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Book Review
International Yearbook of Library and Information Management 2000/2001: Collection Management Edited by G E Gorman Does the world really need another yearbook in our professional area? Before jumping to a premature conclusion, I suggest you have a look at this one. The topic is certainly timely: collections management is being transformed by the widespread availability of electronic data of all kinds, and while the underlying principles of selection and so forth continue, much of the professional literature in this area is now looking quite dated. Does the content of this particular yearbook reflect that change? Yes, throughout. There are chapters on 'The blurring of boundaries: digital information and its impact on collections management' (David Dorner), 'Electronic publications' (Thomas Leonhardt), 'Access to journal literature in the electronic era' (John Budd), 'Acquisitions: the emerging electronic paradigm' (Liz Chapman), and so on. Some of these names also answer another question about the competence, indeed eminence, of its authors. The Yearbook is arranged in five parts: 'People, principles and problems', an introductory group; 'Electronic publications, access and acquisitions'; 'co-operative collection management and storage facilities'; 'Evaluating and weeding'; and 'Preservation and archives'. Apart from the chapters already mentioned, noteworthy contributions come from Stephen Roberts, 'Economics and col lections management', a serious, indeed philosophical chapter; Susan Higgins takes a global view of censorship in the 21st century; Gary Gorman and Ruth Miller update traditional views of collection evaluation; and in his chapter on weeding, Roy Williams provides just the kind of up-to-date, critical evaluation of the literature in a field which one hopes for in a work of this kind. Given that it was published in the UK, it was to be expected that some chapters provide a UK perspective, such as David Ball and Jo Pye on library purchasing consortia, or Alicia Wise on managing national distributed collections - a very interesting chapter for an Australian reader, given the inconclusive nature of the debate here. Above the level of its individual chapters, though, this Yearbook displays the unity of purpose, consistency and broad, complementary coverage which one hopes for in a Yearbook, but does not always find. In his introduction, the editor says the intention was to produce a 'thematic, refereed annual covering issues, emerging trends, "best practice" and future scenarios... The intended audience is "reflective practitioners"...' In this task, he has been assisted by a worldwide Editorial Advisory Board (with Neil McLean and Rowena Cullen from Australia and New Zealand). It is handsomely produced, no doubt reflecting its substantial cost: with large print and plenty of white space on good-quality paper. Harvard style citations are used, with extensive references at the end of each chapter, and there is a 20-page, double column index which met my needs. It is, however, a pity to see a hardback volume such as this employ perfect binding. In short, Library Association Publishing's new International Yearbook belongs in every serious professional collection. The 2001 - 2002 Yearbook will cover 'Information services in an electronic environment'; if it meets the standard of its predecessor, it will be exemplary.
Peter Clayton
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