The lyrics from the Ervin Drake song made famous by Frank Sinatra, "It Was a Very Good Year," kept coming to mind in 2010, despite the economy. While the quantity of works produced declined, and publishers suffered along with everyone else, there was no diminution in quality. With reduced budgets for collections, librarians were forced to make…

This guide to adult reference works and services for the small or medium-sized public library is divided into two sections. Section One lists 559 numbered items arranged in 22 subsections, and 222 additional items in notes following entries or at the end of the relevant subsection. Subject areas are as follows: guides and bibliographies; general…

This annotated bibliography focuses on resources for the study of international elections and electoral systems and outcomes that will be useful for collection development and for answering reference questions about foreign elections. Discusses comparative politics, comparative elections, and possible electoral reform. (LRW)

Eleven articles address issues relating to agricultural libraries and information, including background on agricultural libraries and information, trend management, document delivery, reference services, user needs and library services, collection development, technologies for international information management, information sources,…

Discusses library resources for genealogical research, including bibliographies of family histories, guides to genealogical resources, periodicals, indexes, CD-ROM products, electronic bulletin boards, and nonprofit services. An annotated list of 13 titles for a basic collection is included. (MES)

Describes a recent increase in religious reference activity in public libraries and its impact on reference services and collection development. The need for open attitudes on the part of the librarian and the importance of understanding the patron's perspective are emphasized. Material selection aids and resource materials are reviewed. (CLB)

Five articles focus on issues of accountability within the library profession. The topics discussed include the roles of library schools and associations in developing professional attitudes, performance measures for reference services, responsiveness of collection management to university needs, confidentiality of library records, and guidelines…

The primary objective of this guide is to help librarians select adult services reference tools which cover many different topics, with special emphasis on recent social and technological changes. Arrangement is topical, with particular attention given to the following topics: AIDS, abortion, the environment, economic problems, the crisis in…

This annual review source is designed to assist smaller libraries in the systematic selection of suitable reference materials for their collections. Approximately 500 unabridged reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most useful and affordable reference sources available for small and…

This annual review source is a guide for libraries with limited budgets to finding the reference sources that best fit their needs and it also is a source for helping reference librarians advise patrons on information sources. More than 500 reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most…

Aspects of collection management of scientific and technical materials are discussed in 12 articles. Areas covered include academic science library collections; collection assessment of biotechnology literature; humanities and social science librarians in science-engineering libraries; editorial preparation of the "International Dictionary of…

The need for reference books, selection guidelines, issues about circulation, descriptions of various types of books, and ideas for promoting the use of these books in a congregational library are covered in this guide. The work opens with a discussion of what reference books are and broad guidelines for deciding which books should be in a…

Discussion of the development of the discourse of diversity highlights a report from the Librarian's Association of the University of California that addressed cultural diversity in academic libraries. Topics discussed include developing culturally diverse collections; access; reference services; bibliographic instruction; and recruitment,…

This manual suggests and describes recommended reference services and sources for a small hospital library. Focusing on reference services, the first section includes information on ready-reference services; bibliographic search services, including taking and processing a request for a bibliography, National Library of Medicine literature…

Designed to assist smaller libraries in selecting suitable reference materials for their collections, this annual review source identifies and describes 538 of the most useful and affordable reference sources available. The reviews cover reference titles published in 1998. Detailed annotations describe the nature, scope, and usability of each…