College and Research Libraries The Editor's Job COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES Cosmo Fishhawk, the Perfesser, sits at his desk and grumbles: "The trouble with editors is they are always critical of anything we write. They're forever cor- recting and changing." So begins another episode in the relationship between the Perfesser and Editor Shoe in Jeff MacNelly's comic strip. Smiling with MacNelly's characters, those of us in writing and publishing ac- knowledge this relationship between author and editor. The author as creator pre- pares .a manuscript, the editor as gatekeeper accepts or rejects it. Often the acceptance is tinged with many qualifications and requests for change. Still it is a necessary relationship in publishing-both author and editor are required. W. Boyd Rayward assessed the editor's role in our May issue, and he described a job we have tried to follow: "Editors are anonymous sorts of people . They should be supportive, critical, sensitive to what is being presented, and they should be aware of and insist on the highest possible standards ... . The editor is there to help." The editor is not alone , however. During our six years with this journal, we have benefited from the continuing advice and aid of a dedicated editorial board, the nucleus for our corps of referees. With their counsel we have selected for publication 229 manuscripts from the 772 submitted. The ACRL Publications Committee and Board of Directors have been support- ive of the journal and approved expanded budgets that enabled us to include the thirteen-article centennial series in the 1976 issues, to devote one issue in 1979 to theme papers from the first ACRL national conference, and most recently to pub- lish a cumulative index. Each of the executive secretaries of ACRL with whom we have worked , Beverly P. Lynch and Julie A. C . Virgo, has been a constant source of help and encouragement. We remain indebted to Eileen Mahoney and the staff of the Central Production Unit for the care and attention they have given to the journal. We thank Elaine L. Downing and Kathryn C . Franco, the two assistant editors, and Eldon W. Tamblyn, who has prepared not only the annual index since 1975, but also the helpful index to Libraries for Teaching , Libraries for Research , which included the centennial articles , and the recently completed cumulative index for volumes 26 to 40. All academic librarians remain grateful to Eugene P. Sheehy and his associates for their semiannual review of new reference books. The review section of this journal has assumed increasing importance, and we thank the 340 librarians for their reviews of 671 volumes. The strength of an association is in continuing and new membership participjl- tion and leadership. As we complete our term as editor, we are pleased to wel- come a new editor, C . James Schmidt. We extend to him congratulations on his appointment and hope he will find this assignment the same stimulating experi- ence we have . R.D.J . I 293 e ational Union Catalog TWO CONSUMMATE CUMULATIONS Author List Master Cumulation 1956-1977 Imprints Title Index from Origin to 1977 + Annuals 1978-1979 "NUC 1956-1977" Author List Cumulation takes over where "Man- sell" leaves off. It gives catalogers a maximum two-step method for any book published from antiquity to 1977. If the date is not known you simply look in " MANSELL" and/or NUC 1956-1977. It will save catalogers many hours of work finding proper forms of an a uthor's name , checking for verification, identifying interlibrary loan locations , establishing the physical description and precise cataloging. Acquisitions librarians and bibliographers will find value from seeing the. variety of published editions merged together. On-line terminal users will find NUC 1956-1977 containing a ll MARC records since conception by the U.S . Library of Congress in the 1960s through 1977. Most other records in your network data bank will be covered in this edition. Most importantly, users of libraries, both internal and external, will be helped through the maximum of si mplification provided in this cumulation. SPECIFICATIONS: • NUC AUTHOR LIST Master Cumulation 1956-1977 A TITLE INDEX has been long awaited by every library that now uses the NUC Author List. It makes possible for the first time searchi ng the entire National Union Catalog by TITLE. This is usually the easiest way because proper names are frequently indefinite and, of course, when the author is not known it is the only way. This single alphabet title cumulation also brings together a whole new universe of " type" information which is often descriptive ofthe content. (i.e. Dictionary of ..... , Geriatrics ..... ) And, most importantly, NUC TITLE INDEX permits you to scan the entire period from origin (15th century) to 1977 in a single time-saving sea rch. 1978 to 1979 annual Title Index supplement volumes are also offered. There has been a trend in recent years by acquisition librarians to struct ure their files by title. They have found this to be a time-saving method and more accurate than main entry cataloging. NUC TITLE INDEX is a one-time fixed expense, contrasted with labor costs for librarians which will, of course, follow the regular increases of infl ation. Published in two parts : Part !-Roman Alphabet Imprints ; Part 2-Non-Roman Alphabet Imprints. Estimated 300 volumes ·to be published over 5 years. Approval volume now available. Each standard 400-page volume will contain 24,000 entries. $80.00* per volume. 1 Prepaid subscription $12 ,900.00*. MICROFICHE EDITION: This edition will contain ca. 2,500 fiche, to each edition 24X, negative 4 x 6 microfiche . The fiche are stored conveniently in a special cabinet which is provided and are readily accessed with the help of a Printed Guide. • NUC TITLE INDEX Published in two parts : Part !-Roman Alphabet Imprints ; Part 2-Non-Roman Alphabet Imprints. Ca . 18 million entries in three hundred 400-page volumes over 8 years. $80.00* per volume. Combination prepaid subscription: Author List Master C umulation/Title Index $22 ,500*. • New pricing schedule effective 10/1/80. Knowledge Resources Inc. 3303 HARBOR BLVD ., SUITE K-4 • COSTA MESA , CALIFORNIA 92626 (714) 752-0883