may06c.indd


George M. Eberhart N e w  P u b l i c a t i o n s  

Academic Charisma and the Origins of the 
Research University, by William Clark (662 
pages, January 2006), focuses in one chap­
ter on how the development of the academic 
library from the Renaissance to the Roman­
tic Era mirrored the transition of university 
faculty from erudite philosophers to scholarly 
researchers, the major theme of the book. 
Clark carefully traces library catalogues from 
Baroque shelf lists to systematic subject cata­
logues and author access in the 18th and early 
19th century, particularly in northern Europe. 
An enlightening look at what disputations, 
examinations, research seminars, appoint­
ments, advanced degrees, and scholarship 
represented in a bygone era, this volume is a 
challenging but worthy read. $45.00. Univer­
sity of Chicago. ISBN 0­226­10921­6. 

Cryptozoology Poems, by Victor Pearn (18 
pages, February 2006), constitutes the only 
chapbook of verse devoted to animals that 
may or may not exist, from Canada’s ogop­
ogo to the disputed recent discovery of a col­
ony of ivory­billed woodpeckers (“a symbol 
of the lost wilderness”). $8.50. Victor Pearn, 
4980 Meredith Way 101, Boulder, CO 80303. 
Pearn, best­known for his 2001 collection 
American Western Song, has also written his 
fi rst novel, Point Guard, a nostalgic tale of 
a champion high­school basketball team in 
central Illinois in 1957, which sells for $24.95 
(ISBN 0­9777318­0­4). 

Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Us­
ers, by Cynthia A. Brewer (203 pages, Sep­
tember 2005), is a good practical introduc­
tion to basic cartography for anyone using 
ESRI’s ArcGIS mapping software. Brewer, an 
associate professor of applied cartography 
at Pennsylvania State University, outlines the 
essentials of good map design for those who 

George M. Eberhart is senior editor of American 
Libraries, e-mail: geberhart@ala.org 

need to learn effective layout, type, color, 
symbols, and legends. $24.95. ESRI Press. 
ISBN 1­58948­089­9. 

A History of Old Age, edited by Pat Thane 
(320 pages, November 2005), conveys a re­
markably vivid record of the image of old 

age, as portrayed by 
the great writers and 
artists in Europe and 
America. The seven 
contributors to this 
exceptional volume 
have selected nu­
merous paintings, 
sculptures, and pho­
tographs, ranging 
from the poignant 

and dignified to the grotesque and pitiful, 
that are representative of attitudes toward ag­
ing from ancient Greece and Rome through 
the 20th century. The commentary is schol­
arly, insightful, and filled with well­chosen 
statistics and quotations from contemporary 
authors. $49.95. Getty Publications. ISBN 0­
89236­834­9. 

Indexing Books, by Nancy Mulvany (315 
pages, 2d ed., November 2005), should be 
on every aspiring indexer’s reading list. 
Much expanded from the first edition in 
1994, this guide examines every aspect of 
the indexing process, including decisions on 
what to include and how to structure the 
entries, as well as details on alphabetization, 
personal names, formatting styles, editing 
and review, and indexing tools. The skilled 
indexer employs techniques of knowledge 
management and organization similar to 
those used by professional librarians. How­
ever, as Mulvany warns, “Book indexing is 
something you will either enjoy or detest; 
there is little middle ground.” The well­or­
ganized and handy 25­page index was writ­
ten by Victoria Baker. $45.00. University of 
Chicago. ISBN 0­226­09280­1. 

320C&RL News May 2006

mailto:geberhart@ala.org


Library Collection Development Policies: 
Academic, Public, and Special Libraries, by 
Frank W. Hoffmann and Richard J. Wood (328 
pages, September 2005), examines the typical 
elements in collection development policies 
(such as evaluative criteria, resource sharing 
statements, and acquisition methods) and of­
fers many examples of each from academic 
and special libraries. A section on virtual col­
lections (electronic resources and resource 
sharing) discusses the issues involved with 
nontraditional acquisitions. $65.00. Scare­
crow. ISBN 0­8108­5180­6. 

The Quiet Hero, by Gary W. Toyn (240 pag­
es, March 2006), is the story of George E. 
Wahlen, a Navy pharmacist’s mate who was 
awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor 
for bravery under fire in saving lives at the 
Battle of Iwo Jima in February–March 1945. 
Over the years, Wahlen avoided interviews 
and publicity about his war experiences. His 
wife only learned of his medal years after 
he received it, and his children knew few 
of the details until Weber State University 
produced a video profile of his life. Now 
he has told the full story to journalist Gary 
Toyn. This well­illustrated account of the 
intense battle that Wahlen and his fellow 
Marines went through is in stark contrast to 
Joe Rosenthal’s calm yet heroic photo of the 
raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi. With 
a foreword by Sen. Bob Dole and an intro­
duction by Sen. Orrin Hatch. $21.95. Ameri­
can Legacy Media. ISBN 0­9761547­1­4. 

The Weather Makers, by Tim Flannery (357 
pages, March 2006), presents a chilling account 
of global warming and its effects on the atmo­
sphere, the ocean, countless species of animals 
and plants, coral reefs, tundra, severe weather, 
agriculture, cities, and the future of civilization. 
Australian evolutionary biologist Flannery dem­
onstrates emphatically that carbon dioxide emit­
ted in gigatons from the burning of fossil fuels, 
especially coal, is the factor that will cause mas­
sive earth changes by the end of the 21st century 
unless we do something serious about it now. 
His scientific descriptions are succinct, easy to 

understand, and well­documented; they are also 
eerily accurate. As I was reading the book in 
late March, I noticed alarming news headlines 
on the destruction of Caribbean coral reefs, the 
unexpected warming of Antarctic air masses, 
and drastic changes in Arctic ecosystems that 
are frustrating Inuit hunters and starving polar 
bears. At the very least, it’s time to use energy­
efficient appliances, buy a hybrid­fuel car, and 
elect green­friendly officials, Flannery writes. 
$24.00. Atlantic Monthly. ISBN 0­87113­935­9. 

The Worst Hard 
Time, by Timothy 
Egan (340 pages, 
January 2006), tells 
the story of the 
worst ecological di­
saster in American 
history (so far), the 
extended drought 
and dust storms 
(“dusters”) that dev­

Guest reviewer 
The Whole Library Handbook, edited 
by George Eberhart (576 pages, January 
2006), serves as a one­volume encyclope­
dia of library history, demographics, folk­
lore, humor, current events, and popular 
wisdom. Now in its fourth edition, and 
edited by ALA’s George Eberhart, the new 
volume offers a wide range of essays on 
current topics, facts, and statistics, as well 
as engaging discussions on new issues and 
library technology. Each chapter gives a 
succinct overview of the topic, then goes 
into useful, but not overwhelming detail 
incorporating historical perspectives, glos­
saries, and lists of resources. For example, 
the section on materials deals with literary 
genres and archival collections as well as 
computer games and zines, noting relevant 
titles and examples. Everything you need 
to know about book banning, blogging, 
diversity, library operations, and funding 
are covered in clear language, often with 
humor and a light touch.American Library 
Association. ISBN 0­8389­0915­9.—Lisa 
Janssen, ljanssen@ala.org 

May 2006  321 C&RL News 

mailto:ljanssen@ala.org


astated the Southern High Plains in the 1930s 
and turned what was once a grassy land where 
the buffalo and pronghorn roamed into an in­
fertile sandpit. Egan follows the experiences of 
several families who stayed on the land in Boi­
se City, Oklahoma; Dalhart, Texas; and Baca 
County, Colorado, despite conditions that are 
scarcely imaginable today—the blowing dust 
from unanchored topsoil seeping inexorably 
into homes, clothes, food, and noses; the great 
storms that blocked sunlight and dumped tons 
of pulverized sand as far east as Chicago and 

New York; the crackling static electricity in 
the gritty air that shorted out car engines and 
could knock two men down if they shook 
hands; the many deaths of children from 
dust pneumonia when black dirt fi lled their 
lungs. For Americans it was a grim lesson in 
ecology that prompted President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt to launch the fi rst governmental 
soil conservation program in the world. An 
extraordinary tale of frustration and human 
endurance. $28.00. Houghton Miffl in. ISBN 
0­618­34697­X. 

C&RL News May 2006  322 

ACRL invites proposals for monographs and 
collections of essays that address signifi cant 
issues facing the library profession and its 
role in higher education. 

ACRL Publications in Librarianship is a 
series of monographic and edited volumes 
that has reported on scholarly thinking in 
academic and research librarianship since 
1952. While it currently has a number of 
projects under consideration, the editorial 
board is always interested in proposals and 
manuscripts. Below is a short sampling of 
potentially significant topics. Each one is 
open to broad interpretation. 

Assessments: discussions of how the 
declining emphasis on inputs reshapes pro­
fessional standards, accreditation reviews, 
outcome measures, and/or the kinds of user 
surveys that are worthwhile. 

Institutional r elationships: discus­
sions of aligning collection development 
strategies with the university’s overall 
development and institutional standing, of 
assessing the effectiveness of information 
literacy programs, and/or of creating part­
nerships (“civic engagements”) with the 
broader community. 

Services and collections: discussions 
of specialized library units, such as digital 
collections centers and geographic infor­
mation systems centers; budgeting for elec­
tronic collections; and/or the state of art of 

collection building in particular disciplines 
or types of librarianship. 

Scholar l y communication system: 
analytical discussions of the open­access 
movement, of the “endangered species” prob­
lem in monograph publishing, and/or other 
issues involving our relationships with other 
co­stakeholders in the scholarly system. 

Library administration and education: 
discussions of the changing workforce; of re­
cent MLS graduates; of non­librarian profession­
als in academic libraries; of the skills needed 
by library directors who oversee large IT units; 
and/or the role of library education programs 
in preparing academic professionals. 

This list is merely suggestive—contem­
porary academic librarianship involves an 
indefinitely large range of signifi cant topics. 
The editorial board will consider any topic 
of broad interest. 

This series has fairly short turnaround 
times for manuscript reviews and for get­
ting successful proposals to press. It pays 
attention to the marketing of titles. Its books 
have a large automatic audience: hundreds 
of libraries have blanket ACRL acquisition 
orders and many librarians order their own 
copies, or buy them at conferences. 

For more information, including the series 
recent titles, please see its Web site: www. 
ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/booksmonographs 
/pil/publications.htm. 

Call for book proposals