Chapter 18: Encyclopedias
Example of a yearbook?
Britannica Book of the Year
Example of children's encyclopedia
Childcraft
Encyclopedia review sources include
Choice, Library Journal, American Reference Books
Important adult encyclopedias include:
Encyclopedia Britannica, Propaedia, Britannica Online, Encyclopedia Americana, Wikipedia, Citizendium
An example of an encylopedia arranged chronologically is
Encyclopedia of American History
Example of a single volume encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Animal Science
Example of subject encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Forensic Science
Encyclopedia of Religion
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations
Important subject encyclopedias include:
McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology,
Important general source for children and young adults are
World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Online, New Book of Knowledge, Grolier Online, My First Britannica, World Book Discovery Encyclopedia, Kingfisher Children's Encyclopedia
The physical format of an encyclopedia is inextricably intertwined with its
accessibility and usefulness
Print encyclopedias typically follow a common format:
alphabetical arrangement with associative cross-references and indexes
When reviewing an encyclopedia a librarian should pay careful attention to what
an article includes or omits
More than any other book
an encyclopedia has been associated with an educated mind
Subject matter writing style and presentation determine an encyclopedia's
audience
Yearbooks may be in what two formats?
chronological or topical
Single volume encyclopedias deliver
condensed, factual information often with illustrations and usually without an index
When selecting an encyclopedia consider
cost, shelf space, preservation goals, online availability and type/number of users
Unlike dictionaries
encyclopedias typically contain, lengthy essays, compact factual discussions and a variety of tools to teach research skills
When assessing whether an encyclopedia is balanced with respect to subject coverage
examine the length and depth of articles written on a variety of subjects
Children's encyclopedias put more emphasis on
format, illustrations and pedagogical tools
Subject encyclopedias
have a broader scope, give more in depth coverage to a single topic
Foreign language encyclopedias are most often found
in large public or academic libraries
Encyclopedias are written in what style?
objected rather than analytical
Encyclopedias contain a well-organized overview of ___ topics
selected
Encyclopedias lose value
soon after they are purchased
When determining which encyclopedia to use the librarian must consider
user's age, knowledge level and information need
People who seek information fall into one of three information seeking categories: learners
users with general needs and users with scholarly or specialized needs
Yearbooks function as
year in review reference tools
