College and Research Libraries


bibliography; and (3) there is no index to 
acronyms-which are used profusely 
throughout the volume. The paradox is un-
avoidable: a book on information systems 
without adequate retrieval systems itsel£1 
The well-known time lag of UNESCO pub-
lishing limits the currentness of the work. 
Because the most current references are 
1975 and some 1976, readers in 1980 can 
expect that significant changes have taken 
place during the interim. 

Nonetheless , the author should be con-
gratulated for producing the volume . It pro-
vides a useful overview and introduction to 
international ISGPAs , it provides a basis for 
the development of ISGPAs , and, perhaps 
most important, it gives evidence of the im-
portance of ISGPAs for governmental pur-
poses. As such , the volume fills a void in 
existing literature and should be a welcome 
addition by those who are interested in the 
background , status , and development of na-
tional and international ISGPAs.-Charles 
R. McClur e, Univ e rsity of Oklahoma , 
Norman. 

Bernhardt, Frances Simonsen. Introduction 
to Library Technical Services. New York: 
H. W. Wilson, 1979. 328p. $15, U .S. and 
Canada; $18 , foreign . LC 79-12630. ISBN 
0-8242-0637-1. 
The scope of Introduction to Library 

Technical Services, as defined by Bernhardt 
in the preface , is broad and attempts not 
only to cover the "acquiring, cataloging, and 
processing of all types of library materials" 
but also to offer a "comprehensive presen-
tation in a relevant manner to all libraries of 
all sizes and to technical services personnel 
at all levels ." 

This is a difficult task and one that I feel 
the author does not always accomplish. In-
stead , the resulting text runs the gamut 
from masterful to disappointing. 

High points evolve when the author pre-
sents frank , demyst_i_fying statements , simple 
problem-solving approaches, and some very 
pertinent examples of technical services 
procedures. At certain times no prior 
knowledge is assumed, and the definitions 
take on the proportion of dissections, yield-
ing up fresh , understandable statements 
about commonsense technical processes that 
are sometimes considered by the profession 

Recent Publications I 265 

to be veiled in mystery . 
On the other hand , abbreviations and ac-

ronyms, with which our field abounds, are 
sometimes thrown in, leaving the neophyte 
uniformed. Some chapters seemed to be 
completely introductory , as suggested by 
the title, and others go into such great de-
tail that only a conditioned practitioner can 
assimilate the examples presented. 

When the author chose to present the 
material in graphic rather than in prose 
format , the lack of homogeneity continued. 
Certain charts were clear and well thought 
out and brought together information from 
diverse sources that made understanding 
the concepts much easier. However, other 
diagrams were very complex and detracted 
from, rather than added to , the text. 

Current technological advances were in-
cluded but often appended to the practical 
discussion rather than as a part of it. It 
seems to me to be a perplexing time in 
which to write an introductory work on 
technical services. AACR 2 and the fast-
moving pace of technology make it difficult 
to know what to include in depth and what 
to mention only in passing. 

Bernhardt has presented a good, if some-
what uneven , mix of historical principles , 
basic practices and procedures, and cur-
rently evolving alternatives . I would rec-
ommend the text for use in a hands-on 
practicum-type course in technical services; 
the high points, of which there were many, 
will save the instructor much time-time 
that can be used to fill in some of the lower 
points.-Dorothy Hagen Kettner , Fergus 
Falls Community College , Fergus Falls , 
Minnesota. 

Kennedy, James R., Jr. Library Research 
Guide to Education: Illustrated Search 
Strategy and Sources. Library Research 
Guides Series, no.3 . Ann Arbor, Mich. : 
Pierian Press, 1979. 80p. $8.50 (cloth), 
$4.50 (paper). LC 79-88940. ISBN 0-
87650-115-3 (cloth); 0-87650-116-1 (pa-
per) . 
Like so many of Pierian Press' other pub-

lications, this one profits from the author's 
years of experience in reference work and 
library instruction. The book is more than 
just a good list of research materials in 
education, because it is "term paper topic-