College and Research Libraries tion. Both chapters outline the role of the manager and problems that may be encoun- tered in the development of training and ap- praisal programs. The selected sources in the appendix pro- vide information on materials and resource organizations that can be of assistance to those who work with the administration of personnel. Each chapter includes footnotes and/or additional resources that can further aid the reader in acquiring more information on the topics covered. Myriad information is treated in each of this work's chapters, pro- viding an excellent overview of the role of personnel administrators and managers, the laws that govern them, and practical sugges- tions for implementation.- Carolyn]. Hen- derson , Stanford University Libraries, Stan- ford, California. King, Donald W. et al. Telecommunications and Libraries: A Primer for Librarians and Information Managers. White Plains, N.Y.: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1981. 184p. LC 81-6040. ISBN 0-91423- 688-1 hardcover; 0-91423-651-2 paper. This is not another of those texts that claim Recent Publications I 361 the ability to convert the layperson into a telecommunications (TC) expert in one quick and easy reading. Besides being a readable introduction to general technical concepts and policy issues of TC, this primer can serve as a good, though not exhaustive, list of re- cent TC experiments and operations of im- mediate interest to libraries. The traditional role of the library as an intermediary be- tween information suppliers and informa- tion consumers is brought into question by this book. Readers are encouraged to take a broad view of the many available technologies, be- cause no single approach can be expected to satisfy all TC requirements. Since the library market is relatively small from the perspective of an AT&T, IBM, or COMSAT, a commercially developed, custom-tailored library network is unlikely. Library TC needs may best be met by crea- tive combinations of products and services designed for richer markets. Ten thoughtful, well-edited chapters written by knowledge- able people for a nontechnical audience make worthwhile reading for the current or aspiring librarian or information manager f~ ~ I A . ·t· L.b . ~ ~ cqutst ton 1 rartans ..... t 1 I l : I I II J j t • f i Now is the time to try the best source for: • any book in print • accurate invoicing e meaningful reports e rush order service e competitive discounts t e PLUS MANY OTIIERSERVICES I ! CALL TOLL-FREE TODAY I l-800-248-1146 J 1 In Canada & Michigan I i CALL coLLECT (517) 849-2117 OTHER SERVICES ..... include binding of paperbacks upon request, returning slips in books; standing orders, staff orders, and up to date information on open orders. the BOOK HOUSE JO •• EIIS SEIIYINQ LI.IIAIIIES WITH ANY •ooK IN ~IIINT SINCE 1M2 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET JONESVILLE. MICHIGAN 49250 SAN 169-3859 362 I College & Research Libraries· July 1982 Everybody's talking about on-line catalogs What about on -time? GRCCC@ JOO A name that stands for on-time! Contact Don Gill GENERAL, REsEARcH n CORPORATION A SUBSIDIARY OF FLOW GENERAL, INC . P.O . Box 6770 , Santa Barbara. CA . 93111-0770 Phone (805) 964-7724 Heritage on Microfiltn Rare and out-of-print titles and documents on 35mm silver halide microfilm. • French Books before 1601 • Scandinavian Culture • 18th Century English Literature • Victorian Fiction • Literature of Folklore • Hispanic Culture Send for catalog and title information today. ~~t:~~ ~COV\P~ 70 Coolidge Hill Road Watertown, MA 02172 (617) 926-5557 ' who seeks an overall understanding of this field. In chapter one, F. W. Lancaster and Donald W. King describe information trans- fer and argue that ownership of resources be- comes less important as resource directories and TC advances continue improving re- mote access to diversified collections. Brigitte L. Kenney presents an easily read, James Martin type of TC basics text as chapter two. Chapter three, by Lynne E. Bradley, tells what libraries are doing with cable TV. Next, Rita G. Lerner's chapter four de- scribes the capabilities of satellites and packet radio. Adding a comment about the recent, library-related work of the Public Service Satellite Consortium might have im- proved Dr. Lerner's already excellent discus- sion. Videotext, both two-way viewdata and one-way teletext, are well covered by Kathleen Criner's chapter five. She asks if content regulations applicable to broadcast services should apply to teletext and ponders the impact of home videotext upon libraries. The "Facsimile and Libraries" chapter, by Dr. Joan Maier McKean, describes her T ALINET project and summarizes the document-delivery capabilities of this rela- tively expensive technology. Charles M. Goldstein's chapter seven dis- tinguishes between optical digital discs and optical videodiscs, compares them with mi- croforms, and speculates about their library applications in services for the blind, distrib- uted online catalogs, shared cataloging, doc- ument delivery, and preservation. "Future of the Library" (chapter eight) by F. W. Lan- caster, of course, envisions a nearly paperless society with new , de-institutionalized roles for librarians. He expects their status to rise as they participate as members of research teams or as group-practice professionals. In chapter nine Donald King lists some road- blocks to Lancaster's scenarios, including the lack of standardization and economic weak- ness. For example, the publishers of paper journals are paid in advance, while online publishers receive reve nue on an as-used basis - very different cash flows. The last chapter by David Dorman is an annotated bibliographic guide to nontechnical TC ma- terials. This bibliography, like the entire primer, is broad in scope and introductory in nature. Librarians now making decisions that must consider the relative merits of SNA, X.25, SDLC, Ethernet, multiplexing, and other specific technical issues cannot expect much help from this book.- William L. Ba- sinski, Data Resources, Inc. , Lexington, Massachusetts. Border, Alan. Video Discs- Their Applica- tion to Information Storage and Retrieval. 2d ed. NRCD Publication no.17. Here- ford, Herts, Great Britain: National Re- prographic Centre for Documentation, 1981. 50p. ISBN 0-85267-199-7 hard- cover; 0-85267-200-4 microfiche. Barrett, R. Developments in Optical Disc Technology and the Implications for Infor- mation Storage and Retrieval. British Li- brary Research and Development Reports, no.5623. Wetherby, West Yorkshire: The British Library, 1981. 80p. ISBN 0-905984-71-4. ISSN 0308-2385. One candidate for the topic most discussed and debated during 1982 by those involved in the application of technology to libraries is bound to be that of videodiscs- and how Recent Publications I 363 they are likely to be used in the next decade. It is being discussed by all manner of people: those who give advice at the national policy level, those who design and implement li- brary computer applications, foundation program officers, and many others in be- tween. The wide-ranging interest is easy to under- stand when one analyzes the functional char- acteristics of a videodisc: the ability to store text in the billions and trillions of characters at low cost; a high storage density resulting in modest use of physical space; and, most im- portant, the potential for high accessibility and deliverability through the use of com- puters and high-speed telecommunications. A videodisc is nothing less than an alternative publishing medium, yet it gives rise to de- scriptions of libraries without walls. The ap- pearance of these two reports is timely, given the degree of interest in this technology both here and abroad, and especially given the scarcity of material on this topic that is un- derstandable to a nontechnical person. The Border report traces the history of video playback systems and focuses quickly Only The superior serials management system F. that evolves with your changing needs. Get the complete story on LINX. There's no competition! On D DATALINX for direct access to computerized Faxon data bases and files. uld D LINX SC-10 for on-line check-in CO and claiming. D LINX for instantaneous elec- tronic messages and comprehensive, Mail coupon to: Faxon 15 Southwest Park Westwood, Massachusetts 02090 USA Tel: 800-225-6055 (toll-free) 617-329-3350 (collect in Mass. and Canada) ha' ~e on-line training. (.l,, ~ r--------------, nil d Name I creme I ~:::