How to define “fundamental” reference sources – this is the issue that the compilers of this work had to deal with over the years. The Editor of the third edition, James H. Sweetland, Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee, explains that there may be three approaches to this dilemma:
- 1.
(1) doing a survey of what sources are being taught in library schools across the country;
- 2.
(2) finding out which sources are being used by working librarians; and
- 3.
(3) omparing lists of recommended titles in other guides and textbooks.
As a matter of fact, this volume can easily serve as a textbook for reference librarians. It provides suggestions of titles most likely to be useful in reference and information work. Although there are certainly more comprehensive guides to reference books, such as the American guide by Balay‐Winchell‐Sheehy with 15,875 entries and the British guide by Walford with 8,000 entries, this one is easier to use because it is concise, lucid and well‐arranged. In addition to lists of reference sources, the book also gives explanations and definitions related to reference and information work, such as the reference interview, the reference process and reference sources.
This third edition, published by ALA (the first was published in 1971 and the second in 1980), places more emphasis on electronic media, especially CD‐ROMs and Web sources. It also reflects recognition of cultural diversity and interest in multiculturalism, and includes material published in languages other than English and materials published outside the USA. The third edition also places more emphasis on evaluation, not only of reference works but also of sources that review them.
The arrangement of chapters follows basically that of the previous two editions with additions reflecting the changes in the library world of the past 20 years:
Chapter 1 on the nature of reference and information service has been rewritten to reflect rather dramatic changes in practice and theory of reference work;
Chapter 2 discusses sources of bibliographic information;
Chapter 3 has been added to deal with the growing number of indices and abstracts;
Chapter 4 is new and lists directories of people and places;
Chapter 5 lists sources of biographical information;
Chapter 6 deals with dictionaries and other wordbooks;
Chapter 7 evaluates encyclopedias;
Chapter 8 on statistical sources deals with the impact of electronic formats in this area;
Chapter 9 covers geographical sources and includes Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The book concludes with a list of acronyms and initialisms (so prevalent in the US library world), criteria for evaluating dictionaries and encyclopedias, and a detailed index. In this reviewer’s opinion, every beginning reference librarian should become familiar with this volume. It is an excellent textbook and a truly fundamental source of reference material. It should be in every reference collection.
