BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE LIBRARY

This is excellent- so far as it goes. And that is in its restriction to the ideal:- the big efficient city library; the well-equipped library in well-endowed colleges and universities and schools; the regional libraries and bookmobiles. Perhaps as setting a goal for all libraries, this is a necessary limitation. But one could wish for other sides of the picture, too, in something of the small town libraries which operate under difficulties and limitations -- and how some of these are being met; and the rural areas where library service is still inadequate and improvised. Possibly this book will provide the necessary spur, for here we have the charting of how a big city library functions, the various services provided, the machinery-human and mechanical- that gets the job done -- and, in brief summary, the many ramifications of the library field today-municipal reference libraries, U.S. Information libraries, hospital libraries, special libraries of many kinds. The information is succinctly and interestingly presented with plenty of photographic material to enliven the text.