This single-source guide to selected biographical dictionaries and directories covers the entire spectrum of biographical sources (serial and nonserial) that have been published in the last ten years. In each entry the book gives complete bibliographic information along with price and a critical evaluation. Most entries have been selected from American Reference Books Annual (ARBA), between 1986 and 1997. Organized in two broad categories-International and National Biographies and Biographies in Professional Fields-listings are also easily accessed through detailed author/title and subject indexes. This work will be valuable to reference librarians, researchers, and others who require information on the lives of individuals from all fields of study and all time periods, and of particular use to those involved in the library acquisition process.

Profiling more than 1400 print and electronic sources, this book helps connect librarians and researchers to the most relevant sources of information in genealogy and biography.

A perennial favorite. ...invaluable as a learning tool. I highly recommend it. --PREVIEW

Publisher Description

Fully annotated and completely updated—the most comprehensive guide to reference books in the field of history. Reference Sources in History catalogs atlases, encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, sourcebooks, bibliographies, and chronologies and makes sense of it all. Its broad scope and systematic organization make it an accessible, reliable resource for experienced and inexperienced researchers alike. Fully annotated and updated, the new edition summarizes hundreds of reference works on every conceivable subject in history—from ancient to modern, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. This edition also reflects the dramatic impact of the digital revolution on historical research by integrating a wide range of Internet and CD-ROM sources. Reference Sources in History is a time-saving alternative to searching the reference stacks or getting lost in an online thicket of dubious historical websites.

Catherine Parke explores biography through detailed examinations of Samuel Johnson, Virginia Woolf, Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein and other masters of the genre.

Thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect current developments in the field, this text is designed to provide the beginning student of library and information science with an overview of the most important tools for general reference work and the concepts and theory behind today's reference services. The 21 chapters are divided into two parts. The first 11 chapters deal with concepts and theory and are topical. They cover such areas as ethical aspects of reference services, reference interview, the principles and goals of library instruction, bibliographic control and search strategies, training and continuing education for reference staff, the evaluation of reference services, and the management of these services. In many cases, specific applications in different types of libraries are pointed out. Expanded coverage of electronic reference service is provided by two full chapters devoted to basic principles and current trends in this area. A separate chapter covers unique approaches to reference service for special groups. Part 2 describes the general principles and sources for selecting and evaluating reference tools and the principles for building a reference collection. The remaining chapters discuss the characteristics and uses of particular types of reference tools. This new edition describes a greater number of titles of each type as well as the formulation of strategies for the effective use of specific sources or groups of sources. Scenarios in particular library settings conclude each chapter, offering realistic reference questions and appropriate search strategies. Throughout the text, boxes are used to highlight specific issues, concepts and search strategies that underlie contemporary reference services. Selected important sources for further reading are listed at the end of each chapter. This text presents the essential theory and practical knowledge necessary for an initial reference course. Its broad scope and organizational clarity should benefit students and practitioners alike.

A revised and updated guide to reference material. It contains selective and evaluative entries to guide the enquirer to the best source of reference in each subject area, be it journal article, CD-ROM, on-line database, bibliography, encyclopaedia, monograph or directory. It features full critical annotations and reviewers' comments and comprehensive author-title and subject indexes. The contents include: philosophy and psychology; religion; social sciences, sociology, statistics, politics, economics, labour and employment; land and property, business organizations, finance and banking, and economic surveys; economic policies and controls, trade and commerce, business and management, and law; public administration, social services and welfare, education, customs and traditions; geography; biography; and history.