International Bibliography of Theatre: 1982, and: International Bibliography of Theatre: 1983 (review)

94Comparative Drama International Bibliography of Theatre: 1982. Brooklyn, N. Y.: Theatre Research Data Center, 1985. Pp. 186. $65.00 (individuals $50.00). International Bibliography of Theatre: 1983. Brooklyn, N. Y.: Theatre Research Data Center, 1986. Pp. 388. $65.00 (individuals $50.00). Critical response by scholars, researchers, librarians, curators, and historians to the pilot volume, International Bibliography of Theatre: 1982 (IBT), has been a highly favorable one—peppered occasionally with a few justifiable remarks on ambiguity and sins of omission. Nevertheless, a comprehensive bibliography of this magnitude had long been overdue, and this work fills the bill quite nicely. It was, and is, an invaluable contribution to the field of theater research. A greater cause for rejoicing is the publication of IBT: 1983, an advancement over the first volume in that it "incorporates recommendations received from a number of national and international authorities, particularly the members of the International Bibliography Commission of SIBMAS" and augments the North American group of field bibliographers by teams of foreign scholars and librarians in Great Britain, Spain, Austria, West Germany, and Italy as well as individual bibliographers in Hungary, France, Poland, South Africa, Finland, and the Soviet Union. Credit for the conception of this bibliographic venture must go to the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR). Until recent years the location and accessibility of performing arts research resources were little publicized or even encouraged, but with the proliferation of performing arts programs in the 1970's it behooved the theater library profession to appraise the situation in order to develop, improve, and advance the cause for more efficient and sophisticated methods of bibliographic control. Without the scholarly vision and professional insight and dedication of ASTR members, the project might very well still be in the formative stage or, worse yet, grounded. Recognizing the need and importance of this specialized research source, the International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts (SIBMAS) and the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) climbed aboard the bandwagon to serve as co-sponsors. The heart of the bibliography is the Classed Entries section which contains one entry for each document analyzed in IBT: 1983. It provides the user with complete information on all material indexed and is the only listing where publication citations may be found and where detailed abstracts may be furnished. Although the Classed Entries section does not duplicate the Subject Index, readers are urged to refer to the Subject Index as an additional point of access when in doubt about the appropriate category for search. Changes in the taxonomy from IBT: 1982 have been designed to simplify the basic classification scheme while still maintaining a consistent logic. A major revision of the Indexes was undertaken with the aim of facilitating direct and comprehensive access to all entries—a change which delights librarians and most users alike. Individuals, including names of listed production personnel, theorists, playwrights, composers, and others can now be found in the Subject Index. The diverse categories such as Reviews95 Reference Materials and Basic Theatrical Documents have been transferred to other parts of the bibliography. Supplementing the Classed Entries section and the Subject Index are: (1) the Geographical-Chronological Index arranged first by the country relevant to the subject or topic treated and then subdivided by date (a series of numbers is given to direct the user to the full citation to the Classed Entries) and (2) the Document Authors Index listing alphabetically the author of each document in the bibliography (the author of the scholarly work cited, not the author of the dramatic artifact or topic under discussion). As proof that IBT: 1983 is indeed an improvement over IBT: 1982, I cite the subject entry "Financial Operations." In the pilot volume, only one item (Lambert Blum's "The Real Value of Theatre") appears in this listing. It is also found in the Classed Entries under "Theatre in General— Comprehensive" but not under "Theatre in General—Financial Operations ." The Classed Entries list two items under "Theatre in General— Financial Operations" not found in the Subject Index under "Financial Operations." Additional entries appear under "Financial Operations— Fundraising/Gifts and Grants"; "Government Funding/Subsidies"; and "Planning and Accounting." In this instance, the Subject Index...