Haas, 'Reviews', LIBRES v3n06 (October 30, 1993) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/libres/libres-v3n06-haas-reviews.txt LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal __________________________________________________________________ ISSN 1058-6768 October 30, 1993 Volume 3 Issue 6 Quarterly LIBRE3N6 REVIEWS REVIEWS Welcome to the Reviews Section of LIBRES. The purpose of this section is provide critical reviews of items for and about various aspects of librarianship. We do not intend to limit this column to electronic formats. Books, discussion lists, cd-roms, etc. will be reviewed in this column. If you have a product, an idea or a book you think we should review in this column, please write to EDITORS@KENTVM, Attention Leslie M. Haas. Note: While the item being reviewed does not have to be an english language item, the review must be written in english. _____________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1. Into the Future: The Foundations of Library and Information Services in the Post Industrial Era, Reviewed by Jill Farmer (24 lines) 2. The Rolling Stone Index, Reviewed by Mary J. Dumont (151 lines) 3. The Internet and Special Librarians: Use, Training and the Future, Reviewed by Martin R. Kalfatovic (197 lines) 4. Connecting to the Internet, Reviewed by Diane K. Kovacs ( lines) 5. Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Services Reviewed by Diane K. Kovacs ( lines) ====================================================================== Harris, Michael H. and Hannah, Stan, _Into the Future: the Foundations of Library and Information Services in the Post-Industrial Era_. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex, 1993. x, 184 Pp. [Hardcover $39.50; ISBN: 0-89391970-5; Pbk $19.95; ISBN: 1-56750-015-3; Ablex tel: 201-767-8450] Near the end of this short but provocative new book, the authors profess: "What is vital now is the recognition that a commitment to arguing well is essential for the preservation and development of the significant traditional role of libraries in American society" (p. 145). Helping us to argue well over the future of librarianship is exactly what this book accomplishes. So many of us glibly refer to the "Information Age" or "technocracy" without the historical and theoretical background to understand fully its implications. Harris and Hannah seek to remedy this lack by centering their analysis of the changing role of librarians around the impact of computerization, and its effects on who we are and what we do. As a launchpad into this new technology- determined universe, they lay out the prophetic vision of Daniel Bell in his influential 1973 publication, _The Coming of Post-Industrial Society_. Bell's complex essay is innovatively explored by examining it from the viewpoint of the intellectual commentaries and controversies it precipitated. Numerous excerpts serve the authors' goal of surveying "the massive interdisciplinary literature on the 'information society' and its implications for library and information service" (p. vii). In the last three chapters, and in my view, the most valuable, the authors offer a critical assessment of the literature previously presented. Particularly compelling is a section on the "identity crisis" facing librarians, and the siren call of professional mystique. To this reviewer's regret, the critical analysis section is far too abbreviated, and the parade of the literature, admittedly a _sine qua non_ for professional publications, is far too generous in its inclusiveness. As the authors allow, however,the literature in this field is "daunting, and constantly evolving" (p. 28). One must admire and appreciate their comprehensive summary of the wide range of theorizing in this area. The pieces of the book seem not to mesh entirely, however. At times, the epistemological assumptions of Bell and his intellectual progeny are taken at face value, from the empirical framework itself to the supporting concepts of "rationality" and technological "advancement." In other places, some of these ideas are questioned. But one wonders in particular why the logico-positivist framework employed by Bell et al. is left unchallenged. It was Harris, himself, after all, who provided the field with one of the most brilliant and devastating critiques of empiricism in his seminal 1986 work, "State, Class, and Cultural Reproduction: Toward a Theory of Library Service in the United States" (published in _Advances in Librarianship 14_, 211-52). The authors do make the important observation that sociologists like Bell supply conceptual lenses to *society* as well as to colleagues, and thus *contribute* to behavior change as much as they document it. In spite of the implication that behavior patterns are variable and subject to manipulation, the authors gloss over the inevitable conclusion recognized by cognitive psychologists: that as a result virtually no experimental hypothesis can be generated that cannot be supported. [For a detailed discussion of this phenomenon, see Kenneth J. Gergen, _Toward Transformation in Social Knowledge_, NY: Springer- Verlag, 1982.] Thus Harris and Hannah come up with rather startling conclusions like "Shosana Zuboff's (1988) claim that organizations will, by necessity, become more participatory and open seems supported by research in both the sociology of work and information technology" (p. 134). The last chapter, however, is an intellectual tour de force, in which the authors finally take a look at technology as a means rather than an end, and implore us to question critically the purposes to which information has been put. Taking a "holistic" look at the entire post-industrial "landscape," they urge us "to focus on the historical, economic, political and cultural forces that are influencing the restructuring of library and information services..." (p. 138). Some of these forces are then delineated, but in such a compressed fashion their import might elude readers with less background in the social sciences. Harris and Hannah also call into question librarians' "long standing 'disdain for politics'", and unwillingness to admit the limits of their professed neutrality. One wishes this last section, exciting and inspiring, could have been expanded and its arguments developed. One final objection: the book reads as if the world were comprised mainly of white, middle class actors. In other publications, the authors have shown a deep commitment to social justice, and they do address the implications of technology for a profession traditionally "feminized." It is probably also true that at this time, those riding the wave of the technology tide are indeed the white middle and upper middle classes. This fact in itself, however, should raise some danger flags that should not go unnoticed. No small harm can occur by omission, in that it denies importance and legitimacy to marginalized groups, and contributes to a "whitewashed" view of "normalcy." In conclusion, would I still recommend this book? Absolutely! If read critically, as indeed any theoretical piece ought to be, one can come away with an excellent grounding in the current literature on information technology, and some provocative issues for debate with fellow librarians. Reviewed by Jill Ann Farmer (jaf@wam.umd.edu) ====================================================================== The Rolling Stone Index: Twenty-Five Years of Popular Culture, 1967-1991, comp. by Jeffrey N. Gatten. Popular Culture, Ink, 1993. 550p ISBN 1-56075-030-8, $75.00 Compiled by Jeffrey N. Gatten and published by Popular Culture, Ink ("Home of 'the best rock-and-roll books in the world!'"), The Rolling Stone Index provides the most complete coverage to date of the magazine that has chronicled America's popular culture since 1967. Not only does The Rolling Stone Index provide references for some 13,000 feature articles and columns; it also indexes letters to the editor; reviews of books, films, concerts, and records; poetry; cover appearances; and approximately 37,000 names cited in the magazine's Random Notes section. In all, the index contains about 73,000 citations, starting with the magazine's first issue on November 9, 1967, to issue no. 614 dated October 3, 1991. The single-volume source actually consists of nine separate indexes, one for each type of source mentioned above. There are also two master indexes for authors/reviewers of articles, reviews, poetry and letters to the editor; and titles of articles, reviews and poetry. These indexes allow the user to access much of the material relating to a particular person, but it will still be necessary to check one or more of the other sections, such as the Random Notes section, to find all of the material. This source is, on the whole, somewhat difficult to use, and that could be considered its one failing. However, the many access points also allow one to use the source in a variety of different ways, which in the end adds much to its total value. The detailed introduction also contains a thorough explanation of the book's coverage and directions for its use. The Rolling Stone Index is enthusiastically recommended for all libraries that would benefit from the most complete and detailed coverage of Rolling Stone Magazine. As of this date, annual supplements are planned beginning with coverage for 1992. Mary J. Du Mont (mdumont@kentvm.kent.edu) ======================================================================= Sharyn J. Ladner and Hope N. Tillman. _The Internet and Special Librarians: Use, Training and the Future_. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association, 1993. 187p.; $33.00; 0-8711-413-5. The Internet looms like a dragon behind many librarians. They know its there, they know they should do something about it, but, just *what* to do with it and is it friendly, are the questions that are never answered. The printed guides and reference tools librarians turn to for help when confronting the Internet dragon are often too esoteric or filled with examples that never come up in "real world" situations. _The Internet and Special Librarians_ is the outgrowth of research done by the authors on the use of the Internet in special libraries. Using the 'net itself as a research tool, survey instruments were distributed on a number of listservs. Selected conclusions and preliminary findings from this survey have appeared previously (see "How Special Librarians Really Use the Internet: Summary of Findings and Implications for the Library of the Future," ERIC document ED345751; available via anonymous FTP as spec_lib.txt from hydra.uwo.edu in the LibSoft directory), but the work under discussion greatly expands on the research and adds further information on the application of the Internet in the work environment. Recognizing the limitations of their sample, the authors do not try to extrapolate their findings across either the range of librarianship or even special librarianship. Rather, they view their results as a snapshot of Internet use by a specific group of users at a specific time. In perhaps the most interesting and informative result of their survey, the authors show that electronic mail, viewed by many Internet gurus as the most primitive of the services available, is the most important Internet service for the special librarians surveyed. This finding, that human-to- human contact (the interfacing of carbon-based life-forms as one wag has put it), can be enhanced by an electronic tool such as the Internet should be a comfort to those who view the "virtual library" as one bereft of human librarians. A number of useful appendices round out the book. The first, "Internet: A Tutorial" is a list of frequently asked questions about the Internet with clear, concise answers. The second, of particular use to the special library community which often lacks the institutional infrastructure for Internet connections, is a list of Internet access providers; this list, includes not only commercial providers, but also free-nets. Others include a list of electronic conferences of interest to special librarians and a glossary of Internet terms. Though the authors, Hope N. Tillman and Sharyn J. Ladner, have created this work for *Special Librarians*, the usefulness of the material makes it an important reference for all librarians exploring the Internet. Martin R.Kalfatovic (libem071@sivm.si.edu), Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC. ====================================================================== Susan Estrada. _Connecting to the Internet_. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1993. 170p.; 1-56592-061-9. In a time when many communities and non-academic institutions are trying to find a path to connect to the Internet this book is a detailed and understandable road map. The author has pulled together many important details that have been available only to the computer specialists or by spending a large amount of time piecing the information together on one's own. The text is written for the administrator rather than the computer specialist. The technical information is, while simply explained, accurate and useful. The author presents a basic overview of the networks and the technology involved, then proceeds into descriptions of various networking options. The focus is on evaluating which options are most suitable for a given organization. To this end, the reader is guided through analysis of "How Will You Use the Internet?". Evaluation grids are provided that can be copied and used to outline the factors involved in evaluating networking options. The author obtained permission to reproduce the PDIAL document produced by Peter Kaminski. The PDIAL document is directory of public access Internet providers which provide dialup access. There is also an "Internet Access Provider List" organized in alphabetic order and also by state and country. I recommend this book to anyone who is needs to plan to connect an organization to the Internet and to anyone who wants to learn more about the technology. I plan to use the book as a required text in intermediate and advanced graduate Internet courses. Diane K. Kovacs (dkovacs@kentvm.kent.edu) ===================================================================== Julie Ann McDaniel and Judith K. Ohles. _Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Services_. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 1993. 180p.; 1-55570-084-5. This book was sent to me a few weeks before I began my first significant supervisory assignment. While it was my intention to review the book I found that instead I was constantly consulting it in my efforts to hire and train new staff and to work with existing staff to improve public services in my small branch library. The book is structured as a training program. Each chapter begins with an overview of the objectives of that chapter and ends with a summary of the material covered. The authors begin with a solid discussion of the pros and cons of assigning paraprofessionals to provide reference services. They define paraprofessional as "an employee who does not have a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree, but who has been trained to work alongside a professional librarian". They discuss the value of having staff to assist professional librarians in order to free the professional to spend more time and energy on in-depth reference assistance. Paraprofessionals can take the pressure off the busy reference service point. However, they present some difficulties which are also discussed. One that is often overlooked is the idea that they might be seen by administration as replacements for librarians rather than assistance. This view devalues the professional education and may lower morale of the professionals in the library. Paraprofessionals may not have as strong a committment to in-depth service and may also be expected to move on to higher paying jobs after a training investment has been made with them. The chapter concludes with the reality that whatever the ideal situation is, paraprofessionals are valuable staff in libraries and need and deserve good training so that they can confidently provide good reference service. _Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Services_ outlines the process from designing a job description, hiring appropriate individuals and then training them. At each step, worksheets which can be copied out to outline the individual circumstances of the reader are provided. One of the most valuable and useful sections of the book is the sample training manual with modules for the "Reference Interview", CD-ROM databases, reference books comparisons, and current events question training. I found the training manual a practical model in training my student staff and working with my paraprofessional staff to expand service and design new training for all employees. Diane K. Kovacs (dkovacs@kentvm.kent.edu) _____ Articles and Sections of this issue of _LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal_ may be retrieved via anonymous ftp to cc.curtin.edu.au or via e-mail message addressed to LISTSERV@KENTVM or LISTSERV@KENTVM.KENT.EDU (instructions below) Papers may be submitted at anytime by email or send/file to: Diane K. Kovacs- Editor-in-Chief, _LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal, EDITORS@KENTVM.KENT.EDU _________________________________ *Copyright Declaration* Copyright of articles published by LIBRES: Library and Information Science Electronic Journal is held by the author of a given article. If an article is re-published elsewhere it must include a statement that it was originally published in LIBRES. 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