AA - Information Sources

1996

AA -- Information Sources

96-4-370

The Year in Reference. Ed. Charles A. Toase. Andover, Hants: Gale Research International. 24 cm

1994. lvii, 496 p. ISBN 1-87347-726-0: £78.00

The first edition of this yearbook, which attempts to evaluate a year's worth of British reference works appropriate for public and academic libraries, was reviewed thoroughly (in German) in IFB 94-3/4-337. The current edition covers 306 titles (as opposed to 275 previously) and is less obviously directed only to public libraries. The original edition's promise that English-language titles from other European countries would also be surveyed has been kept so minimally that it should be abandoned for future editions. Materials in electronic formats remain poorly covered. The alphabetical arrangement of titles within broad subject groups also continues to be unsatisfactory. In addition to author and title indexes, there is an inadequate subject index. The yearbook still has a long way to go before it can be considered a counterpart to American Reference Books Annual. [sh/nb]

96-4-371

The Internet for Women. Rye Senjen and Jane Guthrey. North Melbourne, Vic.: Spinifex Press, 1996. xiii, 285 p. ill. 24 cm. ISBN 1-87555-952-3: £12.95. (Jane Cornwell, 22d Ufton Td., London N1 5BX, Fax 171 249 3558)

This basic, thorough, and clever survey by two Australian women deserves to be read by people other than those the authors consider their primary audience. In 208 pages, the authors knowledgeably explain functions and services of the Internet. However, the following 60-page "Geekgirl's Bible," offering brief descriptions of Internet resources relevant to women, is not comprehensive enough to be considered a "magic carpet ride to women-run sites around the world." Those who are seeking such a "magic carpet" for research in women's studies (and have some familiarity with German) should repair to the extensive women's research site maintained by the University of Bielefeld and its excellent collection of information resources. [rni/nb]

Next Section
Previous Section
Table of Contents