Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief, offered on Sage Reference Online, can be subscribed to as an individual database or as part of the entire suite of encyclopedia products. Contributors have been selected primarily from the academic community with the inclusion of independent scholars and government agencies based mainly in the US. This resource covers such diverse topics as types of disasters confronting the world (both human‐induced and natural), disaster relief case studies, corruption hampering relief efforts, terrorism, standards for international principles and practices of relief programs, and histories of relief agencies. Editors K. Bradley Penuel and Matt Statler are well‐versed in catastrophe preparedness and response planning.
A chronology of disaster relief provides a brief introductory overview of major events and major initiatives with coverage ranging from 79CE to 2010. The prime focus is on post‐nineteenth century events. A glossary provides an extensive set of definitions covering terminology used throughout the database. The inclusion of acronyms and cross‐referencing enhances usability. A three‐page resource guide provides a list of relevant books, journals and internet sites. A full‐text version of the 2007 US Department of Homeland Security National Disaster Preparedness Guidelines is included as an appendix.
This source provides three ways for the user to access material: first, a reader's guide with 18 categories to choose from; second, an entries index organized in alphabetical order with sub‐categories which can be searched or browsed; and third, a subject index organized in alphabetical order also with a search or browse option. The reader's guide option provides a great starting point for those who like to browse broad topic areas such as Government and International Agencies, Natural Disasters, and Politics and Funding. Each topic category indicates the number of sub‐categories contained within the group. Moving the cursor over the category reveals the associated sub‐groups. The other two options also provide the user with easy access and movement throughout the database but topics are narrower in scope. The search function offers a quick search or advanced Boolean search with limiter options available. The subject index focuses on specific issues, events or individuals and organizations, such as Madrid Terrorist Attacks and Malaria. It is a very direct way of quickly locating information related to specific topics.
Entries vary in length and depth but are well written using language accessible to most readers. Each entry is accompanied by a brief Further Readings list of references as well as an Entry Citation, which will be of great use to students. A side bar provides links to Readers Guide Related Topics and a See Also listing. Geographic region entries, such as that for Sub‐Saharan Africa, provide a broad overview of the regional situation with specific examples of disasters, diseases and relief responses both internally and by the international community, as well as an assessment of the outlook for the future. Dynamic photographs scattered throughout the encyclopedia provide compelling images relating directly to the entry they accompany. This feature enhances the reader experience.
The strengths of this database lie in its readability and easy navigation from topic to topic with “in context” listings available for some subject areas. The “related topics” listings are comprehensive, however, in some cases, these might be considered too inclusive in range as they take the user meandering well off the original topic. I did encounter links which were incorrectly assigned: (when clicking on Major Disasters – Relief Case Studies I was directed to the topic Government and International Agencies), although such occurrences were infrequent. Once material has been located, users have the option to print or email the results. The printing function includes a handy text‐only option. Citations in a variety of formats are available at the print/e‐mail stage. The email option sends the user a link to the entry rather than sending the text of the entry itself. Currently, this database does not have a separate logout button. The user must close the browser to exit the programme.
Overall, I would recommend this encyclopedia to a broad audience for several reasons. Although there are a number of high quality handbooks available on the topic of disaster management, such as, Tolley's Handbook of Disaster and Emergency Management (Moore and Lakha, 2006), this resource is a rare example of a comprehensive encyclopedia on disasters and disaster relief combining a global and historical perspective on the subject area. The scope of the work and the simple but effective navigation to information will attract a wide range of interested users from students and teachers to community organizers and the general public. Sage's Encyclopedia of Disaster Relief fills a current gap in the modern reference collection.
