College and Research Libraries


t h e t i t l e a n d in g e n e r a l its p r o m i s e is b o r n e 
o u t by t h e text. 

T h e 24 c h a p t e r s a n d two a p p e n d i c e s a r e 
g r o u p e d u n d e r five g e n e r a l h e a d i n g s . P a r t 1 
is d e v o t e d to t h e f u n c t i o n s of t h e t e c h n i c a l 
r e p o r t in i n d u s t r y a n d g o v e r n m e n t . P a r t 2 
deals w i t h p r e p a r i n g a n d processing t h e re-
p o r t s a n d covers details of w r i t i n g , illustrat-
ing, e d i t i n g a n d d u p l i c a t i n g . P a r t 3 is o n 
d i s t r i b u t i o n , P a r t 4 o n filing, a n d P a r t 5 o n 
use. Every aspect of t h e t e c h n i c a l r e p o r t is 
t r e a t e d , f r o m w r i t i n g t o r e a d i n g . 

T h e r e a r e two g e n e r a l areas in w h i c h this 
collection of p a p e r s can b e criticized. T h e 
first is t h e m a n n e r of address. T h e a u d i e n c e 
is f o r t h e most p a r t t h e a m a t e u r in each of 
t h e m a n y aspects of w r i t i n g , d u p l i c a t i n g a n d 
h a n d l i n g of r e p o r t s . I n a f e w instances this 
results in such i n a n i t i e s as " G r a m m a r is a 
s u b j e c t t h a t c a n n o t be a v o i d e d in r e p o r t 
w r i t i n g " a n d " N o filing system n e e d s to b e 
c o m p l e t e l y o r i g i n a l . " W i t h respect to t h e 
first e x a m p l e , in p a r t i c u l a r , some c o m p r o m i s e 
m i g h t h a v e b e e n safely m a d e w i t h t h e ob-
jective of c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s by o m i t t i n g 
some of t h e lessons in s o p h o m o r e English 
c o m p o s i t i o n . Several b o o k s a n d m a n y articles 
o n t e c h n i c a l w r i t i n g a r e a l r e a d y available, 
as witness t h e b i b l i o g r a p h y of 71 items on 
pages 59-62. 

T h e p r e o c c u p a t i o n of t h e b o o k w i t h t h e 
m e c h a n i c s of p r e p a r i n g a n d h a n d l i n g tech-
nical r e p o r t s m a y e x p l a i n t h e second a r e a of 
deficiency as viewed by this r e a d e r , n a m e l y 
t h e f u n c t i o n or r o l e of t h e t e c h n i c a l r e p o r t 
in t h e b r o a d field of d o c u m e n t a t i o n of re-
search a n d d e v e l o p m e n t . W h a t is its r e l a t i v e 
i m p o r t a n c e in t h e w h o l e field of scientific 
a n d t e c h n i c a l l i t e r a t u r e ? Is it p r i m a r i l y a 
necessary i n s t r u m e n t of t h e research t e a m in 
i n d u s t r y o r g o v e r n m e n t ? Is its o r i g i n a n d 
c o n t i n u a n c e d u e p r i m a r i l y to security clas-
sification of i n f o r m a t i o n , b o t h p r i v a t e a n d 
p u b l i c ? O r is it a h a n d y device f o r a p p l y i n g 
t h e " n e e d to k n o w " p h i l o s o p h y of distribu-
tion? P e r h a p s this b o o k is n o t t h e a p p r o -
p r i a t e p l a c e f o r discussion of such q u e s t i o n s . 

D e s p i t e these g e n e r a l weaknesses, t h e w o r k 
will b e w e l c o m e d by m a n y . I n a b o o k w h i c h 
is a c o m p o s i t e of t h e w r i t i n g of 23 d i f f e r e n t 
a u t h o r s o n e does n o t e x p e c t u n i f o r m i t y in 
c o n t e n t , e m p h a s i s o r q u a l i t y of w r i t i n g . Di-
r e c t e d at every p e r s o n — f r o m typist to execu-
t i v e — w h o has a n y t h i n g to d o w i t h t e c h n i c a l 

r e p o r t s , this collection of p a p e r s achieves a 
surprisingly even q u a l i t y , d u e n o d o u b t t o 
t h e w o r k of t h e e d i t o r . It s h o u l d be a n in-
v a l u a b l e aid, especially to those i n d i v i d u a l s 
i n c o m p a n y a n d g o v e r n m e n t d e p a r t m e n t s 
w h o h a v e a w i d e r a n g e of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r 
t e c h n i c a l r e p o r t s . 

A m o n g a n u m b e r of very u s e f u l c h a p t e r s , 
t h r e e m i g h t be m e n t i o n e d by way of specific 
e x a m p l e s . " I l l u s t r a t i n g , D u p l i c a t i n g , a n d 
B i n d i n g t h e T e c h n i c a l R e p o r t , " by B. A. 
J o n e s , is p a c k e d w i t h i n f o r m a t i o n a n d m i g h t 
well be e x p a n d e d i n t o a b o o k . " C a t a l o g i n g 
G o v e r n m e n t T e c h n i c a l R e p o r t s , " by Ber-
n a r d Fry, is a c o m p a c t discussion of p o i n t s 
p a r t i c u l a r l y r e l e v a n t to t h e s u b j e c t . A n d 
" H o w to L o c a t e a n d O b t a i n G o v e r n m e n t I n -
f o r m a t i o n R e p o r t s , " by P a t r i c i a B r o w n , 
w o u l d b e a h a p p y c o n t r i b u t i o n to t h e vol-
u m e if it consisted o n l y of t h e t a b l e o n 
" D o c u m e n t - I s s u i n g G o v e r n m e n t Agencies." 
T h e subjects of m a n y o t h e r c h a p t e r s a r e 
t r e a t e d w i t h e q u a l e f f e c t i v e n e s s . — H e r m a n 
H. Henkle, John Crerar Library. 

Naval Academy Library 
Classification 
Classification Schedules BB-BK: Aeronauti-

cal Art and Science, U . S. N a v a l A c a d e m y 
L i b r a r y . C o m p i l e d by J a m e s M . S a u n d e r s . 
[ A n n a p o l i s , 1954. 88p.] 

I n e v a l u a t i n g a n y classification scheme, 
o n e m u s t t a k e i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n several 
items of p r i m e i m p o r t a n c e . T h e s e a r e : W a s 
t h e scheme d e v e l o p e d f o r a p a r t i c u l a r li-
b r a r y a n d , if so, is it easily a d a p t a b l e t o 
o t h e r l i b r a r i e s ' needs? Is it a p r a c t i c a l scheme? 
T h a t is, is it e x p a n d a b l e ? C a n n e w develop-
m e n t s b e p l a c e d logically a n d simply w i t h i n 
t h e f r a m e w o r k ? Is it easily u n d e r s t o o d a n d 
u s a b l e by p e r s o n s w i t h o u t special t r a i n i n g 
o r e x p e r i e n c e in t h e s u b j e c t field? 

T o all of these questions, t h e a n s w e r con-
c e r n i n g this classification is, yes. T h i s scheme, 
d e v e l o p e d by J a m e s M . S a u n d e r s , is pri-
m a r i l y a classification scheme to w h i c h l e t t e r 
a n d n u m e r a l n o t a t i o n s h a v e b e e n a d d e d . 
T h e r e is, f o r this r e a s o n , n o e v i d e n c e of 
f o r c i n g to o b t a i n m n e m o n i c n o t a t i o n s o r t o 
a r r a n g e f o r systematic evenness in t h e ex-
p a n s i o n s . 

96 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



Primarily, this classification of " A e r o n a u t i -
cal A r t a n d Science" was p r e p a r e d f o r o n e 
p u r p o s e : p r o v i d i n g a satisfactory scheme f o r 
a p a r t i c u l a r l i b r a r y — t h a t of t h e U n i t e d 
States N a v a l Academy. T h e fact t h a t it is a 
g o o d scheme a d a p t a b l e to t h e needs of o t h e r 
l i b r a r i e s is a g a i n in this p h a s e of p r o f e s s i o n a l 
tools. 

M r . S a u n d e r s has d i v i d e d his scheme i n t o 
f o u r g e n e r a l p a r t s : (1) BB a n d B C — g e n e r a l , 
(2) B D a n d B E — e n g i n e e r i n g , design a n d 

p o w e r i n g , (3) B F a n d B G — c o m m e r c i a l a n d 
i n d u s t r i a l , a n d (4) B H , B J , a n d BK—mili-
tary. G e n e r a l works, works o n a e r o n a u t i c a l 
e d u c a t i o n a n d schools, works o n a i r m a n s h i p , 
flight t e c h n i q u e , air n a v i g a t i o n a n d civil 
a v i a t i o n law a r e classified in t h e g e n e r a l sec-
t i o n . I n t h e second section a r e a e r o n a u t i c a l 
e n g i n e e r i n g , a e r o d y n a m i c s ( a p p l i e d ) , air-
c r a f t a n d a i r p o r t design a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n , 
p o w e r p l a n t s , a u x i l i a r y m a c h i n e r y a n d fuels, 
a n d g e n e r a l flight p r o p u l s i o n . I n section 
three, commercial a n d i n d u s t r i a l a e r o n a u t i c s , 
m a n u f a c t u r e a n d t r a d e , a i r l i n e a n d a i r p o r t 
o p e r a t i o n a n d m a n a g e m e n t a n d m a t e r i a l s 
o n airways in g e n e r a l a r e f o u n d . Section 
f o u r covers t h e air forces of t h e w o r l d a n d 
t h e i r o r g a n i z a t i o n , m a t e r i e l , bases, adminis-
t r a t i o n , p e r s o n n e l , supplies, a n d c o m m u n i c a -
tions. W i t h this section a r e classified also 
works o n a i r w a r f a r e , strategy a n d tactics, 
w e a p o n s , a n d topics on g u n n e r y . 

As will be i m m e d i a t e l y n o t i c e d by those 
f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e two m a j o r schemes, Dewey 
a n d t h e L i b r a r y of Congress, this b r i n g i n g 
t o g e t h e r of all m a t e r i a l in t h e field of aero-
n a u t i c s is d i f f e r e n t f r o m b o t h those classifi-
c a t i o n systems. I n t h e L i b r a r y of Congress 
system g e n e r a l a e r o n a u t i c s is classed in T L 
500 to 830 in t h e g e n e r a l section d e v o t e d to 
" M o t o r Vehicles, Cycles a n d A e r o n a u t i c s " ; 
m i l i t a r y a e r o n a u t i c s is classed in t h e mili-
tary e n g i n e e r i n g section U G 630 to 635 a n d 
n a v a l a v i a t i o n is in t h e V G section d e v o t e d 
to " M i n o r Services of Navies." I n Dewey gen-
eral a e r o n a u t i c s is f o u n d in t h e section de-
v o t e d to " O t h e r B r a n c h e s of E n g i n e e r i n g , " 
w h i l e m i l i t a r y a e r o n a u t i c s is squeezed in w i t h 
" M i l i t a r y S i g n a l l i n g . " M a t e r i a l o n a i r forces 
of t h e w o r l d is in 358.4, while books o n 
a e r i a l w a r f a r e m u s t b e d i v i d e d to class w i t h 
t h e e m p h a s i z e d t o p i c in a e r o n a u t i c s or w i t h 
t h e history of t h e w a r to w h i c h it p e r t a i n s . 

F o r t h e l i b r a r y of t h e U n i t e d States N a v a l 

Academy, or f o r any library w h e r e e m p h a s i s 
m u s t be p l a c e d o n special technologies, 
g r o u p i n g t h e m t o g e t h e r r a t h e r t h a n spread-
i n g t h e m widely as a p p l i c a t i o n s to o t h e r tech-
nologies, M r . S a u n d e r s ' classification fills a 
g a p of l o n g s t a n d i n g . F o r o t h e r libraries, 
c a r e f u l e x a m i n a t i o n of this scheme will re-
sult in a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of o n e of t h e 
fields of technology t h a t has e x p a n d e d a n d is 
e x p a n d i n g f a r b e y o n d t h e i m a g i n a t i o n s of 
t h e compilers of Dewey a n d L i b r a r y of Con-
gress. 

F r o m t h e p o i n t of view of p r a c t i c a l i t y a n 
i n d e x to this classification scheme w o u l d h a v e 
m a d e it easier to use, b u t in his p r e f a c e t h e 
c o m p i l e r states t h a t by m a k i n g use of t h e 
o u t l i n e s a n i n d e x is unnecessary. T h i s is t r u e 
in a l i m i t e d sense. H o w e v e r , to m a k e use of 
t h e o u t l i n e s a n d t h e classification scheme 
w i t h o u t a n i n d e x r e q u i r e s a t h o r o u g h knowl-
edge of t h e scheme a n d e x p e r i e n c e in its 
a p p l i c a t i o n . T o assist t h e user, t h e r e h a v e 
b e e n i n s e r t e d n u m e r o u s cross-references a n d 
d i r e c t i o n s to c o m p a r e o t h e r sections b e f o r e 
final classification of t h e m a t e r i a l b e i n g h a n -
d l e d is d e t e r m i n e d . 

I n his a s s i g n m e n t of n o t a t i o n s M r . Saund-
ers has a d o p t e d t h e two l e t t e r a n d u p to f o u r 
digits system, similar to t h e L i b r a r y of Con-
gress n o t a t i o n , t h a t has b e e n in use at t h e 
N a v a l A c a d e m y f o r t h e past 15 years. F o r 
libraries u s i n g t h e L i b r a r y of Congress clas-
sification, a d o p t i o n of this scheme w o u l d 
simply m e a n a n a s s i g n m e n t of a n u n u s e d 
first l e t t e r such as K, W , X , o r Y in place of 
B. F o r libraries u s i n g Dewey t h e p r o b l e m is 
m o r e c o m p l e x , m a k i n g classifiers r e g r e t t h a t 
we d o n o t calculate on a d u o d e c i m a l basis or 
in even larger u n i t s so t h a t t h e base of Dewey 
c o u l d h a v e b e e n b r o a d e r . As a g u i d e in t h e 
f u t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t of Dewey, however, this 
a e r o n a u t i c a l classification will u n d o u b t e d l y 
be of m a j o r assistance. 

I n his a s s i g n m e n t of n o t a t i o n s t h e compil-
er has also a t t e m p t e d to allow generously f o r 
interclassification a n d e x p a n s i o n . L a r g e 
blocks of n u m b e r s h a v e b e e n l e f t u n a s s i g n e d 
in sections w h e r e g r e a t d e v e l o p m e n t seems 
likely to occur; smaller blocks a r e u n a s s i g n e d 
in less i m p o r t a n t areas, a n d in n e a r l y every 
i n s t a n c e t h e r e is at least o n e u n a s s i g n e d n u m -
b e r b e t w e e n those assigned. 

O t h e r e x p a n s i o n possibilities a r e p r o v i d e d 
f o r in t h e use of C u t t e r - t y p e class subdivi-

JANUARY, 1956 97-



sions, such as in B G 131, "Special A i r l i n e s 
a n d C a r r i e r s " w h e r e subclassification is by 
n a m e A-Z, e.g. A m e r i c a n Airlines, .A6; T r a n s -
W o r l d Airlines, . T 7 . E x t r e m e l y close clas-
sification is i n d i c a t e d t h r o u g h o u t , as f o r ex-
a m p l e i n B H 401 (special U . S. A i r F o r c e 
g r o u p s , wings, etc.) w h i c h is s u b a r r a n g e d by 
similar C u t t e r - t y p e divisions: .B63 (special 
b o m b e r wings) w h i c h i n t u r n is s u b d i v i d e d , 
W i n g 4, W i n g 22, etc., a n d .F43 (special 
fighter g r o u p s ) w h i c h is s u b d i v i d e d G p 7 , 
Sq21, etc. 

M r . S a u n d e r s is to be c o n g r a t u l a t e d o n a 
m a g n i f i c e n t p i e c e of classification w o r k . I n 
it is e v i d e n c e of m u c h study a n d t h o u g h t o n 
t h e p r o b l e m s f a c i n g t h e classifier, a n d addi-
t i o n a l e v i d e n c e of c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h aero-
n a u t i c a l e n g i n e e r s a n d a v i a t i o n specialists. 
O n l y t h e a d d i t i o n of a n i n d e x to a i d those 
classifiers less a d e p t in u s i n g a scheme such 
as this w o u l d h a v e i m p r o v e d it. 

C o r r e s p o n d e n c e w i t h t h e c o m p i l e r reveals 
t h a t copies h a v e b e e n m a i l e d to a n u m b e r of 
l i b r a r i e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y t h a t h a v e 
sizable a e r o n a u t i c s collections, a n d it is as-
s u m e d t h a t r e q u e s t s f o r copies will b e h o n -
o r e d as l o n g as t h e s u p p l y lasts.—George R. 
Luckett, U. S. Naval Postgraduate School Li-
brary, Monterey, Calif. 

Paperbounds in Print 
Paperbound Books in Print. N e w York: R . R . 

Bowker, 1955. lOOp. P a p e r , $1. 

Paperbound Books in Print is a d i m i n u t i v e 
c o u n t e r p a r t t o Books in Print, b u t it con-
t a i n s m o r e t h a n m e e t s t h e eye a t first glance. 
I t p r e s e n t s o n 100 pages (they look like less 
because a n o n - b u l k i n g , slick p a p e r stock, 
i d e n t i c a l to t h a t of Library Journal, h a s b e e n 
used) 4,500 e n t r i e s of p a p e r b a c k s r a n g i n g in 
p r i c e f r o m 25 cents to two dollars, a r r a n g e d 
by s u b j e c t (pages 3-41) a n d by a u t h o r (pages 
42-100). 

T h e s u b j e c t a r r a n g e m e n t follows a n a l p h a -
betized list of 54 s u b j e c t h e a d i n g s r a n g i n g 
f r o m Archeology to W o r l d Affairs. Some of 
t h e h e a d i n g s a r e s u b d i v i d e d ; f o r instance, 
A r t , w h e r e books a r e g r o u p e d u n d e r H i s t o r y 
a n d Criticism, Artists, Design, a n d P o t t e r y . 
C a t a l o g e r s a n d classifiers m a y t a k e e x c e p t i o n 
to this r o u g h subdivision, b u t this tool was 

n o t p r i m a r i l y d e s i g n e d f o r t h e m , as they will 
o n l y i n f r e q u e n t l y h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y to 
catalog these m a t e r i a l s . 

I t was n o t d e s i g n e d even f o r l i b r a r i a n s in 
g e n e r a l b u t r a t h e r f o r p u r c h a s e r s of p a p e r -
backs, h e r e a n d a b r o a d , f o r all those w h o 
d i s t r i b u t e a n d sell t h e m commercially, a n d 
finally as a m e a n s of a d v e r t i s i n g f o r p a p e r -
back p u b l i s h e r s . T h e cover p i c t u r e s of some 
of t h e b o o k s a r e shown t h r o u g h o u t t h e t e x t . 
I t will serve l i b r a r i a n s because it is t h e first 
a n d o n l y exclusive A m e r i c a n p a p e r b a c k bib-
l i o g r a p h y t o d a t e a n d will h e l p t h e m in m a k -
i n g a selection of a v a i l a b l e p a p e r b a c k s f r o m 
t h e m a j o r i t y of p u b l i s h e r s i n t h e field (44 
a r e i n c l u d e d ) . T h e y will use it also as a loca-
t i o n list of p u b l i s h e r s ' addresses, a n d as a 
p r i c e list, a n d it will b e a n eye-opener as to 
h o w m u c h can b e h a d f o r c o m p a r a t i v e l y lit-
tle m o n e y . It will h e l p college a n d u n i v e r s i t y 
l i b r a r i a n s in t h e i r a t t e m p t s to b u y f e w e r 
copies of class-assigned m a t e r i a l s by p o i n t i n g 
o u t to t h e t e a c h i n g f a c u l t y t h a t such titles 
can be b o u g h t by t h e s t u d e n t s . 

B i b l i o g r a p h i c a l l y , this p u b l i c a t i o n p r e s e n t s 
o r i g i n a l as well as r e p r i n t m a t e r i a l s — w h i c h 
d i s t i n g u i s h e s it f r o m O r t o n ' s Reprints in 
Series—and summarizes t h e m o n t h l y listings 
as f o u n d in Publishers' Weekly's "Mass M a r -
k e t . " P l a n n e d to a p p e a r t h r e e times a year, 
it promises t o k e e p t h e p a p e r b a c k r e c o r d u p 
to d a t e . 

T h e s u b j e c t i n d e x is selective a n d o m i t s 
c r i m e novels, most fiction e x c e p t a few r e p r e -
s e n t a t i v e titles, science fiction a n d W e s t e r n 
stories w h i c h can b e f o u n d u n d e r t h e a u t h o r 
e n t r y in t h e second p a r t of t h e b o o k . Actu-
ally, t h e r e a r e m o r e p a p e r b a c k s in p r i n t t h a n 
those listed, because t h e e n t r i e s w e r e chosen 
o n t h e basis of titles t h a t t h e p u b l i s h e r s sub-
m i t t e d a n d p a i d f o r e n t e r i n g in t h e title in-
d e x . T h e f r o n t inside cover carries a s h o r t 
w r i t e - u p o n " H o w to Buy P a p e r b o u n d 
Books," w h i c h is too brief t o h a v e m u c h 
m e a n i n g f o r l i b r a r i a n s . T h e back inside 
cover c o n t a i n s a list of p u b l i s h e r s a n d t h e i r 
addresses. W h i l e n o t a c o m p l e t e tool, Paper-
bound Books in Print s h o u l d h e l p to o p e n 
m a n y a l i b r a r y shelf to a yet u n u s e d o r 
sparsely u s e d m e d i u m of c o m m u n i c a t i o n 
w h i c h commercially has a l r e a d y f o u n d its 
mass a u d i e n c e . — F r a n k L. Schick, Wayne 
University Library. 

98 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES