Literature

"The Alkaline Switch--A Marketing Perspective," by W.C. Sellers. White Papers and Office Automation Conference L989, p. viii-1 (8 pp.). A representative of a paper manufacturer touts alkaline paper for its greater stiffness and overall strength, better printability, finished appearance, and archival qualities. $6 from GATF. Make check payable to Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and send it to Library, GATF, 4615 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3796.

Pulp & Paper Canada. Grade Directory 1990. Issued annually in September by Southam Business Information and cations Group Inc., from its editorial and executive offices at 3300 Cote Vertu, Suite 410, St. Laurent, Que. H4R 2B7 (514/339-1399; fax 514/339-1396). Subscription: $99.95 Canadian. The 1990 edition is the first, and an the first page of the Introduction is a description of the chaos that exists internationally in classification of papers, and why the word "grade" doesn't mean much any more. This gives background to the description of the information presented in this directory, which emphasizes technical information (furnish, caliper, opacity, etc.--13 characteristics) and end use, to bring user and producer into better communication.

There are nine parts to this 81-page directory: listings y company, agents and brokers, brand name and end use, pulp grade specifications, paper grade specifications (with only 14 papers per page) and four others. This directory will be very useful to buyers of Canadian papers who are outside Canada.

"A Videotour of Paper Manufacturing" is available from TAPPI for $302. For people who are not sure they want to buy it until they have seen it, there is a $75 preview fee, which goes toward the purchase price. 30 min. Since it form a part of the "Introduction to Paper Properties" training course, it is really informative, with a minimum of hype. The viewer is shown every operation from the harvesting of trees, through the woodlot and pulp mill, to the paper mill and a final review of paper properties relevant to the user's needs. The emphasis, naturally, is an how a modern integrated paper mill works, rather than on the aspects of papermaking that fascinate people and draw them into the field, such as exotic fibers, paper chemistry, or the nature of fiber bonding; so it would probably not be a very successful recruiting film. As an introduction to paper it would work best when used with assigned readings such as James E. Kline's Paper and Paperboard (1982).