College and Research Libraries 260 I College & Research Libraries • May 1982 monly well organized. Dr. McCrimmon has included a chronology extending from 1753 to 1979 that relates her story not only to seri- ous political events, but also to its social envi- ronment by including such dates as the open- ing of H. M. S. Pinafore and Bond's introduction of electric light . in the great reading room. Power, Politics, and Print is far more than the history of a catalog; it is an important account of the success of an intel- lectual enterprise of vast ramifications.- Douglas W. Bryant, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hubbard, William J. Stack Management: A Practical Guide to Shelving and Maintain- ing a Collection. Chicago: American Li- brary Assn., 1981. 102p. $7. LC 80-28468. ISBN 0-8389-0319-3. Stack Management is a fine example of clear, concise writing and good organiza- tion, representing sound thinking and rea- soned advice. It is an excellent guide for the new stack manager and a handy reference tool for the experienced librarian. In a quick consultation, one can discover that 86 per- cent full is considered maximum stack capac- ity, learn the advantages and disadvantages of several types of compact shelving, and de- termine how best to shelve kits and games. Hubbard has revised an earlier work by W. H. Jesse called Shelf Work in Libraries (1952), and this new edition reflects and stresses the current concern with access and availability of collections. Other contempo- rary issues such as problems of security and the use of detection systems, online circula- tion systems, and the increasing need for re- mote storage facilities are addressed at ap- propriate points in the new text. There are two minor points which I would draw atten- tion to regarding the revision, however: one is the occasional use of the term "shelf worker" instead of the more current "shelver" or even "stack attendant" or "stacker"; and the second is a lack of any mention of physical access for the handi- capped user and how that affects stack aisles and stack placement. The book is divided into eight chapters and proceeds logically from the broadest as- pect, collection management (shelf arrange- ment, open or closed stacks, and shelving of different types of materials) through succes- sive chapters on more specific topics. These topics are sorting and shelving routines, moving and shifting books (everything from how to plan space requirements to how to shelve), shelving types and arrangements (in- cluding lighting, book trucks and signs), and weeding, storing, and paging, with particu- lar emphasis on the desirability of storage collections and how to plan and select for them. Hubbard's good sense and directness are particularly evident in this comment on off-site storage facilities: "Regardless of the frequency of trips, the schedule must be maintained if the service is to retain its credi- bility with patrons. Nothing destroys confi- dence in a library faster than broken prom- ises through fluctuating schedules" (p.67). The remaining chapters deal with how to handle, clean, and repair books, missing books (how to search and inventory them), and finally some practical words on supervis- ing stack personnel. There is an appendix of basic information on using sampling to collect statistics on the quantity of work performed, book availabil- ity, and collection characteristics. The book is indexed. A comprehensive bibliography at the end, however, or all chapter references grouped at the conclusion of the individual chapters would have been preferable to the scattered footnotes throughout. Stack Man- agement, is definitely useful and a worth- while investment.-]ean W. Farrington, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dessauer, John P. Book Publishing: What It Is, What It Does. 2d ed. New York and London: Bowker, 1981. 230p. $23.95 cloth; $13.95 paper. LC 81-10065. ISBN 0-8352-1325-0 cloth; 0-8352-1326-9 pa- per. John P. Dessauer's book is a superb exposi- tion of the workings of the American book publishing industry. Dessauer describes in successive chapters how books are created, manufactured, marketed, stored, and deliv- ered. He also goes into some detail on the fi- nancing, planning, and management of book publishing enterprises. Dessauer presently serves as chief statisti- cian for the Book Industry Study Group (formed in 1976 as a research organization for the publishing community), and this sec- ond edition incorporates much information from the group. Although the book has the same structure as the previous edition (e.g., same chapters in the same order), the work has been completely updated to 1980. Ap- propriately, the new edition is also much more handsome, with wider margins, clearer headings, and easier to read charts and diagrams. In his overview of the history and organi- zation of the book industry, the author takes up the questions which arise from mergers, unauthorized copying, and censorship. He also describes the various divisions of pub- lishing and discusses its dual role as a business and a cultural activity. He writes that the greatest single challenge to American book publishing". . . is simply to reach effectively the people willing and anxious to buy books." He also notes that the industry is be- ginning to overcome its inertia of the past, as factions are joining together to act as a pub- lishing "community" in dealing with prob- lems. In particular, Dessauer mentions par- ticipation of publishers in the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the Book Industry Study Group. He cites inade- quate distribution as a common difficulty which book publishers must overcome Recent Publications I 261 through cooperation of publishers and edu- cation of wholesalers. In his chapter on how books are created, Dessauer makes a strong case for reducing book production, and complains of "intui- tive" decisions to publish without adequate financial planning. He adds that faulty edi- torial judgment, ineffectual marketing ef- forts, and a "buckshot'' approach to publish- ing are also major contributing factors to the high failure rate among trade books. Another serious problem that Dessauer ex- plores is that of paperback overproduction: "In 1980 mass market publishers produced some 5,100 new releases, or an average of 423 titles monthly, according to CPDA News. Even some of the better outlets cannot accommodate even one fourth of such re- leases . . . " He indicates that approximately one half of all paperbacks shipped to whole- salers remain unsold. In the manufacturing chapter, the author is critical of the lack of standardization in the industry, but closes on a note of optimism, indicating that the technology for books "on demand" is now available. In the marketing chapter, he points out the need for publishers ~ swets subscription service ~ A DIVISION OF SWETS & ZEITLINGER B.V SWetS P.O. Box 830, 2160 SZ Lisse - Holland Phone 02521-19113/ Telex41325 Swets North America lnc.-PO. Box 517, Berwyn, Pa 19312, U.S.A.,Tel. 215/644-4944 262 I College & Research Libraries • May 1982 to incorporate more automated procedures in distribution of their titles. In discussing how books are stored and delivered, Des- sauer believes too many publishers are work- ing independently and sees no effort on their part to consolidate operations. A system of regional, nonprofit distribution centers is suggested. In the final chapter on financing, plan- ning, and managing publishing companies, the author explains how operating state- ments and balance sheets work. He also shows how it is possible for a more expensive book to sell sufficient copies to make it more profitable than a moderately or inexpen- sively priced volume. He concludes: ."More sales and larger printings are obviously not always the answer, nor are lower prices and more aggressive marketing. More important than such conventional techniques may be the accurate definition of market and the choice of the optimal means to reach it." Des- sauer urges more broad based training pro- grams for employees and endorses improving the quality of management in publishing. He supports both short- and long-range forecast- ing, arguing that testing the impact of future titles with alternative scenarios will help publishers become more responsive to the market. The author is optimistic about the survival of the book and forecasts continuing growth of book consumers. Publishers still need to solve distribution problems, improve and in- crease marketing, and be more selective in publishing to avoid current "overproduc- tion," he believes. The revised edition of this book is the most current basic text on the economics of pub- lishing available. It contains a twelve-page glossary of publishing terms and a short "Bib- liographic ·Note" containing twelve citations (eleven in the previous edition) plus mention of three valuable trade publications. Although I would like to see some im- provements in the third edition, e.g., an ex- panded bibliography, some words on paper preservation, more discussion of noted pub- lishers, and provision of examples from Book Publishing: What It Is, What It Does to illus- trate his chapter on the manufacture of books, I strongly recommend that academic librarians, library school students, and stu- dents who wish to know more about publish- ing purchase this title. Practicing librarians should be more familiar than they are with publishing, its practices and terminology. Dessauer's book fills this need.-Fred C. Lynden, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. ABSTRACTS The following abstracts are based on those prepared by the ERIC Clearinghouse of In- formation Resources, School of Education, Syracuse University. Documents with an ED number here may be ordered in either microfiche (MF) or pa- per copy (PC) from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service, P.O. Box 190, Arlington, VA 22210. Orders should include ED number, specify format desired, and in- clude payment for document and postage. Further information on ordering docu- ments and on current postage charges may be obtained from a recent issue of Resources in Education. Educational Information Resources in the United States. The State of the Art. By Fred S. Rosenau. Far West Lab. for Educa- tional Research and Development, San Francisco, Calif. 1979. 20p. ED 206 278 . . MF -$0.83; PC-$1.82. This review of educational information re- sources supported by the federal government, state and local taxes, and professional associations, pro- vides a summary of the more active information centers along with the titles of some handbooks that can guide the user to additional resources. It also discusses who uses information and how, tar- geting of information to users, and the complexities of the dissemination process, concluding with some thoughts for future directions in information re- source management for the educational commu- nity. Information for the 1980's. Final Report of the White House Conference on Library and Information Seroices, 1979.National Com- mission on Libraries and Information Sci- ence, Washington, D.C. 1980. 802p. ED 206 280. MF-$1.51; PC-$54.32. These proceedings of the 1979 White House Conference on Library and Information Services contain resolutions which are the basis for the pro- posed National Library and Information Services Program and for new national legislation. The res- olutions reflect; (1) the need to reshape library and