SIGNPOSTS: SOME SELECTIONS FROM The 1953 SPECIAL LIBRARY LITERATURE Available to Purchase

The aims of this annual review of the literature were set out at some length in the first article in the series (Aslib Proceedings, vol. 5, no. 1, February 1953, pp. 27–39), but for the benefit of those who have not seen that paper, and also for others who might like to be reminded of the limitations of the series, it is proposed to recapitulate briefly the main points. This series is intended to assist those who need some guidance in selecting from the mass of literature now being published on librarianship and documentation those items most likely to be of assistance in planning and organizing their own work. It is particularly designed for the relatively inexperienced worker, whether special librarian or information officer, working in a small organization without the assistance of more experienced colleagues. Consequently, all theoretical discussions, however important, have been ignored unless it has been felt that they can be of practical assistance in solving day‐to‐day library problems, and descriptions of the practice of large general libraries have been omitted unless it appears that they are capable of adaptation to other conditions. Moreover, since the series is not intended to be used as a bibliographical tool (this purpose being adequately served by existing bibliographies) but as a guide to current reading, no attempt has been made to restrict the list to work actually published during the year under review, but it is hoped that the list is representative of items likely to have been received in British libraries during 1953. Every endeavour has been made, however, to see that the articles in the series shall between them cover the whole of the literature adequately and that no important items are missed.