College and Research Libraries I n his " L o n g L i f e to the L i b r a r y History R o u n d T a b l e , " Pargellis suggested specific areas i n which the r o u n d t a b l e m i g h t work: the lives a n d achievements of great librar- ians, with the idea of isolating a professional ethic; the historical d e v e l o p m e n t of particu- lar libraries, a n d t h e history of l i b r a r i e s as it is r e l a t e d to the whole o f i n t e l l e c t u a l his- tory. O n e can scarcely i m a g i n e a b e t t e r g u i d e l i n e t h a n Pargellis gave, a n d yet o n e can hardly say that these essays r e p r e s e n t c o m p l e t e f u l f i l l m e n t o f the basic o b j e c t i v e s . P e r h a p s the chief difficulty is t h a t m a n y li- brarians have n o t b e e n t r a i n e d to write good history. A t $ 9 . 0 0 an a n t h o l o g y o f A m e r i c a n library history o u g h t to i n c l u d e t h e best writing on that topic. I n his i n t r o d u c t i o n M a r s h a l l c o m m e n t s : " T h e a n t h o l o g i s t . . . always be- comes v u l n e r a b l e to a slightly u n f a i r k i n d o f criticism; criticism f o r what h e l e f t o u t as well as f o r what he p u t i n . " P e r h a p s so, b u t if these essays w a r r a n t p r e s e n t a t i o n in a book—"and only a book"—especially at this price, they ought to fulfill some useful f u n c t i o n ; a n d die a n d i o l o g i s t should accept some criticism f o r the exclusions as well as the inclusions. P a r t i c u l a r l y d i s t u r b i n g to this reviewer was the f a i l u r e to i n c l u d e three m a j o r works o f special value to those who are interested in library history. J e s s e H . Shera's " T h e L i t e r a t u r e of A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y H i s t o r y " (Library Quarterly, X V (1945), 1 - 2 2 ) might well h a v e b e e n the capstone o f Marshall's a n t h o l o g y ; a n d in my o p i n i o n n o anthology o f A m e r i c a n library history would b e com- plete w i t h o u t it. A n o t h e r Shera article, " O n the V a l u e of L i b r a r y H i s t o r y " (Library Quarterly, X X I I (1952), 2 4 0 - 2 5 1 ) could prop- erly a c c o m p a n y Shores's a n d Pargellis' essays in the i n t r o d u c t o r y section. E x c l u s i o n o f the third item, V e r n e r W . C l a p p a n d E d y t h e W . First's " A L A M e m b e r N o . 13: A First G l a n c e at J o h n E d m a n d s " (Library Quarterly, X X V I (1956), 1 - 2 2 ) is i n e x p l i c a b l e in view o f the heavy b i o g r a p h i c a l bias o f the b o o k . I n fact, the C l a p p a n d First article could serve as a m o d e l f o r those who w a n t to try t h e i r h a n d at a b i o g r a p h i c a l p o r t r a i t o f o n e of the " g r e a t s . " S o m e o f t h e p o o r e r reminiscences a n d the " L i b r a r y H a l l of F a m e " m i g h t have been left o u t to provide space f o r these three items. D o e s M a r s h a l l ' s b o o k have value? Yes, some o f essays are worth having in b o o k form, especially those on the less well k n o w n librarians. Perhaps, as the foreword suggests, the v o l u m e will also serve to stimulate the writing a n d p u b l i c a t i o n of o t h e r works in library history. W h a t the profession now needs is n o t a n o t h e r c o l l e c t i o n o f readings b u t a solid m o n o g r a p h on A m e r i c a n library history, p r e f e r a b l y 2 0 0 - 2 5 0 pages long, which will give the overview from which f u r t h e r intensive effort may come. T h e a u t h o r o f such a history may m a k e use of the data from these papers, b u t will h a v e to g o beyond them. Such is the state o f the art that any prospective a u t h o r is still g o i n g to have to d o most o f his own s p a d e w o r k . — E d w a r d G. Holley, University of Illinois. Publishers on Publishing Publishers on Publishing. Selected a n d ed- ited, with C o m m e n t a r y a n d an I n t r o d u c - tion by G e r a l d Gross. P r e f a c e by F r e d e r i c G . M e l c h e r . New Y o r k : R . R . B o w k e r C o m p a n y a n d Grosset 8c D u n l a p , 1961. 4 9 1 p . $5.00 (cloth), $ 2 . 9 5 (paper, Grosset U n i v e r s a l L i b r a r y ) . T h e w o n d e r grows as o n e reads these dis- cursive, idiosyncratic, a n d seldom contradic- tory remarks on " a n o c c u p a t i o n f o r gentle- m e n " that books ever m a n a g e to get pub- lished. ( T h a t they have some difficulties get- t i n g d i s t r i b u t e d is a pressing p r o b l e m o n l y t a n g e n t i a l l y worried at h e r e . ) F r e d r i c W a r - burg's c o m m e n t o n Sir S t a n l e y U n w i n ' s pub- lisher's b i b l e , The Truth About Publishing, candidly acknowledges, " M y o n l y criticism of this e x c e l l e n t b o o k is t h a t it tends to as- assume t h a t p u b l i s h i n g is a r a t i o n a l process." T h e r e a d e r is impressed by t h e almost evangelical high-mindedness o f publishers; a n d those who disclaim pretensions to high purpose cheerfully admit they are in the game for the fun o f it. U n i f o r m l y they pro- test that o n l y a f o o l w o u l d h o p e t o m a k e a f o r t u n e at so hazardous a pursuit. W h i l e in- sisting that any good p u b l i s h e r would have b e c o m e a m i l l i o n a i r e in a n o t h e r field, n o n e would e x c h a n g e the g a i n f o r the f u n . T h i s leitmotif takes on the t o n e o f elegy f o r the r e a d e r t r a c i n g t h e growth o f p u b l i s h i n g from 3 5 0 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 the early n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y D a n i e l Macmil- lan ( " Y o u never surely thought you were merely working for b r e a d ! " ) to the brash B e n n e t t Cerf speaking b e f o r e the New Y o r k Society of Security Analysts in 1960 on pub- lishing as big business, c o m p l e t e with profit- able stock issues a n d mergers. T h i r t y - s i x U n i t e d States a n d E n g l i s h pub- lishers in an a p p r o x i m a t e chronological se- q u e n c e speak their m i n d s — s o m e w h a t repeti- tively—on how they got started (many in almost hereditary dynasties), how to deal with authors, printers, agents, critics, a n d why they publish the lists that represent their names. Most write a neat, w o r k m a n l i k e (if unin- spired and o f t e n pedestrian) prose, uni- formly disclaiming any pretensions to b e i n g authors, which speaks well for their editorial abilities. Some few, e x c e p t i n g the versatile M i c h a e l Sadleir, are authors manque a n d write with style, grace, a n d that incisive, witty rightness o f phrase that makes liter- a t u r e o f e x p o s i t i o n . C u r t i c e H i t c h c o c k , J o h n F a r r a r , a n d F r e d i c W a r b u r g , had they taken the o t h e r side of the c o u n t e r , should have f o u n d publishers, b u t I use a hesitant " s h o u l d " advisedly. T h e i r c o n t r i b u t i o n s , with n o v e l i s t - c r i t i c - b i b l i o g r a p h e r - p u b l i s h e r Sadleir's, l e n d a pleasantly critical a n d liter- ary flavor. T h e l a t t e r h a l f o f the volume, in- deed, shows a m a r k e d increase in p o l e m i c : what is good literature, what is worth pub- lishing, c o n c e r n with censorship, a n d edi- torial a n d social responsibility. I t is good to have in o n e place f o u r o f F r e d e r i c G . M e l c h e r ' s editorials from Publishers' Weekly on books, publishing, a n d r e a d i n g . Pervad- ing all c o n t r i b u t i o n s is the acknowledged fascination of books a n d r e a d i n g that makes publishers and l i b r a r i a n s amateurs o f the word. H e n c e this is a r e q u i r e d h a n d b o o k for all librarians, lest they neglect understand- ing why the books b e i n g published are pub- lished and that a publisher's list reflects a personality, o f t e n o f an individual, who should be k n o w n . T h e delights o f t h e b o o k are so m a n y and o n e ' s g r a t i t u d e to M r . Gross so great f o r his e d i t o r i a l interest a n d industry, t h a t the criti- cisms, e x c e p t i n g on the i n d e x , are somewhat fruitless y e a r n i n g f o r what, p r o b a b l y impos- sibly, m i g h t have b e e n . T h e i n d e x is la- m e n t a b l e . G r a n t e d , the excerpts are from works to which t h e r e a d e r c a n turn hope- fully f o r an a d e q u a t e i n d e x . F r o m a n o t h e r publisher, the l i b r a r i a n might be less indig- n a n t at the o n e page excuse offered as an in- d e x . R e p e t i t i v e n e s s in the e x c e r p t s — w e are as- sured by almost every p u b l i s h e r that manu- scripts are r e a d — u n w a r r a n t e d l y suggests to the i n n o c e n t reader that the matters of c o n c e r n to publishers are narrowly circum- scribed. T h e d e n i a l comes, b u t o f t e n em- b e d d e d in the e x p e c t e d a n d necessary con- cerns. T h i s repetitiveness a n d emphasis on detail is p r o b a b l y i n e l u c t a b l e in an histori- cally arranged anthology, giving space to each publisher's statement o f creed. I t sug- gests that a topical anthology, simply point- ing up a g r e e m e n t o r difference i f n o t o u t r i g h t conflict, might b e a v a l u a b l e produc- tion. W e might, however, e n d up with Sir Stanley U n w i n a g a i n ! T h e tantalizing pas- sages on the histories of several p u b l i s h i n g houses d e m a n d the p r e p a r a t i o n o f a compre- hensive history. I f this anthology should in- spire the needed scholarly and p o p u l a r books on publishers and publishing, it will have m o r e than justified the compiler's efforts. Li- brarians and students will be lastingly grate- ful for this c o n v e n i e n t anthology, despite carping at the i n d e x . — B e t t y Rosenberg, School of Library Service, University of Cali- fornia, Los Angeles. Slavic Collections Russian and East European Publications in the Libraries of the United States. B y Mel- ville J . R u g g l e s a n d Vaclav Mostecky. (No. 11, C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y Studies in Li- brary Service.) New Y o r k : C o l u m b i a Uni- versity Press, 1960. 396p. $10.00. I n 1957 the J o i n t C o m m i t t e e on Slavic Studies o f the Social Science R e s e a r c h Coun- cil a n d the A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l o f L e a r n e d Societies asked the Association o f R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s to p a r t i c i p a t e in a review it was c o n d u c t i n g " o f the e n t i r e program o f Rus- sian-area studies." T h e c o m m i t t e e engaged the talents o f M e l v i l l e J . R u g g l e s a n d Vac- lav Mostecky f o r this assignment. T h e au- thors, in turn, have called on t h e i r own knowledge a n d that of o t h e r l i b r a r i a n s to as- semble in the present study a f o r m i d a b l e array o f fact and e x p e r i e n c e c o n n e c t e d with J U L Y 1 9 6 2 3 5 1