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Discusses relationships between services engineer teams and suggests that services engineers need to look again at their contribution to the new industry order now emerging.

Hard resin such as Rosin modified moleics. Rosin, modified phenolics and Aromatic hydrocarbon resin petrez SP 100 (source IPCL) were dissolved in mineral turpentine (50% solids) and their films were applied on the glass pannels (10cm × 3cm × 0.5cm) to give a WFT of 3 mils. The loss of solvent from the film was studied at an interval of 10 minutes till the weight of film was nearly constant at ambient temperature.

SEPTEMBER this year will be unique in the history of the librarian in England in that for the first time in nearly sixty years the annual conference of the Library Association has already become a memory only. There are those who profess to believe that the conference should be restored to the autumn months. It may be suggested on the other hand that the attendance at Margate lent no assistance to that point of view; indeed, the Margate conference was one of the most pleasant, one of the most successful, of which we have record. Nevertheless, if it can be proved that any large body of librarians was unable to be present owing to the change of month, it appears to us that the matter should be considered sympathetically. Although no one holds any longer the view that one week's attendance at a conference will teach more than many months' study in hermit‐like seclusion—the words and sentiments are those of James Duff Brown—because to‐day there is much more intimate communication between librarians than there was when that sentiment was expressed, there is enormous value, and the adjective is not an exaggeration, in one large meeting of librarians in body in the year. It is an event to which every young librarian looks forward as the privilege to be his when he reaches a high enough position in the service; attendance is a privilege that no librarian anywhere would forego. And this, in spite of the fact that there is usually a grumble because the day is so full of meetings that there is very little chance of such recreation as a seaside, or indeed any other, place visited, usually provides for the delegates.

THE evacuation brought many problems to the country districts—problems that those who ordered it had not bothered to think‐out beforehand. One suspects that the ministers responsible looked on it as an exercise in moving a million people from one place to another; and, when the million had been moved, congratulated themselves on another astounding success. But the moving was only the start. It was a far more difficult business to keep the evacuees in the country. That raised problems for everybody—including the rural librarian. Some people may say the evacuees didn't want to read anything except timetables for trains to take them home. The rural librarian, being a man of understanding, might have foreseen that demand and supplied it. But there are other and better ways in which the rural librarian might have helped and is helping. For the rural library can provide the evacuees with a substitute for the pleasures of town; and, more important in the longrun, can help them to understand that strange, almost foreign, thing—country life.

AT intervals the rules and regulations of libraries should be scrutinized. They are not in themselves sacrosanct as is the constitution of the Realm, but many exist which no longer have serviceable qualities. Nevertheless, so long as a rule remains in force it should be operative and its application be general and impartial amongst readers; otherwise, favouritism and other ills will be charged against the library that makes variations. This being so, it is imperative that now and then revision should take place. There is to‐day a great dislike of discipline, which leads to attacks on all rules, but a few rules are necessary in order that books may be made to give the fullest service, be preserved as far as that is compatible with real use, and that equality of opportunity shall be given to all readers. What is wanted is not “no rules at all,” but good ones so constructed that they adapt themselves to the needs of readers. Anachronisms such as: the rule that in lending libraries forbids the exchange of a book on the day it is borrowed; the illegal charge for vouchers; insistence that readers shall return books for renewal; the rigid limiting of the number of readers' tickets; or a procrustean period of loan for books irrespective of their character—here are some which have gone in many places and should go in all. Our point, however, is that rules should be altered by the authority, not that the application of rules should be altered by staffs. The latter is sometimes done, and trouble usually ensues.

This paper promotes a critical approach to co-operative studies by contributing new theoretical insights. The aim is to propose a new view on the co-operative firm as a socioeconomic phenomenon embedded into the local contexts in which it is situated. Sociological and economic analyses have mainly explored the relationship between co-operative members and the organization, the economic performance of co-operatives or compared co-operatives with other firm types. Less attention has been given to the co-operative–territory relation, which can reveal insights into members' collective actions, a co-operative's origins from specific social groups or how they establish relationships with certain community stakeholders over others.

The paper begins with a literature review of academic studies that situate co-operatives in relation to community, with a focus on how social capital theory has been deployed to understand this relation. It then proposes a theoretical examination of two fundamental authors in the field of social capital theory: Robert Putnam and Pierre Bourdieu. Drawing on findings from the literature review and considerations derived from the theoretical dialog between Putnam and Bourdieu, the paper proposes a revised social capital-based framework for analyzing key relations and expected outcomes of the co-operative–territory relation.

Reconsidering the role of social capital theory for co-operative studies, this article unfolds a dual reflection. First, it underlines the necessity for research that more closely considers co-operatives' territorial relationships. Second, it critically interrogates and pushes forward social capital theory as a framework for examining the social relations that embed co-operatives and their capacity to activate territorial economies.

The paper highlights the necessity for a further examination of the co-operative–territory relationship. It presents an innovative framework for improving sociological understanding of co-operatives as organizations embedded into their local socioeconomic contexts.

Following the recent appointment of Jim O'Brian as chairman, Scott Bader now announces the appointment of Ian Henderson as managing director.

Macpherson has developed a totally new product in its London laboratories (See “Comment” February), which enables plastic components to be painted in an entirely different way to that currently in use. The cost of the process is typically one quarter of that of the existing method, the cycle time a small fraction, and the reject level typically one twentieth of the current level. The performance of the painted components is much higher with the new process in respect of adhesion and resistance to stone‐chipping. The product has been readily accepted by the World's Automotive Manufactures, and has been licensed to the second largest U.S. paint company, recently merged with I.C.I. to form the World's largest paint company.

The Directors of Burrell & Co. Ltd. regret to announce that they have requested Barclays Bank Ltd., the Company's principal bankers, to appoint a Receiver in respect of the Company and of its two principal subsidiaries, Burrell Colours Ltd. and Burrell Colours (Stockport) Ltd. The Bank have appointed Mr. Ian McIsaac of Touche Ross & Co., as Receiver of the Company and of the subsidiaries.