Association of Jewish Libraries Publishing

Posner, Marcia

English

Education for Synagogue Librarians at the Queens College School of General Studis: 1984-1986

Jacoby, Jay

Lilith in Jewish Literature

Simon, Ralph R.

MEDIA JUDAICA
Audio-Visual Media in the Synagogue and Religious School Library
Introduction
The expression “the people of the book” has 
long been applied to the Jewish people. In 
past centuries, through both periods of an­
guish and periods of splendor, scholarship 
and study have been vital to Jewish exis­
tence. This heritage of Jewish scholarship 
has been gathered in books and deposited 
in many libraries.
Today’s modern congregational library 
serves as an oasis of Jewish knowledge and 
culture for contemporary American Jewry. 
It enables modern American Jews to hold 
fast to a cultural heritage, rich in tradition, 
that has endured through great trials and 
tribulations.
The library plays an integral role in the pro­
cess of transferring information. In our fast­
paced world, where technological advances 
have had a profound impact on information 
transfer and dissemination, it is incumbent 
upon the congregational librarian to exam­
ine carefully the service provided to its pa­
trons. Contemporary trends and new per­
spectives must be considered. Traditional 
patron service models must be re-evalu­
ated. A successful patron service model 
must reflect the latest media by which in­
formation is transmitted.
While we are the “people of the book,” it is 
vital to recognize that printed books are no 
longer the sole means for recording and 
transmitting information to the library user. 
Experience has shown that a successful in­
formation center derives information from 
a multitude of sources. The effective con­
gregational library must follow such a 
model.
It is not the intention of this writer to sug­
gest that the “book” be removed from the 
modern congregational library. Both adult 
readers and young students still utilize 
books heavily. It is my firm belief, however, 
that the information explosion of the past 
decade compels us to acknowledge the 
new phenomena. Non-print information 
sources transmit our culture and heritage 
in a manner parallel to print sources.
R alph  R. S im on  
Temple Emanu El 
University Heights, OH
Audio-Visual Services of the 
Sindell Library
The Sindell Library of Temple Emanu El has 
provided its patrons with non-print informa­
tion sources for many years. We follow the 
practice of acquiring curriculum-related 
audio-visual materials to supplement the re­
ligious school curriculum. Our basic film ­
strip and record collection was augmented 
by several 16 mm films approximately ten 
years ago through a generous donation by 
a member of the congregation. This en­
abled our religious school instructors to bor­
row films directly from the library. In time, 
these items were used by affiliate groups 
as well.
To encourage use of this medium, certain 
steps must be taken by the librarian. Un­
like books, which a patron can examine 
quickly prior to selection, a non-print item 
cannot be casually examined. This type of 
information source requires the use of 
audio-visual equipment to bring its informa­
tion to the user. While most teachers will pre­
view A.V. items briefly, few teachers are will­
ing to spend lengthy hours viewing an 
extensive collection of films. Here the con­
tribution of the library professional is vital. 
We have provided our teachers with a well 
indexed, annotated guide to the 16 mm films 
in our collection. This listing enables 
teachers to become generally fam iliar with 
the content of the collection. The most 
promising items can be given closer exami­
nation, prior to making a final selection. 
Descriptive material regarding non-print in­
formation sources is an essential factor in 
stimulating effective utilization of this area 
of our collection.
A similar pattern is followed in our library 
for all other non-print sources. Annually, a 
comprehensive list of filmstrips, sound film­
strips, transparencies, multi-media kits and 
read-along-books is provided to religious 
school faculty. While the primary purpose 
of this list is to increase the visibility of the 
library to the teachers, it is not uncommon 
for a member of an affiliate group or young 
students to utilize this material. The in-
dividualized highlighting of this part of our 
collection is crucial for wide-scale usage. 
Users of this type of information are look­
ing specifically for a non-print source. A con­
siderable amount of time is saved by 
eliminating the need to search for A.V. items 
that are interfiled with print materials in a 
card catalog. Nevertheless, in the interest 
of treating the print and non-print collection 
as a comprehensive information entity, non­
print information sources are recorded in the 
catalog. This serves to provide the patron 
with a complete overview of all information 
sources on a topic. Since annotated de­
scriptions in the non-print guide provide ad­
ditional information concerning A.V. items 
beyond that in the card catalog, patrons are 
encouraged to use the guide in addition. In 
short, our objective is to provide users with 
the maximum amount of background pos­
sible so that they can make a decision as 
to which information sources have a poten­
tial for meeting their needs. Finally, A.V. 
hardware is readily available in our library 
for previewing the sources that appear to 
be most consistent with the informational 
needs of the patron.
Video-Cassettes in the 
Synagogue Library
As interest in home video entertainment has 
increased in the past several years, many 
libraries have begun to offer video-cassettes 
for patrons to borrow. It has been proven ex­
perimentally that in subject areas where 
print collection usage is high, a correspond­
ing high level of audio-visual usage will be 
observed. As a pilot project, we therefore 
added three cassettes on the subject of Is­
rael to our collection. We had found that not 
only do students in our religious school use 
this subject area of the collection, but many 
individuals planning travel to Israel also rely 
heavily upon the collection as a means of 
increasing personal familiarity with the his­
tory and culture of this country. Thus, it 
seemed only natural to provide video ma­
terial on Israel which patrons could borrow.
The results were most encouraging. After
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 95
we informed the congregation through the 
Temple Bulletin that video-cassettes were 
being offered, circulation became heavy. 
Placing a short-term loan restriction on this 
material became essential. Shortly there­
after, other video items were added. The 
video-cassette collection is located in an 
area where it is readily available and visi­
ble to our patrons.
The collection now includes additional ma­
terial on Israel as well as material on He­
brew language self-study, Israel song and 
dance, Jewish folklore, holidays, and the Holo­
caust. Again, the same acquisition theory 
was applied: we have chosen to acquire 
video-cassettes on subjects that have 
demonstrated high circulation in the print 
component of the collection.
O ther synagogue libraries may apply the 
above techniques to build an audio-visual 
collection and encourage its use. The edi­
tor of this column welcomes contributions 
from librarians who have employed other in­
novative techniques in the acquisition and 
cataloging of Jewish non-print media.
Posner (Continued from p. 94)
— aid them in revitalizing their libraries;
— aid them in networking with other li­
braries;
— encourage them to develop contacts 
with the Association of Jewish Libraries, 
the Council, and other helpful library or­
ganizations;
— consider new publications which would 
be helpful to those libraries in need of 
assistance; and
— provide telephone consultations, if 
necessary.
It is clear that the JWB Jewish Book Coun­
cil can no longer work alone on the certifi­
cation of Judaica libraries. Continued 
monitoring of libraries which have received 
citations and the setting of standards for 
quality library service must be done in con­
junction with the Association of Jewish 
Libraries.
References
Cedarbaum, Sophia N. A Manual for Jewish Com­
munity Center, School, and Congregation Li­
braries. New York: JWB Jewish Book Council, 
1962. (Superseded by: Berman, Margot S. How 
to Organize a Jewish Library: A Source Book 
and Guide for Synagogue, School, and Center 
Libraries. New York: JWB Jewish Book Coun­
cil, 1982.)
Standards for a Jewish Library, prepared by the 
Association of Jewish Libraries, SSC Division. 
New York: JWB Jewish Book Council, 1968; 
revised edition, 1970.
Marcia W. Posner is a Library Consultant 
for the JWB Jewish Book Council and Vice 
President-President Elect o f the Association 
of Jewish Libraries.
Dr. Ralph R. Simon is the Librarian of the Sin- 
dell Library, Temple Emanu El, University 
Heights, Ohio. He completed his disserta­
tion on the acquisition of audio-visual me­
dia in libraries at Case Western Reserve 
University. If you cars about
JEWISH BOOKS
For more than 40 years, the JWB Jewish Book 
Council has been working to stimulate the writing, 
publishing, and reading of worthy books of Jewish 
interest. It is motivated by deep conviction that 
these books make an invaluable contribution to the 
Jewish people. The Council's many activities include:
☆ Jewish Book Month, celebrated annually 
throughout the United States and Canada.
☆ The National Jewish Book Awards
☆ The Jewish Book Annual, recognized as the most 
comprehensive and authoritative survey of Jewish 
literary creativity in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
☆ The quarterly Jewish Book World with information 
on new books, available free on request.
☆ Suggested reading lists on a variety of topics, and 
much more.
Write for a brochure about the Council and its publications. 
1987 ]ewish Book Month will be celebrated November 
16th- December 16th, and a wonderful kit (posters, 
bookmarks and publications) is available for $20.00.
I I  JWB Jewish Book Council
J U U B  15 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010-1579, U.S.A.
96 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987
THE RISE OF 
ISRAEL 
A Documentary
Record
From the 
Nineteenth Century 
to 1948
A Facsimile Series Reproducing 
Over 1,900 Documents in 39 Volumes 
General Editor HOWARD M. SACHAR 
Editors MICHAEL J. COHEN 
ISAIAH FRIEDMAN 
AARON S. KLIEMAN
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 97


Audio-Visual Media in the Synagogue and Religious School Library

Berger, Pearl

Wachs, Sharona R.

Romanization of Names

Association of Jewish Libraries

issue covers 1971; the 1982 issue includes 
1970 entries; and so on retroactively until 
coverage will have been completed. Vari-
ous subscribers had inquired about mate-
rial in foreign languages published before 
. 1972. To satisfy this request, each Autumn 
issue, beginning with the one for the years 
1979-80, includes material for the period 
1948-49 (the establishment of the State of 
Israel) onward. 
Visitors to the Institute wonder at the 
amount of time and effort sometimes spent 
in locating a specific item or piece of Infor-
mation. When we describe our modus oper-
andi, we are frequently asked why we don't 
computerize our files. We are working on 
that, but right now, mainly for financial rea-
sons, we must be content with a manual 
operation. 
We would welcome any. comment from 
readers of this journal; it is only by knowing 
what bibliographers in the field want to see 
in this bibliography that we can improve it 
and make it more useful. 
Acknowledgment 
No description ofthe Bibliography would be 
complete without grateful acknowledgment 
to Amnon Zipin, of Ohio State University 
Libraries, who has, since the outset of the Bib-
liography, covered English-language journals 
of Jewish interest published in the United 
States. 
Prof. Isaac Goldberg is Bibliographer at the 
Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Uter-
ature in Tel Aviv, where he compiles the bi-
annual Bibliography of Modern Hebrew 
Literature in Translation. Before settling in 
Israel in 1968, he held positions in several 
major Judaica libraries throughout the 
United States. Hewasaco-founder, In 1946, 
of the Jewish Ubrarfans Association-a for&. 
runner of A.IL. • 
Index of Advertisers 
Name Page 
Alpha Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 
Enjoy-A-Book-Club .................. 64 
Garland Publishing Inc. . ............. 76 
Ideal Book Store .. .. . . .. .. .. . .. . .. .. 6 
Jerusalem International Book Fair ...... 56 
Oxford Paperbacks .................. 1-1 
Pacific Press ....................... 77 
Rogow Ltd ......................... 54 
Shofar • ............................ 30 
Markus Wiener Publishing ............ f5'l 
The editors gratefully acknowledge the help of the gradu-
ate assistants of the Division of Library and Information 
Science at St. John's University in the preparation of this 
issue, notably Salome Cory and Lynn Dombek. 
Compiling the Book-length Bibliography: 
Concepts and Strategies* 
RolHlrt Slllflfltman 
University of Florida 
Gainesville, FL 
Although their working environments vary, 
librarians in the typical seminary, university, 
or synagogue setting are all in constant di-
alogue with the users of their collections. 
In the process of providing reference ser-
vice to students and researchers, tibrarians 
often discover that the existing bibliographic 
coverage is woefully inadequate for locat-
ing frequently sought information in many 
specialized areas. Recognizing that impor-
tant topics in the field of Jewish studies lack 
bibliographical guides, Ubrarians can make 
a lasting contribution to their profession 
through the compilation of book-length bib-
liographies. 
new work's purpose are resolved, the com-
piler will then decide on the book's scope; 
i.e.,hlnguagescovered,chronotoglcaland 
geographicparametefS, ort)08&ibleformat 
exclusions, such as juvenifeand notograph 
materials. A bibliographer may, in addition, 
choose to timit the domain of the project to 
the holdings of one flbrary or only the 
tibraries in the United States. Given the pau-
city of adequate book-length bibliographies, 
the new book should be as complete as pos-
sible within its stated limitations. While bib-
liographies need not be annotated, it is 
nonetheless true that the most useful (and 
most favorably reviewed) ones are anno-
tated. tt is recommended that when describ-
ln contrast to analytical or critical biblio1;-:-a- ing primary source material~, the bib-
phy, wherein the objective is the descrip- liographer should provide an indication of 
tion and identification of printed texts as the holding repository for each item. If the 
physical entities (e.g., typography and de- bibliographer continually keeps the needs 
sign, textual variants, and watermarks), our of the book's users uppermost in his/her 
concern here is enumerative or systematic 
bibliography, the purpose of which is the mind during the early planning stages, 
preparation of a •list or sequence of descrip- many of the basic questions related to the 
• of h" ·a1 • scope and organization of the material will 
t1ons grap ic materi s on a given sub- be resolved with little difficulty. All bib-
ject or area" (Bates, 1976, p. 9). An aspiring liographers should become familiar with the 
bibliographer should possess the ability to concise "Guidelines for the Preparation ·of 
conceive, plan, and organize a project, as a Bibliography," prepared by the American 
well as the tenacity to carry the project 
through to a successful conclusion-often Libr~ry As~~c!ation'~ f:ieference and ~ult 
after the passage of several years. Even ~rvi~ D1v~s1on, B1bhography Committee 
more important are those most basic of • ( Guidehnes, 1982): 
requirements-accuracy and attention to Locating all of the pertinent material for the 
detail. The bibliographer's potential for sue- bibliography is a challenge for even the 
cess will be enhanced by such traits as curi- most experienced compiler. Needless to 
osity, objectivity, skepticism, intuitiveness, say, there is no substitute for on-site visits 
and the sleuthing skills of the detective. A to libraries with relevant collections, if the 
working knowledge of foreign languages bibliographer is to examine each and every 
and library practices will reap many divi- item. In order to maximize the return on time 
dends, as will a thorough comprehension invested in traveling to libraries, begin with 
of the issues and scholarly literature of the those that have open-stack collections and 
subject matter being brought under biblio- self-service photocopying. 
graphic control (adapted from Harmon, 
1981, pp. 26-27). 
Having perceived the lack of an adequate 
bibliography, e.g., in the case of Karaites 
and Karaitic literature, the bibliographer 
must then ascertain that· the prospective 
work will meet a significant need while not 
duplicating any existing bibliographic tools. 
Once these considerations related to the 
The search strategy should Include a close 
examination of all the appropriate author 
and subject cards (analytics are especially 
useful). The shelflist is an often forgotten 
*Originally presented at the Convention of 
the Association of Jewish· Ubrarles held in 
Cleveland, June, 1985. 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 2 No. 1-2 Spring 1985 79 


Index of Advertisers

Back Matter

Stern, Stephanie M.

The Leo Baeck Institute: Programs, Collections, and Organization of the Library

Schmelzer, Menahem

Hebrew Incunabula: an Agenda for Research

Cutter, Charles

SERIALLY SPEAKING 
This column features brief notices of new 
journals as well as critical reviews. Contri-
butions from readers are welcome. 
Holocaust Studies Annual. v. 1-
1983- Editors: Sanford Pinsker and Jack 
Fischel. Penkevill Publishing, Box 212, 
Greenwood, Fl. 32443. $15. 
The intention of the editors. of this annual 
is to present original scholarly essays per-
taining to one aspect of the Holocaust. The 
first volume focuses on the theme of 
•~merica and the Holocaust," addressing 
the following issues: the responses of Amer-
ican intellectuals to the Holocaust; rescue 
efforts that were undertaken to save refu-
gees; the possibilities of resettlement; and 
the response of the American Jewish 
leadership to the Holocaust as personified 
in the convening of the American Jewish 
Conference in 1943. In addition, Christopher 
Fritsch compiled a selected bibliography of 
books and articles pertaining to this theme. 
The second volume (1984-1985) will be 
devoted to the topic of "Religion and the Hol-
ocaust:' 
The Jewish Storytelling Newsletter. v. 1-
1985- Editor: Shelley L. Brenner. Mar-
tin Steinberg Center for Jewish Arts, 15 East 
54th Street, New York City, New York 10028. 
Quarterly. $:8-New York City; $10-
Outside. 
The intent of the newsletter is to gather 
"news, reviews, resources and tips from ev-
ery part of the country" pertaining to Jew-
ish storytelling, and to disseminate this in-
formation. 
Orim; a Jewish Journal at Yale. v. 1-
1985- Editor-in-chief-: Myron B. Gubitz. 
Orim, Box 1904A, Yale Station, New Haven, 
CT 06520. Bi-Annual. $7. 
A literary journal created to explore the -
many facets of the American Jewish ex-
perience "from the vantage point of the pres-
ent, to illuminate our Jewish past, our tra-
ditions and revisions, our relations to the 
sacred and the secular:' 
Simon Wiesenthal Center Annual. v. 1-
1983- Editor: Alex Grobman. Ros-
sel Books, 44 Dubnow Drive, Chappaqua, 
New York 10514. $17.95. Vol.2 published by 
Charles Cutter 
Brandeis University 
Waltham, MA 
kraus International, 1 Water St., White 
Plains, NY 10601. 
The editors of this annual intend to present 
original scholarly studies, pertaining to all 
aspects of the Holocaust, e.g., Nazi Ger-
many and the final solution; refugees, res-
cue and immigration; displaced persons 
and post-war trials; modern antisemitism. 
The first volume includes such articles as 
"The judiciary and Nazi crimes in postwar 
Germany" by Henry Friedlander; "Rescue 
via the Far East" by Efraim Zuroff; "Kiddush 
ha-Shem and Kiddush ha-Hayim" by Yisrael 
Gutman. In addition, various books and 
films pertaining to the Holocaust are 
reviewed. 
Hebrew Serials 
m~m:i ipn>::n ')P)JJ r,)J :ir,::, ;..,lNU .1 
,J)JN-'N '))"Jl .J"~t 17"'N'li7 
:J.Nt :11::>i)JY.)17 -1"Y.:l\!Jr, 
-Qll)j'I ,l?!lp )17'flN ,'f"J.)))\J?)tJ 
'lli ,'\iN17 'i.£1 ))'.:m .')i7:> 11 
.O'>?'l/1"l' .5 171:l'll 
17i11l17 1111:ltJ ipn'.J !l)J-:ir,:, ;N..,"t't:7 .3 
.17.£1 ?)J'.J'lJ 
1. Ma'or. Irregular. 
The journal was issued on the occasion of 
the 49th anniversary of the death of Rabbi 
Abraham Isaac Kook. It is devoted to pub-
lishing his writings and to the study of his 
teachings. 
2. Makom: ketav 'et le-shirah. v. 1-
1985- Editor: Alon Altaras. Akhshav, P. 
0. B. 3421. Tel-Aviv. 
Published by the editorial board of the Is-
raeli literary journal Akhshav, Makom is de-
signed to serve as a vehicle for Israel's youn-
ger poets. Translations of contemporary 
American and European poems, as well as 
reviews, will be included in each issue. 
3. Sidra, Ketav 'et le-heker slfrut ha-Torah 
she-be'al peh. no. 1- 1985- Editor: 
Daniel Steinfield. ha-Mahlakah le:falmud, 
Bar;-llan University. Ramat-Gan. 
A journal that has as its purpose the publi-
cation of scholarly articles pertaining to all 
aspects of Rabbinic literature and Jewish 
law. 
4. Shena ton ha-Tsiyonut ha-Datit = 
Yearbook of Religious Zionism. v. 1-
1983/1984- Editor: Shafer B. 
Stollman. "Mesillot':....Society for the Ad-
vancement of Religious Zionism, P. 0. B. 
7524, Jerusalem, Israel 91074. $7. 
The annual is intended as a "vehicle for the 
expression of contemporary issues that 
confmnt Religious Zionists, as well as a 
source book of information regarding the 
achievements in Israel and the Diaspora of 
Religious Zionism:' The first volume, issued 
to commemorate the eightieth anniversary 
of the founding of the Mizrachi Organiza-
tion, contains articles in Hebrew and En-
glish that analyze the ideology of the Rel-
gious Zionist movement and discuss its past 
achievements and future direction. Included 
in the volume are such studies as: "Is there 
a crisis in Religious Zionism?" by Shubert 
Spero; '!Jewish law and the State of Israel;' 
by Mendell Lewittes; "Ha-Yahadut ha-datit 
ha-le'umit 'avar ve-hoveh" [Religious nation-
alist Judaism: past and present], by Moshe 
Krone; and "ha:fsiyonut ha-datit be!idan shel 
temurot; simpoziyon" [Religious Zionism in 
an era of changes; symposium]. In addition, 
the annual contains information pertaining 
to various Religious Zionist-oriented organi-
zations in Israel and the Diaspora, e.g., the 
Mizrachi Federation of Great Britain and Ire-
land, Amit Women, and Tehilla-as well as 
a variety of directories, including lists of 
members of the Chief Rabbinate's Office 
and of judges serving on the religious courts 
in Israel. 
Dr. Charles Cutter is Head, Judaic Depart-
ment, Brandeis University Libraries and has 
worked on the Periodicals Project of the 
Council of Archives and Research Libraries 
in Jewish Studies. 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 2 No. 1-2 Spring 1985 83 


Serially Speaking

Vol. 2:1–2 Front Matter

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