Evaluation Set #5 Individual Assignment

1 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi

Terry Wasserman Evaluation V ILS 504/Spr 09 Prof. Okobi 20 April 09

2 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Directories

American Book Trade Directory American Book Trade Directory 2008-2009. 54th ed. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, 1999. Scope This directory includes 21,214 retailers and wholesalers—over 600 of which are new to this edition. It also includes almost 10,000 e-mail addresses, about 15,000 fax numbers and 12,500 websites. Audience This directory was intended for booksellers, publishers and others in the book trade. Format This book is available in a single print volume. Authority This is the 54th edition published since 1915—it was published by Information Today, Inc., the publisher of Information Today, American Library Directory and Literary Market Place, amongst others. Selection This directory is meant to be complete and thus include all relevant retailers and wholesalers in the U.S. and Canada. Comprehensiveness Entries are listed alphabetically—there are six sections. The first is Retailers and Antiquarians, the second is Wholesalers, the third is Book Trade Information, the fourth

3 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi is Dealers of Foreign Language Books, the fifth is an Index to the Types of Stores and the sixth is a general index. The information provided in each entry is chosen in order to allow the reader the best access to the right person/office for queries. Entries are concise without being abbreviated. Currency The most recent publication, the 55th edition, was put out this year—this directory is updated annually. Cost $309

American Library Directory American Library Directory. 61st ed. 2 vols. New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, 2008. Scope The directory is a listing of academic, government, public and special libraries in the U.S. and Canada. Audience This directory can be used by the general public, students, librarians and information professionals. Format This directory is available in print in 2 volumes. Authority This is the 61st edition published—it was published by Information Today, Inc., the publisher of Information Today, American Book Trade Directory and Literary Market

4 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Place, amongst others. Selection This is meant as a comprehensive directory, thus it attempts to include every library in the U.S. and Canada. Comprehensiveness (which will include length of entry) Entries are arranged geographically and then alphabetized by state/province and then by city and then by library name. Entries provide the name of the library, its address, names of key personnel and the information on the library’s holdings. Entries may also include information on income, e-mail, subject interests, special collections, automation and publications. There are also organizational and personnel indicies. Currency Updated biennially until 1978, it has been updated annually since then. References Most information was provided by the libraries themselves, there is no mention of additional references. Cost The current edition costs $309.

Associations on the Net (AON) Associations on the Net (AON). Retrieved on 17 April 2009 from: http://wwwsun.ipl.org.ar/ref/AON/ or http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/ Scope

5 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This site is a collection of over 2000 Internet sites providing information about associations. Within these associations there is a wide variety of associations and organizations including academic societies, advocacy groups, art and cultural, labour unions, political parties, and professional and trade associations. Audience This is a resource of the Internet Public Library (IPL) and as such is intended for public library users who use the internet. IPL includes a “kispace” and “teenspace,” but this particular information is meant for an adult audience. Format The online format has ten different main subject categories and then each is further broken down into additional sub-categories. The ten main categories are business & economics; computers & internet; education; entertainment & leisure; health & medical; arts & humanities; law, government & political science; regional & country information; science & technology; and social sciences. Authority The IPL began as an exercise in a graduate seminar at the University of Michigan in 1995. For ten years U. Mich. ran the site for the benefit of the public and the site broadened to what it is today and incorporated new technology as it came into existence. In 2006, Drexel University began hosting the site, though U. Mich. stayed on as an active partner and the University of Florida became a collaborator as well. Selection The AON attempts to include all recognized associations and organizations within their ten categories. Associations either write in with their own information or users identify a

6 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi source and the IPL staff checks the information. Comprehensiveness Each category is summarized in a sentence beneath the heading. Each entry includes the name and site of the association as well as a blurb describing it. The subject category and e-mail address are also included. Currency Most of the association information was put online before 2002, but newer associations have been included since then (and are only on the 2nd website noted above). References The sources of information that IPL uses are the homepages of the associations and organizations themselves. Cost IPL is a free service.

D&B Million Dollar Directory D&B Million Dollar Directory. 5 vols. Bethlehem, P.A.: Dun & Bradstreet, 2000. Scope This source covers over 150,000 companies, 50,000 of which are top rated companies. Audience This source is intended for business professionals, job seekers, journalists, librarians and students. Format This source is available in 5 print volumes or online as www.companiesonline.com

7 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Authority Dun & Bradstreet, the publisher, is one of the best known and regarded names in financial and business publications. Selection The intent of this directory is to be as comprehensive as possible. Comprehensiveness The entries are arranged by industry and company—each entry has a profile of the company, its leaders, its future prospects, employees, legal status and annual U.S. sales. Currency The online source is updated constantly—literally, all day long. Cost It can be purchased for $200 on Amazon.com.

Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers. Retrieved from Gale’s Ready Reference via NYPL.org on 19 April 2009. Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers. 24th ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1999. Scope The Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers (DSLIC) includes information on more than 34,000 special libraries and information centers internationally. Special libraries, unlike public or academic ones, are restricted in their content by subject matter and would include such libraries as museum or historical society libraries, law

8 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi libraries, medical libraries, corporate libraries and special collections (if maintained separately) of public or academic libraries. The directory covers topics from anatomy to zoology and everything in between. Audience The audience for DSLIC would be students, researchers or even the general public— anyone who is looking for subject-specific resources (particularly someone looking for primary source materials). Format The DSLIC is available both in print as well as online. The online format is available through Gale Ready Reference which is a subscriber service. The libraries and information centers can be accessed by doing a nominal, geographic or topical keyword search. Authority Thomson Gale is a highly respected reference publisher and the authority for this source. Selection This is intended as a comprehensive source and as such attempts to include all special libraries/collections and information centers. Comprehensiveness Entries are arranged alphabetically with an index at the end. Each entry includes information on contacting, personnel, subjects, special collections, holdings, subscriptions, services, automated operations, OPAC availability, electronic resources, networks/consortia, publications, special catalogs, special indexes and subject categories (approximately 1000 words).

9 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Currency The most current print edition is the 35th ed. from 2008 and the online source is copyrighted to 2004. It is updated periodically. References The information is cross-referenced, but acquired from the original source and so there are no additional references. Cost Both editions of the print version sell for over $2000.

Encyclopedia of Associations Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S. 35th ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Scope This is a directory of non-profit associations and organizations. Over 20,000 associations are listed from many such different categories as labor unions, federations, veteran’s associations and farming associations, to name a few. Audience This is geared towards students, attorneys, government officials and other who need to understand many different types of associations. Format This source is available in print and online via GaleNet Reference Shelf. A Geographic and Executive Index can also be purchased. Authority

10 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi The publisher is Gale, one of the best recognized reference publishers in the industry. Entry information is usually provided by the associations themselves. Selection The editors were attempting to include all associations and organizations in the U.S. (as well as some internationally). Comprehensiveness (which will include length of entry) Entries are arranged under 18 different subject headings and then arranged alphabetically within them. The headings are 1. trade/commerce/business; 2. environment/agriculture; 3. legal/government/military; 4. engingeering/science; 5. educational; 6. cultural; 7. social/welfare; 8. medical/health; 9. public affairs; 10. fraternal/ethnic; 11. religious; 12. veterans/patriotic; 13. hobby; 14. sport; 15. labor unions/federations; 16. chambers of commerce/tourism/ 17. Greek letter societies; and 18. fan clubs. Within the entries is included contact information, founding date, head of the organization, staff, budget, languages, description, libraries, geographic awards, services, staff, scope, conventions and meetings, regional affiliates, publications, services, and awards. There is also a key of abbreviations and two indicies.

Currency The source is updated annually. Cost To purchase this source it is $660.

The Foundation Directory

11 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi The Foundation Directory. Scope This directory covers the 10,000 largest grantmaking foundations in its nearly 3000 pages. Audience The directory is meant for grantseekers, grantmakers, students and the general public. Format It is available in a single print volume. There are also a number of subscription services that interested parties can pay for. Authority The authority of the site is based on that of the Foundation Center, a non-profit founded in 1956. The Foundation is a well-regarded authority on philanthropies, non-profits and other grant makers. Their mission is to broaden public knowledge about U.S. philanthropies Selection The editors have attempted to find those foundations that were amongst the top 10,000 in terms of awards made in the most recent fiscal year. Comprehensiveness Foundations are arranged alphabetically, letter by letter. In addition there are indicies, appendicies, fiscal charts, a glossary, an explanation of abbreviations and of the directory itself. Each entry is fairly length including 34 different elements: name, contact info, establishment data, donor/s, foundation type, assets, expenditures, grants paid, programs administered by the foundation, loans, purpose and activities, fields of interest, type of

12 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi support, limitations, publications, officers/principal trustees, staff and select grants, amongst other items. Currency This reference is published annually. References Additional references are included throughout the book. Cost $195 annually for both subscription and print edition.

Foundation Center Foundation Center. Retrieved on 18 April 2009 from www.fdncenter.org Scope This online source provides a virtual ocean of information on foundations that provide grants. The site provides information on grant-seeking, grant-writing, classes and tutorials for grant-seekers as well as non-profit managers/fundraisers and a large, librarian-approved reference guide to over 20 different topics. Audience The audience for this website includes individuals seeking grants, grant fundraisers, grant makers, the media and the general public. Format This online format is user-friendly and efficient. There are five main drop-down menus (Get Started, Find Funders, Gain Knowledge, View Events and Shop) as well as ten buttons across the top of the screen. There is a Welcome box and a What’s

13 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi New/Headlines/Events box on the homepage too. Authority The website is run by the Foundation Center, a non-profit founded in 1956. The Foundation is a well-respected authority on philanthropy, non-profits and grant makers. Their mission is to broaden public knowledge about U.S. philanthropies. Selection They seek to publish all useful information about U.S. grants and philanthropies. Comprehensiveness The website provides a bevy of information on foundations, philanthropies and grant makers, including a “foundation finder” service. The finder provides the contact information, the types of grants made, the IRS exemption status, the tax data and the EIN of the foundation. The “trend tracker” provides charts on philanthropies financial activity and the “990 finder” provides the total assets, type of form, number of pages and EIN for the philanthropy (all told, approximately 500 words on each foundation/philanthropy). Currency The website claims that the website is updated daily. References The website refers to their Foundations Online subscription service, their daily news service Philanthropy News Digest and their annual Foundations Today Series. Cost This website is free to the public.

Foundations On-line

14 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Foundations On-line. Retrieved 19 April 2009 from http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/ Scope This is a subscription service that allows users to search the Foundation Center databases. These databases include information on over 95,000 foundations, corporate donors and grant-making public charities in the U.S. and 1.3 million of their recent grants. Audience The site is intended for grant-seekers, grant-makers, policy makers and the media. Format The online format requires a certain amount of work on the user’s part—there are many boxes to be filled in and it takes a certain amount of time. However, nothing compared to writing an actual grant application, so in that sense it’s a gentle foreboding of what’s to come. The homepage includes four main categories: Search Grantmakers, Search Companies, Search Grants and Search 990s. There are tutorials and tours of the site, free newsletters, Eye on FDO (blog), foundation-related stories and Update Central. Authority The authority of the site is based on that of the Foundation Center, a non-profit founded in 1956. The Foundation is a well-regarded authority on philanthropies, non-profits and other grant makers. Their mission is to broaden public knowledge about U.S. philanthropies. Selection All respected U.S. grant-making organizations are included—however, in a search, the searcher may limit the organizations to those that have given out grants recently. The searcher will also limit the search by state, type of grant making organization, type of

15 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi grant, etc. Comprehensiveness The FDO provides all of the necessary information for a grant-seeker to assess a philanthropy: a profile, basic information about the philanthropy, the donor, the background of the philanthropy, their limitations, their purpose and activities, their program areas, fields of interest, geographic focus, types of support, publications, application information, officers and trustees, number of staff, memberships, financial data, additional location information and selected grants (each entry, in its entirety contains thousands of words). Currency The site is worked on daily and the information is updated regularly, as needed. References Foundation and philanthropy websites are referenced. Cost The cost of a subscription begins at $19.95 a month; however, the site can be accessed for free at at all Foundation Centers and collaborating sites.

Hoovers Hoovers. Retrieved on 17 April 2009 from www.hoovers.com Scope Hoovers offers business information and analysis on its website through a database of over 25 million corporations and organizations. It offers free and paid-subscription only

16 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi information. Audience Hoovers main source of revenue comes from selling its paid-subscription services to marketing, sales and business development professionals. Format Hoovers is online as well as published in a print form. The online form includes tabs for Companies, People, Industries and Expert Advice as well as newsletters and two blogs (bizmologies). Searchers can browse through companies alphabetically or geographically as well as view industry overviews. Authority Hoovers has been a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) since 2003. D&B is one of the best recognized and regarded names in business information and research in the field. Selection All pertinent information on corporations and organizations business information is included in the database. Comprehensiveness Each entry offers a brief overview of the subject and then, for the companies it states the headquarters, the news about the company, the financials and the jobs (all the data together is about 1500 words). In the case of industry overviews, there are 11 subject headings (under which are over a hundred sub-categories): Construction and Real Estate; Finance and Insurance; Food and Agriculture; Healthcare; Manufacturing; Public Service, Education and Recreation; Retails; Services; Technology and Communications; Transportation, Energy and Storage; and Wholesale.

17 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Currency (which will include frequency of publication) References Though most of the articles were written for Hoover, often the author’s name and home institution are listed (as proof of authority). Hoovers also includes information from TheLadders.com, Going Public LLC, Comcast Business, Franchise Gator, Kolbe Corp. and features sponsors (e.g., The Ladders) as well as partners (e.g., Franchise Gator). Cost The student rate subscription begins at $50/month, the executive at $75/month or $845 for the year.

The Literary Market Place Literary Market Place, 2009. 2 vols. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, Inc., 2008. Scope This edition contains almost 12,000 entries—160 of which are listed for the first time. This directory of American and Canadian publishers, literary agents, manufacturers and shippers includes over 3000 listings of publishers. Audience This directory is geared particularly towards authors, publishers, literary agents and information professionals. Format This source is available in two print volumes or online as www.literarymarketplace.com. Authority

18 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This is published by Information Today, Inc., the publisher of Information Today, American Book Trade Directory and American Library Directory, amongst others. Selection This source is a comprehensive source and so attempts to include all publishers, agents, suppliers, advertisers, etc. within the industry. Comprehensiveness Volume 1 covers publishing and agents, whereas volume 2 covers suppliers and service providers—together they cover everyone and everything involved in the publishing industry. Within their headings, entries are arranged alphabetically and include such information as name, contact info, key personnel, company reportage, branch offices, brief statistics and descriptive annotations. There are numerous indexes in each volume and an index to sections, to advertisers, to companies and to personnel. Currency This source is updated annually. Cost $309 to purchase. PhoneDisc Scope This is a cd-rom that included 36 million residential phone numbers (and addresses) and 7 million business phone numbers. Audience Anyone looking for a phone number before online directories were prevalent. Format

19 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This is in cd-rom format. Authority The phone numbers were collected from phonebooks and mailing lists. Selection This was meant to be a comprehensive list. Comprehensiveness Entries are fairly short, in alphabetical order and contain phone numbers and addresses when available. Nearly 90% of residences are thought to be included—the cd-rom is searchable by location (city, street, etc.) as well as phone number. Currency It no longer appears to be published. Cost This cd-rom cost $129.

Standard & Poors Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives. Standard & Poors Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives.3 vols. Charlottesville, VA: Standard & Poor’s, 2000. Scope This source provides descriptions of over 75,000 corporations, the names and titles of over 390,000 executives, and 77,000 biographical sketches of top-level managers in the United States and Canada. Audience

20 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This source was intended for business professionals, executives, managers and information professionals. It contains over 600 new corporate listings and nearly 12,000 new individual listings. Format Standard & Poor’s Register is available in two print volumes. Authority Standard & Poor’s Register is one of the best known business resources around— Standard & Poor is the home of the S&P index and a subsidiary of McGraw Hill. Selection This source attempts to be as complete as possible and includes as many executives, corporations and directors as possible. Information is obtained from outside sources (internet, media, S&P databases) as well as from the corporations themselves. Comprehensiveness (which will include length of entry) Volume 1 contains an alphabetic listing of corporations whereas volume two contains both an alphabetic listing of directors and executives as well as the indicies. Entries for the corporations include contact information, officer descriptions, company service providers, stock information, a description of company products and services, North American Industrial Classification System code, annuals sales, number of employees, division names and functions, subsidiaries, and affiliates Currency This source is updated annually. References

21 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi There are seven indicies including a cross-reference index and an obituary section. Cost The two volumes are available on Amazon.com for under $20.

The World of Learning The World of Learning. 54th ed. London: Europa Pub., 2003. Scope The World of Learning includes a fairly comprehensive list of institutions of higher learning worldwide. Each location of higher learning is included in the text including 6,200 entries in universities and colleges; 6,600 research institutions; 3,000 museums and art galleries; 5,300 learned societies; 2,500 libraries and archives and 26,000 publications. Audience This book is geared towards students, teachers, librarians, politicians and journalists. Format This book is available in a single, print volume as well as an electronic version. Authority It is published by Europa Publishing, a well-regarded international publisher of such works as Africa South of the Sahara 2006, Aslib Directory of Info Sources in UK, and Central and South-Eastern Europe 2007. Selection It appears that the selection criteria was that the institutes of higher learning be in some way associated to an international organization, thus lending these institutes proper

22 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi legitimacy. Comprehensiveness The entries range from 100 words to thousands depending on the institution (some universities can go on for pages while others occupy 8 lines). The first part of the book is a list of International Associations; the 2nd part is a listing for every country in alphabetical order and then entries for whatever Learned Societies, Research Institutes, Libraries & Archives, Museums & Art Galleries, Universities and Colleges that country might host. Currency The print version is updated annually, the electronic version is updated much more frequently. References An index of institutions is included at the end. Cost This source is available for $691.

Switchboard Switchboard.com Scope This is an online white pages and yellow pages—one of the first online in 1996, it includes interactive yellowpage ads. Audience

23 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This website is meant for a general audience—to push consumers towards the advertisers of the products they are looking for. Format This is available online only. Authority The publisher, Idearc, is the official publisher of the Verizon Phone Book and the producer of superpages.com. Selection This is meant as a comprehensive phone directory, but with more visible, special entries for advertisers. Comprehensiveness This is a fairly comprehensive directory, though now that Idearc has filed for chapter 11, no telling how much longer this online phone book will be useful. The “find a person” section allows for traditional searches, reverse phone number searches and public record searches. The “search by phone” directory also allows reverse phone number searches, reverse address searches and searches for unlisted numbers. “Area & zip code” searches allow zip code searches, reverse zip code searches and area code searches. There are also tabs for maps/directions, web searches and business searches. Currency This website is updated regularly, though since the company filed for bankruptcy, no telling how much longer that will be so. References

24 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi There is a section on town directories and business categories that can be reviewed. Cost This is a free service.

Biographies

Biography Index Biography Index. Webb, W. (ed.). NY: H.W. Wilson, 1984. Biography Index. Retrieved on 19 April from http://www.hwwilson.com/databases/bioind.htm Scope The indicies are published quarterly with annual cumulations beginning in 1946 to the present. The information from the 1984 and onwards cumulations can be found in the database. Each year the Index covers the over 3000 publications indexed by Wilson, plus other selected journals and 2000 biographies or collective biographies or books that contain some biographical materials. Audience The Index is intended for a general and scholarly audience. Format In addition to the print format, there is an online format Biography Index 1984-present and a retrospective (which includes the new materials as well) Biography Index Past and Present. Authority

25 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi H.W. Wilson is one of the most well-regarded publishers in the industry; it is an authority in and of itself. Selection The Index includes such biographical items as interviews, poetry, obituaries, collections of letters, diaries, memoirs and bibliographies. Comprehensiveness The Index is intended to be comprehensive. Entries are listed alphabetically, letter by letter, by last name—they are very short, approximately 50 words and the list of abbreviations is essential in discerning an entry’s meaning. Currency Originally published quarterly with annual cumulations, the online version is now revised at least monthly with daily updates. References The print version includes a Checklist of Composite Books Analyzed for the reader to refer to. Cost Print editions (retrospective available only) are $395 and an online subscription is also $395.

Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Scope

26 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi The Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia (CBE) contains approximately 11,600 biographies ranging from a sentence or two to full length treatments. More attention is paid to 20th c. personalities and special attention has been put to redressing the imbalance found in many biographical dictionaries regarding their coverage of minorities. Audience The CBE is geared towards a general audience as well as students. Format The CBE is available in print—the information contained within CBE is available on www.biography.com the website for the A&E’s Biography television series. Authority Cambridge University Press is the oldest printer and publisher in the world and one of the largest academic publishers. It is a name so well-known that nearly anyone, scholar, student or layman alike, will have heard of it and trust it. Selection In addition to making a concerted effort to include more women, African-Americans, Aborigines and Maori, the CBE makes a point of including an international variety of personalities, especially those from English speaking countries. Comprehensiveness (which will include length of entry) Organized alphabetically, the Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia contains around 1600 full length entries. In addition there is a 150 page Ready Reference section of short entries on over 10,000 people. Most entries are around 70 words, but there are a few cases of whole page biographical essays. Each entry includes birth time/place

27 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi information, family, career and any other pertinent information about the person. Currency The 2nd edition has 500 additional people and has coverage through the year 1998. References The print version includes cross-references—the online version does as well and also includes references to other books on the same person. Cost This can be purchased from Amazon.com for anywhere from $3-$41.

Contemporary Authors Contemporary Authors. Retrieved on 19 April 2009 via the New York Public Library’s Access to Galenet. Scope The electronic version has 135,298 contemporary authors. This source lists biographical details on current writers as well as well-known 20th c. literary figures; on journalists, non-fiction writers, novelists, playwrights, poets and screenwriters. Audience This source is geared towards students, book club members, journalists and legal departments. Format This source is available in print editions as well as electronically. The print editions are no longer being produced. Authority

28 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Information is generally provided by the authors themselves or by their publishers—so the authority is fairly well-informed. The publisher, Gale, is widely recognized for their research materials and is a highly-respectable authority. Selection Authors listed are generally those who have been published in commercial print or by university presses—the list also includes prominent journalists, cartoonists and screenwriters as well as the literary greats of the early 20th century. Comprehensiveness Each entry contains a full length profile of the author ranging anywhere from 5500 words to 12,000 or more. Most entries include the authors name, personal information (birthdate/place, family data, etc…), genre, autobiographical essays, pseudonym, nationality, ethnicity, education, political preference, religion, avocational interests, addresses, career summary, memberships, awards and honors, biographical and critical sources. Currency Data updates are continuous online. The print version is updated periodically. References Each entry includes further reading on or about the personality profiled. Cost The print version can be purchased on Amazon.com for $255 and for the online subscription, interested parties must contact Gale directly.

Biography @ UIUC

29 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Biography. Retrieved 20 April 2009 from http://www.library.uiuc.edu/rex/erefs/biography.html Scope This source is an index of electronic biography resources. It includes 17 databases, 2 of which are open and accessible to the general public and 15 of which are subscription services. Audience The audience for this website would undoubtedly be college and university students and staff. Format This is an online resource. Authority The reference staff at the University Library at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (the main U. of Illinois campus) is the authority for the source. Selection The site includes electronic biographical information that is deemed to be useful in college level research. Comprehensiveness Each entry gives a comprehensive explanation of the site, its uses and the types of entries it provides. Entries on this site are approximately 350 words long. Currency The website is updated frequently: more than once a month. References

30 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Within the short explanations of the site there is no room for additional references. However, many of the websites that are linked to include references in their entries. Cost This is a free service.

Current Biography Current Biography Yearbook 2004. Thompson, C. (ed.). NY: H.W. Wilson, 2004. Wilson Current Biography. Retrieved on 20 April 2009 from http://www.ovid.com/site/catalog/DataBase/174.jsp Scope Each yearbook contains new and updated biographical profiles and thus supersedes the previous edition. The electronic version contains more than 15,580 biographies and more than 9260 obituaries covering 15,000 individuals from 1940 to today. Audience The Current Biography series is geared towards students, researchers and reference librarians. Format Current Biography is a monthly publication with annual yearbooks. It is available in a print edition. All biographies from 1940 onwards are available electronically. Authority This source is published by Wilson, one of the best-regarded publishers in the industry. In addition, the writers and editors are all listed. Selection

31 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi Individuals are chosen for selection based on their prominence—Wilson attempts to include all living leaders in all fields of accomplishment. Obituaries are provided for these prominent people as well. Comprehensiveness In the print edition there are different sections for biographical sketches, obituaries and then classifications by profession and an index. All are ordered alphabetically. Each entry provides such biographical information as profession, gender, birthplace, date of birth, education, race/ethnicity and much more. Entries tend to be fairly long, 2500 words. Currency Eleven publications come out a year and then an annual cumulation. 200-450 additional profiles are added annually. The electronic version is updated regularly. References Each entry includes a bibliography. Also, the preface refers to the many magazines, newspapers, etc. that were used as reference in order to create the biographies and obituaries. Cost An annual subscription is $175 and a single copy can be purchased for $50.

Dictionary of American Biography Dictionary of American Biography. Vol. 22, supp. 2. New York: Scribner’s, 1958. Scope

32 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi This supplement to the Dictionary of American Biography (DAB) covers biographies of well known American who died between 1936-1940. The DAB itself covers biographies from the beginning of our national entity until the early part of the 1930s. The first supplement picks up there and covers biographies of well-known Americans until 1935. Audience The DAB is intended for a general as well as scholarly audience. Format The DAB is in a print version; 20 volumes of the original with 10 supplements extending up to the year 1980. Authority DAB is published by Scribner’s, one of the oldest and most venerable publishing houses in the U.S. (it was purchased by Gale a decade ago). Entries are signed by the authors. Selection Biographies of the best known Americans (as understood by Scribner’s) are included in each the original 20 volumes, alphabetically. Each supplement includes biographies of well-known individuals who have died within the four year period the supplement covers. Comprehensiveness Signed entries contain approximately 600-6000 words; there are also mini-biographies that have fewer words. Entries are fair and objective and the preface claims that every effort was made to secure new information and not to simply rehash old standards. However, there are fewer minorities represented here than there should be. Currency

33 Wasserman Eval V 4/20/09 ILS504/Spr09 Okobi The most recent edition, supplement 10 includes biographies of well-known Americans who died before 1980. Each supplement also includes corrections to the most recent edition. References Each entry includes a list of references at the end that will help the scholar or student find out more information about the individual. Cost Copies of the DAB can be gotten on Amazon.com for $75-$350.