Professional Media Reviews, January 2011 

Oliver, Chris. Introducing RDA: A Guide to the Basics. ALA. 2010. c.128p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780838935941. pap. $45. PRO MEDIA
While Resource Description and Access (RDA), the new cataloging standard, succeeding Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR), is finally a reality, a firm understanding of what it is and how it will affect our current cataloging practices is still an elusive dream for some. Oliver (cataloging & authorities coordinator, McGill Univ. Lib., Montreal), chair of the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing, has written a useful guide that provides a clear explanation of what RDA is all about. Through numerous examples, Oliver compares and contrasts RDA and AACR. He also discusses RDA background and its connection to the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD) models and international standards, changes in cataloging practice, the advantages of changing to RDA, and the factors involved in making the transition, e.g., the training involved. VERDICT Highly recommended for novice and experienced catalogers as well as library school faculty and students seeking basic information on RDA and its implementation.—Susan E. Ketcham, Long Island Univ. Lib., Brentwood, NY

Serving LGBTIQ Library and Archives Users: Essays on Outreach, Service, Collections and Access. McFarland. Mar. 2011. c.336p. ed. by Ellen Greenblatt. ISBN 9780786448944. pap. $55. PRO MEDIA
This collection of essays builds on and updates Cal Gough and Greenblatt’s Gay and Lesbian Library Service (1990). With an all-new collection of essays focusing on aspects of library service including collection development, bibliographic access, censorship of LGBTIQ resources, and professional and workplace concerns, this is a long-awaited and welcome guide. The collection has been expanded to include attention to new gender and sexual identities not discussed in the earlier edition, including bisexual, transgender, and intersex library users. Attention is also paid to the effects of the Internet and social media on all aspects of serving LGBTIQ people in libraries and archives. Besides covering the various aspects of service to LGBTIQ communities, more personal essays and profiles of LGBTIQ libraries and archives as well as the librarians and archivists serving those communities are also included. VERDICT While the quality of individual essays varies, this book should be a welcome addition to any library or librarian’s professional development collection.—Jessica Moran, California State Archives, Sacramento

Stop Plagiarism: A Guide to Understanding and Prevention. Neal-Schuman. 2010. 285p. ed. by Vibiana Bowman Cvetkovic & Katie Elson Anderson. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781555707163. pap. $65. PRO MEDIA
The editors describe this as a sequel to Cvetkovic’s 2004 The Plagiarism Plague (as Vibiana Bowman). There are three main sections here: “Understanding the Problem,” “Finding Remedies,” and “A Practitioner’s Toolkit.” Essays by contributors to the earlier volume (there are also essays by new authors) reflect the cultural and technological changes since the previous book. The first section offers thoughtful pieces on the state of the popular culture that encourages imitation to the point where all pop stars sound alike and product packaging looks alike. Where do the concepts of originality and creativity fit into a culture of remixes and file sharing? Is plagiarism becoming a quaint idea in a technologically connected Web 2.0 world? As in Plagiarism Plague, practical remedies and techniques in classroom teaching and creating self-paced tutorials for combating plagiarism are offered. The authors tender hope that the battle is not yet lost, that approaches to the problem can evolve while not jettisoning the underlying ethical issue of academic integrity. VERDICT Recommended for school librarians, academic librarians responsible for instruction on plagiarism prevention, and high school teachers who teach research techniques to college-bound students. With an accompanying CD and wiki.—Robert L. Battenfield, Long Island Univ. Lib., Brookville, NY

Swigger, Boyd Keith. The MLS Project: An Assessment After Sixty Years. Scarecrow. 2010. 170p. index. ISBN 9780810877030. pap. $50. PRO MEDIA
This eye-opening assessment quotes librarians’ discontent with status and image in the early 1950s—disconcertingly similar to the mood today. With well-researched history and data, Swigger (Sch. of Library & Information Studies, Texas Woman’s Univ.) assesses the ALA-spearheaded 1951 increase of education requirements for professional librarians (from a stipulated bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree), implemented as a means to the dual end of more professional respect and compensation for librarians. Did these “MLS project” changes enacted in library education solve the professionalism issues for librarians? Not as much as was hoped! This reviewer has been as guilty as many in averring, largely without examining the issues, that librarianship is a profession. Swigger has examined a range of careers and definitions. The results? It seems likely librarianship is still not a full-blown profession. This important book makes the notion of librarianship as a trade more palatable. Swigger believes “librarianship has suffered at the hands of its celebrators.” It still does. What’s next? Multiple models for library education. ­VERDICT An essential read for librarians and a must-have for librarianship collections.—Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California Libs., Los Angeles