Contents

Preface fx

1 The Nature of Reference and Information Service 1
Definitions 2
Search 9
What Is a "Reference Source"? 12
What Is a "Fundamental" Reference Source? 13
Guides to Reference Sources 15
Current Reviewing Sources 18
Evaluation of Reference Sources 19

2 Sources of Bibliographic Information 21
Definitions 25
Library Catalogs 31
National Library Catalogs 33
Union Catalogs 40
National Book Bibliographies 43
Bibliographies of Other Publications
and of Audiovisual Materials 58
Subject Bibliographies 87
Selection Aids 93
Current Selection Tools 97
Bibliographies of Bibliographies 99
Summary 102


3 Indexing and Abstracting Services 103
General Periodical Indexing and
Abstracting Services 106
Citation Indexes 118
Table of Contents Services 119
Subject Indexes to Periodicals 122
Newspaper Indexing and Abstracting Services 138
Other Indexes and Concordances 143
Summary 169


4 Directories 170

Handbooks 172
Bibliographies and Directories of Directories 172
General Directories 173
Specialized Directories 178
Alternative Directories 178
Summary 209

5 Sources of Biographical Information 210

The Nature of Biographical Sources 210
Bibliographies 214
Indexes to Biography 215
International Biographical Sources 225
Current Sources 229
National Biographical Sources 231
Professions 243
Summary 261

6 Sources on Words 262

Why a Dictionary Is Made 263
Unabridged Dictionaries 266
Abridged Dictionaries 275
School Dictionaries 284
Etymological Dictionaries 287
Usage 289
Synonyms and Antonyms 296
Pronunciation 299
Slang 300
Dialect 303
Abbreviations 304
Visual Dictionaries 306
Special Fields 310
Foreign-Language Dictionaries 318
Summary 332

7 Encyclopedias 333

The Making of Encyclopedias 336
Multivolume Adult Encyclopedias 352
Encyclopedia Supplements 362
One-to Three-Volume Encyclopedias 363
Children's and Young Adults' Encyclopedias 367
Electronic Encyclopedias 376
Foreign Encyclopedias 3 78
General Reference Features of Encyclopedias 385

8 Sources of Statistics 386
Statistical Reference Service and Evaluation
of Statistical Sources 387
Terminology 396
General Sources 400
General Collections of Data 407
Subjects 417
Other Types of Statistical Sources 445
Summary 454

9 Sources of Geographical Information 455

General Reference Works 463
Cartographic History and Map Librarianship 474
General World Atlases 481
School Atlases 489
National Maps and Atlases 493
Thematic Maps and Atlases 497
Gazetteers 510
Directories and Encyclopedias 513
Dictionaries of Geographical Terms 518
Travel Guides 519
Acronyms and Initialisms 529

APPENDIX

Guidelines for Particular Types of Reference Works 535

Index 547