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College and Research Libraries
July 2004, Vol. 65, No. 4

Book Review

Acquisition in Different and Special Subject Areas. Ed. Abulfazal M. Fazle Kabir for Acquisitions Librarian (no. 29, 2003). New York: Haworth, 2003. 122p. alk. paper, cloth $24.95 (ISBN 0789022893); paper $19.95 (ISBN 0789022907). LC 2003-12879.

This thematic issue encompasses ethnic music recordings, reference tools, solo librarianship, Africana, popular fiction and poetry, India studies, and online education information.

The article on ethnic recordings focuses exclusively on resources on the Internet—online music vendors, distributors and record labels, search engines, and online outlets and organizations—for an extensive, if not comprehensive, treatise on acquiring musical recordings on the World Wide Web. Although recording labels are a good starting point for building a collection, vendors are best for purchasing specific recordings. More than an annotated Webography of where to find what, the author offers tips on how to construct search strings that are tailored to the features of two specific search engines.

Education information on the Web looks at the implications for academic collection development activities in the Internet environment. The essay directs attention to the "Guide to Information Resources in Education" (http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/educ/guide/index.htm) to describe and demonstrate the complications and opportunities for "special subject" librarians. Annotated Web sites for identifying Web-based resources in education for the selection of curriculum materials, journals, reports, gray literature, and educational policy are included.

Originally presented at ALA 2002, "Acquiring Reference Tools" examines the transforming effects of digitalization on the traditional print model and current definition of reference tools. Evolving issues center on models that have shifted from online pay per use to optical disc purchases, to online index subscriptions, and now to full-text database subscriptions. The associated problems of selection, management, licensure, current and retrospective data updates, and duplication of formats have restructured budgets in the face of the ever-increasing costs of providing desktop access to digital resources via the Web. The best traditions of librarianship challenge libraries and librarians to form consortia and collaborations that support the search for better services and better cost models for all aspects of the process of acquiring reference tools.

"Solo Librarianship" describes a special science library where one person is responsible for all administrative, staff, and service functions. Purposes, definitions, and interpretations of policy take on special meaning because of the highly specialized needs of the clientele and the nature of the materials. Separate collection policies are necessary even if the special library is attached to a larger library system. Decisions about "what topics to emphasize, formats to avoid, languages on which to focus," and so on are justified by the collection policies, which also ensure uniformity in the development of the collection, promote continuity in services, and cultivate good relations between the library and its clients. The isolation of solo librarianship does not diminish the solo librarian’s need for professional development and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

The goal of a grant-sponsored collaboration between West Virginia State College and the National University of Benin was to improve library services in their respective regions. This paper addresses the collection development and acquisitions activities of this project along with concomitant issues associated with language barriers, unreliable communications infrastructure, and cultural differences. The paper concludes that the best way to acquire materials is "either to do it in person or to hire a person or business with dealings in Benin to get them for you." Starting a special collection requires institutional and administrative support for additional personnel, facilities, budget, and technical resources. This author, too, feels that collection policies are critical for defining the purpose and profile of the collection. Suggestions for selecting, purchasing, and shipping materials are detailed.

"Providing Access to Sources for India Studies at Indiana University Libraries: Piecing a Quilt" describes an initiative by Indiana University academics and administrators in cooperation with the consulate general and the local Indo-American community. The librarian was asked to develop collections to support a curriculum offering language instruction in Hindi and Sanskrit and classes in the philosophy, religion, and culture of India. Networking with organizations and agencies, both within and without the university system, fostered success in supplemental fund-raising, selection, technical processing, and the continual expansion of the collection’s profile. Web links provide access to electronic resources at other CRL member libraries that include full-text journals and e-books. An appendix presents tips for selection in an unfamiliar language, searching databases in transliteration, and using standard reference tools to identify and clarify title information.

The articles on popular fiction and poetry collections each qualify for the designated "different" from this collection’s title. Because they are not subjects, their social, historical, and literary values can be easily overlooked. A classic, textbook case in favor of popular fiction in academic and public libraries presents a course of reasoning that challenges mainstream views of librarians and points up contradictions reflected in traditional collection policies for literature. The value of popular and genre fiction (including works by authors of color) is judged by their effect on the reader and by the prominence of such works in popular culture; they should not be judged by traditional literary standards. The author provides guiding principles, criteria, and procedures for selection, and concludes with general and focused bibliographies, review resources, reader’s advisory services, and Web sources as tools for developing popular fiction collections.

The value of works by local and regional poets and writers is that they enhance the historical record because they articulate the feelings and document and interpret the quality, meaning, and value of human experience in a given time and place.—Rashidah Z. Hakeem, University of Mississippi.