Evaluation Set #1 Individual Assignment
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1 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Terry Wasserman Individual Catalogue Entries Evaluation Set 1 Spr 09/ILS 504 Prof. Okobi 16 March 2009
2 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
I. Required Five Evaluations
National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints, A Cumulative Author List Representing Library of Congress Printed Cards and Titles Reported by Other American Libraries. 754 vols. London: Mansell, 1968-1981.
Purpose: To put these older and rare titles into a book form to make them available to all via an efficient bibliographic apparatus. This project was part of a larger attempt by Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress in 1909, to compile a complete record of books in US libraries.
Scope: All works published, or in the case of manuscripts written, before 1956. The Catalog contains entries for books, pamphlets, maps, atlases and music. It includes periodicals and serials but the list is incomplete. It includes some individual manuscripts, but more are recorded in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. The Catalog does not include records of phonorecords, motion pictures, filmstrips and Braille and only includes those master’s theses that had Library of Congress cards.
Authority: This catalog was put together by the Library of Congress staff from the cataloguing reports of many of the best libraries and librarians in the US and Canada. This catalog includes all holdings of the Library of Congress from pre-1956, plus all of the holdings reported by several hundred participating libraries: in the case of University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, John Crerar Library and New York Public, it is indeed a full
3 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi accounting of every catalogued item. Other libraries reported items from their collection based on their guess of whether or not the item was unique or rare—so there are conceivably a number of records that were not deemed rare enough and so not reported here or all copies are not recorded here.
Format: Print.
Arrangement: The entries are arranged in alphabetical order by author, unless there is no author (as in the case of the Bible) and then they are alphabetized by title. Each entry or catalog card reflects the information supplied by the cataloguing library—thus, the entries run the gamut from full citations with ever detail to cards listing only an author’s surname and an abbreviated title. Subject headings and call numbers were left on the entries, even if not Library of Congress. The location of every entry is listed at the bottom of the card; the first location supplied the card catalogue information. Rare books and monograph entries were left alone, despite potential inaccuracies.
Special Features: The entire enterprise is so unique it’s hard to discuss special features in context. The Catalog was the single largest publication ever and at the time, the photocopying techniques used to produce the volumes were cutting-edge. Despite its monstrous size, the Catalog still has its uses in verifying or finding copies of longforgotten documents—as of just a few years ago, still fully one quarter of what is recorded in the Catalog has yet to be listed on WorldCat (L. Smith, personal communication with reference librarian, 9 March 2009).
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Limitations: It’s a print resource, written in tiny type that hasn’t been updated. There are different fonts throughout with little thought given to the ease of use or overall design; there are hand-written comments and completely illegible entries. Some entries are incomplete, while even the most complete may no longer still be accurate.
Latest Edition: The first edition, 1968-1981. It can no longer be purchased and has not been updated.
Books in Print. (2007-2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
Purpose: The purpose of this source is to provide absolute coverage of every book within its spectrum that is currently being published or distributed in the United States for librarians and members of the book trade market.
Scope: Provides entries for all books published after 2000 and active ISBNs. This edition features 1,854,150 active titles published from 2000 on and 3,107,383 active ISBNs representing 72,240 publishers. There are over 294,282 new titles and 328,762 new ISBNs in this edition. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in the online version of Books in Print). Books in
5 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Print is similar to Forthcoming Books in its scope and differs only in that the latter includes only books about to be published, whereas the former includes only books that are published.
Authority: The publisher of Books in Print, Bowker, has been at this for over 60 years and has nearly perfected the system of collecting and disseminating information about books currently in print. Bowker gives publishers 24/7 online access to submit or update publication information using either Bowkerlink or EDI—publishers can also call, fax and write in entries. Bowker relies on the book publishers to provide accurate information, the book publishers in turn rely on Bowker to get their books out to libraries and booksellers—quid pro quo, the source is as accurate as everyone involved can make it.
Format: In print and online.
Arrangement: Designed to be easily searchable by both author and title, Books in Print is a seven volume work. The first through fourth volume are arranged alphabetically by title, volume five concludes titles and begins the section alphabetically arranged by authors. Volume six is dedicated solely to authors and volume seven contains the conclusion of authors and the indicies for publisher and distributor. Each entry contains as many of the following as available: title, subtitle, contributors, edition number and information, publication year, pagination, audience code, binding type, price in USD,
6 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi asterisk identifies ISBN new to this edition of BIP, publisher’s abbrev. name, foreign publisher ISO code, USA distributor’s abbrev. name.
Special Features: The most useful feature of this reference work is its online component. Having the ability to search the print edition via both title and author is convenient, nothing is easier than doing a keyword search online. In addition, the online version has a forthcoming books room which lets the user see “yet-to-be-published” titles, a “fiction connection” site that assists in choosing new reading based on old favorites, a userfriendly website designed for patron use, complimentary online training session, and a “non-fiction connection” assisting readers in finding non-fiction based on prior interests.
Latest Edition: The most recent print edition is the 2008-2009.
Limitations: The limits of the print edition are fairly evident: books get published more than once a year. The online version, however, is updated continuously and so is more up-to-date. In addition, not having a subject search in the print edition, though spacesaving, is a disadvantage. The online version, again, corrects this problem with the ability to keyword search.
Cost: $980. If the purchaser enrolls in a standing order, s/he can save 10% on this edition and 5% on all subsequent editions.
7 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition is updated annually, the online version is updated continuously.
Balay, R. (Ed.). (1996). Guide to Reference Books. Chicago: American Library Association.
Purpose: The Guide is meant to be the first place students look for reference resources. It is a general resource for college students and non-experts who are looking into a subject with which they are not familiar.
Scope: The editors of the Guide to Reference Books strive to include only the most useful reference works based on quality, authority and completeness. Though most sources are English-language and North American, non-English sources are included if deemed essential. The 11th edition includes over 14,000 entries ranging from atlases and encyclopedias to periodical and universal bibliographies. The Guide covers the most valuable reference works published between the 1700s and the 1990s that are still in use. The reference books that are included have been evaluated for their use by college students or non-expert researchers.
Authority: This book can rest on the laurels of the editor himself, Robert Balay: recipient of RUSA’s 2004 Isadore Gilbert Mudge-R.R. Bowker Award, former editor of Choice Magazine and former Head of Reference at Yale University Sterling Memorial Library.
8 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi However, he did not edit this book alone; its 15,875 titles were chosen by 50 generalreference and subject-specialist librarians from major universities across the U.S.
Formats: The copy used for this assignment is print, however the current Guide is now only available online where the 2008 edition has been published at www.guidetoreference.org.
Arrangement: The Guide is organized into five sections by subject: 1. General Reference, 2. Humanities, 3. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 4. History and 5. Science, Technology and Medicine. Each section is further, and helpfully subdivided. There is a good, detailed index given by author, title and subject. Entries include complete bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, publication date, etc…), LC classification and number.
Special Features: The best feature of the print edition of the Guide is the annotations which are written by academic librarians to be useful. The sources that are included in the Guide are tried and true, used and acquired by academic librarians for their serviceability and value. The online edition allows users to browse sources and do advanced searches, including the ever-practical keyword search. The online version also allows more reference works to be included without fear of having too much information for a single volume.
9 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Latest Edition: The last print edition is the 11th, published in 1996. As of 2008, the newest Guide, the 12th edition, was published solely online. It is the first Guide to Reference Books to incorporate online reference materials into its entries.
Limitations: The print edition is out of date and the online edition is not available to all. The Guide is not exhaustive but rather selective and will not be as useful to an expert in a field as it will be to a learned novice. Sometimes the Guide does more describing of sources than actually evaluating of them.
Cost: The printed version is $275 and the online version can be purchased via contacting the ALA.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition was updated every decade or so with supplements published in between.
Lester, R. (Ed.). (2005). New Walford Guide to Reference Resources, vol 1. London: Facet. Purpose: The reference is meant as a guide to assisting non-experts who are looking for further reading on a particular subject, so the scope of the project is very wide. It is an attempt to adapt to the hybridization of information resources and includes a vast array of online sources as well as print one in its attempt to modernize.
10 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Scope: Similar to that of Guide to Reference Books but on a more international scale, with special emphasis on British works. The first volume, the only one currently available in the library, is devoted solely to science, technology and medicine. It covers the best and most recent scientific enquiry up to the date of publication, 2005— approximately 8,300 sources in all different formats. It incorporates material accessible via the web as well as print research tools and articles (from digital image collections to print manuals).
Authority: It was put together by scholars proficient in the subject fields—there is a long list of professionals, from a mechanical engineer to a professor of anatomy, all experts who edited their mastered subject fields. Format: Print.
Arrangement: As one might suppose, the volume is split into three main sections: Science, Technology and Medicine. Each section is further broken down into subject groupings (twelve of those, six for Science and three each for Technology and Medicine) and then many subject fields—this organizational schema in lieu of the traditional Dewey Decimal Classification. Each resource falls into one of thirteen resource categories: 1. subject introductions, 2. dictionaries/thesauri, 3. laws/codes, 4. official bodies, 5. research centres & institutes, 6. associations & societies, 7. libraries/archives/museums, 8. portal & task environments, 9. discovering print & electronic resources, 10. digital data/image/text collections, 11. directories & encyclopedias, 12. handbooks & manuals
11 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi and 13. keeping up-to-date. There are both a Topic index as well as an Author/Title index and a General Resources section.
Special Features: The Topic index is probably one of the best features of the New Walford —it is exceedingly easy for a non-specialist to simply check out what materials exist on a particular topic. And because of the frequent annotations, it is easy to quickly see if this is really something that would help the researcher—and the remarks of one resource in relation to another (noted in the book) is helpful as well.
Latest Edition: 2005.
Limitations: Though not an exhaustive reference work, this is more a blessing than a limitation for most non-scientists. This volume contains a vast amount of information and including more would probably have overwhelmed non-experts. Rather, the limitation here is that the resource discusses online sources that may or may not continue to remain online at the URLs listed in the book. It is wonderful to have a book to assist us to use the web in searching, but unfortunate that there isn’t an online component as well.
Cost: $425.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The 2nd volume on Social Sciences was published in 2008 and the third volume is expected this year. The publisher, Facet, claims it will be
12 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi published in three year cycles, so we can expect the new edition of Science, Technology and Medicine in 2010.
Entin, P. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (1989). Public Library Catalog: guide to reference books and adult nonfiction. (9th ed.). New York: H.W. Wilson & Co.
Purpose: Meant as a guide to building a well-rounded collection for acquisitions, reference and cataloguing librarians, the Catalog can also be used by library patrons interested in a limited, but authoritative, view of what’s out there.
Scope: This Catalog covers all reference and non-fiction within its self-selected criteria. It is not an exhaustive catalog, but a listing of books chosen by some of the best-regarded librarians in public libraries as useful or essential to a basic collection. Older books as well as contemporary ones are included based on usefulness and others are no longer part of the catalog because they are out-moded.
Authority: The first Standard Catalog as this publication was once known was published in 1918, then again in 1923, with supplements in 1928 and 1931 and another edition coming out in 1934. Initially, the Standard Catalog contained a fiction section, but by 1942 there was a Fiction Catalog exclusive of, but as a companion to, the Standard Catalog, now known as the Public Library Catalog. All of this is to say that the Catalog is based on nearly a century of research and development, and edited by an astonishingly prolific editor, Juliette Yaakov—all of this lends credibility and weight to the already weighty volume.
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Formats: The 9th edition is a print volume. The most recent edition, the13th, is available in print as well as online. It seems to be more geared towards non-fiction and less about reference materials, however.
Arrangement: The Catalog is arranged in three parts: 1. Classified Catalog (Dewey Classification), 2. Author, Title, Subject and Analytical Index as well as 3. A Directory of Publishers and Distributors. Complete bibliographical and cataloguing data is given for each book as well as price, ISBN and LOC number. Descriptive or critical annotations are also included whenever available. The index is really to be used as the key to the Classified section.
Special Features: The Catalog is the companion volume to the Fiction Catalog and is similar to it, except in subject matter—together they contain much of the adult literature that would be found most public libraries. They are particularly useful when looking to weed a collection of outdate materials or looking to add newer books. The 9th edition has a particular focus on reference works and poetry and so is particularly useful to patrons interested in those fields.
Latest Edition: The most recent edition is the Public Library Core Collection: NonFiction, 13th ed. The title changed slightly between the 12th (2004) and 13th (2008) editions.
14 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Limitations: It is not an exhaustive listing, rather the selection of certain librarians. At one point that may have been a serious liability, but now with the web, so much is available, that having someone of authority weed through the millions of possibilities in order to create thousands of viable options is less of a blight and more of an asset.
Cost: $410. Online subscription is an additional cost—if one subscribes to both, they get the print at half off.
Frequency of Publication/Update: Each edition is updated with annual supplements which are part of the purchase price.
II. Five Titles Selected within the Group for Evaluation (Catalogue Entries, Evaluation Group 4, Section 2, ILS504/Spr 09, Terry Wasserman)
Greenfieldt, J. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (2006). Fiction Catalog. (15th ed.). New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.
Purpose: The Catalog is meant to assist both librarians and patrons in choosing interesting fiction. It assists librarians in choosing which books to acquisition and which to potentially weed as well as giving patrons a well thought-out list of worthwhile fiction. It is similar to both the Public Library Catalog (its reference and non-fiction companion
15 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi volume) as well as the Children’s Catalog in both preciseness of scope and authority of compilers.
Scope: The 1908 version makes the claim of presenting the best fiction of all time, so the scope is a bit imprecise, but roughly from early English classics to modern adult fiction. The Fiction Catalog is a selective list of contemporary and classical adult fiction. The 15th edition includes 8,000 titles, nearly 3,000 more than the previous edition. It also lists 800 analytical entries for novellas and novels contained within other works. Three annual supplements will be produced covering 2000 additional fictional works. The books included in the catalog are either written in or translated into English-- only books published in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and distributed in the U.S. are included.
Authority: The Catalog was compiled by seasoned librarians from across the country who collectively voted on titles creating a very learned and very broad-based consensus. The names of the key librarians are listed in the acknowledgements.
Format: Print and online versions are available (the online edition is available through WilsonWeb at an additional cost).
Arrangement: The main part of the catalog lists works alphabetically by author. The second part of the catalog is a title and subject index. The catalog also includes a list of publishers. Entries include all of the available bibliographic information: author, title,
16 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi publisher, date of publication, pagination, illustration note, price, out-of-print status, reprint publication data, ISBN and LOC control number.
Special Features: One of the most important features of the print edition is the access users gain to materials based on subject, theme or genre via the Subject index. Out-ofprint books are also listed in the catalog, giving it a broader depth than simply contemporary literature. There is also the companion publication, Public Library Catalog: Guide to Reference Books and Adult Nonfiction, which readers interested in biography or literary history might want to examine. The online version offers additional content, allows for keyword searches and entries can contain links to book reviews, from Wilson’s Book Review Digest Plus, either full text or in abstract. In addition, the online version allows for simultaneous searching of other WilsonWeb databases and permits one to check his/her local library for the title via OPAC.
Latest Edition: 2006.
Limitations: This is not an exhaustive list, rather it is a group of books selected by the editors and the librarians who made up the consulting group that voted on the books to be included. So, it can be a very useful catalog as it is pre-censored, but it is a list of suggested works and not a comprehensive list of all adult fiction.
Cost: The print version is $240, including the cost of the annual supplements. With the purchase of an online subscription, the print edition can be purchased at half price.
17 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Frequency of Publication/Update: 15 editions have been published since 1908. However, the online version is updated either daily or weekly, depending on need.
Price, A. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (2001). Children’s Catalog. (18th ed.). New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.
Purpose: To provide teachers and librarians with the a comprehensive list of appropriate reading for children from pre-school to grade six. There are also professional aids for children’s librarians and school media specialists.
Scope: The list includes books, magazines and web resources for children aged 3-12. The Children’s Catalog is a selective list of contemporary and classical adult fiction. The 18th edition includes nearly 7,000 titles. Annual supplements will be produced covering additional fictional works. The books included in the catalog are either written in or translated into English-- only books published in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and distributed in the U.S. are included.
Authority: The Catalog is prepared with the assistance of an advisory committee of experts in library service for children and then the list that the committee agrees upon is
18 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi then voted on by a group of experienced librarians consulting on the project. It does this much in the same vein as the Fiction Catalog.
Format: Print and online versions available (the latter through WilsonWeb at an additional cost).
Arrangement: The catalog is arranged into four parts: 1. The Classified Catalog which is listed according to Dewey, followed by Fiction, Story Collections, Easy Books and NonFiction Classics. Part 2. is a List of Recommended Web Resources, 3. the Author, Title, Subject & Analytical Indicies, which serve as comprehensive keys to the classified list, and part 4. the Directory of Publishers and Distributors. For book or story entries, the following are included whenever available: author, title, responsibility statement, publisher, date of publication, pagination, illustration note, series note, price binding and grade level. Availability of CD-Rom or Audio versions are also indicated. For web resources the following are included: title, publisher’s name, telephone, price for subscription services, grade level and URL.
Special Features: For the first time, a list of web resources is included in this version (replacing the CD-Rom reference works list). Out-of-print books are also listed in the catalog, giving it a broader depth than simply contemporary literature. The online version offers additional content, allows for keyword searches and entries can contain links to book reviews, from Wilson’s Book Review Digest Plus, either full text or in
19 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi abstract. In addition, the online version allows for simultaneous searching of other WilsonWeb databases and allows the checking of a local library via OPAC.
Latest Edition: 2006.
Limitations: This is not an exhaustive list, rather it is a group of books selected by the editors and the librarians who made up the consulting group that voted on the books to be included. So, it can be a very useful catalog as it is pre-censored, but it is a list of suggested works and not a comprehensive list of all adult fiction.
Cost: The print version is $195, including the cost of the annual supplements. With the purchase of an online subscription, the print edition can be purchased at half price.
Frequency of Publication/Update: Print versions are published every five years and the online version is updated continuously.
Forthcoming Books. (Quarterly). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker 1966-
Forthcoming Books. 43 (1). (Spring 2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
20 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Purpose: To provide librarians, booksellers and others with the most up-to-date bibliographic information possible about books being published in the coming quarter.
Scope: This is a list of books being published between March-June of 2008, it includes 34,143 titles from 1,982 publishing houses. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in another Bowker title, Books in Print).
Authority: Bowker’s is a highly respected publisher, having published Books in Print for over 60 years, and receives bibliographic information about the books from the publishing houses themselves. In fact, Bowker’s Electronic Data Interchange is available online 24/7, making it quick and easy for publishers to submit or update bibliographic data on forthcoming books.
Format: In print—an online version is also available via the forthcoming books room of booksinprint.com.
Arrangement: Modeled after the Library of Congress catalogue but with more detailed subject headings (eg., not just Accounting, but Cost Accounting). However, Forthcoming Books includes four headings not found in the LOC: Fiction, Geographical, Drama and Children’s Fiction. The headings are arranged alphabetically. One can look under
21 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi subject, author or title indicies to find a book. Each entry includes all or as many of the following as possible: author, title, subtitle, edition number, edition information, editors, LOC control number, series title and number, illustrations, pagination, audience code, grade range, publication year, type of binding, price, ISBN, publisher’s order number, additional binding ype, price information, foreign publication symbol and US distributor.
Special Features: With Bowker’s Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), publishers can put forward bibliographic data on forthcoming books whenever it is convenient for them to do so. Bowker’s then updates its own online database, the forthcoming books room found via booksinprint.com, continuously. Other useful features for librarians and booksellers alike are the audience code and grade range that are included in most entries, making it easier to connect the right type of books with the right people.
Latest Edition: Spring 2009 is the most recent edition, however the online database, as previously mentioned, is updated continuously.
Limitations: Forthcoming Books is a very thorough reference work and has few limitations—the online version is easy to search, via booksinprint.com and has nearly upto-the-minute information. The print version does have small type and though the subject headings are more detailed, a researcher may not be readily able to find the specific subject s/he is interested in given the limited number of headings.
Cost: $299.95 per annum.
22 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print version is printed quarterly and the online version is update continuously.
Books in Print. (2007-2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
Purpose: The purpose of this source is to provide absolute coverage of every book within its spectrum that is currently being published or distributed in the United States for librarians and members of the book trade market.
Scope: Provides entries for all books published after 2000 and active ISBNs. This edition features 1,854,150 active titles published from 2000 on and 3,107,383 active ISBNs representing 72,240 publishers. There are over 294,282 new titles and 328,762 new ISBNs in this edition. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in the online version of Books in Print). Books in Print is similar to Forthcoming Books in its scope and differs only in that the latter includes only books about to be published, whereas the former includes only books that are published.
23 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Authority: The publisher of Books in Print, Bowker, has been at this for over 60 years and has nearly perfected the system of collecting and disseminating information about books currently in print. Bowker gives publishers 24/7 online access to submit or update publication information using either Bowkerlink or EDI—publishers can also call, fax and write in entries. Bowker relies on the book publishers to provide accurate information, the book publishers in turn rely on Bowker to get their books out to libraries and booksellers—quid pro quo, the source is as accurate as everyone involved can make it.
Format: In print and online.
Arrangement: Designed to be easily searchable by both author and title, Books in Print is a seven volume work. The first through fourth volume are arranged alphabetically by title, volume five concludes titles and begins the section alphabetically arranged by authors. Volume six is dedicated solely to authors and volume seven contains the conclusion of authors and the indicies for publisher and distributor. Each entry contains as many of the following as available: title, subtitle, contributors, edition number and information, publication year, pagination, audience code, binding type, price in USD, asterisk identifies ISBN new to this edition of BIP, publisher’s abbrev. name, foreign publisher ISO code, USA distributor’s abbrev. name.
Special Features: The most useful feature of this reference work is its online component. Having the ability to search the print edition via both title and author is convenient,
24 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi nothing is easier than doing a keyword search online. In addition, the online version has a forthcoming books room which lets the user see “yet-to-be-published” titles, a “fiction connection” site that assists in choosing new reading based on old favorites, a userfriendly website designed for patron use, complimentary online training session, and a “non-fiction connection” assisting readers in finding non-fiction based on prior interests.
Latest Edition: The most recent print edition is the 2008-2009.
Limitations: The limits of the print edition are fairly evident: books get published more than once a year. The online version, however, is updated continuously and so is more up-to-date. In addition, not having a subject search in the print edition, though spacesaving, is a disadvantage. The online version, again, corrects this problem with the ability to keyword search.
Cost:.$980. If the purchaser enrolls in a standing order, s/he can save 10% on this edition and 5% on all subsequent editions.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition is updated annually, the online version is updated continuously.
British Books in Print. (Annual). London: Whitaker, 1874-
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Whitaker’s Books in Print. 2003. Surrey, England: Nielsen Book Data.
Purpose: To provide librarians, researchers and booksellers with a comprehensive list of British books in print. . Scope: Whitaker’s contains titles that are available to the general public through the book trade in the U.K. English language titles published in Continental Europe as well as titles published else-where with English language text and available through a sole stockholding agent in the UK are also included. Only the more important pamphlets and books costing less than 15p are recorded.
Authority: Whitaker’s has been compiling this list for over 120 years, since its founder, Joseph Whitaker, published The Reference Catalogue of Current Literature in 1874.
Formats: The print format published in five volumes is published regularly. There are also microfiche editions that are updated every month or week (depending on service purchased) and Whitaker’s Bookbank CD-Rom, which is updated monthly or bimonthly (depending on service purchased). There are a number of CD-Rom and online options including Whitaker’s Bookbank Global CD-Rom which includes all English language publications, Whitaker’s Bookbank OP CD-Rom which is available quarterly, Book Data’s Bookwise CD-Rom, Book Data’s Premier CD, Book Data’s Compact World CDE, Book Data’s TES CD-Rom, Online Whitaker LibWeb (especially for libraries), Online
26 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Whitaker PubWeb (especially for publishers), Book Data’s BD connect, Whitaker Web and Book-find online.
Arrangement: The books are listed in alphabetical sequence of authors, titles and subjects in this five volume work. All titles can be found under both author and title; the main entry is the author entry and it is indicated so by being in bold. The editions was printed in five volumes, the first containing A-C, the second D-H, the third I-N, the fourth O-St and the fifth Su-Z. A directory of publishers and their ISBN prefix listings is also included. Each entry includes as much as can be obtained of the following: author, title, subtitle, volume, pagination, illustrations, edition, series, binding if not hardback, price, publisher, date of publication, classification and ISBN.
Special Features: There are over 1,110,000 titles covered in the 2003 edition of British Books in Print from 49,856 publishing houses. The myriad different websites and CDRoms geared towards the variety of needs of the modern librarian, bookseller and publisher are astonishing. The book itself supplies all of the basic information about every book published in the UK that year; though, as was mentioned about the print edition of Books in Print, the problem there is self-evident, books are not published annually but rather continuously. However, the websites take are of that.
Latest Edition: Whitaker was bought and swallowed by Nielsen who retained many of the Whitaker websites but did not continue publishing the British Books in Print, rather the reference behemoth Bowker is now publishing their own version, Bowker’s Books in
27 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Print, and the most recent edition was 2006. A supplement, Bowker’s Books in Print Supplement 2007-2008, was published in 2008.
Limitations: Without a more recent edition, the print version is obsolete. The online versions, however, are very useful. The time-saving of an online search and the ease of a keyword search are very helpful.
Cost: $799 for the 2006 edition and $546 for the 2007-2008 supplement.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The online sources are updated continuously, however the print source seems to be lagging behind. At the moment it appears the print is being updated bi-annually, but in the book publishing business that is simply not often enough.
Terry Wasserman Individual Catalogue Entries Evaluation Set 1 Spr 09/ILS 504 Prof. Okobi 16 March 2009
2 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
I. Required Five Evaluations
National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints, A Cumulative Author List Representing Library of Congress Printed Cards and Titles Reported by Other American Libraries. 754 vols. London: Mansell, 1968-1981.
Purpose: To put these older and rare titles into a book form to make them available to all via an efficient bibliographic apparatus. This project was part of a larger attempt by Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress in 1909, to compile a complete record of books in US libraries.
Scope: All works published, or in the case of manuscripts written, before 1956. The Catalog contains entries for books, pamphlets, maps, atlases and music. It includes periodicals and serials but the list is incomplete. It includes some individual manuscripts, but more are recorded in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. The Catalog does not include records of phonorecords, motion pictures, filmstrips and Braille and only includes those master’s theses that had Library of Congress cards.
Authority: This catalog was put together by the Library of Congress staff from the cataloguing reports of many of the best libraries and librarians in the US and Canada. This catalog includes all holdings of the Library of Congress from pre-1956, plus all of the holdings reported by several hundred participating libraries: in the case of University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, John Crerar Library and New York Public, it is indeed a full
3 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi accounting of every catalogued item. Other libraries reported items from their collection based on their guess of whether or not the item was unique or rare—so there are conceivably a number of records that were not deemed rare enough and so not reported here or all copies are not recorded here.
Format: Print.
Arrangement: The entries are arranged in alphabetical order by author, unless there is no author (as in the case of the Bible) and then they are alphabetized by title. Each entry or catalog card reflects the information supplied by the cataloguing library—thus, the entries run the gamut from full citations with ever detail to cards listing only an author’s surname and an abbreviated title. Subject headings and call numbers were left on the entries, even if not Library of Congress. The location of every entry is listed at the bottom of the card; the first location supplied the card catalogue information. Rare books and monograph entries were left alone, despite potential inaccuracies.
Special Features: The entire enterprise is so unique it’s hard to discuss special features in context. The Catalog was the single largest publication ever and at the time, the photocopying techniques used to produce the volumes were cutting-edge. Despite its monstrous size, the Catalog still has its uses in verifying or finding copies of longforgotten documents—as of just a few years ago, still fully one quarter of what is recorded in the Catalog has yet to be listed on WorldCat (L. Smith, personal communication with reference librarian, 9 March 2009).
4 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Limitations: It’s a print resource, written in tiny type that hasn’t been updated. There are different fonts throughout with little thought given to the ease of use or overall design; there are hand-written comments and completely illegible entries. Some entries are incomplete, while even the most complete may no longer still be accurate.
Latest Edition: The first edition, 1968-1981. It can no longer be purchased and has not been updated.
Books in Print. (2007-2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
Purpose: The purpose of this source is to provide absolute coverage of every book within its spectrum that is currently being published or distributed in the United States for librarians and members of the book trade market.
Scope: Provides entries for all books published after 2000 and active ISBNs. This edition features 1,854,150 active titles published from 2000 on and 3,107,383 active ISBNs representing 72,240 publishers. There are over 294,282 new titles and 328,762 new ISBNs in this edition. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in the online version of Books in Print). Books in
5 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Print is similar to Forthcoming Books in its scope and differs only in that the latter includes only books about to be published, whereas the former includes only books that are published.
Authority: The publisher of Books in Print, Bowker, has been at this for over 60 years and has nearly perfected the system of collecting and disseminating information about books currently in print. Bowker gives publishers 24/7 online access to submit or update publication information using either Bowkerlink or EDI—publishers can also call, fax and write in entries. Bowker relies on the book publishers to provide accurate information, the book publishers in turn rely on Bowker to get their books out to libraries and booksellers—quid pro quo, the source is as accurate as everyone involved can make it.
Format: In print and online.
Arrangement: Designed to be easily searchable by both author and title, Books in Print is a seven volume work. The first through fourth volume are arranged alphabetically by title, volume five concludes titles and begins the section alphabetically arranged by authors. Volume six is dedicated solely to authors and volume seven contains the conclusion of authors and the indicies for publisher and distributor. Each entry contains as many of the following as available: title, subtitle, contributors, edition number and information, publication year, pagination, audience code, binding type, price in USD,
6 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi asterisk identifies ISBN new to this edition of BIP, publisher’s abbrev. name, foreign publisher ISO code, USA distributor’s abbrev. name.
Special Features: The most useful feature of this reference work is its online component. Having the ability to search the print edition via both title and author is convenient, nothing is easier than doing a keyword search online. In addition, the online version has a forthcoming books room which lets the user see “yet-to-be-published” titles, a “fiction connection” site that assists in choosing new reading based on old favorites, a userfriendly website designed for patron use, complimentary online training session, and a “non-fiction connection” assisting readers in finding non-fiction based on prior interests.
Latest Edition: The most recent print edition is the 2008-2009.
Limitations: The limits of the print edition are fairly evident: books get published more than once a year. The online version, however, is updated continuously and so is more up-to-date. In addition, not having a subject search in the print edition, though spacesaving, is a disadvantage. The online version, again, corrects this problem with the ability to keyword search.
Cost: $980. If the purchaser enrolls in a standing order, s/he can save 10% on this edition and 5% on all subsequent editions.
7 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition is updated annually, the online version is updated continuously.
Balay, R. (Ed.). (1996). Guide to Reference Books. Chicago: American Library Association.
Purpose: The Guide is meant to be the first place students look for reference resources. It is a general resource for college students and non-experts who are looking into a subject with which they are not familiar.
Scope: The editors of the Guide to Reference Books strive to include only the most useful reference works based on quality, authority and completeness. Though most sources are English-language and North American, non-English sources are included if deemed essential. The 11th edition includes over 14,000 entries ranging from atlases and encyclopedias to periodical and universal bibliographies. The Guide covers the most valuable reference works published between the 1700s and the 1990s that are still in use. The reference books that are included have been evaluated for their use by college students or non-expert researchers.
Authority: This book can rest on the laurels of the editor himself, Robert Balay: recipient of RUSA’s 2004 Isadore Gilbert Mudge-R.R. Bowker Award, former editor of Choice Magazine and former Head of Reference at Yale University Sterling Memorial Library.
8 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi However, he did not edit this book alone; its 15,875 titles were chosen by 50 generalreference and subject-specialist librarians from major universities across the U.S.
Formats: The copy used for this assignment is print, however the current Guide is now only available online where the 2008 edition has been published at www.guidetoreference.org.
Arrangement: The Guide is organized into five sections by subject: 1. General Reference, 2. Humanities, 3. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 4. History and 5. Science, Technology and Medicine. Each section is further, and helpfully subdivided. There is a good, detailed index given by author, title and subject. Entries include complete bibliographic information (author, title, publisher, publication date, etc…), LC classification and number.
Special Features: The best feature of the print edition of the Guide is the annotations which are written by academic librarians to be useful. The sources that are included in the Guide are tried and true, used and acquired by academic librarians for their serviceability and value. The online edition allows users to browse sources and do advanced searches, including the ever-practical keyword search. The online version also allows more reference works to be included without fear of having too much information for a single volume.
9 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Latest Edition: The last print edition is the 11th, published in 1996. As of 2008, the newest Guide, the 12th edition, was published solely online. It is the first Guide to Reference Books to incorporate online reference materials into its entries.
Limitations: The print edition is out of date and the online edition is not available to all. The Guide is not exhaustive but rather selective and will not be as useful to an expert in a field as it will be to a learned novice. Sometimes the Guide does more describing of sources than actually evaluating of them.
Cost: The printed version is $275 and the online version can be purchased via contacting the ALA.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition was updated every decade or so with supplements published in between.
Lester, R. (Ed.). (2005). New Walford Guide to Reference Resources, vol 1. London: Facet. Purpose: The reference is meant as a guide to assisting non-experts who are looking for further reading on a particular subject, so the scope of the project is very wide. It is an attempt to adapt to the hybridization of information resources and includes a vast array of online sources as well as print one in its attempt to modernize.
10 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Scope: Similar to that of Guide to Reference Books but on a more international scale, with special emphasis on British works. The first volume, the only one currently available in the library, is devoted solely to science, technology and medicine. It covers the best and most recent scientific enquiry up to the date of publication, 2005— approximately 8,300 sources in all different formats. It incorporates material accessible via the web as well as print research tools and articles (from digital image collections to print manuals).
Authority: It was put together by scholars proficient in the subject fields—there is a long list of professionals, from a mechanical engineer to a professor of anatomy, all experts who edited their mastered subject fields. Format: Print.
Arrangement: As one might suppose, the volume is split into three main sections: Science, Technology and Medicine. Each section is further broken down into subject groupings (twelve of those, six for Science and three each for Technology and Medicine) and then many subject fields—this organizational schema in lieu of the traditional Dewey Decimal Classification. Each resource falls into one of thirteen resource categories: 1. subject introductions, 2. dictionaries/thesauri, 3. laws/codes, 4. official bodies, 5. research centres & institutes, 6. associations & societies, 7. libraries/archives/museums, 8. portal & task environments, 9. discovering print & electronic resources, 10. digital data/image/text collections, 11. directories & encyclopedias, 12. handbooks & manuals
11 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi and 13. keeping up-to-date. There are both a Topic index as well as an Author/Title index and a General Resources section.
Special Features: The Topic index is probably one of the best features of the New Walford —it is exceedingly easy for a non-specialist to simply check out what materials exist on a particular topic. And because of the frequent annotations, it is easy to quickly see if this is really something that would help the researcher—and the remarks of one resource in relation to another (noted in the book) is helpful as well.
Latest Edition: 2005.
Limitations: Though not an exhaustive reference work, this is more a blessing than a limitation for most non-scientists. This volume contains a vast amount of information and including more would probably have overwhelmed non-experts. Rather, the limitation here is that the resource discusses online sources that may or may not continue to remain online at the URLs listed in the book. It is wonderful to have a book to assist us to use the web in searching, but unfortunate that there isn’t an online component as well.
Cost: $425.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The 2nd volume on Social Sciences was published in 2008 and the third volume is expected this year. The publisher, Facet, claims it will be
12 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi published in three year cycles, so we can expect the new edition of Science, Technology and Medicine in 2010.
Entin, P. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (1989). Public Library Catalog: guide to reference books and adult nonfiction. (9th ed.). New York: H.W. Wilson & Co.
Purpose: Meant as a guide to building a well-rounded collection for acquisitions, reference and cataloguing librarians, the Catalog can also be used by library patrons interested in a limited, but authoritative, view of what’s out there.
Scope: This Catalog covers all reference and non-fiction within its self-selected criteria. It is not an exhaustive catalog, but a listing of books chosen by some of the best-regarded librarians in public libraries as useful or essential to a basic collection. Older books as well as contemporary ones are included based on usefulness and others are no longer part of the catalog because they are out-moded.
Authority: The first Standard Catalog as this publication was once known was published in 1918, then again in 1923, with supplements in 1928 and 1931 and another edition coming out in 1934. Initially, the Standard Catalog contained a fiction section, but by 1942 there was a Fiction Catalog exclusive of, but as a companion to, the Standard Catalog, now known as the Public Library Catalog. All of this is to say that the Catalog is based on nearly a century of research and development, and edited by an astonishingly prolific editor, Juliette Yaakov—all of this lends credibility and weight to the already weighty volume.
13 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Formats: The 9th edition is a print volume. The most recent edition, the13th, is available in print as well as online. It seems to be more geared towards non-fiction and less about reference materials, however.
Arrangement: The Catalog is arranged in three parts: 1. Classified Catalog (Dewey Classification), 2. Author, Title, Subject and Analytical Index as well as 3. A Directory of Publishers and Distributors. Complete bibliographical and cataloguing data is given for each book as well as price, ISBN and LOC number. Descriptive or critical annotations are also included whenever available. The index is really to be used as the key to the Classified section.
Special Features: The Catalog is the companion volume to the Fiction Catalog and is similar to it, except in subject matter—together they contain much of the adult literature that would be found most public libraries. They are particularly useful when looking to weed a collection of outdate materials or looking to add newer books. The 9th edition has a particular focus on reference works and poetry and so is particularly useful to patrons interested in those fields.
Latest Edition: The most recent edition is the Public Library Core Collection: NonFiction, 13th ed. The title changed slightly between the 12th (2004) and 13th (2008) editions.
14 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Limitations: It is not an exhaustive listing, rather the selection of certain librarians. At one point that may have been a serious liability, but now with the web, so much is available, that having someone of authority weed through the millions of possibilities in order to create thousands of viable options is less of a blight and more of an asset.
Cost: $410. Online subscription is an additional cost—if one subscribes to both, they get the print at half off.
Frequency of Publication/Update: Each edition is updated with annual supplements which are part of the purchase price.
II. Five Titles Selected within the Group for Evaluation (Catalogue Entries, Evaluation Group 4, Section 2, ILS504/Spr 09, Terry Wasserman)
Greenfieldt, J. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (2006). Fiction Catalog. (15th ed.). New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.
Purpose: The Catalog is meant to assist both librarians and patrons in choosing interesting fiction. It assists librarians in choosing which books to acquisition and which to potentially weed as well as giving patrons a well thought-out list of worthwhile fiction. It is similar to both the Public Library Catalog (its reference and non-fiction companion
15 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi volume) as well as the Children’s Catalog in both preciseness of scope and authority of compilers.
Scope: The 1908 version makes the claim of presenting the best fiction of all time, so the scope is a bit imprecise, but roughly from early English classics to modern adult fiction. The Fiction Catalog is a selective list of contemporary and classical adult fiction. The 15th edition includes 8,000 titles, nearly 3,000 more than the previous edition. It also lists 800 analytical entries for novellas and novels contained within other works. Three annual supplements will be produced covering 2000 additional fictional works. The books included in the catalog are either written in or translated into English-- only books published in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and distributed in the U.S. are included.
Authority: The Catalog was compiled by seasoned librarians from across the country who collectively voted on titles creating a very learned and very broad-based consensus. The names of the key librarians are listed in the acknowledgements.
Format: Print and online versions are available (the online edition is available through WilsonWeb at an additional cost).
Arrangement: The main part of the catalog lists works alphabetically by author. The second part of the catalog is a title and subject index. The catalog also includes a list of publishers. Entries include all of the available bibliographic information: author, title,
16 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi publisher, date of publication, pagination, illustration note, price, out-of-print status, reprint publication data, ISBN and LOC control number.
Special Features: One of the most important features of the print edition is the access users gain to materials based on subject, theme or genre via the Subject index. Out-ofprint books are also listed in the catalog, giving it a broader depth than simply contemporary literature. There is also the companion publication, Public Library Catalog: Guide to Reference Books and Adult Nonfiction, which readers interested in biography or literary history might want to examine. The online version offers additional content, allows for keyword searches and entries can contain links to book reviews, from Wilson’s Book Review Digest Plus, either full text or in abstract. In addition, the online version allows for simultaneous searching of other WilsonWeb databases and permits one to check his/her local library for the title via OPAC.
Latest Edition: 2006.
Limitations: This is not an exhaustive list, rather it is a group of books selected by the editors and the librarians who made up the consulting group that voted on the books to be included. So, it can be a very useful catalog as it is pre-censored, but it is a list of suggested works and not a comprehensive list of all adult fiction.
Cost: The print version is $240, including the cost of the annual supplements. With the purchase of an online subscription, the print edition can be purchased at half price.
17 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Frequency of Publication/Update: 15 editions have been published since 1908. However, the online version is updated either daily or weekly, depending on need.
Price, A. & Yaakov, J. (Eds.). (2001). Children’s Catalog. (18th ed.). New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.
Purpose: To provide teachers and librarians with the a comprehensive list of appropriate reading for children from pre-school to grade six. There are also professional aids for children’s librarians and school media specialists.
Scope: The list includes books, magazines and web resources for children aged 3-12. The Children’s Catalog is a selective list of contemporary and classical adult fiction. The 18th edition includes nearly 7,000 titles. Annual supplements will be produced covering additional fictional works. The books included in the catalog are either written in or translated into English-- only books published in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and distributed in the U.S. are included.
Authority: The Catalog is prepared with the assistance of an advisory committee of experts in library service for children and then the list that the committee agrees upon is
18 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi then voted on by a group of experienced librarians consulting on the project. It does this much in the same vein as the Fiction Catalog.
Format: Print and online versions available (the latter through WilsonWeb at an additional cost).
Arrangement: The catalog is arranged into four parts: 1. The Classified Catalog which is listed according to Dewey, followed by Fiction, Story Collections, Easy Books and NonFiction Classics. Part 2. is a List of Recommended Web Resources, 3. the Author, Title, Subject & Analytical Indicies, which serve as comprehensive keys to the classified list, and part 4. the Directory of Publishers and Distributors. For book or story entries, the following are included whenever available: author, title, responsibility statement, publisher, date of publication, pagination, illustration note, series note, price binding and grade level. Availability of CD-Rom or Audio versions are also indicated. For web resources the following are included: title, publisher’s name, telephone, price for subscription services, grade level and URL.
Special Features: For the first time, a list of web resources is included in this version (replacing the CD-Rom reference works list). Out-of-print books are also listed in the catalog, giving it a broader depth than simply contemporary literature. The online version offers additional content, allows for keyword searches and entries can contain links to book reviews, from Wilson’s Book Review Digest Plus, either full text or in
19 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi abstract. In addition, the online version allows for simultaneous searching of other WilsonWeb databases and allows the checking of a local library via OPAC.
Latest Edition: 2006.
Limitations: This is not an exhaustive list, rather it is a group of books selected by the editors and the librarians who made up the consulting group that voted on the books to be included. So, it can be a very useful catalog as it is pre-censored, but it is a list of suggested works and not a comprehensive list of all adult fiction.
Cost: The print version is $195, including the cost of the annual supplements. With the purchase of an online subscription, the print edition can be purchased at half price.
Frequency of Publication/Update: Print versions are published every five years and the online version is updated continuously.
Forthcoming Books. (Quarterly). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker 1966-
Forthcoming Books. 43 (1). (Spring 2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
20 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Purpose: To provide librarians, booksellers and others with the most up-to-date bibliographic information possible about books being published in the coming quarter.
Scope: This is a list of books being published between March-June of 2008, it includes 34,143 titles from 1,982 publishing houses. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in another Bowker title, Books in Print).
Authority: Bowker’s is a highly respected publisher, having published Books in Print for over 60 years, and receives bibliographic information about the books from the publishing houses themselves. In fact, Bowker’s Electronic Data Interchange is available online 24/7, making it quick and easy for publishers to submit or update bibliographic data on forthcoming books.
Format: In print—an online version is also available via the forthcoming books room of booksinprint.com.
Arrangement: Modeled after the Library of Congress catalogue but with more detailed subject headings (eg., not just Accounting, but Cost Accounting). However, Forthcoming Books includes four headings not found in the LOC: Fiction, Geographical, Drama and Children’s Fiction. The headings are arranged alphabetically. One can look under
21 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi subject, author or title indicies to find a book. Each entry includes all or as many of the following as possible: author, title, subtitle, edition number, edition information, editors, LOC control number, series title and number, illustrations, pagination, audience code, grade range, publication year, type of binding, price, ISBN, publisher’s order number, additional binding ype, price information, foreign publication symbol and US distributor.
Special Features: With Bowker’s Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), publishers can put forward bibliographic data on forthcoming books whenever it is convenient for them to do so. Bowker’s then updates its own online database, the forthcoming books room found via booksinprint.com, continuously. Other useful features for librarians and booksellers alike are the audience code and grade range that are included in most entries, making it easier to connect the right type of books with the right people.
Latest Edition: Spring 2009 is the most recent edition, however the online database, as previously mentioned, is updated continuously.
Limitations: Forthcoming Books is a very thorough reference work and has few limitations—the online version is easy to search, via booksinprint.com and has nearly upto-the-minute information. The print version does have small type and though the subject headings are more detailed, a researcher may not be readily able to find the specific subject s/he is interested in given the limited number of headings.
Cost: $299.95 per annum.
22 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print version is printed quarterly and the online version is update continuously.
Books in Print. (2007-2008). New Providence, N.J.: Bowker.
Purpose: The purpose of this source is to provide absolute coverage of every book within its spectrum that is currently being published or distributed in the United States for librarians and members of the book trade market.
Scope: Provides entries for all books published after 2000 and active ISBNs. This edition features 1,854,150 active titles published from 2000 on and 3,107,383 active ISBNs representing 72,240 publishers. There are over 294,282 new titles and 328,762 new ISBNs in this edition. The only books not included in this list are books not for sale in the U.S., books not available to the general public, books without a title for sale, e-books, unbound materials, on-demand books, periodicals, serials and music librettos. (E-books and on-demand books can be found in the online version of Books in Print). Books in Print is similar to Forthcoming Books in its scope and differs only in that the latter includes only books about to be published, whereas the former includes only books that are published.
23 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Authority: The publisher of Books in Print, Bowker, has been at this for over 60 years and has nearly perfected the system of collecting and disseminating information about books currently in print. Bowker gives publishers 24/7 online access to submit or update publication information using either Bowkerlink or EDI—publishers can also call, fax and write in entries. Bowker relies on the book publishers to provide accurate information, the book publishers in turn rely on Bowker to get their books out to libraries and booksellers—quid pro quo, the source is as accurate as everyone involved can make it.
Format: In print and online.
Arrangement: Designed to be easily searchable by both author and title, Books in Print is a seven volume work. The first through fourth volume are arranged alphabetically by title, volume five concludes titles and begins the section alphabetically arranged by authors. Volume six is dedicated solely to authors and volume seven contains the conclusion of authors and the indicies for publisher and distributor. Each entry contains as many of the following as available: title, subtitle, contributors, edition number and information, publication year, pagination, audience code, binding type, price in USD, asterisk identifies ISBN new to this edition of BIP, publisher’s abbrev. name, foreign publisher ISO code, USA distributor’s abbrev. name.
Special Features: The most useful feature of this reference work is its online component. Having the ability to search the print edition via both title and author is convenient,
24 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi nothing is easier than doing a keyword search online. In addition, the online version has a forthcoming books room which lets the user see “yet-to-be-published” titles, a “fiction connection” site that assists in choosing new reading based on old favorites, a userfriendly website designed for patron use, complimentary online training session, and a “non-fiction connection” assisting readers in finding non-fiction based on prior interests.
Latest Edition: The most recent print edition is the 2008-2009.
Limitations: The limits of the print edition are fairly evident: books get published more than once a year. The online version, however, is updated continuously and so is more up-to-date. In addition, not having a subject search in the print edition, though spacesaving, is a disadvantage. The online version, again, corrects this problem with the ability to keyword search.
Cost:.$980. If the purchaser enrolls in a standing order, s/he can save 10% on this edition and 5% on all subsequent editions.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The print edition is updated annually, the online version is updated continuously.
British Books in Print. (Annual). London: Whitaker, 1874-
25 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi
Whitaker’s Books in Print. 2003. Surrey, England: Nielsen Book Data.
Purpose: To provide librarians, researchers and booksellers with a comprehensive list of British books in print. . Scope: Whitaker’s contains titles that are available to the general public through the book trade in the U.K. English language titles published in Continental Europe as well as titles published else-where with English language text and available through a sole stockholding agent in the UK are also included. Only the more important pamphlets and books costing less than 15p are recorded.
Authority: Whitaker’s has been compiling this list for over 120 years, since its founder, Joseph Whitaker, published The Reference Catalogue of Current Literature in 1874.
Formats: The print format published in five volumes is published regularly. There are also microfiche editions that are updated every month or week (depending on service purchased) and Whitaker’s Bookbank CD-Rom, which is updated monthly or bimonthly (depending on service purchased). There are a number of CD-Rom and online options including Whitaker’s Bookbank Global CD-Rom which includes all English language publications, Whitaker’s Bookbank OP CD-Rom which is available quarterly, Book Data’s Bookwise CD-Rom, Book Data’s Premier CD, Book Data’s Compact World CDE, Book Data’s TES CD-Rom, Online Whitaker LibWeb (especially for libraries), Online
26 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Whitaker PubWeb (especially for publishers), Book Data’s BD connect, Whitaker Web and Book-find online.
Arrangement: The books are listed in alphabetical sequence of authors, titles and subjects in this five volume work. All titles can be found under both author and title; the main entry is the author entry and it is indicated so by being in bold. The editions was printed in five volumes, the first containing A-C, the second D-H, the third I-N, the fourth O-St and the fifth Su-Z. A directory of publishers and their ISBN prefix listings is also included. Each entry includes as much as can be obtained of the following: author, title, subtitle, volume, pagination, illustrations, edition, series, binding if not hardback, price, publisher, date of publication, classification and ISBN.
Special Features: There are over 1,110,000 titles covered in the 2003 edition of British Books in Print from 49,856 publishing houses. The myriad different websites and CDRoms geared towards the variety of needs of the modern librarian, bookseller and publisher are astonishing. The book itself supplies all of the basic information about every book published in the UK that year; though, as was mentioned about the print edition of Books in Print, the problem there is self-evident, books are not published annually but rather continuously. However, the websites take are of that.
Latest Edition: Whitaker was bought and swallowed by Nielsen who retained many of the Whitaker websites but did not continue publishing the British Books in Print, rather the reference behemoth Bowker is now publishing their own version, Bowker’s Books in
27 T. Wasserman Evaluation 1 Individual Spr09/ILS 504 Okobi Print, and the most recent edition was 2006. A supplement, Bowker’s Books in Print Supplement 2007-2008, was published in 2008.
Limitations: Without a more recent edition, the print version is obsolete. The online versions, however, are very useful. The time-saving of an online search and the ease of a keyword search are very helpful.
Cost: $799 for the 2006 edition and $546 for the 2007-2008 supplement.
Frequency of Publication/Update: The online sources are updated continuously, however the print source seems to be lagging behind. At the moment it appears the print is being updated bi-annually, but in the book publishing business that is simply not often enough.
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April 2020 7
Individual Assignment 1.docx
April 2020 7