Library News: April 2008

April 1, 2008

For Your Reference
Last time we spotlighted electronic encyclopedias in the netLibrary and Gale Virtual Reference Library collections. This month our focus is on recently acquired reference sources in our print collection. Both print and online subject-specific encyclopedias remain a first step in the research process for locating background information or an overview of a topic.

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology has been selected as an outstanding reference source for 2008 by a division of the American Library Association. To grasp the full extent of the coverage of this 11 volume set, it is useful to survey two special features in volume one. The Timeline lists key events and noteworthy individuals dating from Confuscius to the centennial meeting of the American Sociological Association in 2005. The Lexicon is a listing of entries based on the 22 categories the editors use to organize the contents for researching concepts in sociology. Considered a Choice Magazine “essential” title for academic libraries, this encyclopedia provides a wealth of reliable and authoritative scholarship in the field. (R/301.03/B568/2007)

Also new to the Library’s reference collection is the third edition of the Encyclopedia of Special Education. Subtitled “A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents and Adults with Disabilities and other Exceptional Individuals,” the latest revision addresses recent changes in law and legislation. With a 20 year pedigree, this title continues to serve as a benchmark in special education research. (R/371.903/En19/2007)

These and other reference sources are listed and described in the pathfinders to our collection. Find print pathfinders in the literature rack in the reference center and locate them online in the Guides to our Collection on our Web site.