Fikes, Robert, Jr.

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~ 368 I College & Research Libraries • July 1979 cusses the mixed motives of social scientists in seeking to forge stronger links between research and policy (p.25, 33, 35, 55), and the mixed benefits to society of more scien-tific contributions (p.61, 73). The other writers seem inclined to assume an identity between research and progress and between the interests of the research profession and the public at large, although Wilson's short piece hints at skepticism on the latter point. The forthcoming volumes of background papers will consider federal agency funding of research, issues in the management of so-cial R&D, and case studies in the uses of basic research.-Thelma Freides, State Uni-versity of New York , College at Purchase. Southgate, Robert L. Black Plots & Black Characters: A Handbook for Afro-American Literature. Syracuse , New York: Gaylord Professional Publications, 1979. 456p. $25. LC 78-14394. ISBN 0-915794-14-4. -This handbook helps to fill a long-standing void in the field of Afro-American literature and will undoubtedly prove a handy source of information for librarians and interested readers. But it is unfortunate that this handbook was not undertaken as a collaborative effort by two or more scholars. Although Southgate's knowledge and abilities are ·obvious, his choice of entries for discussion leaves much to be desired and is certain to frustrate users. . The handbook is divided into four parts. Part I , plot s·ummaries, comprises the largest portion. One hundred significant works of Afro-American literature, including fiction, plays, poems, speeches, and essays, are described and commented on. The for-mat is similar to that used in M asterplots. The summaries are well written and average ne~rly a page in length. But the problem here is that while the author has chosen a number of the familiar, standard works he has failed to include quite a few very important works that most readers would expect to find, e.g., Richard Wright's Native Son and Black Boy, Lor-raine Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun, James ~ swets subscription service . A DIVISION OF SWETS &ZEITLINGER BV SWetS PO. Box 830, 2160 SZ Lisse-Holland Phone 02521-19113 I Telex41325 Swets North America Inc.-P.O. Box 517, Berwyn, Pa 19312, U.S.A.J el. 215/644-4944 Baldwin's Another Country, or Pulitzer Prize winners Elbow Room by James Alan McPherson, Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks, and No Place to Be Somebody by Charles Cordone. It appears the author chose instead to include a number of less popular works from the past century and the 1940s and 1950s. Part II is a dictionary of Afro-American literature and history with too much em-phasis on the latter for what is supposedly a handbook for literature. Notable literary figures omitted are Nikki Giovanni , Addison Gayle, Nick Aaron Ford, Tom Dent, Larry Neal , Joseph A. Walker , Sonia Sanchez, Carolyn Rodgers , Blyden Jackson, and Maya Angelou. Possibly they were omitted in favor of a good many persons and things that have no relationship to Afro-American literature per se. Most entries, particularly historical occurrences , are substantial in content. Part III, containing ninety-four author bibliographies, and part IV, general bibliog-raphies , can assist those interested in fur-ther reading and research. Of the two chronologies following part IV, probably only the second, pertaining to events in Afro-American history and literature , is needed in this volume. Despite its rather startling omissions and superfluous inclusions, Black Plots & Black Characters must be purchased, since it is unique in the field of Afro-American litera-ture. It is hoped that Southgate will revise and expand his handbook in the near future .-Robert Fikes, Jr. , San Diego State University , San Diego, California. Mitchell, Betty Jo; Tanis , Norman E. ; and Jaffe , Jack. Cost Analysis of Library Functions: A Total System Approach. Foundations in Library and Information Science, a Series of Monographs. Volume 6. Greenwich, Conn.: JAI Press , Inc. , 1978. 192p. + 5 fiche in pocket. $23.50. LC 77-2110. ISBN 0-89232-072-9. A cost accounting system specifically lim-ited to library labor costs in time and dpllars developed, implemented, and continuing in the libraries of California State University, Northridge, is carefully described in Cost Analysis of Library Functions in an "at-tempt to provide a . model for libraries to Recent Publications I 369 produce their own set of labor cost data from which sound management decisions can be made and, eventually, from which relevant and meaningful staffing farmulas can be developed" (p.2). The authors also hope that their program will serve as a pro-totype for a generally applicable system that, when implemented in other libraries, would allow for a meaningful comparison of costs. Four years in the making, the CSUN li-brary's ongoing program includes an auto-mated function cost analysis system and a manual task analysis system. The rationale, assumptions , and guidelines are succinctly highlighted by the conclusion that a com-plex library audit such as this must be de-veloped in a library setting if clean, useful data are to be assured. A systems analyst was appointed early on to coordinate the project and to be respon-sible for overall system design. The continu-ing operation of the function cost analysis costs the library, which has 400 employees and 600,000 volumes, about $8,000 a year. Unfortunately, there is no estimate of the costs for the manual part of the program or, more important, for the development of the systems. A concise and cogent discussi9n of the methods used includes, in addition to defi-nition and description, consideration of some of the problems and pitfalls met, such as staff resistance, the discovery that actual library jobs are performed at variance with stated procedures , and the frustration at-tendant on the definition of activities, tasks, and functions to produce valid results-so much so that the authors conclude that "in-stalling major data systems is a slow painful process that requires unending revision and rethinking" (p.43). Documentation of the programs includes the procedures manual for the automated system, forms , punch card formats, a monthly report, and a· cumulative data printout for l976-77. In addition, there are five microfiche with 1976-77 cost data in-cluded. The reader is warned that the program was not designed to be used for cost/benefit analysis where standards of quality have yet to be set, if in fact they can be set at all. The system does, however, generate valid 

Black Plots & Black characters: A Handbook for Afro-American Literature

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Black Plots & Black characters: A Handbook for Afro-American Literature

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