Outstanding Reference
Posted by: Rebecca Vnuk
The ALA Reference Sources Committee has announced the Outstanding Reference Sources list for 2010. Here are the titles:
Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present
Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society
Encyclopedia of Human Rights (also the Dartmouth Medal winner)
Encyclopedia of Marine Science
Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars
I look forward to this list every year because I like to see how it meshes with Booklist Editor’s Choice: Reference Sources, which is published in the January 1 & 15 issue of Booklist. This year, there are four titles–Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present; Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy; Encyclopedia of Gender and Society; and Encyclopedia of Human Rights–that appear on both lists. Some of the differences between the two lists can be explained by differing criteria and methodology. While the Outstanding Reference Sources list is selected by the Reference Sources Committee at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, the Editor’s Choice list is drawn from the starred reviews that have appeared in the Reference Books Bulletin section of Booklist during the year. Sometimes RBB receives a title too late to review it in time. Scribner’s Encyclopedia of Modern China for example, arrived just before I left for the Midwinter Meeting and is in the hands of a reviewer now.
It’s interesting to see that there is just one electronic reference source, Social Explorer, on the Outstanding Reference Sources list. The Reference Sources Committee has always been extremely conservative when it comes to recognizing electronic resources.
What with the announcement of the Dartmouth Medal winner and honorable mentions and the appearance of the Outstanding Reference Sources and Editor’s Choice lists, this is a great time of year for reference. Diverse lists benefit everyone involved in publishing reference materials and building reference collections.
