College and Research Libraries 370 I College & Research Libraries • july 1979 data that let librarians ask questions about productivity and efficiency and give them the tools to begin to analyze library prob- lems and to present a realistic audit. For example, it was determined from the pro- gram that file maintenance cost for 1976-77 was more than $149,000. This was 9 percent of all staff costs and 10 percent of all staff time, clearly an area for further study. It is good to read that a start has been made with a program covering labor and time costs of all library functions. This is necessary, difficult, and costly work, but it can and must be done. This competent, practical account should be useful in show- ing the way.-Barbara R. Healy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. Davinson, Donald. The Periodicals Collec- tion. Rev. and enl. ed. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Pr., 1978. 243p. $18.75. LC 78-17873. ISBN 0-89158-833-7. Perhaps the .biggest problem with this book is determining who will find it useful. Practicing librarians who have worked with periodicals for some time should know most of the material ;- while library school stu- dents may find it difficult to follow without reading many of the references. The begin- ning librarian or the experienced librarian just moving into the periodicals area proba- bly will be its best audience and should find it to be a good introduction with many ref- erences to o,ther material for additional study. The book is divided into three parts. The first section is a history and description of the types of periodicals. While mainly con- cerned with the British viewpoint, it covers the subject thoroughly. Even the experi- enced periodicals librarian undoubtedly will find it informative. Although most of the examples listed are British publications, it should be relatively easy to transfer the in- formation for use in American libraries. The second part covers bibliographic ac- cess to periodicals. Specific publications, e.g., Ulrich's International Periodicals Di- rectory, .Chemical Abstracts, Current Con- tents, Science Citation Index, Union List of Serials, are mentioned and their uses and limitations described. Again the British slant is noticeable, but the titles covered include the major U.S. and European bibliog- raphies. Davin son's comments on the prolif- eration of abstracting and current awareness services are interesting. Because so many more articles are being published now than in the recent past, specialists are finding it . increasingly difficult to read all the material pertinent to their fields and, therefore, are forced to resort to abstracting and similar services. The increases in the size, number, and price of these services, in turn, are causing problems of control for librarians and of production for the publishers. The third part covers the librarian's and the user's contact with the actual periodical. This is the weakest part of the book because Davinson tries to cover too much in too lit- tle space. Only the highlights of purchasing, recording, storing, and displaying peri- odicals receive mention, and the reader is left needing more practical advice to put into immediate use or more theory for fu- ture consideration. The 1978 edition of The Periodicals Col- lection is a revised and enlarged edition of a title w,ith a rather long and apparently evolving history. The 1960 edition, Peri- odicals; A Manual of Practice for Librarians (London: Grafton), was more a practical manual with suggestions on titles to be pur- chased, staffing, and furniture. As time has gone by, the book seems to have become more and more theoretical. Whether or not this edition is needed depends upon the type of information being sought. It is not a how-to-do-it book; it does give the history and purpose behind what is being done'. There are a selected subject and title index and an author index.-Martha Willett, In- diana State University, Evansville. Jackson, Eugene B., and Jackson, Ruth L. Industrial Information Systems: A Manual for Higher Management and Their In- formation Officer/Librarian AIBociates. Publications in the Information Sciences. Stroudsburg, Pa.: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc., 1978. 314p. + 1 fiche in pocket. $35. LC 78-15890. ISBN 0-87933-328-6. (Distributed by Academic Press.) The present volume is undoubtedly a val- uable addition to the series entitled Publica- tions in the Information Sciences. The pur- pose of this book is to outline the technical Important New Books for Academic Three outstanding new books L•b • from The Oryx Press give I rar1ans you valuable insights into approval plans and collection development. Practical Approval Plan Management is a basic guide to serviceable solutions for the day-to-day problems in both initiating and administering a successful approval plan. Valuable information on techniques on selection of vendors and how to complement a collection development program are also delineated. It's the newest, most unique reference manual available on the subject. By Jennifer Cargill and Brian Alley . ISBN 0-912700-52-1 , Clothbound, $12.95(t) . Approval Plans and Academic Libraries is the most complete study ever undertaken analyzing existing academic library approval plans and the role they play in collection development. By Kathleen McCullough, Edwin D. Posey, and Doyle C. Pickett. A Neai-Schuman Professional Book. ISBN 0-912700-05-X , Clothbound , 154 pages , $11 .95. Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures includes reprints and analytical consideration of 26 complete policies for print and nonprint materials , as well as acquisition information from 300 academic and public libraries. Edited by Elizabeth Futas . A Neai-Schuman Professional Book. ISBN 0-912700-02-5, Clothbound, 406 pages, $16.50. ORYX PRESS 3930EastCamelbackRoad Phoenix, Arizona 85018 • (602 ) 956-6233 372 I College & Research Libraries • July 1979 and administrative functions of an industrial information service as well as to advise in- formation officers, librarians, and manage- ment on various aspects of the acquisition, analysis, processing, storage, retrieval, dis- semination, and use of new and significant information. The introductory chapter, presenting an overview of the information explosion and its implications for manage- ment, is lucid, comprehensive, and very carefully written. The material in this monograph is sys- tematically presented; the authors wri.te clearly, and the text is liberally supplied with well-chosen examples and the latest references. Based on their extensive experience in both conventional and nonconventional in- formation products, services, and systems, the authors offer very practical recommen- dations on services, facilities , personnel, policies, and procedures for establishing and maintaining an industrial information service and center. Of special interest is the summary data on the industrial library systems of the Fortune 500 companies (Appendix B). Another interesting feature of this publication is a chapter by Robert A. Kennedy of the Bell Telephone Laboratories Libraries and In- formation Systems, Murray Hill, New Jer- sey, in which he focuses on practices at the premier industrial library in operation to- day. In summary, this is an excellent book and should be read by all persons engaged in the management of industrial libraries and information centers and systems. It is highly recommended as a required textbook for courses in industrial librarianship, informa- tion systems and services, and information storage and dissemination technology.-] at a S. Ghosh, Ardmore, Pennsylvania . Symposium on Retrieval of Medicinal Chemical Information, Anaheim, Califor- nia, 1978. Retrieval of Medicinal Chemi- cal Information. W. Jeffrey Howe, Mar- garet M. Milne, and Ann F . Pennell, eds. Based on a symposium cosponsored by Has your library tried Midwest Library Service's University Press Approval Plan? It's comprehensive, automatic and very timely! Our University Press Approval Plan encompasses 100 University Presses (including Cambridge, Oxford, and Toronto), which account for more than 99% of all University Press Publishing. We pride ourselves on quick ship- ments- with NO delays. For more information on this plan, call us on our Toll-Free WATS Line 1-800-325-8833 Missouri Customers Call Collect: 0-314-739-3100 Ask for Mr. Lesser "19 Years of Service to College and University Libraries " Midwest Library Service 11443 St. Charles Rock Rd., Bridgeton, Mo. 63044