Volume 22, Sachsen-Anhalt, completes the body of this ambitious handbook project, which has been in the works since 1992, an astonishingly short amount of time, given the magnitude of the task and the organization of bibliographical material it entailed. Previous volumes were reviewed in RREA 1:103, 4:57, and 5:51. As in another eastern German state, Thuringia, many of the historical collections in Saxony-Anhalt are stashed away in small (church and museum, for example) libraries. Of the 62 listed libraries, 19 are branches of the Sachsen-Anhalt University and State Library in Halle; its main library and a branch, the Library of the German Middle-Eastern Society, have particularly rich collections. Other noteworthy libraries are those of the Franckeschen Stiftungen and the city of Magdeburg. The historical overview by Waltraut Guth is longer than those in most other volumes of this set; in addition to a regional library history, it contains thumbnail sketches of library collections deemed too small to include in the main list. It is unfortunate that these small libraries were not at least incorporated into the index of place names.

Volume 23, the cumulated index of personal names, is the first in a planned set of four index volumes. The actual name index is followed by two indexes of the holding libraries, alphabetically by place name and by type of library. In creating the cumulation out of the indexes of the individual volumes, some unification of form was undertaken. The personal names included are limited to those found in sections one (History of the Collection) and two (Description of the Collection) of each library article. Each name entry refers clearly in boldface to the volume and page number where it is found. The entire set--through volume 26--was to be completed by the end of 2000. [sh/hh]
 
 

Previous volumes in this series, whose completion was optimistically expected for 2000, have been reviewed in RREA 4:59 and RREA 5:52. Still outstanding are volumes 4 (Slovak Republic), 8 (Russia), and 9 (Croatia). Under review here are volume 1 (Czech Republic, Prague), parts 1 and 2, and volume 10 (Great Britain and Ireland).

The volume for Prague had to be split into two parts, so rich were the holdings. With 26 (or 58, counting branch libraries) institutions reporting their holdings, these two volumes complete the Czech Republic set. The national library, the Národní Knihovna Ceské Republiky, has received by far the longest article, 122 pages; its holdings from the 16th through 19th centuries are fully 50 percent German. That said, it should be noted that despite the title, the holdings described in these volumes are not restricted to German-language books or those published in Germany. The historical introduction, which encompasses the Middle Ages to the present, also reflects this wider scope.

Volume 10, on Great Britain and Ireland, covers 54 libraries in Scotland and England (19 of which are in London) and 3 in Ireland. The greatest number of pages is of course dedicated to the British Library, followed by the Bodleian, the Cambridge University Library, and the National Library of Scotland. Many smaller institutions which undoubtedly have valuable historical German materials in their collections remain unaccounted for, as this volume was based on reported holdings rather than the work of editorial staff who were able to canvass the individual libraries. This volume, the only one in the series written in English, includes the historical introduction we have come to expect from this series. The indexes are also in English, which will undoubtedly pose a challenge for the future creation of a comprehensive index for the whole set. [sh/hh]
 
 

This work represents a continuation of a preceding volume from 1971, Regionalbibliotheken in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, from the same publisher. It has been augmented by information on regional libraries in the eastern states of Germany.

The first part consists of six contributions dealing mainly with libraries located in the Saarland and Baden-Württemberg. These essays address such topics as regional libraries and their value for scholarly research, their cultural and political significance, and the role of regional bibliographies in the digital age. The second part consists of descriptions of regional libraries from the north to the south of Germany, with essays frequently contributed by their respective directors. Each essay is divided into three sections: (1) address information, descriptions of collections, collecting emphases, special collections, use stipulations, catalogs, facilities, and founding year; (2) the history of the library; (3) bibliography. The third part briefly describes regional libraries in Austria and Switzerland. An appendix contains a subject bibliography, in which a section dealing with Pflichtexemplare (obligatory depository copies) receives the most attention. It would have been useful for this bibliography to serve simultaneously as an index to frequently cited titles, for example, the Handbuch der deutschen historischen Buchbestände in Deutschland. An accompanying map indicates the geographical boundaries for the various regional library jurisdictions, and also the cities in which included libraries are located. When one studies this map, it becomes all too clear that some major libraries--such as the Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt and the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek--which also have regional library assignments, have been omitted. This work is nonetheless of value. [sh/tk]
 
 

This library address book characterizes itself in its foreword as a companion volume to The World of Learning (London, 1999), in which only a relatively small selection of large libraries is included, namely the national libraries and some other major research libraries. One must recognize this supplementary function in assessing the usefulness of this 1999 directory. The chief strongpoint of the World of Learning lies in its listing of an extensive number of institutions from different areas of learning and culture, and it is generally adequate for obtaining information about these institutions, especially in cases where no other directory information is available. Information for libraries not included in the World of Learning can, however, generally be obtained from special international address books, such as World Guide to Libraries (München, 1999), as well as from directories limited to libraries in specific countries. In most cases these special address books contain entries that are no less informative than the entries in The Directory of University Libraries in Europe, which feature name, address (with e-mail but often without the URL of the library's homepage), director, founding year, collecting emphases, volume counts, opening hours, and conditions of admittance and use (only the last two categories are omitted in World Guide to Libraries). Libraries of the special institutes of large universities are also generally absent from The Directory of University Libraries in Europe. The work covers only 39 nations of Western and Central Europe, omitting Russia, and the factual information it offers appears at times to be outdated. This publication is not recommended as absolutely essential. [sh/tk]
 
 

Biblioteche della Svizzera italiana, to use its cover title, is not the first guide to the libraries of the Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. In 1984, the Associazione Biblioteca Salita dei Frati published the Guida alle biblioteche della Svizzera italiana. In the 15 years that separate the publication of the Frati from the Fahrenheit directory, libraries have changed dramatically worldwide, in Switzerland, and in the Ticino canton. The editors in the introduction of this newer guide discuss some of these transformations and how they have affected Ticinese libraries.

The guide contains information on 214 libraries in the Ticino region. Institutions include academic, public, and school libraries, and a few archives and documentation centers. In the introduction the editors explain how they chose the libraries and sent them surveys. Some libraries were difficult to access but had unique collections. Many libraries had a minimal amount of materials catalogued, but were so highly specialized that the editors included them in the guide. Libraries that did not respond to the survey despite repeated inquiries were excluded from the guide.

The guide is easy to use. Libraries are first grouped by the name of the city/municipality in alphabetical order and then in alphabetical order by library name; these elements are displayed in a running footer. Four indexes allow users to find libraries by type, by a particular subject area (such as biology or Ticinese history), by organization responsible for a particular library, and by the name of a special or gift collection. There is also a glossary and abbreviation list. The editors include in an appendix the two Acts of Libraries (Legge delle biblioteche) of 1991 and 1993. The effects of these acts provide background for the editors' analysis of the Ticinese library situation and strengthen their criticism of the government's lack of support for libraries.

The entry for each library contains basic information organized on the page like an index card, giving the main section a "card-catalog feel." Every entry begins with the image of a catalog card with the library's name, street address, phone and fax number(s), and e-mail and web addresses (where available). Every entry also provides brief information on a library's history, its collection, its access and loan procedures. All entries provide hours of operation, languages represented, and services available; most entries also describe the types of catalogs available for research. Some larger libraries, such as the Biblioteca cantonale di Bellinzona, offer more services (computers, Internet access, photocopiers), and their entries include information on the kinds of online databases they own, unique collections, organized cultural activities, and, in some cases, the library's publications. Information derives mainly from the individual library's response to the survey. In the foreword the editors warn that not all information could be verified and that inaccuracies might exist.

Not only does this guide serve as a directory to the various libraries of the Ticino canton, it also provides excellent background on the situation of libraries in the region. The book could serve as a "compass" to help readers orient themselves to the Ticinese library situation. In the introduction the editors indicate their objective for writing the book and present a brief--and bleak--history of the library situation beginning with the 1970s. Lack of funds and of government financial support have prevented many libraries from automating their catalogs. The editors discuss the variety of libraries that exist in Ticino and lament that they see little collaboration and too much isolation among different libraries. The editors conclude by stating their hope that the publication of this guide will improve collaboration and ameliorate the gloomy library situation in Ticino.

The Biblioteche della Svizzera italiana provides useful information on Swiss libraries in Ticino. Equivalent resources, such as the Frati guide, exist, but that publication is now over 16 years old. However, there are only seven archives represented in the newer guide, and researchers should consult L'indirizzario degli archivi communali svizzeri (Zürich, 1992) for more information on Swiss archives. The Fahrenheit guide may be too esoteric for some collections, but should serve any library that supports a strong library science, Romance studies, or Western European studies curriculum.

Erica Swenson Danowitz (American University)
 
 

The title Per una storia...; indicates the preliminary character of this bio-bibliographic lexicon, that is to be taken as a foundation for a history of the profession of librarianship in Italy in the 20th century. Utilizing the collection that Giorgio de Gregori assembled after his retirement in 1977 and gave to the Italian Library Association in the 1990s, Simonetta Butt revised and brought up to date the 169 biographies Gregori had prepared, and added new names to them, so that now 213 Italian librarians of the 20th century, who were deceased by 1990, are included. The biographical data, limited mainly to education and professional career, were taken from obituaries and secondary publications, which are listed at the end of each entry; only the most important monographic writings of the librarians are included. Other sources, above all information from the libraries in which the librarians were active, include journals which the current publication could utilize only in part. There are plans to use these sources for a definitive edition of this lexicon, and also to include additional librarians not covered here.

This work follows the lead of another, time-tested, publication, now available in a welcome reprint by the original publisher, that provides references to valuable bio-bibliographical data. Carlo Frati's Dizionario bio-bibliografico...; covers librarians and other persons who dealt with books and manuscripts from the Renaissance to the 19th century, among them numerous famous scholars, especially from the 18th century (for example, Antonio Muratori and Girolamo Tiraboschi), who also held library offices. Here, too, the primary literature is given less emphasis than secondary literature, which derives from the most remote sources. An index of place names refers to the libraries described in the articles. Frati's lexicon was supplemented later by three extensive companion volumes edited by Marino Parenti, Aggiunte al Dizionario bio-bibliografico dei bibliotecari e bibliofili italiani: dal sec. XIV al XIX (Firenze, 1957-1960), so that the literature about Italian librarians who were active up to the beginning of the 20th century is well documented. A further volume should be prepared using the secondary literature that has appeared since ca. 1960. It is regrettable that both of the above publications essentially omit the writings of the librarians they cover. It is to be hoped that the planned work about Italian librarians of the 20th century will avoid this deficiency. [sh/tk]