NEW AND FORTHCOMING AT REFERENCE
Compiled by
Gladys I. Dratch and Deborah S. Garson
American Association of University Women. Educational
Foundation. Commission on Technology, Gender, and
Teacher Education. Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the
New Computer Age. AAUW Educational Foundation
Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher
Education. Washington, D.C. : American Association of
University Women Educational Foundation, 2000. 82p.
ISBN 1-87992-223- l . OCLC#44 121494. $ 1 1 .95.
Represents the findings of the AAUW Educational
Foundation Commission on Technology, Gender, and
Teacher Education. The Commission met from November
1998 to January 2000 and focused on educational techn logy
experiences in K- 1 2 public schools. This report is based on
interviews of 70 East Coast middle school and high school
girls, and approximately 900 teachers nationwide who
responded to an online survey. Themes and recommendations
explore how to make technology more accessible, appealing,
and inviting to a variety of users and learners. Five chapters
cover girls' perspectives on the computer culture, teacher
perspectives and classroom dynamics, educational software
and games, the computer science classroom, and school in
context of home, community and work. Appendix, endnotes,
selected bibliography. Executive summary.
Career Counseling of College Students: An Empirical Guide
to Strategies That Work. Darrell Anthony Luzzo, ed.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association,
2000. 353p. ISBN 1 -55798-708-4. OCLC#443 1 3493.
$39.95 :
A comprehensive review of vocational theories and
empirical l iterature with emphasis on career development
theory, research, and practice as applied to the college student
population. The focus is on providing practical approaches,
with more than 200 strategies to use in college student career
counseling. Seventeen individually authored chapters are
organized into four sections: theoretical bases and models for
career development, methods and techniques, special
populations and issues, and professional issues and future
directions. Author and subject index.
Distinguished Educators on Reading: Contributions That
Have Shaped Effective Literacy Instruction. Nancy D.
Padak et al . , eds. Newark, Del. : International Reading
Association, 2000. 553p. ISBN 0-87207-269-X.
OCLC#4468 1926. $39.95.
Contributions from 34 l iteracy educators who had
contributed to the The Reading Teacher 's distinguished
educator series which began in 1 989. Five sections of
individually authored articles cover theories of l iteracy,
teachers, schools, curriculum materials and instruction,
assessment and evaluation. Authors have contributed
professional biographies and, in some cases, updated their
original articles.
Eddy, John P. and Stanley D. Murphy. International Higher
Education Systems. New ed. Lanham, Md. : University
Press of America, 2000. 190p. ISBN 0-76 1 8 - 1 748-4.
OCLC#44 1 3 1756. $26.50.
Written to give an understanding and appreciation of the
complexity of international higher education decision
making, knowledge of American higher education compared
to other selected nations, and a basic overview of selected
overseas higher education institutions. Fifteen chapters
consider higher education internationally with respect to
economic and political situations, cultural issues, and
governmental policies. Appendixes include case studies.
Enger, Sandra K. and Robert E. Yager. Assessing Student
Understanding in Science: A Standards-Based K-12
Handbook. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Corwin Press, 2001 .
178p. ISBN 0-7619-7648-5. OCLC#439 1 3076. $79.95.
An assessment handbook which addresses student
performance for six domains of science: concept, process,
application, attitude, creativity, and the nature of science.
Eight chapters include assessment in the contexts of teaching,
evaluating teaching practice, rubrics and scoring guides, and
assessment examples. Assessment examples are based on the
research and practices of educators from kindergarten
through higher education. Glossary, references, index.
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
� D E P A R T M E N T S
Fry, Edward Bernard et al. The Reading Teacher 's Book of
Lists. 41h ed. Paramus, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 2000. 464p.
ISBN 0- 1 3028 1 85-9. OCLC#43555340. $29.50.
Intended for use by teachers, publishers, tutors, home
schoolers, and others involved with l i teracy and reading for
kindergarten to adult students. Fifteen sections of word lists
organized into topics such as phonics, vocabulary, writing,
instruction, spelling, and the Internet. The fourth edition
contains substantially updated lists, plus many new ones,
including teaching with newspapers, search engines for
educators, and activities for tutors. Index.
"G" Is For "Growing ": Thirty Years of Research on Children
and Sesame Street. Shalom M. Fisch, Rosemarie T.
Ruglio, eds. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum, 200 1 .
27 1 p . ISBN 0-8058-3394-3 . OCLC#43694286. $69.95.
A collection and synthesis of research on Sesame Street
during the past 30 years. The volume is divided into three
broad sections : Part I focuses on integrating research and
educational content into production, with such topi�s as the
beginnings of Sesame Street research, and creation and
evolution of the Sesame Street curriculum. Part II examines
the impact of Sesame Street, preparing children for school,
and Sesame Street viewers as adolescents. Part III focuses on
the extension of Sesame Street into other cultures and other
media with chapter topics such as developing Sesame Street
into print publications and using Sesame Street based
materials with young children. Author and subject index.
Gale Directory of Learning Worldwide. Farmington Hills,
MI: Gale Group, Inc., 200 1 . 3 v. (5758p.). ISBN 0-7876-
5005-6. OCLC#45838592. $52 1 .25.
A guide to approximately 28,000 international institu
tions of higher education, research and culture, including
academies, soctetles, assoctat10ns, research institutes
museums, libraries and archives, and colleges and universi
ties. Information is organized by country with an overview of
educational and cultural environments for 220 countries,
including government, educational, and cultural systems. A
faculty index for nearly 5000 universities includes more than
1 90,000 faculty members and administrative staff. Index and
an appendix of multinational organizations, currency and
definitions table.
EDUCATION LIBR ARIES VOL. 25 , No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
'I
Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology. Bonnie R. Strickland, ed.
2"d ed. Detroit, MI: Gale, 2000. 701p.
ISBN 0-7876-4786- 1 . OCLC#440893 17. $ 178.25.
Newly revised edition includes over 650 entries on
people and subjects important to the study of psychology.
Coverage includes key concepts as wel l as major theoretical
advances in the field. Clinical information is broadly covered.
B iographical profiles are included for major figures in the
field, from earliest historical pioneers to current clinicians.
Entries are alphabetically arranged with almost 65% of the
entries new or updated. Sections with additional reading and
information follow entries. Glossary, l ist of psychological
organizations, subject index.
Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education. Arthur L.
Wilson, Elisabeth R.Hayes, eds. New ed. San Fransisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2000. 735p. ISBN 0-7879-4998- 1 .
OCLC#43945222. $60.00.
Eighth in a series of adult education handbooks begun in
1934 and sponsored by the American Association for Adult
Education, the Adult Education Association, and the
American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.
Intended to explicitly inform practical action as well as to
record information about the field of adult education, the
handbook focuses on critically reflective practice. This
reference work serves multiple audiences, such as practitio
ners, professors, public policy makers and community
planners. Four sections with individually authored chapters
include the profession's common concerns, the profession in
practice, and reflections on the profession. Resource section
gives contents of past handbooks. Name and subject index.
Handbook of Children and the Media. Dorothy G. Singer,
Jerome L. Singer, eds. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage
Publications, 2001 . 765p. ISBN 0-76 19- 1954-6.
OCLC#439 1 3055. $99.95.
The handbook's goal is to integrate the usage and effects
of electronic media exposure on children and adolescents with
the basic behavioral research on child development. Meant for
a broad audience, this publication represents an effort to
review the past and potential future impact of the electronic
media on children in America. Emphasis is on the medium of
television as it has developed over the past 50 years. Thirty
nine chapters, divided into three sections, address popular
media as educators and socializers of growing children,
forging the media environment for the future, and policy
issues and advocacy. Index.
D E P A R T M E N T S 27
Handbook of Instructional Practices for Literacy Teacher
Educators: Examples and Reflections from the Teaching
Lives of Literacy Scholars. Joyce E. Many, ed. Mah
wash, N.J . : L. Erlbaum Associates, 200 1 . 373p. ISBN 0-
8058-3 1 1 0-X. OCLC#4368458 1 . $39.95.
Individual authors give background and syllabi for their
undergraduate or graduate l iteracy courses. Organized into
nine sections with an annotated table of contents, the
handbook is intended for literacy professionals at every stage
of their careers. The handbook has a companion Web site:
http://msit.gsu.edu/handbook. The online resource provides
additional information regarding the authors' courses,
including syllabi, recommended readings, grading rubrics,
and/or sample assignments. Author, subject index.
Historical Sources in U.S. Reading Education, I 900-I 970: An
Annotated Bibliography. Richard D. Robinson, ed.
Newark, Del . : International Reading Association, 2000.
93p. ISBN 0-87207-27 1 - 1 . OCLC#43562 1 1 3. $ 17 .95 .
References included predominantly cover the period of
1900 to 1 970. The bibliography's selection process use� the
following criteria: impact of the source on the field of reading
education; source's bibliography as a guide to related
research; the source and current practice; and the sourc� as a
contribution to the study of the field of literacy history.
Fifteen sections include summaries of reading research, oral
and silent reading, readiness, reading assessment, and texts
for reading instruction. Author, title, subject index:
Improving Student Achievement: What State NAEP Test
Scores Tell Us. David Grissmer et a!. Santa Monica, CA:
R a n d , 2 0 0 0 . 2 7 1 p . I S B N 0 - 8 3 3 0 - 2 5 6 1 - 9 .
OCLC#44 1 3 1 775. $20.00.
Of interest to educational policymakers, district
superintendents, school principals, as wel l as teachers and
parents, this analysis presents results of a study that examined
state-level achievement scores from the National Assessment
of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests given in math and
reading from 1 990- 1 996. The reported data was also used to
estimate the effects of varying levels and u�es of per-pupil
expenditures on student achievement. Nine chapters include
methodology, trends in state scores, effects of state educa
tional policies, and assessing the cost-effectiveness of
different resource utilizations. Appendixes, bibliography.
International Education Indicators: A Time Series Perspec
tive I 985- 1 995. Stephane Baldi et al . ; Thomas D.
Synder, project officer. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of
Education, Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, 2000. 1 49p. ISBN 0- 1 6-050278-0.
OCLC#4357799 1 . $ 1 6.00.
This report, which compares educational trends in OECD
countries, is an extension of the 1 996 title, International
Education Indicators: A Time Series Perspective, and
includes Hungary, Poland, and South Korea. The data is
derived from the OECD 1 996 Education Database online,
data from other OECD publications, and U.S. Dept. of
Commerce data. Eighteen indicators, covering a range of
education issues for comparing country differences and
changes over time, are organized into five sections: demo
graphic and socioeconomic context of education; rates of
partiCipation (enrollments, including private schools) ;
financial and human resources (expenditures, teacher salaries,
student/teacher ratios); system outcomes (graduation ratios);
labor market outcomes (unemployment, earnings and
educational attainment). Includes an essay section comparing
trends in OECD countries and trends of interest to U.S .
readers regarding primary, secondary, and higher education.
Tables, figures, glossary.
International Society for Technology in Education. National
Educational Technology Standards for Students:
Connecting Curriculum and Technology. International
Society for Technology in Education. Eugene, OR: The
Soc iety, 2000. 3 7 3 p . I S B N 1 -5 6484 - 1 5 0-2 .
OCLC#42996620. $29.95.
Published in collaboration with the U.S. Department of
Education, this resource sets forth the technology foundation
standards for students, the performance indicators for
technology-literate students, and the curriculum examples for
grades preK- 12 . In a section on curriculum integration,
learning activities are provided for English language arts,
foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies.
There is also a section on multidisciplinary resource units.
Appendixes of standards by discipl ine and grade level;
several forms for learning activities and units; and resources,
including books, videos, CD-ROMS, audiotapes, software,
software publishers, software distributors, and web sites with
links to educational sites.
Lathrop, Ann and Kathleen Foss. Student Cheating and
Plagiarism in the Internet Era: A Wake- Up Call.
Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 2000. 255p.
ISBN 1 -56308-84 1 -X. OCLC#43936782. $30.00.
Geared to parents and educators with the aim of
providing the background knowledge to combat cheating and
plagiarism in K- 1 2 schools. Chapters describe "high-tech
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
� D E P A R T M E N T S
cheating" via electronic devices, electronic plagiarism
through Internet sites, and various ways to deal with the
problem, such as identifying plagiarism and creating
assignments that will make plagiarism difficult. Provides
"copy-me" pages that may be reproduced without permission
and used to assist in discussions with students, parents, and
teachers. References and index. List of web addresses
includes sites with resources to help counter plagiarism,
software tools, academic integrity policies. Index.
Lester, Paula E. and Lloyd K. B ishop. Handbook of Tests and
Measurement in Education and the Social Sciences. 2nd
ed. Lanham, MD. : Scarecrow Press/Technomic Books,
2000. 399p. ISBN 0-8 108-3863-X. OCLC#44 1 72957.
$45.00.
Intended for an audience of teachers and guidance
counselors, this revised and expanded edition of the 1997
handbook contains more than 1 20 instruments arranged under
36 topics. Provides references to published and unpublished
measures. Contains a section on measurement in education
and the social sciences and a discussion, with examples, of
psychometric procedures. Excludes instruments focused
entirely on personality or psychology. Author and instrument
indexes.
Measuring Up 2000: The State-By-State Report Card for
Higher Education. San Jose, Calif.: National Center for
Public Policy and Higher Education, 2000. 1 88p.
OCLC#45494259 and #45498238. $25.00.
Developed for state leaders and legislators, and the
general public with an interest in higher education. This
report card on performance refers to education and training
after high school and includes public, private, two and four
year, profit and non-profit institutions. Grades performance
on each state's preparation in K- 1 2 schools, opportunities for
residents to enroll in higher education, affordability to pay for
the education, completion rate, social and economic benefits
to the state. Provides a national and state-by-state picture, and
charts for state comparisons. Available online for download
ing, creating individualized comparisons, and locating
reference information regarding indicators, calculations, and
grading: http ://www.highereducation . org or http ://
measuringup2000.highereducation.org
Moore, Ann M. The Insider 's Guide to Study Abroad.
Lawrenceville, NJ: Peterson's, 2000. 331p . ISBN 0-
7689-0590-7. OCLC#448 1 8388. $ 1 4.95.
Written by the Head of Programs Abroad at the College
of William and Mary and a representative to the National
Association of Foreign Student Advisors, this practical guide
is directed to students preparing for study abroad and their
families. Covers the various stages of the experience:
investigating study abroad options, determining costs and
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
other background information before applying to a program,
the application process, travel arrangements, making the most
of the experience while abroad, the return home and
marketing the experience. ·�ppendixes contain glossary,
directory of online resources, international career information,
bibliography.
National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Early
Childhood Pedagogy. Eager to Learn: Educating Our
Preschoolers. Committee on Behavioral and Social
Sciences and Education, National Research Council ;
Barbara T. Bowman et al. , eds. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press, 200 1 . 443p. ISBN 0-309-
06836-3. OCLC#449 1415 1 . $34.95.
This publication is the result of a three-year study by the
NRC 's Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, composed
of 17 experts who reviewed the research literature in the
behavioral and social sciences, both quantitative and
qualitative, with a focus on the education of children, ages 2-
5. In addition, works were commissioned on specific subjects.
Topics covered include cognitive development, social and
emotional context, individual and cultural variations, quality
of preschool programs, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment,
preparation of early childhood professionals, program and
practice standards. Final chapter with conclusions and
recommendations. Appendix discussion of scientific
evidence. Tables, figures, chapter references, and index.
Rudestam, Kjell Erik and Rae R. Newton. Surviving Your
Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and
Process. 2nd ed . Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publica
t i o n s , 2 0 0 1 . 2 9 8 p . I S B N 0-76 1 9 - 1 9 6 1 -9 .
OCLC#4426787 1 . $53.00.
This updated second edition, first published in 1992, is
geared to facilitating the completion of the master's thesis or
doctoral dissertation and may also be of general use to new
faculty advisers. The first section discusses the topics and
potential methods, followed by a section on the content of the
dissertation chapters, such as the literature review, the
research plan, and the results of the studies. The final part
focuses on the process, including the mechanics of organizing
the project, the writing process, the use of the personal
computer, and some guidelines on presenting numbers in the
dissertation, and ethical concerns, such as informed consent.
References, tables, name and subject indexes.
D E P A R T M E N T S 29
Shelton, Carla F. and Alice B . Pollingue. The Exceptional
Teacher's Handbook: The First-Year Special Education
Teacher's Guide for Success. Thousand Oaks, Calif. :
Corwin Press, 2000. 1 89p. ISBN 0-7619-7739-2.
OCLC#2000032 1 . $69.95.
Provides practical aids for improving organizational and
instructional planning skills of new teachers. As a quick
reference tool, this resource offers checklists, forms, and
information on major topics and activities that special
education teachers will encounter. Chapters include student
placement in inclusive settings, academic instruction, parent
teacher conferences, the special education classroom, writing
a legal and effective individualized education program.
Appendixes cover medical emergencies in the schools, stress
management for the teacher, organizations for parents and for
the exceptional students, instructional materials, pharmacol
ogy reference list. Chapter references.
Steeves, Kathleen Anderson and Barbara Cole Browne.
Preparing Teachers for National Board Certification: A
Facilitator 's Guide. Foreword by Mary Hatwood Futrell .
New York: Guilford Press, 2000. 1 84p. ISBN 1 -57230-
542-8 . OCLC#4359030 1 .
The purpose o f this guide i s to provide an understanding
of the voluntary national certification process of the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBTPS), an
organization established in 1987. This resource is meant to
assist teachers actively pursuing this model of certification
and especially the faci l itators who are the professionals in the
field, as well as colleges and universities, school districts, and
other organizations interested in supporting outstanding
competence in the teaching profession. The first part
describes for facil itators the model of teacher support during
the pre-candidacy period, including specific seminar sessions
with reproducible overheads ; part two describes the
requirements for the candidates and the standards in the areas
of early childhood/general ist, early adolescence/generalist,
early adolescence/English language arts, adolescence/young
adulthood/mathematics ; and the last part on post-candidacy
offers two chapters on insights from National Board Certified
Teachers and the NBPTS process with regard to education
reform implications. Chapter references, index.
Weil , Danny K. Charter Schools: A Reference Handbook.
Santa B arbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, 2000. 2 1 1 p .
ISBN 1 -57607-245-2. OCLC#45024340. $45.00.
Examines the charter school movement and compares it
with other educational innovations. Following an introduction
and chronology from the late 1960s, chapters focus on
curriculum and instructional approaches with a discussion of
what some charter schools are doing, and charter schools in
relation to the law, the politics of education, school choice,
and teacher unions. Offers an annotated list of organizations,
associations, and government agencies, and selected print and
nonprint resources. Appendixes include a state comparison of
progress towards standards and charter school laws, state
testing requirements, information on charter school admis
sions by state, and collective bargaining and certification
requirements for teachers. Also available as an e-book: http://
www .abc-clio.com
Gladys I . Dratch is Collection Development Librarian and
Deborah S. Garson is Head of Reference Services at Monroe
C. Gutman Library, Harvard University, Graduate School of
Education, 6 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02 138 .
Phone: Gladys-(617) 496-3 108;
E-mail : gladys_dratch @harvard.edu
Phone: Deborah-(617) 495-432 1
E-mail : Deborah_Garson@harvard.edu
Fax for both: (6 1 7) 495-0540
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 2001 )
Woolls, Blanche. The School Library Media Manager, 2nd
ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries U nl im ited, 1 999. 340p.
ISBN : 1 -56308-702-2. $40.
In The School Libr01y Media Manager, Woolls attempts
to provide a comprehensive overview of the school library
media specialist's job. Every aspect of being a media
specialist is covered, from getting certified and finding a job
to writing grants and designing library faci lities.
There are 14 chapters and 12 appendices in this book.
Each chapter provides important, practical information about
a wide variety of topics, including: the historical evolution of
the school library media center; contemporary challenges and
opportunities for the media specialist; methods of becoming a
school library media specialist; how to select one's first
media specialist job wisely ; planning and managing the
media center program; managing the facility, the staff, the
collection, the budget, and the services of the media center;
marketing the media center; evaluating the center and its
program; networking with colleagues; and demon'strating
leadership. The appendices provide reproductions of
important documents that can apply to work in the media
center, e.g., sample letters, policy statements, and forms that
can be used in the daily management of the media center.
Included are l ists of professional publications, and a wealth
of other useful information.
There are two particularly notable aspects of the book.
First, Woolls maintains a strong focus on the leadership
responsibilities of the school l ibrary media specialist. Readers
wil l definitely come away knowing that the media specialist
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25 , No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
i s more than a simple custodian o f books and participant in
the school's reading and information l iteracy programs.
Second, Woolls provides a useful set of exercises at the end
of each chapter. Each set of exercises includes several
questions and activities that serve to reinforce and apply the
information given in the chapter. Anyone using this book as a
text will benefit from contemplating and completing these
valuable activities.
Unfortunately, this fine book does have one major
weakness: lack of depth. Those looking for in-depth
information about specific aspects of the library media
specialist's job will not find what they need here. Woolls
gives her readers a taste of a great many things, but no
opportunity to fully savor her points. While many readers
may feel disappointed with the book's lack of depth, the
problem could easily be remedied with the addition of a "for
further reading" section at the end of each chapter.
Overall , Woolls provides her readers with a good, solid
overview of what a school library media specialist does.
Beginning school library media specialists and those who are
considering becoming media specialists wil l find this book
enlightening. Experienced specialists will find it useful as a
checklist against which they may evaluate their centers'
services and their own responsibilities. Finally, library
educators will find this to be a useful, practical textbook.
Jeneen LaSee-Wil lemssen is Information Technology Librar
ian and Assistant Professor of Library Science, University of
Wisconsin-Superior, Superior, WI.
Email : j wil lems@uwsuper.edu
B 0 0 K R E V I E W S 31
Hearne, Betsy, with Deborah Stevenson. Choosing Books for
Children: A Commonsense Guide, 3rd edition . U rbana, I L :
Un iversity o f I l l inois Press, 1 999. 229p. I S B N 0-252-0251 6-4.
$1 4.95.
.
First published in 1980, revised in 199 1 , and now newly
revised, Hearne's Choosing Books for Children is a witty,
articulate, straightforward manifesto aimed at helping parents,
teachers, and librarians select books that are worthy of young
people's time and imagination. Although children's librarians
and school library media specialists may find l ittle new
information in this book, they should still appreciate Hearne's
anecdotes and chapter bibliographies. Library generalists and
others who lack formal training in children's l iterature will
find this compact book to be an invaluable resource for
demystifying the selection process for young people's books.
After an opening chapter in which she encourages the
reader to " trust your own reactions" (p. 1 1 ) when choosing
books in which young people will find value, Hearne spends
several chapters outlining the developmental progression of
books for young people. She discusses, in turn, picture books
for babies and toddlers, more sophisticated picture books for
older children, chapter books, middle grades l i terature, and
young adult li terature. Although she does discuss genres of
children's literature in these chapters, she does not attempt to
isolate genres such as historical fiction, fantasy, or mystery.
Instead, she describes books in terms of their appeal to young
people because of characterization, story line, or developmen
tal fit. Following these chapters, Hearne writes in more detail
about three specific genres of writing that demand more
focused analyses: poetry, folklore, and nonfiction. The final
three chapters of the book are devoted to controversial topics
in children's books, enduring ('l ive') classics of children's
li terature, and how to find good books for young people.
Hearne's book has many q ualities that make it a worth
while purchase. First, her keen insights derived from her
extensive experiences both as a children's book author and
reviewer, and as a scholar of folklore and children's l i terature
lend a sense of authority to this book that is sometimes
missing from other guides to books for young people.
Second, Deborah Stevenson's assistance has ensured that the
annotated bibliographies and chapter discussions are current
so that books with copyright dates through 1 998 are included.
Third, the book has both an author-illustrator index and a
subject index making the content of the book more accessible
for reference use; a title index would enhance the book even
more.
With a highly affordable paperback version of this new
revision now in print, Hearne's book makes the perfect
addition to professional collections in school library media
centers as wel l as to parents' collections in public l ibrary
children's departments. Hearne encourages her readers to use
their imaginations to see through the eyes of young readers as
they select books for them; for reminding us to use that
criterion as we make book choices, Hearne's guide deserves
to be read.
Carol Tilley, a former school l ibrary media spec ialist, is a
Ph.D. candidate and Visiting Lecturer, Indiana University
School of Library and Information Science. Email :
ctilley @indiana.edu
Schon, Isabel. Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young
Adults: 1996 through 1999. Lanham, M D and London: The Scare
crow Press, Inc, 2000. 362p. ISBN 0-81 08-3840-0. $45.
Isabel Schon is unrivaled in producing work (over 20
books to date) that fi l ls the professional void in the area of
finding books in Spanish. Recommended Books in Spanish for
Children and Young Adults: 1 966 through 1 999 is another
invaluable resource; a well-annotated bibliography that
librarians will want to add to their collections. Schon has
included critical annotations for 94 1 reference, nonfiction and
fiction books in Spanish for preschool through grade 12 (all in
print at the time of publication). Most books included were
published in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela and
Argentina.
The format of this book follows the same format as her
earlier work, Recommended Books in Spanish for Children
and Young Adults, 1 991-1 995 ( 1997). Each entry contains
full bibliographic data, as well as ISBNs, price, and
recommended grade level. Included are bilingual books,
books translated into Spanish, as well as books originally
published in Spanish. The books are organized alphabetically
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 2001 )
. I
32 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S
by author. In addition to the major sections on reference,
nonfiction and fiction books, there are appendices including
Dealers of B ooks in Spanish for Children and Young Adults
and author, title, and subject indices.
As a university reference librarian serving a large
constituency interested in multicultural children's books, I
tend to look at subject indices with great interest, as many
teachers and student teachers hope to locate books on
particular themes. The breakdown of categories in Schon' s
subject index ( 1 07 pages) is quite extensive. There is even an
entry for toys and moveable books - a category I could have
used when I was a children's l ibrarian. The subject index also
provides access points for various topics by country, a very
sought-after item in many l ibraries. Although the entries in
the main section include age level, the addition of age level
with the titles in the subject index or a separate index of age
level would make this even more useful.
The books selected in this edition are all recommended
by Schon. She has provided well-annotated summaries with
highlights and any caveats or distractions to the books. She
captures the essence of each book with descriptive, lively
critiques. Her depth of knowledge of children's books in
Spanish is clearly evident as she compares books to similar
books, predecessors and previously published works. Her
evaluations are based on desigp, educational value, i l lustra
tions, layout, readabil ity, and recreational and personal needs
of Spanish speakers.
The section on Reference Books includes atlases,
dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, and style manuals.
The Nonfiction section includes major subject areas and also
includes biography, folklore and poetry. There is a short
Publishers' Series section, and then the Fiction section, which
is divided into easy books and general fiction.
This book is a must for anyone interested in adding
Spanish language books to a collection or in choosing books
to use in the classroom or for story hours. Nothing else
compares to Schon' s work on j uvenile l iterature of Latino
cultures.
Lori S. Mestre, M.A.L.S., Ed.D., is Coordinator of Instruc
tional and Curriculum Support Services, W.E.B. Du Bois
Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Evans, Earlene Green an
�
d Branch, Muriel Mi l ler. 3-D Displays for
Libraries, Schools and Media Centers. Jefferson, NC:
McFarland & Co., Inc., 2000. 1 26p. ISBN 0-7864-0860-X. $38.50.
Evans and Branch, both retired library media specialists
with many years of combined experience, have put together
this small book of examples of three-dimensional bulletin
boards. Designed for teachers, librarians, and others who use
bulletin boards to encourage students to read and to enhance
the curriculum, 3-D Displays for Libraries, Schools and
Media Centers will be a welcome help to all educators who
struggle to come up with new display ideas.
The authors have arranged the book thematically, around
six different topics, all easily related to the curriculum. A
total of 26 different bulletin boards are presented. Each
bulletin board includes step-by-step instructions for even the
least creative to follow. Constructing and assembling the
bulletin boards should be a snap. The authors have relied on
easy-to-find and everyday items, ensuring that teachers and
librarians need not find the process expensive. A most helpful
feature is the l i st of suggested learning activities to accom
pany the display - 8 to 1 0 for each bulletin board. The
authors suggest locating these tasks at interest centers near
the bulletin board and allowing students to select from the
group. These activities are appropriate for individual
students, small groups, or an entire class. Although they
cover subjects across the curriculum for students in grades 5-
9, high school teachers looking for supplementary activities
might also find them useful.
EDUCATION LIBR ARIES VOL. 25 , No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
The six thematic units are centered around the themes of
apples, reading, flight, women, the Harlem Renaissance, and
world cultures. The authors designed all units in cooperation
with subject area teachers. The unit on women, for instance,
came from the annual celebration of Women' s History Month
in March. Extended learning activities relate to the three
bulletin boards for this unit: "All Eyes on Women," "Focus
on Women," and "Set Your Sights High, Too." Activities for
this unit lead to using the dictionary to find word meanings,
exploring the school environment as a melting pot, checking
biographical resources to find information on women featured
in the display, and using career resources to explore careers in
science for women.
Evans and Branch have provided their readers with an
easy-to-follow guide to creating three-dimensional bulletin
boards. While it would have been more aesthetically pleasing
to include color photographs, the black and white photos
clearly depict the bulletin boards, providing a starting point
for those wishing to re-create them. In addition to the
examples presented, the book should serve as inspiration for
teachers and librarians wishing to create their own displays.
B arbara Wales is Education/Psychology B ibliographer and
Associate Professor of Library Services, Central Missouri
State University. Email: wales@libserv.cmsu.edu
B 0 0 K R E V I E W S 33
Mil ler, Elizabeth B. The Internet Resource Directory for K- 12 Teachers
and Librarians, 2000-2001 ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unl imited,
2000. 462p. ISBN 1 -56308-839-8. $27.50.
The seventh annual edition of The Internet Resource
Directory for K- 12 Teachers and Librarians ably fulfi l ls its
aim to present "a broad sampling of some of the best Internet
resources for educators, school library media specialists,
students, and parents." The directory contains 1 ,5 1 5 entries,
including 440 new or updated entries from the 1999-2000
edition. Each entry includes an excellent descriptive
annotation and access information for the resource described.
The entries are arranged in eight chapters that correspond
to K- 12 curriculum areas plus a "Reference" chapter for
cross-curricular materials and two chapters - "Resources for
Educators" and "The School Library: The School Information
Resource Center" - that cover professional information,
lesson plans, and other general education sites and informa
tion. Special attention is given to providing multicultural
resources, sources to support gender equity and school-to
work and career resources. Related sites are cross-referenced
and subject and site indices are provided.
Although criteria designed to guide the reader' s selection
of individual sites from among those l isted is specified, the
criteria guiding the author's inclusion of sites in the book are
not. Consequently, the selection of sites seems rather uneven.
For instance, the National Science Teachers Association
is not included among the 263 science
sites supplied, but the National Council of Teachers of
't
Mathematics is one of 63 identified mathematics sites. In the
"U.S. Parks" section, a cross-reference to the National Parks
Service and three sites about the Grand Canyon are included
but other useful s i tes such as the Everglades Digital Librmy
and
Yosemite Online are not. Whi le
no book covering Web sites can be comprehensive, system
atically reviewing the Web sites included and plugging gaps
and broadening coverage within subject areas would improve
the work as a whole.
The introduction promises monthly updates and
corrections to this edition at its own Web site , but a check of this site in
March 2001 found that the latest update was dated March
2000 for the 1999-2000 (6th) edition. Despite these flaws,
this directory does provide a wide range of Web sites likely
to be useful to K- 1 2 teachers and librarians. The detailed and
thoughtful annotations make the purchase worthwhile for
most public and school libraries.
Cheryl Grossman is Assistant for User Services and
Processing, ERIC Clearinghouse for Adult, Career, and
Vocational Education, The Ohio State University. Email :
grossman.4 @osu.edu
R ichardson, R ichard C., Jr., et al. Designing State Higher Educa
tion Systems for a New Century. American Council on Educa
tion/Oryx Press Series on H igher Education. Phoenix: Oryx
Press, 1 999. 21 9p. ISBN 1 -57356-1 74-6. $34.95.
In the past, centennial turnings seem to have inspired an
apparently basic human desire to do two things: to see if new
paradigms might be developed that will allow us to avoid the
mistakes of the past, and also, s imultaneously, to ensure that
the new age j ust dawning will be golden. Millennia! turnings
could be expected to be even more inspirational of this
particular brand of intellectual optimism. Given the sorry
mess that has all too often been made of attempts by the states
to rationally control their public higher education systems,
some optimism in this field of endeavor is welcome. By
reviewing the ways in which various state governance
structures influence how public systems of higher education
actually operate and by proposing a number of revisions to
the ways in which most states attempt to govern their
institutions of higher education, the authors of this work
provide some j ustification for such optimism as the new
century gets under way.
B ased on a study conducted by the California Higher
Education Policy Center, (recently re-dubbed the National
Center for Public Policy and Higher Education) that
examined the ability of existing state higher education
structures to respond to the perceived economic, social and
technological challenges of the late 20th and early 2 1st
centuries, the book opens with an excellent historical view of
the growth of state-level coordination of public higher
education and the societal issues that resulted in increased
state governmental oversight of higher education in the years
immediately fol lowing World War II. In their first chapter,
the authors state the basic premises reflected in their
examination of the seven case studies contained in the book:
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
34 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S
[S]tudy suggests that the performance of
higher education systems is influenced by at
least two primary factors. The first of these is
the state policy environment and the role that
the state government chooses in balancing the
competing influences of professional values
and the market. The second is system design,
including the way the interface between higher
education and state government is structured,
and the responsibil ity for and characteristics of
the key work processes (p. 1 1 ).
The authors acknowledge the key importance of
leadership, from both elected officials and their staffs, as well
as from those who are charged with the management of the
state' s institutions of higher education. They rightly
recognize that leadership is central to an understanding of the
performance of any particular state system of higher
education, i .e., who is pulling the governance levers, and with
what level of influence and enthusiasm, is as important as
where those levers are located.
The major portion of the work is devoted to comparative
case studies of higher education systems in seven large and
diverse states: California, Florida, Georgia, I l l inois,
Michigan, New York, and Texas. These systems were studied
from the perspectives outl ined above, and each is r�viewed
through an examination of the history of the governance/
coordination structure of the respective state, consideration of
the relative influence of state officials and university
management on governance decision-making, appraisal of the
effect of demographic and geographic factors, review of the
state's higher education budgeting process and program
planning and review parameters, and an articulation of the
type and quality of collaboration existing among the state' s
institutions of h igher education.
The authors advance a structure for the classification of
higher education governance systems in which each state's
approach to the governance problem is classified as either
segmented, unified, or federal . The seven states studied
EDUCATION LIBR ARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 2001 )
provide representation o f all o f the three structures, with
Il l inois and Texas being described as having federal
structures, Georgia a unified structure, and Michigan,
California, New York, and Florida being characterized as
having segmented structures for public higher education.
While these classifications can be seen as involving more
questions of degree as opposed to bright-line differences, to a
great extent they do appear helpful in determining the
distinguishing characteristics of the approaches they describe.
The book's last chapter is its most important as it
concerns broad public policy questions and attempts to
predict the future of higher education governance through a
synthesis of the research presented. The authors identify six
areas of concern that wil l have a serious impact on systems of
higher education over the next few years, including:
increasing social stratification (the perceived widening of the
gap between the rich and the poor); increasing enrollment
demand brought on by the need for higher skil l levels
throughout the work force; continuing pressures to contain
costs; the erosion of consensus on the question of financial
support; concerns about quality; and the unpredictable impact
of new technologies (pp. 1 87- 1 89).
These daunting concerns do not, however, keep the
authors from asserting that there can be a promising way out
of the morass. Their recommendations, most of them practical
and reflective of those successes that the governance systems
studied in the book have enjoyed, are made to provide
assistance to state pol icy leaders, who are crafting or revising
higher educational systems. Their attempts are made to
ensure that those systems will be in a position to meet the
educational needs of their respective state ' s citizens during
the next century.
Overall , the authors do an excellent j ob of developing a
theoretical picture of the current structure of American higher
education governance systems and provide an informative,
detailed look at the current governance picture as it exists in
seven important states. The book is highly recommended for
education libraries.
Vicki L. Gregory is Professor and Director, School of Library
and Information Science, University of South Florida. Email :
gregory @luna.cas.usf.edu
B 0 0 K R E V I E W S 35
Worthington, Janet E., and Albert B. Somers. More Novels
and Plays: Thirty Creative Teaching Guides for Grades
6-12. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press, 2000. 223 p.
ISBN 1 56308691 3. $27.
This book is a must-have for language arts teachers in
junior high, middle, or high school. The authors have built on
the successful format developed in their first book, Candles
and Mirrors ( 1 984), and expanded on in their second, Novels
and Plays ( 1997). In designing the study guides included in
these books, the authors work with the premise that teachers
sometimes need a l ittle help in teaching novels and plays.
In this volume, ten study guides are reprinted from the
earlier editions, and twenty new ones have been added. The
titles under consideration are broken into groupings by grade.
Katherine Patterson 's Bridge to Terabithia ( 1 977) falls into
grades 5 - 6, while Ernest Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying
( 1 993) is placed in grades 1 0 - 1 1 . Of course, there i s
flexibil i ty regarding these grade-level designations.
Entries for each title follow a common format: ful l
bibliographic and publication information is followed by a
brief summary. An appraisal of the work is given, including a
list of awards for the work or to the author, the reputation of
the book, and the appropriate age level of the reader.
Worthington and Somers also identify the major themes and
literary concepts treated by each title. For example, in Bridge
to Terabithia, the themes include friendship and death, and
the literary concepts are characterization and foreshadowing.
A l ist of related readings that deal with similar topics and
themes, or other works by the same author, are included to
encourage readers to continue reading.
The next section, reading problems and opportunities,
focuses on words that may be difficult. This is especially
useful in works such as Hamlet, Julius Caesar, or Wuthering
Heights, since readers may be unfamiliar with the language.
In addition, Where the Lilies Bloom contains vocabulary on
plant life, Appalachian dialect, and uncommon words.
Chapter numbers follow each word as a reference.
The authors provide a section on initiating activities.
This is useful for sparking the student's interest in the work
even before it is read. The discussion questions, writing
activities, and other activities are all designed to guide
exploration. Each chapter has a question attached to it, and
these questions could be used for essay assignments. The
writing activities are broader. For example, in Great
Expectations, students are asked to research and prepare a
written report on the prison system in 1 9th-century England,
and compare it to the current system in the United States.
The final section for each title is an annotated l ist of
selected teaching resources. This includes media such as CD
ROMS and video, plus URLs for related Internet sites. The
authors provide a date when the Internet site was last
accessed indicating that it was active then although it may not
be now.
The authors are very clear in their introduction that their
intent is not to spoon- feed teachers. Teachers know their
students and they must tailor instruction to meet specific
learning objectives and learner needs. More Novels and Plays
is a guide, a j umping-off point, if you will, to help teachers
get started, and to help flesh out their lesson plans. Through
the activities and discussion questions, the authors promote
critical thinking and encourage student engagement in these
works. A point worth noting is that this volume is very
affordable. Study guides are often published separately for
each title, whereas this one book contains thirty.
Jacqueline Snider is l ibrary manager at ACT, a testing
company, in Iowa City, Iowa. She is Past-Chair of the Special
Libraries Association, Education Division. Emai l :
snider@act.org
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 2001 )
36 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S
Lenning, Oscar T., and Larry H . Ebbers. The Powerful Potential of
Learning Communities: Improving Education for the Future.
ASH E-ERIC H igher Education Report Volume 26, No. 6. Washing
ton, DC: The George Washington Un iversity, Graduate Schopl of
Education and H uman Development, 1 999. 1 63p. ISBN 1 -878380-
86-9. $24.
In The Powe1ful Potential of Learning Communities:
Improving Education for the Future, Lenning and Ebbers
(both Iowa State University) provide an excel lent introduc
tion, overview, and "how to" manual for anyone in higher
education interested in knowing more about or implementing
learning communities on campus. As the authors point out,
"Learning communities are one of the most commonly
discussed concepts in higher education today . . . but although
they are mentioned constantly, [they] are not well understood
or defined, and the term has different meanings for different
people" (p. ix). Lenning and Ebbers successfully endeavor to
remedy this situation in this thoughtful, well-organized, and
readable report.
The book is divided into topical chapters: Learning
Communities: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them?
(overview of definitions and theoretical foundations), Types
of Student Learning Communities (defines the various types
and how they work), The Benefits of Student Learning
Communities (benefits for various campus constituencies),
Creating and Implementing Optimal Col lege Student
Learning Communities (the "nuts and bolts" of getting
learning communities up and running) , and Learning
Communities in the Future (what directions different types of
communities might take in the future). The book concludes
with a comprehensive bibliography of works related to
learning communities in higher education, and includes an
excellent subject index.
With many years of experience in higher education
administration between them, Lenning and Ebbers provide a
fine introduction to the concept of learning communities and a
useful instruction manual for anyone considering adopting
this curricular model. Learning communities are an important
concept in higher education administration, and more and
more institutions are implementing them. Even if your
university is not currently using or planning for learning
communities, the book is useful for future planning or to
expose students in higher education administration to the
relevant concepts. This book is highly recommended.
Mark T. Bay is Electronic Resources Librarian at Cumberland
College. Email: mbay @cc.cumber.edu
Fuhler, Carol J. Geography of North America with Books Kids
Love. Golden, CO: Fu lcrum Resources, 1 998. 240p. ISBN 1 -
55591 -954-5. $1 7.95.
Part of the "Books Kids Love" series, this teacher
resource uses picture books to explore the geography of
North America with students in grades three to six. An
introductory chapter outlines the discipline of geography,
geography instruction and a rationale for using children's
l iterature to teach i t . The second chapter suggests books and
activities to help students gain an overview of the United
States as a whole. Each of the 1 0 geographic regions of the
United States and the countries of Canada and Mexico are
addressed in the next 1 2 chapters. Each of these chapters
comprise
·
a brief introduction to the region, an tmttatmg
activity, two to four lessons, and a culminating activity.
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 2001 )
Employing one or two picture books apiece, each lesson lists
objectives, materials, a motivator, activities, books used, and
suggested companion titles. Evaluation is addressed generally
in the first chapter but assessments for each lesson are not
specified. While the regions of the U.S. are covered
adequately, the chapters on Canada and Mexico are too brief
even as introductions; better to omit them and change the
scope of the book.
A large majority of lessons contain obj ectives that relate
to the themes of location and place, one third or less to the
themes of movement or region. Objectives range from the
sweeping, e.g., "to learn about Oregon from the past to the
37
8 0 0 K R E V I E W S
present" (p. 1 9), to the specific, e.g., "to trace on a map the
route fol lowed by Grandma Essie and her family" (p. 50).
Instructions for the activities are descriptive rather than step
by-step and vary in their level of detai l . While no selection
criteria or sources are provided for the books used in the
lessons, many were published since 1 994, with authors, titles,
or publishers that are generally famil iar and reliable.
The three appendices consist of a list of teacher
resources, an annotated list of chapter books organized by
geographic region, and ideas for projects. The index includes
cites, states, regions, geographic features, activity names,
topics, and lesson (but not companion) books. These last
appear both alphabetically and under the region in which they
are used. Authors are not included. A cumulated bibliography
by title and author of books used in the lessons and related
indexes organized by region and by geographic theme would
be beneficial additions to a sourcebook of this nature.
The resources l ist, which is organized by region, is
selective, including primarily sources for those materials
necessary to implement the lessons. Missing from the l ist are
sections on reference sources, organizations, standards, Web
sites, or sources for identifying other suitable children ' s
books. Sections o n general information, titles related to
geography, and computer programs related to geography are
included, but are brief. Although many lessons involve map
activities, there are few sources for obtaining the • maps
required (which can be surprisingly hard to locate and
acquire). The rest of the l ist is comprised almost entirely of
state offices of tourism.
It i s hard to fault a book when its aims are so commend
able, especially given how little , on the subject is available.
Unfortunately the book promises more than it delivers.
Given the reader expectations created by the author's
endorsement of approaches, such as active learning, using
trade books, standards-based and integrated curriculum, the
tone and point of view found in the work are disappointingly
remjniscent of an older model of social studies instruction.
Many of the activities are of the "plan a dream tour" or
"create a concentration game" sort - both of which are ways
of collecting and presenting interesting, but disembodied,
facts. Reducing the powerful stuff of geography to fun
activities - the scavenger hunt framework - is the critical
weakness of this book. Rather than animating the geographic
themes or helping students understand what really matters
about a region, the lessons proffer a regrettably limited vision
of geography curriculum. For thoughtful discussions of
geography education, see Douglas, The Hist01y, Psychology,
and Pedagogy of Geographic Literacy ( 1 998), and Lindquist
and Selwyn. Social Studies at the Center: Integrating Kids,
Content, and Literacy (2000). Also useful is Rogers's
Geographic Literacy through Children 's Literature ( 1997),
that is organized by geographic theme, i l lustrating diverse
teaching strategies and providing a well-developed annotated
bibliography.
Ann Glannon is Curriculum Resources Librarian at Wheelock
College. Email: aglannon @wheelock.edu
O'Brien Nancy P. Education: A Guide to Reference and Information
Sources. 2"d ed. Englewood, Colo: Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
1 89p. ISBN 1 ·56308-626-3. $40.00.
As more and more students, researchers, librarians, and
members of the general public turn to the World Wide Web
for reference and information resources, it is reassuring to
examine a printed guide that reaffirms the intrinsic value of
printed text. Nancy Patricia O'Brien has built upon and
expanded a valuable title, Education, A Guide to Reference
and Information Sources, in the field of education resources.
A new edition of the 1 989 work edited by Loi s Buttlar, this
title continues to be a basic guide to resources in the field of
education. O'Brien notes in the introduction that it is "always
a challenge" to produce a new edition of a respected work,
but she has successfully met that challenge by providing
value-added, expanded journal l istings and World Wide Web/
Internet resources.
Although intended for an audience of researchers,
practitioners, scholars, librarians, and students in the field of
education, the contents of this work would be of interest to
the education community-at-large, including those individu
als in the related disciplines of sociology, psychology, and
social sciences. The guide reflects the ever-broadening scope
of the field of education.
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25, No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
38 8 0 0 K R E V I E W S
In acknowledging today's research methods, which
utilize bibliographic software, the editor has chosen to reduce
the number of bibliographies and expand the number of
journal titles. Her selection criteria are highly reflective of the
researcher's approach to and need for information that is
current. For this edition, she has selected titles with
publication dates from 1990 through 1998. In considering
pre- 1990 titles for inclusion, OBrien has noted in her
introduction, and in specific title entries, the importance of
standard works that are valuable resources to the background
and history of a specific educational subject or the general
field of education.
Fourteen subject categories organize selected titles in the
field of education, including general education sources, early
childhood, elementary and secondary education, higher
education, special education, career and vocational education,
curriculum, instruction and content areas, educational history
and philosophy, and educational psychology. The subject
categories are a strong advantage for using the guide as a
ready reference resource. Another reference source, the third
edition of Social Science Reference Sources by Tze-chung Li
also has a very extensive education section but the organiza
tion by format makes it a less valuable ready reference tool.
OBrien's organization offers a multi-use format, giving the
user a tool for ready-reference or in-depth reference.
Within OBrien's fourteen subject categories, �itles are
sub-categorized by format. The standards of dictionaries and
encyclopedias, directories and almanacs, indexes and
abstracts, and journals are covered with the addition, when
appropriate, of World Wide Web/Internet resources. A
definition of World Wide Web/Internet sources, however,
would have been helpful for a better understanding of
selection and inclusion.
Within format categories, individual entries are l isted
alphabetically by author or editor and title. The entries have
EDUCATION LIBRARIES VOL. 25 , No. 1 (SUMMER 200 1 )
standard bibliographic information. The entry annotations are
well written and succinct. Entry information notes audience,
content, indexing/accessing, special features, and the title's
value as a resource. Title shortcomings or valued features are
noted. Unique or distinctive features are noted as well , such
as classroom journals with reproducible curriculum materials.
Journal entries provide a definitive overview of
publication content. Standard bibliographic information, such
as frequency of publication, ISSN number and price, are
given along with any title changes. Both indexing and
abstracting information as well as online availability are
included in the journal entries. Subsequent editions of this
guide should consider, evaluate, and include electronic
journals in the field of education. The electronic journal
format, whether by subscription or free, is a rapidly increasing
form of academic communication. Many institutions have
listed electronic education journals as a collection resource.
World Wide Web and Internet entries have the added
benefit of designation of date accessed by the author. With the
challenge of constantly changing URLs, this is a much
appreciated notation. The "here today gone tomorrow"
characteristic of many Web sites is part of the current
challenge of researchers. The frustration of a user trying to
access a resource long gone or changed is a problem that is
not easily resolved. OBrien's date notation is an excellent
way of alerting the user to a potential· access issue.
To sit and turn pages, to browse indexes, to look at a
table of contents, and to read well written concise entries is an
infrequent pleasure in today's world of electronic mouse
c licking, page scrolling and keyboard strokes. For individuals
or libraries beginning to build a reference or core education
collection, re-evaluating an existing collection, or simply
becoming re-acquainted oneself with the latest standards in
the field, this is the book to have at hand, and thankfully, in
hand.
Deborah S. Garson is Head of Reference Services, Monroe C .
Gutman Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Email :
Deborah_ Garson @ harvard.edu