Medical Librarianship; Principles and Practice.

Abstract

It is the author's intention that this book be an introduction to medical librarianship, surveying medical libraries, their contents and procedures. With this in mind he states that the libraries in the US which he discusses are "selected for mention because of their reputations, or because information regarding them was readily available." This haphazard methodology in approaching the subject matter characterizes the entire volume. The content of the volume is divided into six main categories: medical libraries, hospital libraries, materials, classification and cataloging, bibliography and bibliographers, reference work. Under these categories, subclassifications are listed, with the frequent omission of important principles, aspects, and institutions. For example, the<i>Index to Nursing Literature</i>is mentioned, but not the<i>Index to Hospital Literature</i>. The role of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals in elevating standards of hospital libraries is central to the development of these libraries, but reference to it is entirely