D E P A R T M E N T S 35 R ESOUR CES ON THE NET: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Compiled by Anne Wade This column identifies a sample of web-based sources on professional development. It is by no means a comprehensive listing. S ites were retrieved from the databases of Hotbot, Altavista, Fast Search and Northernlight search engines using the fol lowing search s trateg i e s : ( " staff development" OR "professional development" OR "lifelong learning" OR training) AND (librarians OR library technicians). For some searches, the results were restricted to "education libraries". Webl iographies I n f o W o r ks Tec h n o l ogy Co . ( 1 9 9 9 , O c t . 1 3 ) . Internet L ibrary for Librarians [on l ine] . Avai lab le : http : / /www. itcompany.com/inforetriever/ index .htm [1999, December 28]. Established in 1994, this site is one of the oldest sources for locating Internet resources in the library profession. Well­ organized in tabular form into three broad categories: Ready Reference, Librarianship, and Accessories, each with relevant subcategories, this is an extremely comprehensive site for locating online information in the field. Relevant professional development subcategories under Accessories include Library Education and Job Training, Library E-mail Lists/Newsgroups, Library Job Opportunities, Library Associations, and Library Journals . Includes keyword-searching capabilities. Internet P u b l i c L i b rary . ( 1 9 9 9 , May 6 ) . IPL Especially for Librarians: On the Job [onl ine]. Available: http : / /www . i p l . o rg/svcs/ o n t h ej o b . ht m l ( 1 9 9 9 , December 15). Provides an extensive l ist of online resources for librarians classified according to the following traditional library divisions: Acquisitions, Archives and Records Management, Skills for C ataloguing, C onservation and Preservat ion , Law and Government Documents, Reference, and Administration and Management. Also includes two broader sections for General Resources and Tips and Tools. Parsons , M. & N i c keso n , W . F . ( 1 9 9 9 , Mar. 5 ) . L ibrary Support Sta ff Resource Cen ter (LSSRC) [on l i ne]. Avai lable : http:/ /www. l ib .rochester .edu/ssp /sitemap.htm [1999, December 27]. This site, created and maintained by two paraprofessionals, is designed to assist support staff in developing professionally. It includes links to Library Education Programs, Publications/ Articles on Paraprofessionals, Resources, E-mail Discussion Lists, ALA Issue Papers, Jobs, Job Classification and Descriptions, and Library Organizations. Includes keyword-searching capabilities. Special Libraries Association. Toronto Chapter. (1999, Apr i l 6). Librarians' Resource Centre: Career Development [on l ine] . Avai lab le : http :/ /www.s la.org I c hapter/ ctor/to o l box/ career/ index .htm [ 2 000 , January 2 ]. Provides links to: Job sites, continuing education courses (within Toronto and at a distance), articles on alternative career choices, tips on writing resumes and performing interviews, and salary information. Special Libraries Association. Toronto Chapter. (no date) . L ibrarians ' Reso urce Cen tre: Pro fessional Development [on l i ne] . Avai lab le : http : / /www.s la .org /chapter/ctor/too lbox/resource/page3 . htm [ 1999 , December 15]. Includes links to resources organized into the following sections: Cataloguing, Collections, Digital Libraries, Image and Humour, Information Brokering, Library Associations, and Library and Information Science Meta Sites. For a look at the lighter side of librarianship, the Image and Humour section provides links to sites such as "The Adventures of Conan the Librarian", " Behind the Bun", or," Batgirl was a Librarian", and "Lipstick Librarian". While there is no indication when this page was last updated, it is mentioned that every effort is made to keep the page current. E D U CATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 36 D E P A R T M E N T S State o f W i s c o ns i n . D epartment of P u b l i c Instruction. (1999, Dec. 20). Library Resource L ist: Professional Information [on l i ne] . Avai lable : http :/ I www.dpi .state.wi .us/dpi/dlc l/p ld/pro_info.html [1999, December 28 ] . Includes over 100 sites related to the library and information science profession that are divided into four main categories: General Resources, Technical Services, Books and Publishing, and Library Vendors and Suppliers. The General Resources section provides links to professional associations, library-related e-mail lists and other relevant library-related sites. Some links are to older sites that have not recently been updated. Job banks , Associations, Conferences , Serials Nes b e i t t , S. ( 1 9 9 9 , October 6 ) . L ibrary Job Postings on the Internet [onl ine]. Avai lable: http:/ I topcat.bridgew.edu/�snesbeitt/ l ibraryjobs.htm [1999, December 28]. Originally posted in 1995, this well-established site provides links to over 250 library employment sites. Jobs are organized by region (Canadian Provinces, States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and other) or by Type. Nesbeitt is presently co-authoring a book on how to find jobs over the Internet. San Jose State University. School of Library and Information Science. (1999, November 24). Professional Organizations in the Information Sciences [on l ine] . Avai ! a b l e : h t t p : / / w i t l o o f . sj s u . ed u/peo/ a l l o rgs /orgs.html [1999, December 28] . This site provides links to approximately 200 Internet sites maintained by professional organizations, as well as student chapters in the library and information sciences. Includes Canadian associations. Tys i n g e r , B . ( 1 9 9 9 , A ugust 1 0 ) . L ibrarian 's Datebook [on l ine] . Avai lab le : http :/ /www.hsl .unc.edu /al ibcal. htm [1999, December 28]. This site provides an eight-year calendar of international conferences, seminars, and annual meetings within the library and information science field. To be included, an event must include at least one full day activity. Each entry provides a link to the conference site for further information. An excellent source for those who need to plan their professional development activities well in advance. (Site claims to be updated bimonthly, however i t was last updated in August.) EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 Wu, W. ( 1999 , Ju ly 9) . L ibrary-oriented L ists and Electronic Serials [on l i ne ] . Ava i lab l e : htt p : / I www.wrlc.org/ l ib l ists [1999, December 28]. A compilation of electronic discussion and distribution lists, and serials of interest to library professionals and staff. Includes t i t le and subj ect indexes, along wi th keyword searching capabilities. The following site: Ralph, R.D. Discussion lists: WWW libra ry resources [ on l i ne] . Avai lable : http : // www.netstrider.com/library/l i s tservs appears to be more comprehensive however it has not been updated since October 24, 1997. Documents and Reports Agre , P . ( 1 9 9 9 , Dec . 2 3 ) . Ne tworking on the Network [on l i ne]. Avai lable: http :/ /dl is.gseis .ucla.edu /people/pagre/network.html [1999, Dec. 15] . Stating that he wants to get this document into the hands of every graduate student in the world, Arge (Department of Information Studies, UCLA) provides an in depth look at the art of professional communication (both online and offline). This detailed, step-by-step guide to forming professional relationships, through informal (e .g . , e-mail) and formal (e.g. publishing, presenting at c onferences) methods of networking, i s recommended reading for all recent graduates. Includes sections on: publishing your dissertation, how to find a job, and resources on networking. Barrett, H. & Trahn, I. (1999, June). Developing TSISL - Teach ing Skills for In forma tion Skills Librarians: A Web-based Staff Development [onl ine]. Paper presented at the annual ALIA RAISS conference (September 6-8 , 1999; Sydney, Austral ia). Avai lab le: h t t p : I lwww . I i b rary . u nsw . e d u .au/ �I i b ad m i n/ c o n f /TSISL.html [1999, December 28]. Banett and Trahn discuss the challenges facing information skills (or bibliographic instruction) librarians in Australian university libraries. These challenges are magnified by the lack of library resources devoted to staff development. At the University of New South Wales a prototype of TSISL, a staff development program for enhancing the teaching skills of information skills librarians was implemented. The course content ofTSISL included the following modules: adult learners, memory and learning skills, communication and experiential learning, instructional design and evaluation, and using technology in teaching. Participants found the course to be highly effective and it is hoped that the prototype will be further developed (e.g. , in a complete web-based flexible learning format) for broader use. D E P A R T M E N T S 37 Casey, V. (1999, February 9). A lternative Careers for Librarians [on l ine]. Paper presented at the SLA Toronto chapter meeting (February 9, 1999). Avai lable: http :/ I w w w . s l a . o r g / c h a p t e r I c t o r / t o o I b o x I c a r e e r /casey.htm [2000, January 2] . Casey discusses the emerging job skills that are required within a changing job market and identifies some non-traditional jobs within corporations, the information industry, and in consulting. Outlines an action plan for career development, and provides some online resources for career planning. Special Libraries Association. Special Committee on Competencies for Special Librarians. (1997, February 24). Competencies for Special Librarians of the 21st Century: Executive Summary [onl ine]. Prepared for the SLA B o a r d , O c t . 1 9 9 6 . A va i l a b l e : htt p : / I www.sla.org/profess ional/ comp.html [1999, December 15]. This executive summary highlights the major professional and personal competencies of special librarians and provides practical examples of the multitude of roles and tasks that special librarians can perform. Full reports also available. U.S. Bureau of Labor Stat istics. (1998 , January · 30). 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handb o o k : Librarians [onl ine]. Avai lable: http :/ /stats.bls.gov/oco /ocos068.htm [1999, December 28] . U .S . Bureau of Labor Stat istics. (1998, January 15). 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Library Technicians [on l i ne] . Avai lab le : http : / /stats .b ls .gov /oco/ocos113 .htm [1999, December 28] . U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1999, September 27). 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Library Assistants and Bookmobile Drivers [on l ine]. Avai lable: h t t p : I I stats . b l s .gov/ o c o / o c o s 1 4 7. h t m [ 1 9 9 9 , December 28] . Each of the three sites listed above provides a general job description for librarians, library technicians, and library assistants respectively. Information on working conditions, employment figures, training requirements, job outlooks, average earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional information is provided. U.S. figures. Wheeler, M. B. (1999, Apr i l 8). Meeting the 21st Cen tury Challenges: Pro fessional Developme n t for Library Support Staff [onl ine]. Keynote speech at the 1999 Counci l on Library/Media Technic ians conference ( A p r i l 8 , 1 9 9 9 ; Detro i t MI) . A va i l a b l e : h t t p : / I l ibrary.ucr.edu/COL T/99keynote.html [1999, December 28] . Wheeler, Director of the Detroit Public Library, discusses the distinction between training and staff development. He calls attention to the fact that development is not only the responsibility of the organization but also of each staff member and suggests that individuals must be able to communicate their needs to management in a safe and non-hostile environment. He identifies the following skills as being necessary for support staff: flexibility, diversity, customer service and technological and communication. Whitmel l , V. ( 1999 , A ugust 13 ) . The Future · of the Library Profession [on l i ne]. Paper presented for Pac if i c Northwest L ibrary Associat ion (August 1 3 , 1 9 9 9) . A va i l a b l e : http : / /www . c l a . ca/resou rces /future.htm [2000, January 7]. Whitmell , Executive Director of the Canadian Library Association (CLA), speaks to the future of the profession and to CLA in particular. Recognizing the advantages of joining a professional association, she calls attention to the challenges of attracting new members and summarizes the necessary keys to success for library associations. These include the need to: be flexible and open to change, establish partnerships with other groups, perform research, improve communication with members, organize l i felong learning activit ies , and encourage the participation of new recruits . She concludes with a look at the effect of electronic information on the library field and the need to build the necessary skill set. @ @ @ @ @ @ This is the f irst i n a new column ent itled Resources on the Ne t. Th is co lumn w i l l conta in a var iety of interesting and informative sites on special top ics of interest to education l ibrarians. It is hoped that readers wi l l f ind many of these sites worth bookmarking for future reference. If anyone has a site they would l i ke to see included in a future column please send the URL to Anne Wade, E-mai l : wada@alcor.concordia.ca. Anne Wade is Research Coordinator and Information Specialist at the Centre for the S tudy of Learning and Performance, Education Department, Concordia University and is a Lecturer in the L ibrary Studies Program, Concordia Universi ty . E-mail :wada@ alcor.concordia.ca EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 de Vos, Gail and Anna E. Altmann. New Tales for Old: Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young A dults. Eng lewood, C O : Libraries Unl imited Inc. , 1 999. ISBN 1 -56308-447-3 (pbk) . $35 US. $42 outside North America. This book distills the essence of 8 folktales, making it easy for delvers to reflect on the parallels between the traditional themes and concerns popular with today's adolescents. The wide-ranging introductory chapter covers the origin of folktales as oral tradition that entertain, and clarifies the difference between folk and fairy tales. It also examines their composition (mainly plot) and their intended audience (not children), and shines light on their cuiTent popularity in modern versions. Subsequent chapters focus on specific tales: Cinderella, The Frog King, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beau f)\ and Snow White, classifying each by tale type, tracking its history, chronicling the critical interpretations, and reviewing the treatment given in all English language formats-novels, short stories, films, poetry, opera, picture books, and internet resources. "Classroom Extensions" at the end of each chapter offers teachers a wealth of ideas for assignments-ideas that challenge the student to compare and contrast, to form opinion, and to apply their own experiences to the tales-all useful for a critical thinking curriculum. Librarians will find the exhaustive I istings of the "reworkings" of each tale enlightening and helpful when advising students of what to read next. For instance, young people who enjoyed Sleeping Beauty may also take to Briar Rose by Jane Yolen, The Changeover by Margaret Mahy or Adele Geras' Watching the Roses. EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 Students exploring various themes in l i terature, moral education or media classes can easily track them through the many versions of a tale-whether it is poem, story or film. Bibliographies conclude each chapter and four indexes (by author/illustrator, motif, tale, and title versions) simplify retrieving specific topics. The "motif' section for instance, offers such headings as "abandonment", "disenchantment", "fairy", and "helpful animal". The attention to detail is not surprising in that the authors are not only educators but avid storytellers as well. Gail de Vos was first a secondary school history teacher, then a research librarian, and now she is both an instructor in storytelling and a professional storyteller in Edmonton, Alberta. Anne E. Altmann currently teaches children's literature as adjunct professor at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta. With their comprehensive treatment of this subject, the authors could have entitled their work "Folktales: Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask." Hopefully they will do a sequel featuring other popular tales. Karen Findlay is a High School Librarian at Royal West Academy, 189 Easton Ave., Montreal West, QC, Canada H4X 1L4. Phone: (5 1 4) 489-8454; E-mail: kfindlay@total.net I B O O K R E V I E W S 39 Lukens, Rebecca J . ed. A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. 6th ed. New York: Addison Wesley Educational Publ ishers, 1 999. ISBN 0-32 1 -00361 -6. Rebecca Lukens' A Critical Handbook of Children s Literature is an outstanding resource for students, teachers and librarians with an interest in children's literature. Despite the fact that the "To the Instructor" section merely credits the book as a handbook for college students who expect to work with children, I found this book to be both extremely useful and informative for someone like myself who is a children's bibliographer for a university library. The author has arranged the book into 13 pertinent chapters that consider every facet of children's literature. These chapters address everything from types of children's literature (i .e. non -fiction, biography, and poetry) to the elements of good literature (style, setting, and tone) and how they are handled in good books for children. Each chapter is broken down into several parts that address the major focus of the chapter. For example chapter 3 on "Picture Books" discusses the literary elements of a picture book as well as the illustrative elements of these books. In addition, several of the chapters include what Lukens calls "special issues." These issues reflect the main focus of each chapter. For example "Special Issues of C haracter" is addressed in chapter 4 , concentrating on character in children's literature. Each of the 13 chapters also includes a recommended list of books cited in that particular chapter, making this an even more useful "handbook." Several useful appendices are also included at the end of the book. For example, Appendix A lists children's book awards from around the world. The list includes the Australian Children's Books of the Year Awards as well as the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards and the National.BookAward for Young People's Literature. Other international awards include the Canadian Library Awards, the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the International Reading Association Children 's Book Award among others. (Oddly a description of the Hans Christian Andersen Award is not included in the appendix. This is the only award that does not contain a very useful description .) All of the Caldecott Medal winners are listed, dating back to 1938 when the award originated, right np through 1 997. Similarly the entire list of Newbery Award winners dates back to 1 922, the first year of that award. Lukens also mentions here that award winners are listed on the Internet at the "Children's Literature Web Guide" site. Another very helpful section is Appendix C, Selected Reviewing Media for Children 's Books. Here is a long list of journals that contain reviews of children's books. This type of information is particularly helpful to students of children's literature who may be looking for good reviews. The sixth edition i ncludes some new material . More multicultural titles have been added to the text and Lukens reminds the readers that children should read more than merely the classics and award winners. As she clearly indicates in the "To the Student" section, classics written in another era may not speak to today's young readers. Her discussion of multicultural literature is a good reminder that students today need to be exposed to the folklore and myths of the many ethnic groups that make up the current population of the United States. Chapter 2 includes a very useful chart that lists "Genre in Children's Literature." The chart contains information on the various types of children's literature including realism, historical fiction, and mysteries. Each type then cites examples of character, plot, setting, theme, point of view, style and tone as addressed in specific titles. The author is appropriately critical of bad or only adequate children 's literature. The discussion of didacticism or instruction in chapter 6 takes the book I Want to be a Homemaker to task for showing l ittle imagination on the part of the writer. This constructive criticism makes the handbook particularly valuable as a tool for students of children's literature. In the final chapter of the book on nonfiction Lukens takes authors to task who fail to provide adequate proof or scientific information in books for children. For example, nonfiction that addresses the negative effects of smoking sometimes avoids including the scientific background in favor of trying to influence children against smoking. This, as Lukens indicates, is just "pure propaganda." Lukens has provided readers with an excellent resource as one might guess since it is in the sixth edition. A Critical Handbook of Children 's Literature is an easy read and an outstanding book for students and practitioners, teacher and librarians. I highly recommend it ! John D' Amicantonio is Associate Librarian at the University Library of California State University, Long Beach, 1 250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840- 1 90 1 . Phone: (562) 985-8228; Fax: (562) 985 - 1 703 ; E-mail: jdamican@ sulb.edu EDU CATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 4o B O O K R E V I E W S D a v i s , J . R . B e tter Teaching, More L earn ing: Strategies for Success in Postsecondary Settings. American Counci l on Education/Oryx Series on H i gher Educati o n , Phoenix, AZ : Oryx Press, 1 99 3 . I n c l . b i b l . and i n dex. ISBN 0-89774-81 3-1 . This book is designed to provide a conceptual background for postsecondary teachers so that they can then incorporate into one solid framework all the advice that they hear about effective teaching. While the author claims in his preface that this is not an educational psychology book, it comes pretty close, assuming a formal definition of educational psychology is the study of the relationship between students, learning, and teaching. Davis poses the question "How do students Jearn?'' and provides the answer in a form that is comprehensible for teachers. He then applies these basic principles of psychology and learning theory to the examination of effective pedagogical techniques in postsecondary classrooms. The result is a useful synthesis of the recent research on student learning applied to the effective implementation of teaching strategies. The book is well organized. In addition to the introduction and conclusion it is divided into two main sections - Part 1 : The Perspectives and Part II : The Teaching Strategies. Part I tries to help postsecondary educators gain a perspective so that they can see more c learly what is happening i n their classrooms . Throughout the first three chapters of the book, Davis looks closely at the subject, the setting, and the students so that the novice educator can learn how to "size up" the classroom. In Part II, a particular pedagogical technique is discussed in each chapter. These teaching strategies are: Training and Coaching; Lecturing and Explaining; Inquiry and Discovery; Groups and Teams; and Experience and Reflection. Each of these describes different approaches to different kinds of learning. Davis claims that an understanding of these five strategies, together with the three perspectives (on the setting, subject, and students) provide the basic professional information that any postsecondary teacher needs in order to become more effective as a teacher. In an attempt to i l lustrate ideal applications of teaching strategies, Davis provides fictional examples of teachers within each of the chapters on these teaching strategies. One worthwhile feature is that Davis has provided three different in-depth examples for each teaching strategy. This provides the reader with ample opportunity to relate to at least one of the portrayed situations. In his introduction, the author asks readers not to skip over these examples, but instead to read them and extract the "principles, techniques, and activities" that will work in each of the reader 's own perspective fields. This is, in fact, easy to do. By his own admission, Davis relies heavily on the works of other scholars, thus each chapter ends with a fairly lengthy bibliography. The book also includes a comprehensive index. EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 Equipped with an undergraduate degree in psychology and having taught for six years in a university setting, this reviewer feels that the book is useful in providing a review of some of the theory behind teaching and student learning. However, the question that kept coming to mind was, "How does one determine which of these strategies would be the most effective in a large, heterogeneous classroom with differing age and ethnic groups, educational backgrounds, motivation, expectations and most importantly, differing learning styles?" As revealed in this book, students learn differently. Some respond well to group work, others prefer the lecture format, while still others enjoy reflection and fieldwork. How does one effectively incorporate different pedagogical strategies within one particular course so that each of these learning styles is addressed, in an attempt to provide an enjoyable learning experience for all? Davis attempts to answer this in his conclusion, "Choosing and Using the Teaching Strategies". He suggests that we should begin by analyzing the instructional situation, our peculiar configuration of subject, setting, and students in an attempt to develop some perspective over the teaching situation. Only then can criteria for setting a teaching strategy be established. In order to do this, each teaching strategy must be examined in terms of its appropriateness. Fortunately, Davis provides a useful summary for each strategy in terms of: their best use, the motivation they generate, the type of student participation they are likely to elicit, the teacher's role in implementing the strategy, and the overall strengths and weaknesses of each. While this analysis may seem realistic to do in a smaller, graduate-level class, today's undergraduate classes have become larger and more diverse, and it would seem that this type of "classroom analysis" is quite a challenge to perform. While the theories and strategies contained wi th in th is book are informative-especially to the novice educator-it is the actual application of this know ledge in the undergraduate classroom that becomes somewhat of a challenge. Anne Wade is Research Coordinator/Information Specialist and Lecturer, Library Studies, Education Dept., Concordia University 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Montreal, QC, Canada, H3G 1M8. Phone: (5 1 4) 848-2885; E-mail :wada@alcor.concordia.ca 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S 41 I D e n m a n -We st, M a rg a ret W. Ch ildren 's Litera ture: A Guide to Information Sources. Eng lewood, CO: Li braries U n l i m ited, 1 998. 1 87 p. ISB N : 1 -56308-448-1 . $38.50. Margaret Denman-West's Children 's Literature: A Guide to Information Sources is part of Reference Sources in the Humanities series. It is a bibliography of children's and young adult literature related resources; designed to be used by a diverse audience including parents, teachers, librarians, and researchers. The book is divided into eleven chapters : Guides to Award -Winning B ooks, Recommended Reading, Mult icul tural Literature, Subject Bibliographies, Reference Books, Biographies, Core Periodicals/Multimedia Reviews, Non-print Media, Special Collections of Children's Literature, Professional Associations, and The Information Super Highway via the Internet. Within these chapters readers will find some 38 subsections and 400 annotated titles of appropriate reference and information sources. Titles are ordered alphabetically by author or title within each subsection; most have copyright dates between 1985 and 1997. Annotations are evaluative in style and have an average length of 250 to 300 words. The Guide includes two indexes: an author/title index and a subject index. Any evaluation of Children 's Literature: A Guide to Information Sources must begin by acknowledging that a number of obvious and important resources are inexplicably missing from sections that were intended to be comprehensive. Perhaps most jarring is the absence of the journals ALAN Review, Canadian Children 's Literature, Journal of Children 's Literature, and VOYA. Also disturbing is the absence of a variety of reference stand -outs, including: International Companion Encyclopedia of Children 's Literature (Routeledge, 1996), Biographical Index to Children 's and Young Adult Authors and Illustrators (Hi Willow, 1993), and four Dictionary ofLiterwy Biography volumes: British Children 's Writers, 1880-1 9I4 (Gale, 1994), British Children 's Writers, I9I4-1960 (Gale, 1 996), British Children 's Writers Since 1 960 (Gale, 1996), and British Children 's Writers, 1800-1880 (Gale, 1 996). Despite the puzzling omission of some standard resources, Denman-West's guide does serve to provide readers with a broad, annotated sampling of sources pertinent to the field of Children 's Literature. The wide span of coverage, from reference books to web sites, makes this work a useful contribution to the field. Of special value to this reviewer is the cunent listing of general and multicultural subject bibliographies, and the presence of several e-mail lists not included elsewhere. Beyond selection considerations, the real strength of this book is the author's annotations. They assess, are informative, useful, and very well written. Those looking to investigate resources, and to easily identify which resources are most useful, will be well served. Another strength of the book is its organization. Denman -West identified most of today's commonly asked questions in children's literature reference work and created her chapters accordingly; note especially her chapters titled Multicultural Literature and Biographies. This structure makes for a higher usability than other similar resources which are divided by format and/or information source type. There are two caveats: a chapter dedicated to reviewing sources would have reduced page flipping, and fewer subsections within the chapters would have made use easier. In conclusion, this volume provides valuable information for those working with children's l iterature. While no claim to comprehensiveness can be supported, the breadth of the coverage and the quality of the annotations make it a valuable resource. Recommended with the understanding that it needs to be supplemented with similar bibliographies such as: Everyone 's Guide to Children 's Literature (Highsmith, 1997), Research and Professional Resources in Children 's Literature: Piecing a Patchwork Quilt (International Reading Association, 1995), and Reference Sources for Children 's and Young Adult Literature (American Library Association, 1996). Jeneen LaSee-Wil lemssen is Education and Chi ldren ' s Literature Librarian at Hale Library, 1200 MidCampus Drive, Kansas S tate U n i v ers i ty, Manhattan, K S , U S A 66506 . Phone: (785) 532-7416; Fax: (785) 532-6144; E-mail : jeneenw@ lib.ksu.edu EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 42 B O O K R E V I E W S Lee, Susan A., ed. The New Library Legacy: Essays in Honor of Richard De Gennaro. M u nchen: K.G. Saur, 1 998. ISBN 3-598- 1 1 389-7. Richard De Gennaro is noted for his long and successful career in research libraries and for his innovative and pioneering work in library automation and library management. His interests are duly reflected in the subject matter of this excellent Festschrift. The ten essays, written by directors of major research libraries, heads of national organizations, and publishers who are themselves all outstanding leaders and researchers in their respective fields, are notable for the light they cast on the changing nature of research libraries in the new digital age. The book is well-edited, adequately indexed and contains an interesting chronological biography of De Gennaro as well as a selected bibliography of his numerous publications, ananged in broad subject categories. Several issues recur in a number of the essays-the crisis in scholarly communication, copyright issues, and preservation concerns in regard to both print and digital resources. Others deal with issues involving advanced technologies and how they are affecting the delivery of library resources and changing what it is that actually constitutes a library's collection, i. e. , something much more than actual in-house resources actually owned by the library. Sidney Verba's introduction properly sets the tone for the work, describing the major aspects and high points of De Gennaro's career and his significant contributions toward the "electronic revolution" in libraries. Patricia Battin writes on technology and the humanities, and delves into what she sees as the future of the printed book. She is optimistic, but wary, urging humanists to take steps to ensure they themselves will have a role in shaping their own future by not ignoring digital technology, but by working to combine the best from both the print and digital cultures. Sir Charles Chadwyck-Healey eloquently describes the evolution of the book from manuscript to printing to electronic text and discusses the central role in the control and distribution of information that libraries will, or should, play in the electronic age in much the same way such function was performed for the manuscript book and other hard-copy formats. In the management arena, Richard M. Dougherty contributes an essay on what he terms "preferred futuring," a management, problem-solving technique whereby organization members can create "exciting" futures and through strategic planning lay out how they will reach that future. William J. Haas discusses the role of foundations as change agents in research library development with specific examples in the areas of preservation and journal literature. John Kupersmith discusses the revolution (or paradigm shift) in research libraries in terms of memes, which he describes in terms of ideas that "in effect, have a life of their own and can be EDUCATION LI BRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 viewed as ' information viruses. "' (p. 34) He describes emerging memes for research libraries as including the concepts of the digital library, the virtual library, and the "hybrid library" containing both print and electronic information resources, as just several of the tecnhology-memes which are leading to major changes in services and resources in research libraries. Paul Evans Peters contributes an essay on digital libraries and what he calls "non­ Newtonian" information systems, looking at the role librarians should have in an era of managed network resources. In a similar vein, Robert Wedgeworth provides a short history of library automation and the current movement toward digital collections and libraries. He stresses the need for collaboration among academic libraries in order to make this transition a successful outcome. Mamice B. Line writes on cooperation among libraries with his customary air of caution, stressing the need for proper costing-out and evaluation of all cooperative initiatives. He also points to the various ways by which commercial arrangements are beginning to supplant library cooperative programs . He stresses further the importance of looking at cooperation from a global, rather than strictly national, context. This idea, while not strictly an original one, nevertheless makes for interesting reading and makes a substantial contribution to the understanding of library cooperation. Perhaps the most heartening essay in the collection is that by S usan K. Mart in . She examines the amazingly on-target predictions made by De Gennaro in his 1 981 work entitled Libraries, Technology, and the Information Marketplace in light of today 's libraries, while constructing her own vision of the library of the future. Finally, Duane E. Webster closes the collection with a contribution concerning the challenges that the leadership of research libraries must face today, including such issues as budgetary crises in the building of true scholarly collections that contain sufficient foreign imprints and serials to support serious research efforts. Also he notes the many ways research library leaders are trying to cope with these challenges. Overall, this collection of essays does well in summarizing the major issues currently facing research libraries, and does justice to the scholar whom it honors. It can be unreservedly recommended for research libraries and academic libraries supporting programs of library and information studies. Vicki L. Gregory is Director and Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, CIS 1040, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, USA 33620. Phone: (813) 974-3520 (voice); Fax: (813) 974-6840; E-mail : gregory @luna.cas.usf.edu B O O K R E V I E W S 43 Ramsdell, Kristi n . Romance Fiction: A Guide to the Genre. Englewood, CO: Libraries U n l i m ited, 1 999. ISBN 1 -56308-335-3. $45.00. This is a second and revised edition of Happily Ever After: A Guide to Reading Interests in Romance Fiction. This latest book uses the same structure, but according to the editors the work has been expanded and updated with the addition of several chapters. Aimed at librarians, the work focuses on romance literature and is organized to define the genre and provide a useful resource for readers' advisors, researchers, and students of popular culture or women's studies. Part I includes four chapters : ( I ) Definitions; (2) The Appeal of Romance Fiction; (3) Advising the Reader; and (4) Building the Collection. Part II has nine chapters, each representing a sub­ genre such as mysteries, historical periods, sagas, gay and lesbian, and ethnic/multicul tur�l romances . Each of these chapters describes the sub-genre and lists works by author and title. Inclusion is very broad and many writers whose work might generally be cons idered mainstream are found here . One advantage of this might be to broaden reading tastes. Part III contains research aids, with excellent guides to the l i terature of the history and criticism of romances, author biographies and bibliographies, periodicals and review sources, plus other reference sources. It also lists societies and organizations for writers and readers of romances and awards. Books that have received the Rita Award are so marked in Part II. Chapters on publishers, commercial online sources, and significant collections are also included. Appendix I is a sample core collection. Appendix II is comprised of selected romance writers by style, plot pattern or theme. Appendix III lists selected young adult romances. There is an excellent author/title index and a limited subject index. Public l ibrarians and those dealing with young adults will find this a very complete resource. JoAn Segal is a consultant at Vintage Ventures, 425 1 Amber Street, Boulder, CO, USA 80304-0965 . Phone: (303) 54 1 - 1 065 ; Fax: (303) 442-0484; E-mail:jsegal @earthlink.net Gates, J u l i e M. Consider the Earth: Environmental A ctivities for Grades 4-8. 2nd ed. E n g lewood, CO: Libraries U n l i m ited , 1 999. 246 p. ISBN 1 -56308-725-1 (softcover). Julie M. Gates' Consider the Earth is an educator's guide that incorporates environmental science with helpful tutorial activities targeted for grades 4-8. Consideration for the environment is an ever increasing and pressing concern that requires understanding, responsibility, action and care, which Gates thoughtfully describes in her introduction. The purpose of Gates ' book is to expose chi ldren to the environment through activity-based lesson plans by demonstrating the scarcity and limitations of available natural resources. Through these activities she hopes to build awareness and curiosity that will produce a community that continues to be concerned with preserving our environment. The book is·divided into eight sections that include topics on soil, plants, water, wildlife, weather, environmental problems, oceans, and ecosystems. Each section begins with a 2-3 page introduction of the topic, followed by the activity that includes an objective, mateiials needed, grade level (this should be used by the discretion of the teacher as a guide only), setting (e.g . , classroom, outdoors, natural area, etc.) , time, and preparation needs. There are anywhere from 1 0-22 activities for each section. Following each activity is a lesson design with supplementary activities and questions to consider. The last chap ter of the book i ncludes bibl iographic information for teachers and students. These resource lists contain references to books, articles and periodicals (most are recently published) for further reading, government agencies, private organizations, and scientific supply companies. Unfortunately, there is no mention in the introduction that describes what has been added or changed to this edition (the EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 44 B O O K R E V I E W S first edition was published in 1 989). Also, an author biography describing her background and credentials is needed. There are many environmental activity books for children out on the market (e.g., "Hands-On Nature," "Ecology: Discovery Activities Kit," "Ecology Connection"). However, Gates' treatment of each topic is more comprehensive and thorough than some other activity books that do not offer much in the way of background on the topic itself giving the topics a more narrow focus. This book is well organized, clearly written and would be a valuable resource to any science collection for teachers and school librarians. Nerissa Nelson is an Information Specialist at Advantage Learning Systems, Inc. 29 1 1 Peach Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA 5448 1 . Phone: (7 1 5 ) 424-3636; Fax : (7 1 5 ) 424-4242; E-mail: NLNELSON@ advlearn.com Wade, Barrie. A Guide to Children's Poetry for Teachers and Librarians. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1 996. ISBN 1 -85928- 1 41 -9 (cloth). $59.95 us Poetry for children need not be an endless chore to be survived at school. Poetry can generate excitement; it can inspire, exhilarate and excite children and their teachers to explore the wonderful world of language and the world around them. Poetry can be a challenge to the sensibilities and to the intellect. Barrie Wade and his four reviewers set out to dispel the myth that poetry at school is dull. This exciting practical guide is aimed at teachers, parents, librarians and children. There are one hundred and fifty eight pages, all packed with vital information to help make poetry come alive to children of all ages. The format, three main sections, is clear and easy to follow: collections of poetry by one author, edited anthologies, and resource book anthologies. Each entry follows the same pattern, including the author or editor, title, publication and biographical details, followed by a lively review of the book. Suggested age ranges are indicated, as are themes. All entries are arranged in alphabetical sequence. The vivid, fast paced language of the reviewers invites both the educator and the child to come and join the fun. An example of this is the entry on page 27, describing Roger McGough's illustrated work, "Noah's Ark". How delicious to experience snippets of the "sophisticated" humour: for example, "Noah craftily steers the craft," and "speaks sternly from the stern" and the pigs appear in the illustrations with a wmTied grimace when Mrs Noah speaks of rashers of bacon. Further reading is definitely encouraged. EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 On a more serious note, "Mother Gave a Shout" is an anthology of poems from all over the world, written by women and girls. The reviewer draws attention to a poem that is both haunting and thought provoking, written by a child, set in a concentration camp in 1 944. The inclusion of pieces such as this emphasizes Barrie Wade's hope of widening "the range of poetry with children's experiences." (p. vii) . All entries have been carefully chosen to help expose the reader to a variety of language experiences and life encounters. The third main section, " Resource B ooks", includes anthologies particularly designed for classroom use, probably in the British school system. It includes books that are mainly recommended for the older student in the 12 to 16 year age group. The reviewer gently pokes fun and refers to the GCE, (p. 1 08), a British general certificate of education which students sit when they are about fifteen years old. Reminders of the British education system permeate the reviews and should remind the Canadian educator to apply his or her own standards and age baniers when using this guide. For example, the term "Primary" used in the guide seems to refer to Kindergarten to Grade 5 . These three main sections are the parts of this guide that will prove the most useful to the North American educator. The later sections of the book are interesting in that they list the plethora of national and regional support for poetry that exists in Britain: societies, libraries, specialist collections, audio tapes, publication B O O K R E V I E W S 45 information and poetry competitions which are all available. Information on organizing a poetry festival and inviting a poet into the classroom is also included and may give the Canadian or American educator some ideas. The three indexes provided at the end of the guide are excellent. They comprise titles, authors and editors, and a thematic index. The printed layout is clear and concise, making cross­ referencing an inviting task. The wealth and diversity of this small guide will be greatly appreciated by even the most experienced teacher. Although it should be pointed out that this side of the Atlantic is not too well represented, great British poets such as Alfred Tennyson and Robert Louis Stevenson, T.S. Eliot, Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear are included as well as lesser known poets such as Norman MacCaig, Dave Ward and Lavinia Greenlaw. Barrie Wade's guide is interesting, innovative and inspiring: in short, it is a book that can be used over and over in classroom teaching. Lisa Manches Aristou is a storyteller and former lecturer at the University of British Columbia and Malaspina University College, BC, Canada. Wynar, Bohdan S . , ed . Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers, 1999. Englewood , CO: Li braries U n l i m ited, 1 999. 305p. ISBN 1 -56308-766-9. ISSN 0277-5948. Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers, (RRB), now in its 1 9th volume, is an essential reference source for those libraries, and is also an extremely handy guide for larger libraries. According to the introduction, RRB " . . . has been developed as an abridged version of American Reference Books Annual", which reviews reference books and CD-ROMs published in the United States and Canada, as well as English language titles from other countries. Books in this edition were published in 1 997 and 1998. While all the works cited in this volume are recommended, full reviews are included to give the individual selector needed information in choosing appropriate material for the individual library. All titles are coded as appropriate for smaller college libraries (C), public libraries (P), or school media centers (S) . The 1 9th volume contains reviews of 538 works on 277 pages. Subject anangement is based on the 1 9th edition of the Library of Congress Subject Headings, supplemented by author, title, and keyword indexes. The signed reviews are highly readable, and written by librarians. Many are for contemporary monographic works, but new editions of standard works are covered, and those works published annually are included on a systematic rotation. CD­ ROMs are reviewed in their own right, with comments of comparison to a print product where appropriate. Some reviewers, in highly positive reviews, note that smaller libraries may be able to skip an edition or two between purchase, or recommend a more modestly priced work on the topic. These books should be on standing order for the small and medium-sized libraries and media centers of the title. It is a very good purchase for other libraries as well, especially for the highly specialized library needing only a few good titles in more diverse fields. Debbie Bogenschutz is Coordinator of Information Services at the Johnnie Mae Berry Library (http://dogbert.cinstate.cc.oh.us), C inc innat i S tate Technical and Community Col lege, 3 5 20 Central P arkway, C i n c innati , OH, USA 4 5 223 . Phone: (5 1 3) 569-16 1 1; Fax: (5 1 3) 559-0040; E-mail: bogenschutzd@ cinstate.cc.oh.us EDUCATION LI BRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 46 B O O K R E V I E W S Brookhart, Susan M . The Art and Science of Classroom Management: The Missing Part of Pedagogy. ASH E-ERIC Higher Education Report Vo l . 27, N u m be r 1 , Was h i ngto n , D C : The George Was h i ngton University, Graduate School of Education and H u man Development, 1 999. ISBN 1 -878380-89-3. ISSN 0884-0040. $24.00 Assessing students' academic performance is not simply about evaluating their participatory efforts, levels of achievement, or intelligence. It is also-and should always be-an important part of pedagogy. Standing on this significant, educative perspective, Professor Susan Brookhart aptly titles this excellent book The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy. Anyone who has experience in college/university teaching knows that teaching is not simply composed of mechanical lecturing. Teaching-" to help, to guide, to coach students to learn and grow" (p.88)-requires skills and art. With common sense and experience, most instructors at higher education levels may have adopted and practiced the various evaluation techniques that best suit the course they designed. This book dissects necessary ingredients for such art, and offers abundant, empirical data to back up and explain logical thinking behind such art for successful classroom assessments as part of pedagogy. In this very sense, her approach to the subject matter affords scientific merit. Why do we need to integrate the grading of students' performance as part of pedagogic methods? In refening to various pressures that the instructor may face in grading, the author aptly describes the possible and inherent difficulty that the instructor may experience: "confusion of the role of judge and advocate in the educational system" (p. 88) . In other words, "the same instructor who is the teacher . . . must turn around and j udge the student", and this is not necessarily an easy thing to do. In my view this is the point of departure that the author sets as her goal in writing this wonderful book. Besides such possible, individual confusion in the system, different kinds of pressures sunound the instructor, such as "enrollment-driven funding and administrative priorities" (p.87) and the like. Grading in and by itself is a difficult task for an instructor. Given the complexity of the matter, the following statement made by the author succinctly answers the EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3 above question: "Knowing what they know" is a metacognitive achievement for students, an awareness of comprehension that is required for students to become self-sustaining, self-directed learners in a discipline" (p.49). Classroom assessment thus should be devised in a way to "increase their motivation, learrung, and sense of ownership of the material" (p.57). To enhance such significant pedagogic function, the author feels that the instructor of practically any field should begin teaching by focusing on what is important to learn in the course. At the time of designing the course he/she should match the content material with the content of ! earning goals for the course, as well as with the level of thinking required for the assessment. In this very context, the following point would be a key: the importance of communication between the instructor and the student-as to what is required to learn and how each individual's learning process will be measured. They can prepare better. Simple logic. Structured by the above theoretical framework, Professor Brookhart demonstrates how an instructor chooses and designs the assessment methods that match the goal, content, and discipline of the course he/she is about to offer. She also describes the assumed validity and reliability that characterize each method of evaluation of the student's comprehension. These include paper­ and-pencil tests, performance assessment, oral questions and portfolios as options for any classroom assessment of any level of education. She gives a brief but clear assessment practice most commonly used in different fields of scholarship such as English /Language Arts, M athematics, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. Her concrete examples of empirical studies are then combined with her concrete models of assessment, which will be, I am sure, of much interest to many instructors of different fields. These models include "Dos and Don'ts for Writing Essay Test Items "(p. 38), "Analytic Rubrics for a Question on an Essay Test "(p. 47), and "Sample Checklist for a Mathematics Writing Project "(p. 64), to list a few. 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S 47 In this way, the author analytically locates the problem, difficulty and importance of classroom assessment in higher education, and gives a constructive guide for finding the best methods possible to aid the student's development. Given the fact that we live in a society where we value meritocracy, classroom assessment-establish ing records of individual academic performance-comes back as the nature of the instructor 's responsibility: to teach, coach, guide and judge. This comprehensive book will be of great help for instructors in higher education, and is especially recommended to those who are beginning their teaching careers. Milton, Pollio and Eison conclude (1986) that "college grades differed with expectations for different eras and that grades simply do not have a fixed value over time" (Brookhart p.86). Yet, with this concise book, the author reminds the reader of the essential task of evaluation, the otherwise "missing" part of pedagogy. Michiko Aramaki is a Research Associate at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada, and Research Associate and Instructor at the Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. Phone: (514) 398-4300; E-mail: maramaki@total.net. EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 23, Nos. 2/3