REVIEWS edited by Philip Bradley

Indexing and indexes — mainly cataloguing, classification and indexing. Mary Piggott contributes an informative chapter entitled Some Post-War Developments in Indexing in Great Britain in which the Society of Brief Entry: anewsletter for Law Indexers. Edited by E M Moys. Indexers gets a couple of pages to itself. Other technical services Scvenoaks, UK: E M Moys. First issue 1996. ISSN 1362-7929. surveyed include acquisitions and preservation, together with a chapter Subscription: £10.00 (sterling area), $15.00 (elsewhere). on technical services in school libraries. Unfortunately, perhaps, all the This is the first issue of a continuing newsletter for all law indexers material in the volume pre-dates 1993 — due to circumstances for which and other people interested in good law publishing, wherever they may the editors take all the blame. The subtitle indicates the historical nature be. The editorial team consists of indexcrs from four countries of the treatment and an interesting chapter on Indexing in Theory and (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States) and the Practice gives us 15 pages of useful background, together with 58 contents reflect the usual format for specialised newsletters — articles, bibliographical references. news items and letters to the editor. Two of the articles are concerned Immediate reaction to the index to the volume centres on its strings with beginners in indexing — in the first, novice indexer Margaret of undiffcrentiated page numbers (the old, old tale), the unthinking see Atkinson tells of her first introduction to indexing and her experience references where double entries would have been preferable and the with the Society of Indcxcrs' training course; in the second article, occasional use of adjectives as main headings. It gives the impression experienced law indexer and Whcatlcy Medal winner Betty Moys give of having been passed through a computer program rather than a human some very practical advice on how to become a good law indcxer. This mind. The heading Indexing has 22 page references, followed by a article is to be continued in later issues of Brief Entry. further21 attached to 18 subheadings (although this second group of 21 Two further articles give insights into the experiences and methods of does not repeat any of the first group at the main heading — brownie working of established law indexers. Robert Spiccr tells of an points for that perhaps!). The heading Holy Grail refers to the following unfortunate experience with an eccentric professor/ author (exaggerated sentence on p. 175:'... in 1970 it (a journal article) was called, the latest 'for the sakeof entertainment', but only too real as most of us can vision of the Holy Grail'. However, perhaps one should not draw testify). In Passing the Burden, Moira Greenhalgh describes her method attention to these things. Perhaps we should accept the trade-off of less of sub-contracting/ apprenticeship which has enabled novice indexers relevance for more recall. Quantity not quality. to gain experience in law indexing, while also relieving the over-worked Explorations in Indexing and Abstracting is written by an Assistant law indexer of the more routine and straightforward tasks (proofreading Professor in the School of Library and Information management at of index galleys and the preparation of tables of cases and statutes) Emporia State University, Kansas. Focusing on the ways people seek which require 'basic intelligence, ... incredibly accurate typing and a information, the book examines the basic question of how to design high boredom threshold'. indexes and abstracts so that they turn out to be as user-friendly as A newsletter for law indcxers is very much needed — law indexing possible. 'Grappling with the question, "What is it about?" ... is at the is a very specialised and often very difficult field, but it can be very heart of this book. Its stimulus is the thesis that no matter how facile the lonely and it is often clouded in needless mystique. Hopefully, this retrieval system, substantial failures result because of fundamental newsletter will provide a much needed opportunity and space for debate, differences between the manner in which documents have been argument and exchange of useful information, and the experiences, represented and the manner in which searchers represent their questions' problems and insights of law indexcrs in various jurisdictions will be (Preface). The work is not intended to be a manual of good practice in reflected in its pages. It will dependon support and contributions from indexing and abstracting but an attempt to put the user in the driving its readership for it to develop into a useful forum for law indexers, but seat. Whether this is entirely possible is a matter for discussion and if it does so, it will be well worth the £10 subscription. argument and much effort in the past has gone into presenting recondite Julitta Clancy, freelance indexer theories which run the risk of being so abstract as to be almost incom prehensible. The author of the present work cannot entirely escape the charge of breaking a butterfly on the wheel and some passages in the Technical services management, 1965-1990: a quarter century of book exhibit that prolix periphrasis which often seems to characterise change and a look to the future. Festchrift for Kathryn Luther scholarly research. To put it another way: he goes to a lot of trouble to Henderson. Linda C Smith, Ruth C Carter, eds. New York, NY and make simple points. Nevertheless, the book makes interesting and London: Haworth Press, 1996. xv, 370 pp. 22cm. Index. ISBN stimulating reading and is recommended for practising indexers and 1-56024-960-9 (cased): $39.95. abstractors asa means of removing their noses from the grindstone and lifting their heads for a few deep breaths of more rarified air. Explorations in indexing and abstracting: pointing, virtue and The index to the book has a narrative introduction running to over half power. Brian C O'Connor. Englcwood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, a page. The following is an extract offered without comment: Inc., 1996. xiii, 182 pp. 24 cm. Ilius. bibliog, index. ISBN 1-56308-184-9 (cased): $37.50 ($45.00 outside North America). The entire book was put through a word-extraction program similar to that explained in the text, stripping stop-list words, yet leavinga The processes of cataloguing, indexing and classification are essential to the retrieval of information. They have traditionally formed the core list of many thousands in place. These remaining words were of professional librarianship and, even in these daysof computerised alphabetized and their addresses within the book sorted. Each and information handling, remain vital for aspiring practitioners. Many every word was examined with an eye to its likely utility in the texts.therefore, which are written by and for librarians are grist to the index. mill of this journal and these two are typical examples. Both are Some words, such as book, document, collection, patrons, research, American and both are produced with practising librarians and students system and word appear with such frequency that they are of little of librarianship in mind. value in guidance. Some index entries do not list every instance of Technical Services Management is a festschrift for Kathryn Luther the listed word. Some significant words are also used in examples Henderson of the University of Illinois and consists of 20 essays by or in lcss-ihan-significant ways in some parts of the text. different hands on the various aspects of technical services in libraries Geoffrey Dixon,formerly Craigie College of Education

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Indexes: writing, editing, production. Virginia S Thatcher. Lanham, not-infrequent assumption that it is an activity that will not prove too MD and London: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1995. xiv, 164 pp. 22 cm. taxing for authors' wives (never husbands, for some reason), suggest Bibliog, index. ISBN 0-8108-2990-8 (cased): £37.55. (Distributed in that anyone could earn easy money as an indexer. UK by Shclwing Ltd., 4, Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone, CT20 2DN). The would-be indexer can now dispel such misconceptions by Indexing from A to Z. Hans H Wellisch. 2nd edn., revised and studying Unit B of the SI open learning course and really getting to grips enlarged. New York, NY and Dublin: H.W. Wilson Co., 1996. xxix, with the nuts and bolts of the indexing process itself. Although retaining 569 pp. 24 cm. Bibliog, index. ISBN 0-8242-0882-X (cased): $40.00 the basic structure of the first edition, the publication has been (US and Canada; $45.00 elsewhere). extensively revised. There has been some rearrangement of material, the basics of alphabetical order (covered more fully in Unit C) are now The author of Indexes: writing, editing, production, has presumably briefly outlined and most topics are discussed in considerably more wished to pass on to others her lifetime's experience as editor, indexer detail, so much so that the unit has almost doubled in size. and publisher. Her book, she says, 'proposes a methodology and technique for preparing a quality back-of-book index suited to the With its wealth of examples and case studies, a particular strength of Pat Booth's revision to this text is her detailed treatment of the subject of the book within the limits imposed by costs and the publishing schedules'. intellectual process of indexing, the actual choice of entries, a topic that frequently receives insufficient attention. She not only clearly sets out Her approachlhroughout is practical. It is that of the publisher's editor, the principles underlying the choice of entries but also includes brief based entirely on American practice and limited generally to her own textual extracts with their relevant index entries. A list of recent indexers experience. 'Other than academic courses in indexing in library science, and indexes awarded the Wheatley Medal or highly commended is organised training (in indexing) is remarkable for its absence', she says another useful guide to good practice for the aspiring indexer. The (p.v). The United States Department of Agriculture's course is the only critical analysis of published indexes is an essential part of learning how one of which she has knowledge! to index (and sometimes how not to index), a point emphasized The ten chapters, which aim to be self-contained and which each ends throughout this unit. with a summary, cover (1) Methodology — preliminary decisions on A particularly interesting addition to this section is 'How I index', in organizing the indexer's work according to how and when the proofs which six experienced indexers describe their working methods are received, the time-schedules, the nature of the text, and the number [reprinted in The Indexer, Oct. 1996]. This is an excellent illustration of of index entries per page; (2) Technique — based on the use of cards or the fact that there is no one 'correct' method of indexing. Nevertheless, slips; (3) Format; (4) Alphabetization and order; (5) Style; (6) the importance of consistency, accuracy and the needs of the user are Production; (7) Revisions — indexes for works reissued with amended emphasized throughout. Subsequent sections consider the form and text; (8) Specialities — essential features and choice of format for structure of entries and the intricacies of proper names, and the unit indexing books in Science and Technology, Humanities, Social concludes with a list of recommended reading and a self-administered Sciences and Textbooks and Reference Works; (9) Freelance indexing; lest (with answers). Trainees are advised to work through this to assess (10) Computer-assisted indexing. An appendix shows extracts from their readiness to sit the society's assessment test for this unit. seven published indexes illustrating solutions to particular problems. The self-administered test has also been revised to reflect the changes While helpfully giving a more detailed description of the stages in a to the text and now includes sample indexes, enabling trainees to book's publication and the nature of the book itself, and the consequent compare their efforts at indexing a section of the text with the work of choices of format and type-size for the index than is generally found in three experienced indexers. This again emphasizes that indexing is not guides to indexing, Virginia Thatcher is more apt to say 'Do this' an exact science and that different indexes to the same document may (because that is the way it is done) than to discuss some of the points be equally valid. In learning the skills of indexing, there is no substitute that may give rise to queries in the reader's mind. She says, for example, for hands-on experience, and one might have wished for more exercises 'A reference (citation) with more than two authors should carry only the of this kind. Given that this publication is part of a training course aimed name of the principal (first) author in the names index' (p. 28) and primarily at new indexers, perhaps more space could have been devoted 'Neither the author nor the indexer sees the proof (p. 104). (To judge to the self-administered test. However, this is a minor quibble; thorough by the number of misprints, that fate befell the text of the book under study of this unit should give would-be indexers a good grounding in review). the actual process of indexing. Alternatively, some may realize that The Bibliography is perfunctory. There is no mention of The Indexer there's a lot more to indexing than they anticipated and that they do not and the words in the title of Norman Knight's Indexing, the art of are have an aptitude for it after all. transposed. Ann Barham, freelance indexer The demand for a second edition of Wellisch's Indexing from AtoZ has given the author the opportunity to update his references to standards and the changes they call for in practice, to add a few new sections, The Gilbert and Sullivan Journal 56-year index: covering the years including those on Legal texts, Medical texts and Technical manuals 1925-81 (vols 1-10). By Geoffrey Dixon. Ayr: Rhosearn Press, 1996. and reports and to expand or improve others. He has also introduced a 150 pp. 21 cms. ISBN 0-9525532-1-X (pbk): £11.00 (US $19.50 by Classified list of sections. Under rubrics such as Indexing technique and airmail). Terminology, he brings under a single heading related topics dispersed Index to The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society Magazine nos 1-40,1977- under their specific names in the main alphabetical section of the book, 1995. By Geoffrey Dixon. Ayr: Rhosearn Press, 1995. 76 pp. 21 cm. thus facilitating the study of any of the larger problems of indexing Pbk: £6.00 (US $10.00 by airmail). practice and enhancing the value of the book. (The first edition of Wellisch's book was reviewed in The Indexer 18 (1) April 1992, 59). The Gilbert and Sullivan photofinder: an index to published Mary Piggott./onner/y School of Library, Archive illustrations of Savoy Opera. By Geoffrey Dixon. Ayr: Rhosearn and Information Studies, University of London Press, 1995. xliv,234pp. 21 cm. ISBN 0-9525532-0=1 (pbk): £16.50 (US $28.00 by airmail). (These three books are available from Geoffrey Dixon, 93, Carcluie Crescent, Ayr, KA7 4SZ). Choice and form of entries. Pat F Booth and Mary Piggott, 2nd cdn. Within the musical world it might be said that those who become revised by Pat F Booth. London: Society of Indexers, 1995.97 pp. interested in the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan are a special breed. 30 cm. ISBN 1-871-57708-X (pbk): £20.00. (Training in Indexing, They have certainly organized themselves into a number of societies for Unit B) support and to further their mutual interests. The Gilbert and Sullivan How often have you tried to explain exactly what it is that you do? Journal first appeared in February 1925 shortly after the Society itself There are many misconceptions about indexing, not the least being that was formed in 1924. The journal thereafter reported the doings of the *you just put things in alphabetical order'! Similarly, the denigration of Society and of the Savoy Opera 'faithfully, expertly and in great detail'. the intellectual process by 'I thought computers could do that', and the The index has some useful Introductory Notes in which the conventions

The Indexer Vol. 20 No. 3 April 1997 175 REVIEWS

to be employed are spelled out and this includes u list of locations where by an alphabetical index. Domains and Headings consists often broad the journals may be found. It is of interest to note that there are many subject areas which, as well as ihe medical aspects, covers education, more libraries which maintain holdings in the US than in the UK. organisations, arts and literature, and social, religious, political and legal The journal was published three limes a year. Each volume covers issues. Under these broad divisions specific terms are ranged seven years and thus contains 21 parts. At the foot of each page of the hierarchically and in some detail. This detail does not extend to proper index the dates covered by the journal volumes are shown. This is a names of institutions, drugs, etc. which it is intended users should insert convenient device, but since the page numbers run on throughout each where appropriate. volume it is no easy matter to find the appropriate issue. Headings give The terminology chosen reflects the most common form and the most the volume number in roman numerals and the first page only (in arabic) straightforward entry. In the area of medicine and the biomedical for a location except on page 75 where for one heading arabic figures sciences, many terms used are common to both this work and Medical alone are used to denote the volume and a spread of pages. This spread Subject Headings (MeSH) and these are marked by an asterisk. Where occurs again on page 99 but here roman numerals arc used correctly. such terms arc not completely synonymous in the two systems, The author rightly makes a disclaimer as to complete accuracy in the cross-references are provided. The scope notes provided are particularly Preface and if this is the only error to be found he has done well indeed. helpful. One minor complaint is thai their positioning equidistant from In the second index the same conventions and abbreviations arc used the preceding and following headings/subheadings means that at times as in the first except that for each location the volume number and the it is not clear at a glance to which they apply. spread of pages is given, all in arabic numerals. A footnote on every The final section of the Domains and Headings consists of universal page refers the reader back to the symbols used. It also indicates by subdivisions to be applied to subject headings in order to provide a more means of asterisks where there are identical illustrations and for each detailed description. These include age ranges, ethnic groups and performer an indication is given of the periods during which they were geographic names among others. most active. This index has been produced on a superior quality paper Although dealing extensively with the medical aspects of HIV/AIDS, where the print shows much more distinctly and so is easier to read. The this scheme is not aimed at the medical specialities and would not be 40 volumes were published over a period of some 20 years, presumably best suited to them. It should, however, prove of great value to those every six months or so. Both of these indexes give direct references to coping with the huge amount of information on an ever-changing performances and recordings reported in the periodicals and must be a subject. delight to devotees of the genre. Anne McCarthy, freelance indexer The third index is quite different from the others. Its aim was 'to provide access to illustrations (mainly photographs) which have appear OTHER SUBJECTS ed in published works' and is limited to work done by professionals. Newspaper illustrations are not used, being too ephemeral. The work gives reference to over 5,800 illustrations contained in over 130 sources Literally entitled: a dictionary of the origins of the titles of over 1300 resulting in more than 10,000 citations. These illustrations are indexed major literary works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. under names of performers, names of characters, names of operas, of Adrian Room. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Co., 1996. people associated with the Savoy Opera and of some places associated v, 249 pp. 24 cm. Bibliog. index. ISBN 0-7864-0110-9 (cased): with the productions. A two-page note details the various abbreviations £43.65. (Distributed by Shelwing Ltd.) and other devices employed to make searching easier and this is There cannot be many people working in the world of books who have followed by cast lists of the Savoy Operas. Ten pages arc then given not been asked such a question as 'Who wrote Roger the Taurus'? or over to lists of films and videotapes of the Operas, many having more 'Have you got James Joyce is useless"? Many more important facts than than one entry. This list of sources lakes up 11 more pages and for each these appear in Adrian Room's introduction. He gives information about one, a figure in parentheses tells how many illustrations are to be found the different kinds of lilies which books have in relation to their contents wilhin it. Most of the sources arc, of course, books but the list includes from the obvious such as Mark Twain's The adventures of Huckleberry two series of cigarette cards published by John Player. Finn to the obscure such as Anthony Burgess's A clockwork orange. He These three indexes must be a unique trio and an undoubted labour of mentions in fact seven kinds of title. One kind consists of a noun or noun love. They provide a most useful reference tool for anyone interested in phrase such as Forster's A passage to India; another is where the title the Savoy Operas and all that is associated with them. The Phoiofinder relates to a character in the book but does not give his or her name as in will be of particular interest to producers of operas, both amateur and Henry James's The ambassador; a third is the use of titles naming the professional, because they will quickly be able to find out for themselves setting or location of the book as in Grace Mctalious's Peyton Place. what the scenes and costumes of earlier productions looked like. There are also statistics of the number of titles beginning with a Frank Merrett, educationist and freelance indexer particular word. Such words, he suggests, say something about human apprehensions: in a representative group of books he found that, apart from In and My, the most commonly used words are Man, Last, Black Thesauri and Death. As one frequently finds, the introduction to a book is sometimes as much a mine of information as the text. AIDS and HIV/AIDS-related terminology: a means of organising The text here consists of the titles of 1300 important literary works the body of knowledge. Jeffcry T. Hubcr, Mary L. Gillaspy. New arranged alphabetically, with their authors. In each entry there is an York, NY and London: Haworth Press, 1996. ix, 107 pp. 22 cm. Index. account of the story and usually a quotation from which the title is taken. ISBN I -56024-970-6 (cased): $24.95 (S30.00 outside US, Canada and The author has gone to considerable lengths to locate these sources. Mexico). Although we may easily deduce why a book has a particular title (for The subject of HIV/AIDS is both complex in itself and in the fact that example Pride and predudice) we can find out from Room that it is il relates to quite a wide range of other disciplines and areas of life. The taken from a statement in Fanny Burney's Cecilia. Another book, which authors of this work believe thai, to date, no organization of the subject many of us will remember from our schooldays, Kipling's sea story copes properly with this complexity and so this is the primary aim of Captains courageous, is named after the words in the line 'when their thesaurus. It is intended, therefore, that the scheme should be of captains courageous whom death could not daunt* which appears in the use to any organization, group or individual providing services related anonymous ballad Mary Ambree. to HIV/AIDS and needing access to up-to-date information on the The index consists of authors of books listed, authors of books cited subject. In addition, considerable emphasis is put on building in from which titles are derived, and a few subject entries. There is also a flexibility to allow for adaptation to individual needs and for changes three-page bibliography. This is an interesting work for anyone involved and developments in the subject area. with English Literature. The scheme itself is in two parts: Domains and Headings, followed Philip Bradley formerly Dundee College of Technology

176 The Indexer Vol. 20 No. 3 April 1997