Archives of library research from the Molesworth Institute
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Archives of library research from the Molesworth Institute
Haworth Press, c1985
Available at 1 libraries
Note
"A monographic supplement to the journal Technical services quarterly, volume 3, 1985"--T.p. verso
Description and Table of Contents
Description
An anthology of library humor by the director of the mythical Molesworth Institute, Norman Stevens, this book is sure to provide librarians with many hours of amusement. This collection is full of Stevens'most memorable papers describing the odd kinds of research conducted by the Institute, such as a sophisticated study of the disappearance of umbrellas in libraries, a computer analysis of library postcards, and a "precostretrieval" scheme to accelerate the disintegration of book pages while saving the letters in them. Archives of Library Research from the Molesworth Institute is also well-stocked with unforgettable one-liners, such as the author's "plan to solve a major space problem for libraries by microfilming all Braille books."The imaginary Molesworth Institute has taken on a life of its own since its story first appeared in the ALA Bulletin in 1963. Stevens writes mostly for fun and entertainment, but also to stress the point that librarians should take a less serious view of their work. After all, as Stevens points out in this anthology, "The library world, like the real world, [is] impossible to understand on a rational basis." Now librarians can enjoy the convenience of having Stevens'most treasured papers--spanning over two decades--all in one very funny book.
Table of Contents
- Contents Introduction: Disjunctive Librarianship The History of The Molesworth Institute A Note About the Texts The Molesworth Institute The Molesworth Institute Revisited A Computer Analysis of Library Postcards (CALP) Negative Library Growth A Cost Analysis of a Cost Analysis Connectiwhat? Umbrella Disappearance, Exchange, and Loss Rates in American Academic Libraries An Innovative Approach to Collection Management An Observation on Shelving Practices Multiple Acronymization as a Creative Solution to the Effective Use of Library Resources The Librarian's Record: A Neglected Library Periodical Revived Oscar Gustafsen: A Tragic Minor Figure of American Librarianship New Measures of Library Efficiency OLCC, Inc.: Offline Library Creative Cataloging Precostretrieval
- or, Old Wine in New Bottles Cornelia's Last Information Search Full Circle
- or, the Last Shall Be First Selections from the Dictionary of Libinfosci Terms Permissions
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