reviews.p65 Book Reviews 165 aged to survive well into the twentieth century. The history of publishing, as of books and reading, has only recently come into its own. This book uncomfortably com- bines the strengths of archival research with some of its pitfalls. The many pres- sures facing a publishing house make for absorbing reading, but Finkelstein fails to bring his characters completely to life. The book also suffers from organizational weakness; frequent repetitions and cross- references suggest that the parts have not been smoothly made into a whole. Finkelstein�s attempt to apply new in- terpretive strategies is only partially suc- cessful. Although he does achieve valu- able insights into the social and cultural condition of publishing, he fails to de- velop his concepts of �ecumene� and �planes� of textual and social production and consumption. References to contem- porary theorists such as Robert Darnton, Pierre Bourdieu, Benedict Andersen, Stanley Fish, Jurgen Habermas, Stuart Hall, and Janice Radway are little more than window dressing. But these are mi- nor flaws in a book that should have a special appeal to librarians, with their firsthand knowledge of the difficult busi- ness of books.�Jean Alexander, Carnegie Mellon University. Libraries, Museums, and Archives: Legal Is- sues and Ethical Challenges in the New Information Era. Ed. Tomas A. Lipinksi. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2002. 335p. alk. paper, $59.95 (ISBN 0810840855). LC 01-41078. Understanding the complex quagmire of legal and ethical issues facing informa- tion agencies can be a daunting task. Even the most astute librarian, archivist, or museum director can find it difficult to stay abreast of ever-changing laws. Short of hiring a barrister for your staff, what can you do to have a good working knowledge of the legalities that affect the profession? Of course, keeping a close eye on the relevant professional literature is always a good idea. You also might con- sider keeping a copy of Libraries, Muse- ums, and Archives on the shelf for ready reference. The eighteen chapters in this book were originally presented in May 2000 at the �Institute for Legal and Ethical Issues in the New Information Era: Challenges for Libraries, Museums, and Archives� conference held at the University of Wis- consin-Milwaukee. The authors are all experienced lawyers or information pro- fessionals who understand how legal is- sues affect the professional world of in- formation services. This well-organized volume is divided into six thematic sections. The first two deal with collection and acquisition is- sues, the third with legal issues involv- ing patron access and privacy, and the fourth with ethical challenges. Section five is concerned with copyright and ownership and the book concludes with a section dedicated to policy implemen- tation and planning. This volume is written for profession- als who deal with the public on a daily basis. Largely free of legal jargon, it fea- tures concise summaries and numerous examples to illustrate cases. For instance, New York Public Library legal counsel Robert J. Vanni opens the book with an explanation of the process of deeding gifts, outlining the rights of the gift-giver and the receiving institution, summarizing tax issues, and providing examples of donor forms. The result is a streamlined how-to guide for accepting gifts from donors. Throughout the book, the various au- thors often present their points from the perspective of the practicing information professional. Marie C. Malaro and Ildiko Pogany DeAngelis have both served as legal counsel to the Smithsonian Institu- tion, and each has held the directorship of the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. Their dis- cussions of the legal and ethical issues of museum collection management focus on pragmatic aspects of implementation and feature useful hypothetical situations that illuminate their key points. Copyright and ownership issues are discussed in clear, understandable lan- 166 College & Research Libraries March 2003 guage, beginning with a brief summary of the basics of U. S. copyright law and its implications for the profession. This is the most technical section of the book; however, it does an excellent job of de- scribing the substance and nuances of these confusing sections of U.S. code, as well as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and a range of legal issues relating to technology, access, and potential legal changes with emerging technologies. In the section entitled �Working with Patrons,� the two chapters address the importance of protecting the privacy of patrons and the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act on library and electronic resources access. Library security expert Bruce Shuman discusses levels of security and ways to ensure that those who work in and use public build- ings enjoy a secure environment. Although legal issues of immediate significance dominate this work, an im- portant section deals with the somewhat more immutable subject of ethics and ethi- cal behavior in the life of the information professional. One chapter limits its focus to ethics in the virtual realm of e-com- merce, whereas a second places classical ethical norms of truth, justice, and free- dom within the context of professional decision making on issues such as pri- vacy, intellectual property, information quality, and information access. The third chapter in this thoughtful section deals specifically with putting professional eth- ics into practice. This book is written as a handbook to help information professionals under - stand legal issues. It concludes with a sec- tion on drafting and implementing poli- cies as well as a list of resources. It is im- portant to note that no work can serve as a definitive guide to the shifting land- scape of laws regulating museums, ar- chives, and libraries, and none can sub- stitute for an attorney�s legal advice. The most one can hope for in a book like Li- braries, Museums, and Archives is that it will offer a detailed overview of current play- ing field. This fine volume does that ad- mirably.�Gene Hyde, Lyon College. Sauperl, Alenka. Subject Determination during the Cataloging Process. Lanham, Md.; London: Scarecrow, 2002. 173p. alk. paper, $47.50 (ISBN 0810842890). LC 2001-57698. This reviewer, who finds it difficult to dislike any book, was disappointed by this one. Based on the author �s doctoral dissertation (University of North Caro- lina, 1999), the work reports on a study made to identify and examine the cogni- tive processes involved in the assignment of subject headings through a case study of catalogers. The thought processes that go into subject cataloging have received sparse attention, and the topic is deserv- ing of scholarly exploration. This study makes a definite contribution to the quite limited body of literature. Sauperl�s fail- ure to explain certain aspects of her re- search methodology frequently cause the reader to become puzzled, however, if not frustrated. The printed text itself could have been improved by careful editing and some rewriting. The work is organized into seven chapters. An introduction discusses the purpose of the study and very briefly describes the research strategy. The sec- ond chapter reviews the treatment of subject determination as presented in cataloging and indexing textbooks and discusses the previous research con- cerned with subject analysis and index- ing. The inclusion of indexing research strengthens the study and is to be ap- plauded. The third chapter describes the research methodology. Chapter four, �Twelve Personal Approaches to Subject Cataloging,� presents the case studies. Being ninety-five pages in length, it forms the core of the book. Chapter five summarizes what was learned from the case studies. Chapter six presents a model for subject analysis. Chapter seven discusses the author �s findings in rela- tion to earlier studies and the implica- tion of those findings for cataloging edu- cation and cataloging in libraries. The section concerned with previous research has a fair amount of redundancy with chapter three. Although repetition of this