Association of Jewish Libraries Publishing

Lubetski, Meir

Lubetski, Edith

Catalogs of Israeli Book Exporters 
Meir Lubetski 
Baruch College 
New York, N. Y. 
l;<!lt/J Lubetski 
Stern College 
New York, N. Y. 
THE CHOSEN BOOK 
Identifying what has been published in the field of JudaicR in every 
country poses a formidable challenge to the librarian; however, 
there is one country where the task is easier. In Israel, book 
exporters publish lists, and, in aggregate, cover the majority of 
current Israeli publications. While there are other sources of in-
formation concerning such publications (see our Building a 
Judaica Library, Libraries Unlimited, 1983), the book exporters' 
catalogs comprise a prime resource. 
The dealers' catalogs filled the void that was left when the PL-480 
program was suspended. At the time of its existence (1964-1973) 
libraries could receive a monthly Accessions List from the Library 
of Congress which included all or almost all of Israeli publications. 
This list was extremely useful to acquisition librarians. Once the 
Accessions List was no longer available, various dealers attemp-
ted to provide libraries outside of Israel with current lists of mate-
rials available to them. 
The catalogs of the dealers vary in purpose and format. Some 
strive for comprehensiveness while others attempt to cover a more 
narrowly defined area. Some arrange the lists topically, others 
alphabetically. 
The "big three" in this area are Pinat Hasefer, Robinson and 
Weinberg. Each publishes a monthly list which attempts to include 
all publications of Jewish interest. This is interpreted very broadly 
and therefore includes anything related to Judaica. Ben Arza spe-
cializes in Rabbinic works, Ludwig Mayer in scholarly works in all 
languages, and Jerusalem Books in English publications. 
It should be noted that the catalogs do not necessarily reflect the 
services offered by a dealer. The dealer may provide other works 
not included on the list. For example, one could purchase The 
Canterbury Tales in Hebrew from Robinson, but he does not list 
this type of material since it is not Judaica. Similarly, Hanan Rivkin 
of Jerusalem Books will provide any book or periodical published in 
Israel, even though his catalog lists only English works. 
Not all the dealers will consent to put anyone on their mailing list. 
Some will provide a list only to regular customers; others might 
charge for the service. 
Prices vary from dealer to dealer. Some seem to be consistently 
higher or lower than others, while in many cases the prices charged 
by the dealers vary from book to book- one will charge more than 
the others for one title and less than others for another. 
Judaica acquisition librarians will find these lists extremely helpful. 
Some librarians might find one list sufficent for their needs; others 
will be interested in receiving more than one. 
Table 1 analyzes six catalogs of Israeli book exporters in terms of 
coverage and arrangement. All prices are in dollars. (Seep. 24.) 
Meir Lubetski is Associate Professor of Hebrew Language and 
Literature, Baruch College, City University of New York. Edith 
Lubetski is Assistant Professor of Library Administration and Head 
Librarian, Hedi Steinberg Library, Stern College for Women, Yeshi-
va University. They have just published Building a Judaica Library 
Collection: A Resource Guide. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 
1983. 
Recently Published 
Acquisition Tools 
This section will list new and recently pub-
lished materials that could be useful as ac-
quisition tools. If you are aware of anything 
that falls into this category, kindly send it to 
me: 
Prof. Edith Lubetski 
Hedi Steinberg Library 
Stern College for Women 
245 Lexington Avenue 
New York, NY 10016 
Jewish Book World, 1982- . New York: 
JWB Jewish Book Council, 1982- . 
Quarterly. Free. (15 East 26th Street, 
New York,_ NY 10010). 
A newsletter providing short descriptive 
annotations of approximately fifty books of 
Jewish interest, ranging from scholarly to 
juvenile. Items from the list are selected 
from those received at the JWB Jewish 
Book Council office. 
Combined Jewish Book Catalog, 1982-
New York: Association of Jewish 
Book Publishers, 1982- . Annual. 
Free. (838 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 
10021 ). 
Arranged by publisher, the list includes new 
and old works. Most entries are annotated. 
The books range in level from scholarly to 
juvenile. Each entry includes price but no 
date of publication. 
Israel Book News, 1983- . Tel Aviv: 
Book and Printing Center of the Israel 
Export ln$titute, 1983- . Quarterly. 
$5.00. (29 Hamered Street, P.O. Box 
5084, Tel Aviv, Israel). 
This is a continuation of both the Israel 
Book World which was published in the 
1970's and the literary supplement to the 
Jerusalem Post lnternationa/Edition of the 
1980's. One of the major features of this 
quarterly is the section "Publishers' Show-
case" devoted to short notices of new 
Israeli books. Various articles and columns 
providing information about Israeli pub-
lishing and printing are also included. 
JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No.1 Fall 1983 23 
TABLE I. CATALOGS OF ISRAELI BOOK EXPORTERS 
C 
a 
I 
a 
I 
0 
u 
s 
0 
I 
i 
s 
r 
a 
e 
I 
i 
b 
0 
.0 
k 
e 
X 
_P 
0 
r 
I 
e 
r 
.S 
Dealer & 
Address: 
Title: 
Frequency: 
Languages of 
coverage: 
Bibliographic 
data: 
Arrangement: 
Forms/media: 
Scope: 
Comments: 
Dealer & 
Address: 
Title: 
Frequency: 
Languages of 
coverage: 
Bibliographic 
data: 
Arrangement: 
Forms/media: 
Scope: 
Comments: 
24 JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No. 1 Fall 1983 
Ch. Ben Arza 
P.O.B. 894 
143 El-Wad Rd. 
The Old City 
Jerusalem 
Irregular 
Hebrew 
Author, title, publisher, date,. pagination 
Detailed subject headings 
Books 
Rabbinic and scholarly 
Exclusively Judaica - primarily Bible, Talmudic and Rabbinic 
works. Some general Judaica, such as Jewish and Israeli history, 
also included. The catalog is a computer printout on looseleaf 
paper. Each subject is on a separate page. Each printout can be 
integrated with previous. printouts. Ben Arza originally published 
an extensive catalog and later issued supplements. The computer 
printouts constitute an additional supplement. 
Pinat Hasefer 
P.O.B. 3427 
Haifa 31033 
A Selection of New Publications 
Monthly 
Hebrew (plus transliteration); a limited number of materials in 
other languages 
Author, title, place, publisher, date 
Detailed subject headings 
Books, doctoral dissertations, periodicals and serials, textbooks, 
media, out-of-print and rare books, pamphlets 
Popular and scholarly, belles-lettres, juveniles 
The topical arrangement is useful for identifying the subject of 
items that are not apparent from the title alone. It also obviates 
searching a complete catalog when not everything is of interest. 
The categorization, however, could be improved. There is no 
heading "Bible"-biblical books are included under "Judaism." 
Materials are listed more than once under various subject 
headings. Publication lists of organizations, institutions and 
presses are distributed with the catalog. 
I 
ti 
TABLE 1. CATALOGS OF ISRAELI BOOK EXPORTERS 
Jerusalem Books 
P.O.B. 18189 
Jerusalem 91181 
Selected List of English Books Recently Published in Israel 
Irregular 
English 
Author, title, publisher, date 
Broad subject headings 
Books 
Popular and scholarly 
Includes materials published in the last two years and even earlier.: 
The only catalog that lists English Judaica exclusively. 
J. Robinson & Co., Booksellers 
P.O.B. 4308 
31 Nachlat Benjamin Street 
Tel Aviv 65162 
Monthly 
Hebrew; a limited number of materials in other languages 
Author, title, place, publisher and date 
Alphabetically by title 
Books, out-of-print and rare Judaica and Hebraica 
Scholarly and popular, textbooks, belles-lettres, Rabbinics 
Exclusively Judaica, interpreted to include anything of Jewish and 
related interest in any language. 
Ludwig Mayer, Ltd. 
P.O.B. 1174 
4 Shlomzion Hamalka Street 
Jerusalem 91000 
Books: Export List 
Irregular (several times a year) 
Hebrew (in transliteration); English and European languages 
Author, title, place, date, pagination, language of publication, 
subject 
Alphabetically by author; separate sections for periodicals 
Books and periodicals 
Scholarly 
Few or no "seforim," Talmudic studies or Rabbinics. There is no 
heading "Bible-biblic-al studies are found under "Literature." 
A.I. Weinberg 
311 Kiryat Moshe (9 ben Dor Street) 
Jerusalem 96103 
New books 
Monthly 
Hebrew (plus translation or transliteration); some English 
Author, title, publisher, date, pagination, 
list price, discount price 
Broad subject categories 
Books, periodicals, dissertations 
Popular and scholarly, belles-lettres, juveniles 
Represents a cross-section of general as well as Judaica Israeli 
publications. 
JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No. 1 Fall 1983 25 


English

Catalogs of Israeli Book Exporters

Barancik, Sue

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 
Association of Jewish Libraries Book Award for Children's Literature* 
Sue Barancik 
"And the _winner is ... " Whether it's the 
Academy Awards or the Tony, Newbery 
or National Book Awards, there's always 
an air of excitement when those deemed 
to have achieved most in a creative art 
are awarded accolades for their 
accomplishments. The Association of 
Jewish Libraries Book Award, although 
it may not have the clout of a Caldecott, 
the golden glow of the Oscar, or 
generate the increased sales of a 
Pulitzer Prfze-winning novel, does bring 
honor and happiness to authors, editors 
and publishers. 
There we were on the evening of June 
21, 1983, in the Grand Ballroom of the 
Queen Mary. Dinner was over, welcoming 
speeches given, and the awards 
ceremony began. Although the two 
honored writers had known of their 
awards for several months, eliminating 
the element of suspense, they still sat 
there on the edge of their seats waiting 
for their names to be called. One of the 
prize winners, Marilyn Sachs, had a 
lengthy history of writing, speaking, and 
award accepting; the other, Linda 
Heller, with fewer years of experience at 
her craft, was worried about making her 
first public speech. 
As I made my presentations to these two 
women, my mind could not help but 
wander back to the year's activities 
leading to this evening. First of all, I 
needed a committee of AJL members 
interested in children's literature and 
willing to take on the responsibilities of 
such a position. Committee members 
had to be able to read books with a 
critical, evaluative eye; and most 
importantly, to put these opinions down 
cogently, concisely and clearly. To read 
well is on~ aspect; to write well is 
something else. To be able to hand in 
reviews on time is yet another 
qualification! 
It's ideal, and really essential, to have a 
committee representing a cross section 
of Judaic librarians with differing-
Temple Adath B'nai Israel 
Evansville, IN 
religious perspectives, geographic 
settings, and library facilities. The group 
that had declared Sachs and Heller their 
favorites consisted of synagogue 
librarians from Rochester, New York, 
Toledo, Ohio, and Evansville, Indiana; a 
day school librarian from Kansas City; 
and a professional book reviewer and 
children's literature expert from New 
York. 
Just what kind of books are eligible for 
AJL awards? Let me explain. Plainly and 
simply, they must have Judaic content. 
But what does that mean? If the twelve-
year-old heroine's name is Jill Levinson 
and her distraught mom walks around, 
eyes to the ceiling, saying "Qi vey," does 
"this a Jewish book make?" On the other 
hand, are we only looking for books that 
are strictly about Jewish holidays, 
customs, and commandments? No to 
both questions. Speaking to the first 
example, if a Jewish name or Yiddish 
expression constitutes the entire Jewish 
content, then we won't consider the 
book - no matter how well written and 
absorbing the tale. "Jill Levinson" has to 
be involved in Jewish activities so that 
the reader can identify with her and 
learn more about his or her own 
Judaism. And books about Jewish 
customs and concerns are definitely 
considered - and are indeed sought 
after - but there must be quality to the 
work. A list of rabbinical injunctions or a 
poorly contrived artificial attempt at 
writing a Jewish story won't win favor. 
We need carefully crafted works with 
fully developed, believable characters. 
The criteria sent to publishers that might 
have eligible books are as follows: 
1. The book has general literary merit. 
2. The book has a definite, positive 
Jewish focus. 
3. The book is suitable in style, 
vocabulary, format and illustrations 
for the designated age level of the 
reader. 
4. Whether fiction or non-fiction, the 
book is solidly rooted in thorough 
and accurate scholarship and 
research, and features authentic 
detail. 
It doesn't matter whether the action 
takes place in the tenements of turn-of-
the-century New York, the Warsaw 
Ghetto in the early 1940's, or Long 
Island in the 1980's, as long as the 
characters are enthusiastic or question-
ing or even negative about their Judaism 
- if a positive resolution is made during 
the course of the story. 
The chairman sends publishers 
requests for their books; the committee 
reads and reviews them; the chairman 
collects the reviews and redistributes 
them among the members for compari-
son; and the decision (s) is/are reached. 
From one award we have evolved to 
three possible annual awards. 
From the first AJL award in 1968 to 
Esther Hautzig for The Endless Steppe 
until the 1977 award to Anita Heyman for 
Exit from Home, one book per year was 
selected as the most distinguished 
contribution to Jewish children's 
literature. In 1978, under the chairman-
ship of Rita Frischer, the Sydney Taylor 
Body-of-Work award was established to 
honor authors who had contributed 
considerably to our literature with a 
large volume of books for Jewish 
children. Sydney Taylor, who won the 
hearts of children with her All-of-a-
Kind-Family series, was the appropriate 
choice to receive the first award given in 
her name. Mr. Taylor accepted the 
award for his deceased wife. Other 
winners of the Body-of-Work award 
have been Marilyn Hirsh, Sadie Rose 
Weilerstein, and Barbara Cohen. 
When Hazel Karp was chairman of the 
Book Award Committee in 1981, it was 
decided to add a third award. Because 
the quantity and quality of Jewish 
children's books had so marvelously 
JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No. 1 Fall 1983 19 
increased, it was considered desirable 
to give separate recognition to picture 
books. Barbara Cohen received the first 
picture book award for her charming 
Yorn Kippur folktale, Yussel's Prayer. 
Our five committee members, having 
evaluated the forty-two entries for the 
1982 citations, had to come to some 
decisions. It was soon obvious that 
Marilyn Sachs and Linda Heller were 
garnering the most points with their 
stories of immigration to America, Call 
Me Ruth and Castle on Hester Street, 
albeit by different approaches and 
formats. There was also strong support 
for Barbara Cohen's King of the Seventh 
Grade, Cohen's Gooseberries to 
Oranges, Lois Ruby's short story 
collection, Two Truths in My Pocket; 
and Johanna Hurwitz's The Rabbi's 
Girls. 
After serious consideration of several 
authors, the committee could not reach 
a decision as to who should be the 
recipient of the AJL Body-of-Work 
Award, and it was decided that the prize 
would not be awarded this year. 
Why do we bother to give these awards? 
Does it really matter to the librarian or 
teacher, the author or publisher? Could 
an award by such a small group as ours 
really count in the enormous publishing 
world? I say yes! Presenting these 
awards indicates that we, as Judaic 
librarians, are concerned about the 
quality of children's books, and that we 
require and desire better books to help 
us with our work as synagogue or school 
librarians. It prompts the small religious 
press to work constantly on improving 
the quality of its offerings. As for 
general, secular publishers, notice of 
our awards indicates that there is a 
concerned body of people imploring 
them to seek out authors and books with 
a Jewish story to tell. If we buy these 
books for our libraries, gift shops, or 
ourselves, we indicate the value of 
publishing books on Jewish subjects. 
The shiny gold seal on winning books is 
not only a professional recognition to 
the publisher but an economic one too. 
As my new committee and I tackle the 
new crop of books in anticipation of next 
June's award banquet, we'll be looking 
for those books that speak to us as 
librarians and educators, as caring 
Jews, and as People of the Book. See 
y'all in Atlanta next year. 
*Reflecting µpon the Book Awards 
Banquet of the 18th Annual Convention 
of the Association of Jewish Libraries 
held in Long Beach, California, June 21, 
1983, where awards were granted for the 
best children's picture book and best 
book for older children. 
Jewish Children's Books 
Too Good to Miss: 
Selected List of 1982 Contenders 
ASSOC/A TION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES 
BOOK AWARD COMMITTEE 
Pre-school through Grade Three 
Adler, David. Picture Book of Hanukkah; Picture 
Book of Passover. Holiday House. The books 
present historical information in a readable, 
enjoyable format with colorful illustrations by 
Linda Heller. 
Gogot, Howard. Books Are Treasures; I Learn 
About God; I'm Growing; Yoni. Union of American 
Hebrew Congregations (UAHC). A preschool 
series which is gentle, informative, and positive 
in its approach to Judaism. 
Cohen, Barbara. Gooseberries to Oranges. Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard. Tel!, the story of early immigration 
to America in a finely crafted picture book illus-
trated by Beverly Brodsky. 
Garfield, Leon. King Nimrod's Tower. Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard. A fine retelling of the Tower of 
Babel story for primary grades. 
Heller, Linda. Castle on Hester Street. Jewish 
Publication Society (JPS). Our winner fort he best 
book for younger children, it tells the story of 
early years in America from two different perspec-
tives-charming story. 
Meir, Mira. Alina in Israel: Story of a Russian Immi-
grant. JPS. Photo-essay depicts Israeli life for a 
newly arrived Russian family. 
Miller, Deborah. Only Nina Chairs; Poppy Seeds 
Too. Kar-Ben Copies. Two absolutely delightful 
and zany picture books to enhance any young 
child's holiday celebrations-the first for 
Passover, the other for Shabbat. 
Grades Four through Eight 
Chaikin, Miriam. Getting Even. Harper and Row. 
Third in a series of the daily happe'nings, good 
and bad, of a young observant girl growing up in 
the late 1930s, early 1940s. 
Chaikin, Miriam. Joshua in the Promised Land. 
Clarion. Vivid novelization of the story of Joshua 
and his quest for Jericho. 
Cohen, Barbara. King of the Seventh Grade. 
Lothrop. The story of the coming of age of a con-
fused young boy who finds out that his attempts 
to quit Hebrew school turn out differently than 
anticipated-excellent contemporary novel of 
alienation. 
Drucker, Malka. Sukkot: A Time to Rejoice. Holiday 
House. Another in Drucker's excellent holiday 
series combining factual info, religious obser-
vance, crafts, and cooking. 
Hest, Amy. Maybe Next Year. Clarion. Contem-
porary novel of a girl's desire to dance-warm 
story. 
Hurwitz, Johanna. The Rabbi's Girls. William 
Morrow. The adventures of a Rabbi's family, set 
in Lorain, Ohio, in the 19205. Good reading for 
girls. 
Lyttle, Richard. Nazi-Hunting. Franklin Watts. 
High interest-low vocabulary book which, 
despite its simple controlled vocabulary, provides 
fascinating reading. 
Roseman, Kenneth. The Cardinal's Snuffbox. 
UAHC. The reader has to make choices as the 
story of Jewish persecution in Spain in the 14005 
unfolds. 
20 JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No.1 Fall 1983 
Sachs, Marilyn. Call Me Ruth. Doubleday. Our 
award winner, this novel tells the story of immi-
grants at the turn of the century and their assimi-
lation into a new culture. 
Singer, Isaac B. The Go/em. Farrar, Straus and 
Giroux. Singer turns his talents to retelling the 
Golem tale in his own unique style, providing an 
excellent reading experience. 
Grades Nine and up 
Aaron, Chester. Gideon. Lippincott. Novelization 
of the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto. 
Friedman, Ina. Escape or Die. Addison-Wesley. 
True stories of young people who survived the 
Holocaust. 
Lehrman, Robert. Juggling. Harper and Row. 
Soccer player tries to find himself as an individual 
and as a member of a group. Fine novel inte-
grating many elements-sexual content. 
Levitan, Sonia. Year of Sweet Senior Insanity. 
Atheneum. Funny, touching novel of a California 
girl's coming of age-sexual content. 
Meltzer, Milton. The Jewish Americans: 1650-1950. 
Crowell. Brings history alive through the use of 
diaries, letters, and other primary sources. 
Ruby, Lois. Two Truths in my Pocket. Viking. 
Short stories depicting the Jewish adolescent 
as outsider-each story is an excellent discussion 
starter. 
Sue Barancik is librarian at Temple 
Adath B'nai Israel, Evansville, IN, and 
storyteller at Willard Library in Evansville. 
' Gila Records 
offers 
classics of Jewish liturgy 
sung by 
Cantor Jacob Hass 
on cassettes: 
FRIDAY EVENING SERVICE $7 
SABBATH EVENING SERVICE . $7 
COMPLETE HIGH HOLIDAY 
SERVICE (5 LP. Cassettes) . $50 
Above prices include 10% library 
discount and postage. 
CHILDREN'S RECORDS 
ALSO AVAILABLE. 
Send prepaid orders and requests for 
complete catalog of records and tapes 
to: 
R. Hass 
3188 Riverdale Avenue 
Bronx, NY 10463 
or call: 
(212) 884-1961 


Association of Jewish Libraries Book Award for Children's Literature

Greenbaum, Avaham

Index of Articles on Jewish Studies and Index to Hebrew Periodicals: A Comparison

Cutter, Charles

New Serial Notes 
The Institute of Jewish Studies of the Heb-
rew University of Jerusalem has under-
taken the publication of a new English-
language journal in Jewish Studies entitled 
Judaica in Jerusalem. The purpose of this 
journal is to overcome the language barrier 
and enable scholars throughout the world 
in related fields such as history, philosophy, 
comparative religion, Bible, etc., to make 
use of the fruits of Israeli scholarship written 
in Hebrew. 
The journal is divided into three sections: 
The first section will be devoted to abstracts 
of doctoral dissertations which have been 
approved by Israeli universities in recent 
years. The second section will contain sum-
maries of the important articles relating to 
Jewish Studies which appear in Israeli 
scholarly journals in the Hebrew language. 
The third section will consist of abstracts 
and critical reviews of the major books in 
Jewish Studies published in Israel in 
Hebrew. 
A major goal of Judaica in Jerusalem is to 
present a true and balanced picture of 
Israeli scholarship, its interests and schools 
of thought. The first issue is scheduled to 
appear in fall-winter 1983-84. The journal is 
planned as a bi-annual publication. 
Ziporah Weinfeld Brody 
Institute of Jewish Studies 
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 
Evidence for the need for an English ab-
stract journal for Jewish Studies published 
in Hebrew is found in a recently published 
citation analysis of Biblical Studies (Yit-
zhaky, 1982). The author found that Heb-
rew Biblical Studies account for about 4% 
of all studies in this field and for about 5% of 
all cited papers in the field. This led him to 
conclude that research published in Heb-
rew is used and cited primarily by those 
who are Hebrew speakers and who publish 
their own papers in Hebrew as well. Dis-
semination of information about Judaic Stu-
dies published in Israel in Hebrew to the 
international community of scholars in this 
field should increase the impact of this re-
search literature. 
-Ed. (8.H. W.) 
REFERENCE 
Yitzhaky, M. [oshe], "Bible Research in Hebrew 
in the 20th Century: a Bibliometric Study," Afei 
Sefer: a Journal for the Study of the Hebrew 
book, No. 10 (June 1982), pp. 143-152. (LC 
Romanization: 'Ale Sefer.) 
SERIALS 
CARLJS Periodicals Project: An Interim Report 
Charles Cutter 
Brandeis University 
Waltham, MA 
Current periodicals of Jewish interest num-
ber in the hundreds. As these title prolifer-
ate and as the funds available for new sub-
scriptions decrease, libraries have found it 
necessary to be more selective and to limit 
the number of new serial subscripti0ns 
which they order each year. Some institu-
tions have even been forced to cancel sub-
scriptions for titles to which they had sub-
scribed for many years. Librarians express-
ed need for sharing information regarding 
periodical holdings to enable them to make 
informed decisions about placing and can-
celling subscriptions. The Executive Com-
mittee of the Council of Archives and Re-
s ea rc h Libraries in Jewish Studies 
(CARLJS) therefore appointed a commit-
tee to study the situation and make recom-
mendations. 
The Periodicals Committee, after consider-
able deliberation, concluded that the mem-
bership would benefit most from sharing 
information pertaining to periodicals that 
might be considered peripheral to the in-
terests of most member institutions or that 
were expensive and therefore not held 
widely. It was also the belief of the Commit-
tee that steps must be taken to assure that 
at least one copy of every serial title of 
Jewish interest is preserved so that it can 
be made available to readers and scholars. 
In the course of the discussion it was noted 
that a union list of serials would be the best 
vehicle for the dissemination of the re-
quisite information. It was pointed out that 
both the Union List of Serials and New Se-
rial Titles were incomplete. The Committee 
felt, therefore, that the compilation of a un-
ion list of Judaica serials is a desideratum. 
In view of the fact that the funds and per-
sonnel required to see such a project to 
fruition were not available, the Committee 
recommended to the Council that it 
approve the compilation of a list of 
"esoteric" titles, i.e., titles reported held by 
no more than five member libraries. 
7!l"Dil '7i, an,i?n" .il~ll , 7 i7nP 
7 N7j7nil 1pnnl U' 7 7lYil 1nNnill 
11 , ,,unP'7J 7 l n1n 7 J-- □ 7 7C1Yil ilNnl 
,J"ni,n nnn ,, n1J,n ,7!l1J 7 '7Y 
. 152-143 'Y 
Following the Council's approval, the Com-
mittee set about compiling the list of 
"esoteric" titles. It sent members a photo-
copy of the current periodicals card ex of the 
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of 
Religion Klau Library in Cincinnati and re-
quested that each member note the titles 
that were currently being received. Addi-
tions to the Klau Library holdings were also 
noted. Twelve of the thirty-three member 
libraries, representing the major collectors 
of Judaica, responded to the survey. The 
Committee therefore considered the sur-
vey valid and proceeded to compile both 
Judaica and Hebraica lists of "esoteric" ti-
tles based on these responses. 
Procedures have been established and 
forms devised (see Figures 1-3) for report-
ing and disseminating information pertain-
ing to new serial titles and changes in the 
status of older serials. As a result, periodic 
reports have been sent to the membership. 
In addition, as a result of the information 
gathered, three supplements to the master 
list have been distributed. Procedures are 
now in place as well for the committee to 
monitor the holdings of periodical titles and 
to seek cooperation from member institu-
tions in continuing to receive and maintain 
titles not widely held. 
A word processor has now been made 
available for use by the committee and it 
plans to integrate and edit the master list 
and the supplementary lists during the 
coming year. In addition, the Committee will 
once more explore the feasibility of prepar-
ing a union list of serials. 
The Committee is confident that lists of 
"esoteric" titles and reports pertaining to 
new serial titles have been helpful in aiding 
librarians to make decisions pertaining to 
the acquisition and cancellation of serials. 
We are hopeful that a greater number of 
members will participate in this cooperative 
venture. 
Dr. Charles Cutter is Head, Judaic Depart-
ment, Brandeis University Libraries and 
President of the Research Division of the 
Association of Jewish Libraries. He is co-
author, with Micha Falk Oppenheim of Jew-
ish Reference Sources: A Selective, Anno-
tated Bibliographic Guide. (New York: Gar-
land Publishing, 1982) .
42 JUDAICALIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No.1 Fall 1983 
r 
FIGURE 1. NEW TITLE FORM 
Title ______________________________ Date ______ _ 
Publisher (including address), _____________________________ _ 
Price __________ Frequency __________ Format _________ _ 
Reporting Institution and Contact Person ________________________ _ 
) Will Subscribe 
) Considering Subscription 
) Other ___________ _ 
(specify) 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
Send this form directly to CARLJS New York office. 
The Staff Coordinator will record and circulate periodically all new titles reported. 
FIGURE 2. SERIAL CANCELLATION NOTIFICATION 
Reporting Institution and Contact Person ________________ Date ______ _ 
Title 
Publisher (including address) ____________________________ _ 
Format -------------------------------------
) Title on Master List ( ) Title not on Master List 
) Holdings __________________________ _ 
) Backfile available to other libraries 
Years _________ _ 
Format: ( ) Bound ( ) Unbound ( ) Microfilm ( ) Microform 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
Send this form directly to CARLJS New York office. 
The Staff Coordinator will record and circulate periodically all serial cancellations reported. 
FIGURE 3. CHANGE IN STATUS 
Title ______________________________ Date ______ _ 
Publisher (including address), _____________________________ _ 
Source of Information --------------------------------
Reporting Institution and Contact Person ________________________ _ 
) Title Changed to: 
) Change in Frequency to ( ) Daily ( ) Weekly ( ) Monthly ( ) Annual ( ) Other 
(specify) 
) Ceased Publication (year and no.) ______________ _ 
) Other ~-~-------------
(specify) 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
Send this form directly to CARLJS New York office. 
The Staff Coordinator will record and circulate periodically any changes in status reported. 
JUDAICALIBRARIANSHIP Vol.1 No.1 Fall 1983 43 
ateeWion4 ~om 
m1cah 
pusl1cat1ons 
.BOCKS- INTERPRETING MODERN JEWRY 
r, 
End of An Exile: Israel, The Jews and The Gentile 
World: a classic study by the eminent Christian theo-
logian, James Parkes. Commemorative volume, includes 
articles by A. Roy Eckardt, Carl Hermann Voss, and others. 
ISBN: 12-9 30 pages $8.00 
:.. 
Kaputt (goes Europe)! by Curzio Malaparte: an un-
forgettable reminiscence of the Second World War, partly 
Proustian, lyrical, grotesque and fantastical, a gaily grim 
witness to "the debacle of Europe ... " 
ISBN: 13-7 410 pages $8.00 
l +l 
Encounters With Israeli Authors, by Esther Fuchs: 
interviews with nine oflsrael's distinguished writers - an 
excellent introduction to the state of writing and living in 
the state of Israel. 
ISBN: 14-5 95 pages, photos. $7.00 
t 
South African Jewish Voices: work by Nadine Gordi-
mer, Dan Jacobson, Jillian Becker, and other Jewish 
writers in or now out of South Africa. 
ISBN: 10-2 280 pages $8.50 
An Anthology of Latin American Jewish Writings: 
"The editors are to be congratulated for having assembled 
this material and making it available in English." Amer-
ican Jewish Archives. 
ISBN: 06-4 288 pages $9.00 
Orestes in Progress, Roberta Kalechofsky: "The inner 
reflections of a latter day Orestes matched against a Leo-
pold Bloom . . . The novel is a find for the serious reader." 
Bill Katz, Library Journal. 
ISBN: 02-1 233 pages $4.44 
The Mourning Road, Fred Mandell: a nightmarishly 
comical novel about the children of the Jewish immigrants 
who "made it in America":" ... stylistically competent and 
very satisfying first novel .. . "Choice" 
ISBN: 04-8 297 pages $5.25 
Rejected Essays, and Other Matters, by Roberta Ka-
lechofsky: upbeat and scholarly articles on the P.L.O., 
Jewish feminism, and like subjects-" ... is its own huzzah 
for the Small Press Movement." Judaica Book News. 
ISBN: 08-0 247 pages $5.00 
ISBN: 0-916288- Books may be.ordered from publisher: Postage $1.00 for the first book, 
30¢ for each book thereafter. We will be happy to send you our full catalogue upon request. 
Micah Publications 
255 Humphrey Street 
Marblehead, Mass. 01945 
44 JUDAICA LIBRARIANSHIP Vol. 1 No. 1 Fall 1983 


CARLJS Periodicals Project: An Interim Report

Marcus, Richard W.

ARCHIVES 
As increasing numbers of Jewish com-
munities discover their past, efforts are 
being made to collect and preserve their 
photographs and written records. National 
collecting agencies and the archival profes-
sion recognize the benefits of maintaining 
these records in the communities that they 
describe rather than bringing them to cen-
tral repositories hundreds or thousands of 
miles away, so long as the material is prop-
erly cared for. The community has direct 
access to the material for a myriad of pur-
poses, among them local histories, geneal-
ogy, and photo research. 
This column will periodically run descrip-
tions of local archival repositories and their 
activities. News and descriptions should be 
sent to Richard W. Marcus, Asher Library, 
Spertus College of Judaica, 618 S. Michi-
gan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605. 
Richard W. Marcus is Administrator of the 
Chicago Jewish Archives and Director of 
the Norman and Helen Asher Library of 
Spertus College of Judaica, Chicago. 
Nashville Jewish Archives 
Richard W. Marcus 
Spertus College 
Chicago, IL 
In the fall of 1977, the then-executive direc-
tor of the Jewish Federation of Nashville, 
Martin Kraar, encouraged Annette Levy, 
the Federation's director of libraries, to de-
velop a grant proposal for starting a local 
Jewish archives. Nashville's Jewish com-
munity of some 4,000 has a long history 
dating back to the 1850s but, except for a 
small collection of manuscripts and ar-
chives assembled by historian Fedora 
Frank and housed at The Temple, no pre-
vious effort had been made to systematical-
ly collect and preserve the community's re-
cords. A successful application to the 
National Historic Publications and Records 
Commission (NHPRC) would provide the 
impetus and support necessary to a profes-
sional archives operation. 
The Nashville experience is a case study of 
a small local effort that has pulled itself up 
by the bootstraps to become a functioning 
archives. Ms. Levy had had no prior archiv-
al experience when she submitted her 
proposal in June of 1978, so she found the 
assistance of the Tennessee State Coordi-
nator for the NHPRC, Cleo Hughes, most 
helpful in putting together her application. 
Nevertheless, her lack of experience was 
evident in her submission, and it was re-
turned by the Commission because "it 
sounded as if a librarian had written it." 
NHPRC staff recommended that Levy 
attend the Society of American Archivists' 
(SAA) Basic Archival Workshop. Her re-
vised application, which incorporated in-
formation she acquired at the workshop, 
was accepted, and resulted in a one-year 
grant award of $19,523 "to locate, arrange, 
describe, and microfilm the records of the 
Nashville Jewish community ... to estab-
lish a Jewish archives which will include 
organizational and individual records, and 
which will be available to historians in-
terested in the unique southern Jewish 
community of Nashville." 
As part of the archival program, a lay com-
mittee, composed of representatives of lo-
cal Jewish organizations, was formed to 
work with the archives staff. Levy stresses 
the importance of this committee in de-
veloping a broad base of communal sup-
port. The role of the committee was four-
fold: 1) to publicize the archives and its 
functions; 2) to collect current organization-
al records; 3) to recruit volunteers; and 4) to 
encourage community support to replace 
the grant funds when they expire. 
At the conclusion of the grant period, a 
renewal for a second year was requested 
but denied because of NHPRC's financial 
difficulties. The Board of the Jewish Fed-
eration voted to provide support, but only 
enough to keep the operation going with 
part-time staff. The full-time archivist was 
terminated, and was replaced by a half-
time archivist. Levy is Director, the archive 
is accessible to patrons daily, and has 
accumulated some important material. 
In addition to paper records, the Archives 
administers the Oral History Project of the 
Nashville Section of the National Council of 
Jewish Women. This project is conducting 
interviews with local Jewish personages 
who can provide insight into the history and 
development of the Nashville Jewish com-
munity. The Archives also administers the 
Jewish Federation's Holocaust Oral History 
Project. 
Use of the material is growing. Photo-
graphs from the collections have been used 
for several exhibits and as illustrations in a 
number of publications. In May of 1983, the 
Federation received a grant from the Ten-
nessee Committee for the Humanities for 
Levy to prepare a slide-tape presentation 
on the history of the Nashville Jewish com-
munity, drawing material from the Archives. 
The birth and growth of the Archives of the 
Jewish Federation of Nashville holds 
several lessons for other prospective ar-
chives projects. Never begin an archival 
operation without at least one experienced 
staff person; the lack of experience can 
result in chaos. In the case of Nashville, the 
project director sought help early on and 
was able to apply her knowledge to her 
situation. The Nashville experience also 
points up the importance of the SAA work-
shops and how they fill the need for on-
the-job training in situations where formal 
academic studies would be ineffective. A 
painful lesson is that granting agencies 
cannot be depended upon to provide more 
than start-up support; once this support 
expires, it is rarely renewed. Alternative 
funding sources should be lined up before-
hand or the project tailored to run only for 
the duration of the original grant period. 
Strong support from dedicated laymen will 
ensure the commitment of the community, 
an essential factor in the acceptance of any 
project. 
16 JUDAICALIBRARIANSHIP Vol.1 No.1 Fall 1983 


Nashville Jewish Archives

Sachs, Marilyn

Upon Accepting the AJL Book Award for Best Children's Book of 1982

Baker, Zachary

RESPONSA 
"Responsa": There could hardly be a 
more appropriate title for a column 
devoted to reference questions from 
Judaica librarians. After all, "questions 
and answers" are the librarian's 
equivalent of the she'elot u-teshuvot 
that rabbis and laymen have exchanged 
since the time of the Mishnah. The 
difference is that the Ii brarian's 
"responsa" are seldom halakhic in 
nature. -
The Judaica librarian in particular is 
constantly bombarded with inquiries 
ranging over the entire gamut of Jewish 
knowledge, covering the disciplines of 
history, linguistics, literature, sociology, 
anthropology, drama, sports, the fine 
arts, and many others-not to mention 
all aspects and manifestations of the 
Jewish religion. No single individual can 
possibly command a truly encyclopedic 
knowledge of the Jewish universe. As 
librarians we do nevertheless have a few 
tricks up our sleeves: We are familiar 
with a wide range of Judaica reference 
sources; we know how to construct a 
search strategy; and we presumably are 
familiar with a variety of interview 
techniques. 
Each "Responsa" column will be 
devoted to answering three or four 
reference questions sent in by readers of 
Judaica Librarianship. Questions will 
also be referred to subject specialists or 
back to the general readership of this 
journal. Readers will, in addition, be 
invited to share their own "responsa" via 
this column. In this way "Responsa" is 
meant to serve as a Judaica reference 
clearinghouse. Please address your 
letters to me, c/o the Jewish Public 
Library, 5151 Cote Sainte Catherine 
Road, Montreal, Quebec H3W 1 M6 
Canada. 
This being the first "Responsa" column, 
the mail has not yet had a chance to pour 
in, so I will take this opportunity to 
describe one facet of my own 
experience as a reference librarian. 
During the mid-1970's the "genealogy 
boom" caught much of the Jewish 
library world unawares. It was part of a 
much broader development, to be sure, 
but Jewish genealogists faced obstacles 
spared their gentile counterparts. One 
of these obstacles was the total lack of 
Zachary M. Baker 
Jewish Public Library 
Montreal 
suitable "how-to" literature directed at a 
Jewish audience. This obstacle was in 
due course overcome, and it is perhaps 
no coincidence that of the three existing 
Jewish genealogical guidebooks, two 
were written by trained librarians. 1 
It was through no design of my own that 
I became involved in genealogical 
reference work. But the demands that 
this new cliente·le made on the VIVO 
Library (where I was working at the time) 
were so great that it seemed logical to 
have a specific staff person assigned to 
assist genealogists. So I was "drafted" 
for this service and found myself 
devoting a good 25% to 30% of my 
working hours consulting with visiting 
family historians and answering 
correspondence. 
Genealogists are a notoriously hard 
group to satisfy. It is one thing to 
determine the Christian calendar date of 
5 lyar 5743 (Israeli Independence Day 
1983), but quite another to provide 
information on "the Goldstein family 
from Vitebsk and the Pinsky family from 
Odessa" - as one letter in my files 
requests. For the genealogist there is no 
single correct answer to his or her 
question. But like other library users, 
genealogists can be pointed in the right 
direction, and librarians have naturally 
been instrumental in setting 
genealogists on the right track. 
Since in order to trace one's lineage it is 
important to know where one's 
European ancestors came from, I found 
that genealogical inquiries often led 
directly to geographical research. 
Furthermore, since North American 
Jews normally have only a vague sense 
of Eastern European geography, it was 
often quite a chore to come up with 
successful search strategies to locate 
obscure towns known only by the 
garbled versions of their names,. as 
handed down to genealogists by their 
grandparents. 
Here is a case in point: A visitor came to 
VIVO, complaining that he had been 
trying for months, without success, to 
locate "Boslav," his grandfather's home 
town in the Ukraine. I turned first to the 
pre-revolutionary Russian·-Jewish 
Evreiskaia Entsiklopediia, but could not 
identify any town named "Boslav." Upon 
reflection, though, it occurred to me that 
"Boslav" was probably. a Viddishized 
36 JUDAICALIBRARIANSHIP Vol.1 No.1 Fall 1983 
form of what in Ukrainian would be 
called "Bohuslav" (God's Glory). And 
since there is no "h" sound in Russian, I 
correctly conjectured that this town 
would be identified as "Boguslav" in 
English language reference sources 
(which are usually based on Russian -
rather than Ukrainian - sources). I was 
soon able to locate articles about 
Boguslav in the Evreiskaia Entsiklopediia, 
the Columbia Lippincott Gazatteer, the 
Polish gazetteer (Slownik Geograficzny ), 
and both the German and English 
Encyclopaedia Judaica. 
It was this experience that spurred me on 
to set my geographical search strategies 
down on paper, and the result was a short 
article designed to aid others in finding 
their shtetlekh. The article bore the title 
"Eastern European Jewish Geography," 
and its subtitle, I would like to think, could 
have been conceived only by a librqrian: 
"How to get from Amshinov to Mszczonow 
without moving an inch." 2 By codifying 
my search strategies in this short article 
I contributed a modest ''reference 
source" of my very own to the literature. 
Thus, reference librarianship is a two-
way street, with librarians consulting 
already-existing reference works and 
creating new ones of their own. 
Moreover, as the "Boslav" case attests, 
reference work remains as much an art 
as a science-as dependent upon such 
caprices as the librarian's imagination, 
memory and intuition as it is on the 
library catalogues, published works, 
and data bases that the reference 
librarian regularly makes use of. Though 
new technologies may yield new 
reference tools, the human touch will 
always remain at the center of the 
reference equation. 
1See My Jewish Roots, by David Kranzler (New 
York: Sepher-Hermon Press, 1979), and From 
Generation to Generation, by Arthur Kurzweil (New 
York: William Morrow, 1980). Kranzler is Chief of the 
Social Science Division of the Queensborough 
Community College Library, and Kurzweil worked 
as a public librarian in New Jersey. Dan Rottenberg, 
who wrote the first "guidebook to Jewish 
genealogy," Finding our Fathers (New York: 
Random House, 1977), is a freelance journalist. 
2 Toledot, vol. 2, no. 3 (Winter 1978-1979), pp. 9-14. 
Zachary M. Baker is the librarian of the 
Yiddish Department of the Jewish 
Public Library of Montreal. 


Responsa

Hass Weinberg, Bella

DEWEINEAZAR 
Dewey Decimal Classification. 200 Religion Class: reprinted from Edition 20 of the Dewey 
Decimal Classification ... with a revised and expanded index, and manual notes from 
Edition 20. Albany, NY: Forest Press, a division of OCLC, 1989. viii, 191 p. ISBN 0-910608-
43-1. $15. LCCN 89-27221. 
Many Synagogue, [Jewish] School, and 
[Jewish community] Center libraries, 
which constitute the SSC Division of the 
Association of Jewish Libraries, use 
Dewey-based classification schemes. 
The purpose of this review of the reprint 
of the religion class of the twentieth edi-
tion of the Dewey Decimal Classification 
(DDC) is to consider (a) the utility of this 
publication to SSC libraries, and (b) the 
extent to which it can be used indepen-
dently of the complete four-volume 
DDC, which is priced at $200. 
The editors of the reprint recognize 
ethics as a cognate discipline of religion 
and have therefore appended the 
schedule for ethics (170). This is essen-
tial because topics in moral theology are 
synthesized in DDC from a base number 
in the religion class and the final digits of 
a number in the ethics class. For exam-
ple, a class number for Jewish medical 
ethics is built from the base number 
296.3856 (Judaism-specific moral 
issues) and 174.2 (Medical ethics), 
yielding 296.385642. 
While synthesis is a powerful device, it 
tends to produce longer class marks 
than does enumeration. Synthetic classi-
fication is also more difficult to apply, 
and given the fact that many SSC 
libraries are run by volunteers, this is an 
argument against their adoption of DDC. 
Revision of the Judaism Schedule 
The assistance of Dr. Marcia W. Posner 
is acknowledged in the Preface (p. vii). 
In her chronicle of the Association of 
Jewish Libraries (AJL), Posner (1991, p. 
134) describes her review of the religion 
schedule. 
From a comparison of the 2oth edition of 
class 200 (Dewey, 1989) with earlier 
Reviewed by: 
Bella Hass Weinberg 
St. John's University and YIVO 
New York City 
editions of the scheme, a radical restruc-
turing of the Judaism class is not evi-
dent. There is, however, enumeration of 
additional specific topics: "Hasidism" 
was only an example of the topics to be 
included under "Mystical Judaism"-
296.833 in the 19th edition of Dewey 
(1979). In the 20th edition, Hasidism is 
assigned its own number: 293.8332, and 
296.83322 is allocated to "Habad 
Lubavitch Hasidism." 
This review is not the place for a com-
parison of the outlines of Judaica classi-
fication schemes. The impression of this 
reviewer, however, is that the Judaism 
schedule in DDC is couched in Christian 
terms and divides up the universe of lit-
erature on Judaism on the basis of 
Christian constructs, e.g., "Doctrinal, 
moral, social theology." The enumera-
tion of specific topics also seems to be 
done from a Christian perspective. For 
example, of all Jewish organizations, 
only "Young Men's Hebrew 
Associations" and "Young Women's 
Hebrew Associations" have their own 
numbers (296.673 and 296.675, respec-
tively), paralleling those for Young Men's 
Christian Associations and Young 
Women's Christian Associations (267.3 
and 267.5). It is questionable whether 
YMHAs are religious associations at all; 
surely there is greater literary warrant for 
other Jewish organizations. 
The sequence of topics in the schedule 
for the Jewish religion is often strange. 
Under reform movements, for example, 
the order is Conservative Judaism, 
Reconstructionist Judaism, and Reform 
Judaism. This is certainly not an evolu-
tionary sequence, which would be logi-
cal given the overall chronological 
breakdown of sects and movements in 
296.8 - ancient, medieval, modern. 
The sequence of books of the Bible 
120 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
remains 'the Protestant one, with no 
option for the Jewish order. 
The Christian primacy of the scheme is 
evident even in the text of the advertise-
ment for this work: "Another Good Book 
for your religious collection." This is, of 
course, an allusion to the Bible; although 
Jews revere the Tanakh, they never 
refer to it as "the good book." 
Independence of the Reprint 
Few Judaica collections are limited to 
publications on religion. Almost all con-
tain works on Jewish history and Israel, 
which are classified in the 900 (history, 
geography) schedule of DOC. Jewish 
sociology, art and music, and literature 
are classified in the 300s, 700s, and 
800s, respectively, necessitating consul-
tation of the complete Dewey schedules. 
The reprint does not even serve for the 
representation of all topics in religion. It 
does not include the Dewey table of 
standard subdivisions, although it refers 
to them frequently. Thus, for example, to 
synthesize a number for "periodicals on 
Judaism," the classifier must consult the 
volume of Tables in the complete DDC 
(Dewey, 1989, vol. 1). The same goes 
for the breakdown of Judaism by coun-
try: one is dependent on the extensive 
geographic table in the full DDC, which 
is, of course, not reprinted here. 
The editors have made a laudable effort 
to make the work self-contained by 
including notes from the DDC manual 
(Dewey, 1989, vol. 4 [Part 2]} that apply 
to the religion class, as well as a relative 
index developed just for the religion 
class. (The ethics schedule is not cov-
ered by the index, however.) SSC librari-
ans are likely to require more general 
guidance, several auxiliary tables, and 
schedules from other disciplines. 
Acquisition of the abridgment of DOC 20 
(Dewey, 1990) is a cheaper option than 
buying the full schedules ($75 vs. $200), 
but at the price of lower specificity for 
Jewish topics. Buying the complete DOC 
200 (religion) schedule and the corre-
sponding abridged Dewey (i.e., the 12th 
edition, which corresponds to the 20th 
edition of the complete classification) 
would cost significantly less ($90); from 
the advertisement placed in Judaica 
Librarianship (vol. 5, no. 2 (Winter 
1991), p. 227), it seems that the publish-
ers consider this a logical combination. 
The total price is still far higher than one 
would pay for either the Elazar (1988) or_ 
the Weine (1982) scheme for Judaica 
classification ($32.50 and $12.50, 
respectively) - $90 may constitute a 
substantial percentage of an SSC librari-
an's acquisitions budget. 
Conclusions 
In a paper published in the first issue of 
Judaica Librarianship, I discussed fac-
tors to be considered by SSC librarians 
in the selection of a classification 
scheme (Weinberg, 1983). The 20th edi-
tion of Dewey and the reprint of its reli-
gion class do not lead to a reevaluation 
of DDC's appropriateness for small 
Judaica libraries. Its philosophical 
acceptability is still low; many topics 
enumerated in special Judaica classifi-
cation schemes do not have their own 
numbers in Dewey; and DDC's move-
ment towards increased synthesis 
makes it a scheme that cannot readily 
be implemented by untrained librarians. 
The availability of Dewey numbers in 
CIP (Cataloging-in-Publication) Data, in 
MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging), 
and on Library of Congress printed 
cards remains its major advantage to 
Judaica libraries. 
The solicitation of input from an AJL 
member in the revision of DOC is a posi-
tive phenomenon. Perh~ps the 
Cataloging Committee of AJL's SSC 
Division should undertake the responsi-
bility for monitoring the entire Judaica 
component of DDC, not just the religion 
schedule. (The demotion of Yiddish from 
a language to a dialect, which occurred 
in the 18th ed. (Dewey, 1971, vol. 2, p. 
858) is an example of the type of prob-
lem that AJL should address.) 
The acquisition of the Dewey classifica-
tion by OCLC, the Online Computer 
Library Center, Inc., has long-range sig-
nificance. There has been extensive 
experimentation by Markey (1987) and 
others in the online display of Dewey 
hierarchies. The advantages of classified 
displays over keyword searching have 
been demonstrated, and the hierarchical 
approach to subject searching will proba-
bly be implemented in online public 
access catalogs in the near future. For 
this reason, it is important to see to it that 
the arrangement of the Judaism sched-
ule in the Dewey classification reflects a 
Jewish perspective, as opposed to the 
procrustean bed of comparative religion 
in which DOC places Judaism. 
References 
Dewey, Melvil [1971]. Dewey Decimal 
Classification and Relative Index. Ed. 
18. Lake Placid Club, NY: Forest Press, 
1971. 3 vols. 
Dewey, Melvil [1979]. Dewey Decimal 
Classification and Relative Index. Ed. 
19. Albany, NY: Forest Press, 1979. 3 
vols. 
Dewey, Melvil [1989]. Dewey Decimal 
Classification and Relative Index. Ed. 
20, ed. by John P. Comaromi et al. 
Albany, NY: Forest Press, a Division of 
OCLC, 1989. 4 vols. 
Dewey, Melvil [1990]. Abridged Dewey 
Decimal Classification. Ed. 12. Dublin, 
Ohio: Forest Press OCLC, 1990. 
(Advertisement in Judaica Librarianship, 
vol. 5, no. 2 (Winter 1991), p. 227.) 
Elazar, David H.; Elazar, Daniel J. A 
Classification System tor Libraries of 
Judaica. 2nd ed. Reprinted with adden-
da. Lanham, MD: University Press of 
America, 1988. 
Markey, Karen. "Searching and 
Browsing the Dewey Decimal 
Classification in an Online Catalog," 
Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 
vol. 7, no. 3 (Spring 1987), p. 37-68. 
Posner, Marcia W. "The Association of 
Jewish Libraries: A Chronicle," Judaica 
Librarianship, vol. 5, no. 2 (Spring 1990-
Winter 1991 ), p. 110-150. 
Weinberg, Bella Hass. "Judaica 
Classification Schemes for Synagogue 
and School Libraries: A Structural 
Analysis," Judaica Librarianship, vol. 1, 
no. 1 (Fall 1983), p. 26-30. 
Weine, Mae. Weine Classification 
Scheme tor Judaica Libraries. 7th ed. 
[Oak Park, Mich.]: Distributed by 
Association of Jewish Libraries, 1982. 
Dr. Bella Hass Weinberg is an Associate 
Professor in the Division of Library and 
Information Science at St. John's 
University, and Consulting Librarian for 
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in 
New York City. She has taught Judaica 
and general classification at the 
Graduate Library School of the Hebrew 
University of Jerusalem. 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 121 


Not a member yet