College and Research Libraries 704 College & Research Libraries mentation (information science). Chap- ters 5 and 6 move the analysis of texts, historical events, and sociological inter- pretations forward to the 1970s. Ishmael reappears in chapter 7 for a final dialogue which reveals how Bennett's original ex- pectations about the problem and his un- derstanding of hermeneutics have been affected by the trip through time. Bennett has, in effect, organized his dis- sertation in such a way that careful exami- nation of the structure leads to greater un- derstanding of the hermeneutical method. The structure itself instantiates (i.e., provides an example of) the investi- gative tool, so that both structure and sub- stantive findings (textual and historical analyses, etc.) shed light on the research · question. Needless to say, this is not an easy thing to pull off, but Bennett has done it very well indeed. Furthermore, he is-at least to this reviewer's knowledge- one of the few librarians, if not the only, to attempt this method. Most of our existing literature relies on more widely practiced forms of historical, sociological, or textual analysis. Persons interested in the origins of li- brary and information science, questions of social reproduction, professionalization theory, or education for librarianship should read this work not only for its methodological sophistication but also for the substantive findings that it presents. Some of the findings uphold work done by other investigators, for example, the sense of subordination common to the li- brary profession. Other findings-for ex- ample, the fleshing out of Shera' s gradual move over the course of a lifetime toward his "recantation" -represent a fresh un- derstanding of perennial professional questions and are worthy of further study by others. Normally a review of a Scarecrow Press dissertation-turned-into-book either be- gins or ends with a snide remark about the Scarecrow format and/or about authors who do not take the trouble to translate their theses out of '' dissertationese'' into the common tongue. Consider the remark made and immediately set aside as unim- portant in the face of Bennett's achieve- ment.-Patricia Ohl Rice, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. November 1989 Baughman, James C. Trustees, Trusteeship, and the Public Good: Issues of Accountabil- ity for Hospitals, Museums, Universities, and Libraries. New York: Quorum, 1987. 187p. $35 (ISBN 0-8930-195-9). LC 86- 25574. Who controls the affairs of charitable or- ganizations? Most would say trustees. However, according to James Baughman, trustees are only managers of a charitable institution's resources, which ultimately belong to the public. As trustees are charged with the task of running the chari- table organization for the public good, he says, in the final analysis they are account- able to the public. Yet, occasionally in the past, trustees have demonstrated that nei- ther they nor the public are aware that trustees are accountable to the general public for their actions. Baughman says that nonprofit institu- tions constitute a remarkable 11 percent of the national wealth of the United States. Their direction is of great importance and concern to the whole of society because their failure would be of great conse- quence. Furthermore, he reminds his readers of part of a past court ruling which states that every dollar a charitable institu- tion saves in tax levy becomes another dol- lar that other taxpayers must pay. Baughman, who is a professor at the Graduate School of Library and Informa- tion Science at Simmons College in Bos- ton, has written a lucid account describing the responsibilities trustees of charitable organizations have as found through vari- ous court cases. Having won the Research Roundtable's Research Competition Award for his work on knowledge control for interdisciplinary research, Baughman should be applauded once again for step- ping beyond the usual bounds of librari- anship. Writing in an easily readable style, the author cites court cases dealing with the fiduciary responsibilities of trustees in charitable institutions. Baughman devotes separate chapters to such charitable ventures as hospitals, col- leges and universities, museums, and school and public libraries. In each, here- counts events surrounding certain situa- tions and cites data from court records and cases, newspapers, professional litera- ture, and significant interviews to deter- ACQUISITION PERSPECTIVES 2. Book House guarantees to order each book you request, with regular claiming to publishers . From major publishers on open account to the most obscure press requiring pre- payment and offering no discount , our persistence and experience enables us to deliver every available title. There is no" substitute for complete delivery. CALL TOLL-FREE TODAY 1-800-248-1146 In Canada & Michigan CALL COLLECT (517} 849-2117 OCLC Vendor No. 17397 SAN 169-3859 the BSOK H USE JOBBERS SERVING LIBRARIES WITH ANY BOOK IN PRINT SINCE 1962 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET JONESVILLE, MICHIGAN 49250 706 College & Research Libraries mine the fiduciary obligations of trustees. Baughman allows the rulings of court cases to define the role of trustees rather than relying on traditional perceptions. He cites one case in which the trustees, on the advice of the president, attempted to close a college. The court ruled that the trustees' actions were neither necessary nor legal. Although predominantly a serious and thought-provoking book, Baughman makes the rash comment that the trustee should know more than the "pedantic" professional administrator. This is an un- justified and unsubstantiated misrepre- sentation of that group. It is likely that trustees will often know less about the specifics of an organization than profes- sional administrators, which is all the more reason for trustees to remain com- mitted and alert, always expecting ade- quate information. Baughman has taken what could be a very dry subject and turned it into an en- . gaging study. It is obvious from the qual- ity of the book that a great deal of work has gone into both the research and the writ- ing. The book is of interest not only to November 1989 trustees and administrators of nonprofit organizations but also to librarians, many of whom work for charitable nonprofit in- stitutions and can be directly affected by the involvement or lack of involvement of trustees. As a result of his investigation, Baughman establishes that although trustees are given great discretion in the management of their institutions, they must realize that they serve as guardians and managers of the country's richest treasures which are designated exclu- sively for the public good and must be ad- ministered according to the donor's wishes. The author concludes his work with a very helpful set of guidelines for board members of nonprofit organiza- tions.-Daniel A. Savage, Redeemer College, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. Robbins, Jane Borsch, and Douglas Zweizig. Are We There Yet? Evaluating Li- brary Collections, Reference Services, Pro- grams, and Personnel. Madison, Wise.: School of Library and Information Stud- ies, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, 1988. 152p. How to Get - Biological Abstracts® Coverage in 5 Easy Steps: 1. Travel to over 100 countries around the world . 2. Collect and monitor over 9,000 life science serial and non-serial publications . 3. Select more than 270,000 items throughout 1989. 4. Index them by author, biosystematics, generics and subjects. 5. Forget all this and subscribe to Biological Abstracts! BIOSIS has done all the hard work for you; all you have to do is call and subscribe today! Biological Abstracts provides abstracts and full bibliographic data, in English , to current published research from biological and biomedical journal literature. In addition, a cumulative index is available as a separate subscription item . You could follow the do-it-yourself system, or save money and time by contacting BIOSIS , Marketing Section, 2100 Arch Street, Dept. CRL1189ES, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1399 USA. 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