ture of the CONSER program. Part two consists primarily of the "USMARC

Format for Serials as Applied within CONSER"-- in other words, tagging instructions. Each tag and fixed field byte is discussed in a separately paged section, which begins with a list of relevant codes and then discusses the use of the field in general as well as the application of specific codes. The separate pagination will facilitate updating, as each section can be replaced without affecting the pagination of other sections. Updating will be further facilitated by the fact that the entire document is stored on a word processor at the Library of Congress (LC). Updates are supposed to be "generally issued no less than two times a year."

The remainder of part two consists largely of a number of useful appendixes. Among the most valuable of these are Appendix C, "OCLC System-Supplied Punctuation"; Appendix E, "OCLC AACR2 Verification Codes"; Appendix I, "Subject Heading Tagging for Geographic and Other Names" (wherein we learn that public comfort stations are topical, not geographical); Appendix J, "Use of Subject Heading Subdivision Appropriate to Serials"; Appendix K, "Initial Articles" (with a list from the various languages and instructions about which fields require them); and Appendix L, "Spe- cial Types of Serial Records" (microforms, reprints, and newspapers).

Most of the examples in the CONSER Editing Guide lack diacritics. LC representatives have said that this was due to the limitations of the word processing package used to produce the docu- ment. In fact, some examples do have diacritics, and their use or non-use appears to be random. This is a small problem, since the language of any particular example is usually irrelevant to the point it illustrates.

The major flaw in the CEG as currently is- sued is that it was poorly proofread. A trained eye can detect an error on nearly every page. Most of the errors are in the examples rather than in the text, and again most are relatively trivial. Some are positively amusing. For example, in the instructions regarding links we are told to "input a period following subfield $a," but "do not input a period at the end of any other subfield." These instructions are violated, not once, but twice in examples elsewhere on the very same page. Such mistakes will presumably be detected and gradually eliminated as update pages appear.

Charbonneau is head of the serials cataloging section at the Indiana University libraries in Bloomington.

El izabeth Moon

A Manual of AACR2 Examples for Serials. 2d ed. Comp. by Julia C. Blixrud; edited by Edward Swanson. Lake Crystal, MN: Published for the Minnesota AACR2 Trainers by Soldier Creek Press, 1986. 76p. $15. ISBN 0-936996-21-8.

This is the second edition of the manual the Minnesota AACR2 Trainers issued in 1980 (and which was reviewed favorably in this journal's Oc- tober/December 1981 issue). The 1980 edition was originally designed as a manual used in workshops the Minnesota AACR2 Trainers held to instruct midwestern librarians in the use and application of AACR2. The revision came about because of changes in serials cataloging rules and interpretations of those rules.

The manual consists of reproductions of the title pages, covers, and other chief sources of infor- mation for thirty-six serial titles. For each title, a complete bibliographical description is given in the form of a conventional catalog card. This is accompanied by a list of the rules the Minnesota AACR2 Trainers used as the basis for their cataloging. There is little actual text in the manual, although for some titles, brief explanatory notes accompany the rules. The examples address different situations and problems serials catalogers might come across, and the serials selected for inclusion cover a broad spectrum from popular to scholarly. Indexes include a title proper index for the thirty-six serials, and an index of the AACR2 rules appearing in the manual.

There is a real need for a good, clear, concise serials cataloging manual. I checked Library Litera- ture from 1980 to December 1986 under the headings "cataloging," "cataloging of serial publications," and "serial publications" in an attempt to find cita- tions for full-length serials cataloging manuals, as opposed to journal articles. I found the following citations: Notes for Serials Cataloging, compiled by Nancy G. Thomas and Rosanna O'Neil, edited by Arleen G. Taylor (Littleton, CO: Libraries Un- limited, 1986, ISBN 0-972875-35-0); ISDS Manual, prepared by the ISDS International Centre, edited by A.A. Mullis, (Paris: ISDS International Centre, 1983, ISBN 2-904938-00-1); MARC Serials Editing Guide, prepared by Phyllis A. Bruns (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1978-79); and the first edition of A Manual of AACR2 Examples for Serials. Other serials cataloging manuals I know of or use are CONSER Editing Guide, prepared for the staff of the Serial Record Division under the direction of the CONSER operations coordinator (Washington, DC: The Division, 1986-, ISBN 0-844405-27-2); and

SERIALS REVIEW SPRING 1987 51

the manual that was issued to those who attended the RTSD/Library of Congress/Council of Regional Groups Serials Cataloging REgional Institutes in 1986.

As great as the need is for serials cataloging manuals, I cannot recommend this one, despite its assets (brevity, clarity, coverage of various types of cataloging problems). As a manual issued to participants of a workshop, it is fine but as a pro- fessional library publication, it has definite prob- lems with production values and layout that, in my view, do not warrant its fifteen dollar price.

The reproductions of the covers, title pages, and the like of the serials used as examples are photocopies. This makes them difficult, if not downright impossible, to read in some instances, and gives an unprofessional appearance to the manual.

It is held together by two staples. This means that if the manual gets heavy use (as it would in a cataloging department or a cataloging course, for example),, it will have to be bound to keep it from falling apart.

An alphabetical subject index should have been included along with the other indexes. For example, if a suer of this manual had a question about continuations, he or she could check a sub- ject index under "continuations" without having to know that rule 12.7B7b covers that.

The text of the manual was done on a word processor rather than being typeset, again giving an unprofessional appearance. I bring these points out because I feel that those interested in this manual should know what they will be getting for their money, and I do not feel I can recommend it s purchase, given the poor production quality.

The fact that it has been revised would seem to show that there is a demand for this manual. It is too bad that the second edition could not have been a more polished effort.

Moon is a cataloger at Memorial Library, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

Suzanne D. Gyeszly

National Library of Canada. Federal Libraries Lia- ison Office. Council of Federal Libraries. Library Binding. Information Series, no. 9. Ottawa, 1986.

The Council of Federal Libraries was es- tablished in 1976 by the National Library of Can- ada. The functions of this organization are to share the federal libraries' resources, to provide services and information for the libraries, and to

act as a communication forum for the federal li- brary patrons.

The council's publication is called the Informa- tion Series. It contains practical, informative, and helpful materials for Canadian federal librarians. The format and frequency of these portfolios are variable and irregular. Some packages contain documents, articles, bibliographies, and other relevant materials on the given topic. The following titles have been published to date:

No. 1: No. 2: No. 3: No. 4: No. 5: No. 6: No. 7: No. 8: No. 9:

Library Moves, 1978 Collection Development Policy, 1979 Copyright, 1980 AACR-2, 1982 Making a Case for Automation, 1983 Readers' Services Forms, 1982 Planning a Workshop, 1983 Library Disaster Preparedness, 1984 Library Binding, 1986

This review of kit number nine of the Council of Federal Libraries Series, Library Binding, will evaluate its content, usefulness, and practical applica- tions to the United States' binding procedures.

The purpose of the Library Binding portfolio is to provide essential information related to binding for the federal libraries in Canada, and to be an important resource for American library professionals. It is intended to be used by all librarians, not only by serials or preservation/conservation librarians. The material is written in English, with some parts of the kit provided in French. The portfolio consists of a variety of materials, the three major elements being:

1. Library Binding Institute. Standard for Library Binding. Rochester: Library Binding Institute, 1986; 2. National Library of Canada. Federal Libraries Liaison Office. Council of Federal Libraries. Specifications for Library Binding in Canadian Federal Gov- ernment Libraries. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1984; 3. Guidelines for the Preparation of Library Binding Policies and Procedures (no author, publisher, and date were given).

The Library Binding Institute's Standard for Library Binding is well known and widely accepted by United States librarians. The revised and updated 1986 edition of this publication reflects the improved technology and newly available materials of the binding profession.

In contrast, the National Library of Canada's Binding Specification was published in 1984. Its

52 SERIALS REVIEW SPRING 1987