Zilboorg—Norton The Emotional Problems of Living—Eng- lish and Pearson—Norton Fundamentals of Psychoanalysis—Alex- ander—Norton Facts and Theories of Psychoanalysis— Hendrick—Knopf U n d u e p u b l i c i t y f o r b o o k s of t h i s t y p e w o u l d p r o b a b l y n o t b e j u s t i f i e d . T h e f a c t t h a t s u c h b o o k s a r e in t h e l i b r a r y a n d a v a i l - a b l e t o a l l c a n b e m a d e k n o w n b y s u i t a b l e a n n o u n c e m e n t s o n t h e u s u a l b u l l e t i n b o a r d s o r o t h e r n o r m a l p u b l i c i t y c h a n n e l s . S i n c e p s y c h i a t r y l e n d s itself so r e a d i l y t o o v e r - s t a t e m e n t s , a n d t o e x p l o i t a t i o n b y i t s w o u l d - be f r i e n d s , i t w o u l d p r o b a b l y b e w i s e t o l e t t h e s e b o o k s g e t i n t o c i r c u l a t i o n s l o w l y a n d n a t u r a l l y a n d l e t t h e m m a k e t h e i r o w n w a y . I f , in t h e c o l l e g e s a n d u n i v e r s i t i e s , i n t e r e s t e d d e p a r t m e n t s s t i m u l a t e t h e i r u s e , so m u c h t h e b e t t e r . I n f a c t , e a c h c o l l e g e l i b r a r i a n m i g h t w e l l h a v e a p s y c h i a t r i s t as a n u n o f f i c i a l m e m b e r of h i s a d v i s o r y s t a f f , t o h e l p h i m i n t h e s e l e c t i o n of n e w b o o k s in t h i s field as t h e y a p p e a r . L i b r a r i a n s h a v e in t h e i r h a n d s t h e p o w e r of m a k i n g o r b r e a k i n g t h e m a j o r i t y of n e w b o o k s . A s r e c e n t figures c o m p i l e d b y t h e Library Journal s h o w , U n i t e d S t a t e s p u b l i c l i b r a r i e s b u y f r o m 1 , 0 0 0 t o 3 , 0 0 0 c o p i e s of m o s t of t h e t r a d e b o o k s t h e y d e c i d e t o p u r - c h a s e . I f b o o k s s u c h as a r e o n t h i s l i s t c o u l d be d i s t r i b u t e d t o l i b r a r i e s i n s u c h q u a n t i t i e s , t r u e m e n t a l h e a l t h m i g h t be a s o m e w h a t n e a r e r p o s s i b i l i t y . T h e a i m s of t h e l i b r a r i a n a n d t h e psy- c h i a t r i s t a r e r e a l l y n o t v e r y d i f f e r e n t in p r i n c i p l e , t h o u g h q u i t e d i f f e r e n t i n a p p l i c a - t i o n . T h e l i b r a r i a n is t h e c u s t o d i a n of t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m w h i c h t h e s t u d e n t ac- q u i r e s t h e e d u c a t i o n w h i c h is t o a i d h i m in g e t t i n g a l o n g w i t h h i s f e l l o w s a n d l i v i n g a f u l l a n d s a t i s f y i n g l i f e ; b u t h e is n o t s a t i s - fied w i t h b e i n g m e r e l y t h e c u s t o d i a n . H e e x e r t s h i m s e l f t o m a k e t h e r a w m a t e r i a l s of a n e d u c a t i o n r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e in t h e f a c e of v e r y r a p i d m u l t i p l i c a t i o n of r e s o u r c e s . L i k e w i s e t h e p s y c h i a t r i s t m u s t c o m e o u t of h i s i s o l a t i o n w i t h i n t h e h o s p i t a l a n d m a k e t h e k n o w l e d g e g a i n e d f r o m t h e s t u d y of h u m a n f a i l u r e of a d j u s t m e n t a v a i l a b l e t o a l l t h e p e o p l e in t h e h o p e of p r e v e n t i n g e m o t i o n a l i l l n e s s . A s I a g o G a l d s t o n h a s so w e l l p h r a s e d i t , " I d o a f f i r m t h a t t h e r e is l i t t l e h o p e f o r i m p r o v e m e n t i n h u m a n r e - l a t i o n s u n t i l t h e b o d y of k n o w l e d g e a v a i l - a b l e in m o d e r n p s y c h i a t r y h a s b e e n m a d e c o m m o n i n t h e k n o w l e d g e , t h i n k i n g , a n d m o t i v a t i o n of t h e c o m m o n m a n . " I t m a y be a p p r o p r i a t e t o c l o s e w i t h o n e t a n g i b l e e x a m p l e of w h a t l i b r a r i e s c a n d o in t h i s p r o g r a m . A m o n g t h e p r o p o s a l s a d o p t e d a t t h e E s t e s P a r k c o n f e r e n c e w a s o n e w h i c h s t a t e d u n e q u i v o c a l l y t h e n e e d f o r a g o o d b a s i c r e a d i n g list t o f o s t e r i n t e r - n a t i o n a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g , w h i c h l e d t o a f o r - International Understanding (Continued from page iog) m a l r e q u e s t t o t h e A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o - c i a t i o n t o t a k e t h e l e a d i n t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of s u c h a l i s t . T h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of s u c h a l i s t is v e r y d i r e c t l y a n d i n t i m a t e l y d e p e n d - e n t u p o n t h e i n d i v i d u a l l i b r a r y — a n d t h e i n d i v i d u a l l i b r a r i a n — a n d t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y is a v e r y g r a v e o n e , i n d e e d . 114 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES