College and Research Libraries


in r e c e n t years t h a t the new m a t h e m a t i c a l 
logic has h a d a n y i m p a c t o n l i b r a r i a n s h i p ; 
a n d n o w t h e r e is n o going back. T h e Classi-
fication Research G r o u p i n E n g l a n d a n d this 
book of Vickery's d o n o t c o n t r i b u t e to n o r 
a d v a n c e towards a u n i f i e d theory of i n f o r m a -
tion retrieval; r a t h e r , they r e p r e s e n t a n anti-
scientific o b s c u r a n t i s m which is d e f e n d i n g 
t r a d i t i o n against scientific a n d logical ad-
v a n c e . — M o r t i m e r Taube, Documentation, 
Inc. 

Music Librarianship 
Music Librarianship, a Practical Guide. B y 

E r i c T h o m a s B r y a n t . L o n d o n : J a m e s 
Clarke, 1959; N e w York: H a f n e r , 1959. 
503p. $6.50. 

T h e first book on music l i b r a r i a n s h i p to 
a p p e a r since McColvin a n d Reeves p u b l i s h e d 
their basic g u i d e over twenty years ago 
should h a v e b e e n greeted w i t h cries of joy. 
W i t h t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of so m a n y n e w music 
collections in libraries d u r i n g t h a t p e r i o d , 
the time was certainly r i p e f o r a n up-to-date 
v o l u m e o n the subject. T h i s latest effort, 
however, s h o u l d n o t d e t e r a s p i r i n g a u t h o r s 
w h o m i g h t h a v e b e e n considering a publica-
tion similar to this one. 

M r . B r y a n t is t h e b o r o u g h l i b r a r i a n of 
W i d n e s , Lancashire, a n d a c c o r d i n g to his 
i n t r o d u c t o r y remarks, the book "was w r i t t e n 
p r i m a r i l y f o r p u b l i c l i b r a r i a n s a n d t h e i r 
assistants, a n d f r o m a British s t a n d p o i n t . " 
T h e l a t t e r phrase was most timely a n d wise 
a n d s h o u l d serve M r . B r y a n t as some f o r m 
of p r o t e c t i o n against the ire of A m e r i c a n 
reviewers a n d readers. 

H i s A m e r i c a n sources, o t h e r t h a n corre-
s p o n d e n c e , i n c l u d e d the ALA Bulletin, Li-
brary Journal, s t u d e n t theses f r o m K e n t 
State University a n d the University of Chi-
cago, a n d the P u b l i c L i b r a r y I n q u i r y vol-
u m e o n music which was w r i t t e n by O t t o 
L u e n i n g . M o r e d e t a i l e d checking of d a t a 
m i g h t have s p a r e d M r . B r y a n t some f u t u r e 
h e a d a c h e s as well as rid h i m of some of his 
h e a d s t r o n g ideas. T h e H a r o l d Barlow of the 
Barlow a n d M o r g e n s t e r n Dictionaries of 
Musical Themes is n o t a n A m e r i c a n c o n -
d u c t o r whose 7 8 r p m recordings h a v e ap-

p e a r e d in E n g l a n d , b u t Howard Barlow is. 
Also, a m o r e c a r e f u l p r o o f - r e a d i n g m i g h t 
have led to the discovery t h a t L u e n i n g ' s first 
n a m e of O t t o is used correctly f o u r times b u t 
a p p e a r s once as Oscar. 

T h e v o l u m e is d i v i d e d i n t o two parts. T h e 
first deals with a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , r e f e r e n c e 
books a n d periodicals, cataloging, classifica-
tion, g r a m o p h o n e r e c o r d libraries, a n d a n 
a p p e n d i x c o n t a i n i n g a r a t h e r f o r l o r n list of 
subject headings. P a r t two is given over to a 
g r a d e d list of i n s t r u m e n t a l a n d vocal music, 
m i n i a t u r e scores, a n d three s u p p l e m e n t a r y 
sections, i n c l u d i n g a n i n d e x to t h e works 
listed in this p a r t , music p u b l i s h e r s a n d t h e i r 
English agents, a n d i n s t r u m e n t a l tutors. 

T h e sections o n cataloging a n d classifica-
tion are given in great d e t a i l a n d w i t h copious 
examples. T h e classification systems o u t l i n e d 
a r e Brown's Subject, the C u t t e r Expansive, 
the Dewey Decimal, the L i b r a r y of Congress, 
Bliss' Bibliographic, a n d t h e British Cata-
logue of Music. T h e a u t h o r states t h a t all of 
these sections h a v e b e e n checked by experts, 
i n c l u d i n g Bliss who, b e f o r e his d e a t h , read 
t h e first two d r a f t s of die discussion of his 
system. B r y a n t also p o i n t s o u t t h a t any opin-
ions expressed are his own. A h e l p f u l c h a r t 
at the e n d of the c h a p t e r shows clearly how 
fifteen scores a n d books w o u l d b e classed in 
each of the systems. 

Mr. B r y a n t does doff his h a t slightly sev-
eral times to A m e r i c a n l i b r a r i a n s h i p f o r its 
cataloging codes, its m a n y p u b l i c a t i o n s in 
books a n d j o u r n a l s o n the various facets of 
organizing a n d m a i n t a i n i n g music collections, 
a n d h e also d e p l o r e s the lack of p e o p l e in 
B r i t a i n to m a k e u p an o r g a n i z a t i o n such as 
t h e A m e r i c a n Music L i b r a r y Association. I 
expect t h a t h e will receive some replies to his 
s t a t e m e n t t h a t " t h e A m e r i c a n r e c o r d user is 
a p p a r e n t l y t e n d i n g to b e c o m e m o r e inter-
ested in the actual work r e c o r d e d a n d to pay 
less a t t e n t i o n to the p a r t i c u l a r artist; the as-
s u m p t i o n is g r o w i n g t h a t a n y orchestra, 
soloist, etc., t h a t is good e n o u g h to achieve a 
c o n t r a c t w a t h a g r a m o p h o n e r e c o r d m a n u -
f a c t u r e r m u s t be c o m p e t e n t . " I n t h e light of 
such a b o l d a n d also e r r o n e o u s s t a t e m e n t I 
w o n d e r h o w M r . B r y a n t w o u l d e x p l a i n t h e 
works c u r r e n t l y available t h a t have twenty 
or m o r e d i f f e r e n t recorded p e r f o r m a n c e s , a n d 
why the A m e r i c a n r e c o r d reviewers consist-
ently p o i n t o u t the differences b e t w e e n A's 
p e r f o r m a n c e as contrasted w i t h B's a n d why 

S E P T E M B E R 1 9 6 0 423 



consumers purchase the A p e r f o r m a n c e r a t h e r 
t h a n the B p e r f o r m a n c e of the same work. 

British librarians, i n general, a n d M r . 
Bryant, in p a r t i c u l a r , seem to have o n e soul-
searching p r o b l e m a n d t h a t is the cataloging 
of the "recital" disc, f o r h e speaks of it o f t e n . 
American l i b r a r i a n s h a v e f o u n d a r a t h e r 
simple remedy f o r this a n d similar p r o b l e m s 
by using e x t e n d e d a d d e d entries. I a m sure 
that any A m e r i c a n l i b r a r i a n w o u l d have been 
only too h a p p y to h e l p with this solution if 
the i n v i t a t i o n h a d b e e n offered. T h e e n t i r e 
c h a p t e r o n recordings is g a r r u l o u s beyond 
e n d u r a n c e with overly d e t a i l e d comments o n 
all phases of the work f r o m selection to with-
drawal. I s n ' t it a b o u t time t h a t libraries, with 
the exception of the m a j o r archival types, 
face the fact t h a t recordings are e p h e m e r a l 
materials a n d treat t h e m as such? R e a d e r s ac-
customed to o u r generous l e n d i n g policies 
m i g h t be horrified to l e a r n t h a t o n e English 
library actually sends a staff m e m b e r to check 
t h e playing e q u i p m e n t in the borrower's 
h o m e before a record b o r r o w i n g p e r m i t is 
issued, a n d t h a t a f t e r a certain p e r i o d of time 
the b o r r o w e r m u s t show a receipt to prove 
that h e has purchased a r e p l a c e m e n t f o r his 
cartridge or stylus. 

Mr. B r y a n t has evidently p u t a great deal 
of t h o u g h t a n d effort i n t o this v o l u m e a n d 
the fact t h a t it has b e e n in progress f o r q u i t e 
some time is evident f r o m his s t a t e m e n t con-
c e r n i n g the Angel D e L u x e packaging, which 
has n o t been available f o r m o r e t h a n a year. 
H e also m e n t i o n s t h a t a study on the preser-
v a t i o n of recordings is " a b o u t to be u n d e r -
t a k e n " by the L i b r a r y of Congress. T h i s study 
was c o m p l e t e d a n d p u b l i s h e d as of O c t o b e r 
1959. 

Following the p a t t e r n of McColvin a n d 
Reeves a n d o t h e r a u t h o r s o n the subject, the 
second half comprises lists of r e c o m m e n d e d 
scores g r a d e d A to E a n d signifying m a t e r i a l s 
to be i n c l u d e d in A, the smallest i n d e p e n d -
e n t library, a n d m o v i n g progressively to E, 
the largest collection. T h e ideas expressed in 
these lists are r a t h e r strange in contrast to a n 
earlier r e m a r k t h a t only music h e a r d in con-
certs or available o n records should be the 
basis f o r purchasing. F u r t h e r m o r e , f o r the 
m o r e a d v e n t u r o u s there is the stern w a r n i n g 
to " w i t h d r a w or d o n o t buy works by com-
posers who r a t e b u t a few lines in Grove's 
Dictionary or d o n o t a p p e a r t h e r e . " Grove, in 
a d d i t i o n to b e i n g very pro-British, is slightly 

d a t e d at this p o i n t , h a v i n g been p u b l i s h e d 
i n 1954, a n d even t h e n was n o t entirely f r e e 
f r o m errors of omission! A r a n d o m s a m p l i n g 
of the o p e r a scores in the g r a d e d lists shows 
t h a t the smallest library w o u l d be likely to 
h a v e a fairly r e p r e s e n t a t i v e collection of the 
p o p u l a r r e p e r t o r y as well as B r i t t e n ' s Peter 
Grimes, G a y ' s Beggar's Opera, a n d t w o s c o r e s 
b y E d w a r d G e r m a n , Merrie England a n d 
Tom Jones, as well as all the G i l b e r t a n d 
Sullivan scores. O n l y the largest collection 
w o u l d be able to supply a r e a d e r with a copy 
of Wozzeck, Louise, Martha, Andrea Chenier, 
Parsifal, a n d Salome! 

M r . B r y a n t does give credit to America f o r 
"its musicals t h a t have f a r greater vitality 
t h a n the home-grown specimens. The King 
and I a n d My Fair Lady a r e m o r e r e c e n t 
examples of A m e r i c a n successes (though with 
some British collaboration)." 

Altogether, Mr. B r y a n t has w r i t t e n a book 
which should p r o v e h e l p f u l to the newer 
British libraries b e i n g f o r m e d as well as to 
those which are already in existence. T h e 
" m a t t e r s of interest a n d use t h a t l i b r a r i a n s 
overseas will find i n i t " will p r o b a b l y be re-
stricted m a i n l y to purposes of comparison, 
a n d w o n d e r m e n t over die extremely biased 
a n d chauvinistic a t t i t u d e displayed through-
o u t a n d w i t h o u t a p p a r e n t r e a s o n . — T h o m a s 
T. Watkins, Music Library, Columbia Uni-
versity. 

Cataloging Persian Books 
Cataloging of Persian Works; Including 

Rules for Transliteration, Entry and De-
scription. By Nasser Sharify. Chicago: 
ALA, 1959. 161p. $3.50. 

For centuries, libraries in the M i d d l e East 
were storehouses—safe-deposit buildings for 
books a n d manuscripts. T h e i r sole f u n c t i o n 
was to p r o t e c t t h e i r valuables b u t to dis-
courage their use. S t a n d a r d cataloging codes, 
u n i f o r m i t y in a u t h o r entries, a n d o t h e r ac-
cepted practices of present-day libraries were 
u n k n o w n . Every library h a d its own par-
ticular system for r e c o r d i n g the m a t e r i a l it 
housed, b u t t h a t system was n o t devised with 
service to the user p r i n c i p a l l y in view. 

W h e n libraries began to be used by the 
people, they ceased to f u n c t i o n merely as 

424 C O L L E G E A N D R E S E A R C H L I B R A R I E S