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We must first stop and think whether there will be a future for the book world. The book has been in use for hundreds of years, as a medium for communicating information, but it is now meeting fiercer and fiercer competition. When television first became widely used, there were prophecies that the sales of books would diminish. Now we have colour television and video‐tape recording. Perhaps we shall soon be able to borrow a video‐tape of Ivanhoe or even the latest novel from the public library. The use of audio‐visual aids is growing fast, particularly in schools. Language laboratories, and teaching machines sometimes coupled with computers, are on the increase. Computer installations are increasing in number and scope even faster than the experts predict. We hear of plans for data bases for vast on‐line data banks. I am told that the main reason that Leasco took over Pergamon was to obtain Pergamon's journals for a data base.

The world grows steadily smaller, and affairs are now given as much prominence five thousand miles away from the scene of high incident as they are in places within easy range. The fact has occurred to me with particular force lately when reflecting on the change that has taken place in the political contents of American newspapers. Even less than a score of years ago one might buy papers in Detroit or Chicago and hardly realise from them that Europe existed. The change has been quite sudden and remarkable. Now the foreign news services of the great American papers are regarded as of considerable importance by the managements.

It seems to be the fate of fine social conceptions to be controlled sooner or later by officials whose sense of their importance is in inverse ratio to their ability to exploit the conceptions with enthusiasm and in happy constructive manner. We have seen that to occur in all sorts of organisations founded by people who deeply felt and clearly willed. Something of this kind would appear to have happened or to be happening to the British Broadcasting Corporation, which, since the war, has become as close a corporation as the most narrow‐minded body of bureaucrats might desire.

Readers may remember that library education, and the syllabus on which the Library Association's scheme is based, was the subject of symposia and of articles in this magazine about ten years ago, when the syllabus was under revision. At that time heavy attack on the syllabus was made by some of the most constructive librarians of the younger school; but unfortunately very little resulted from their criticisms, and I have no hope that under present circumstances, any revision of the syllabus may be expected. It will be gathered from what has already been published, that the feeling is general that the acquirement of book knowledge should play a considerable part in the education of the librarian, and that generally the scope of the librarian's training should be broadened. Notwithstanding warning, some of my correspondents in the controversy have written letters at great length, and I regret having had to cut mercilessly.

Some years ago at the invitation of Mr. William Will and the late Dr. J. M. Bulloch the writer addressed the Caledonian Society of London on the subject of Scottish magazines. The information presented was received with much interest and the result was no doubt effective. It was shown that Scotland was producing a wide range of attractive magazines. It was indicated, however, that many of these were in need of all the support that Scotsmen and others could give them. While the large majority were being produced from the Scottish angle, their nature was such as should make their appeal general.

Management consulting has been defined as “…an organised effort by specially trained and experienced persons to help management solve problems and improve operations, through the application of objective judgement based on specialised knowledge and skill and systematic analysis of fact”. It usually involves three types of service: the appraisal of existing conditions; the provision of technical knowhow and support; and assistance with projects by supplying extra talent (Hunt, 1977). The UK based Institute of Management Consultants adds that a consultant is both independent and qualified and provides a professional service.

THAT British historians will have to be careful and have a care is indicated by the following judgment pronounced by the youngest member of the literary staff of the imposing “New York Herald Tribune.” The subject of review was “A Short History of the British Working Classes,” by a British authority, Mr. G. D. H. Cole, and the reviewer's comment on the book is as follows: “… a serviceable book; perhaps we may say indispensable, until such time as an American social historian addresses himself to the fascinating, though arduous, task of working over the immense mass of material now available for the purpose of furnishing the American student with an authoritative summary of an enthralling subject.” Well, we have learned lately that the definitive work on the Great War is now being projected by an associate professor of a university in the American backwoods, so we are preparing to pull up our socks.

As interest in technology ethics is increasing, so is the interest in bringing schools of ethics from non-Western philosophical traditions to the field, particularly when it comes to information and communication technology. In light of this development and recent publications that result from it, this paper aims to present responds critically to recent work on Confucian virtue ethics (CVE) and technology.

Four critiques are presented as theoretical challenges to CVE in technology, claiming that current literature insufficiently addresses: overall applicability, collective ethics issues, epistemic overconfidence within technology corporations and amplification of epistemic overconfidence by the implementation of CVE. These challenges make use of general CVE literature and work on technology critique, political philosophy, epistemology and business ethics.

Implementing CVE in technology may yield some benefits, but these may be outweighed by other outcomes, include strengthening hierarchies, widening inequities, increasing, rather than limiting, predictive activity, personal data collection, misinformation, privacy violations and challenges to the democratic process.

Though not directly advocating against CVE, the paper reveals hitherto unidentified and serious issues that should be addressed before CVE are used to inform ethics guidelines or regulatory policies. It also serves as a foundation for further inquiry into how Eastern philosophy more broadly can inform technology ethics in the West.

Reviews the available evidence on the use of human resource management consultants, and examines the findings from a study of their use in manufacturing in the North‐East of England. Also considers the following questions: What types of consultants are used and in what areas? How is the HRM consultant sourced, selected, managed and evaluated? What is their relationship with in‐house personnel departments? Concludes by considering the implications of the findings for the future role and status of the personnel function and identifies an agenda for further research. Suggests that the use of HRM consultants does not necessarily undermine the in‐house personnel function and under certain conditions may enhance its reputation.