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