Search results

Purpose – ‐‐ The purpose of this paper is to examine and evaluate five open access state encyclopedias.Design/methodology/approach ‐‐ Each encyclopedia is discussed and evaluated separately in regard to the following categories: web design, search functionality, features, scope, and currency.Findings ‐‐ The paper finds that, while many of the evaluated state encyclopedias provide different types of information with varying web design and structure, the end product is the same: offering free, authoritative articles and other media for anyone to access on a given topic related to the selected state. While some encyclopedias are continuously updated with new material and have better interfaces, features, and search functions, each site is valuable for the authoritative information it provides.Originality/value ‐‐ The state encyclopedias discussed are all open access resources that provide scholarly, authoritative information in an easily accessible format. Through evaluation of the web design, search features, currency, and scope and content, librarians can assist their users with searching and locating information in these encyclopedias.

One of the more popular exhibits at the ALA meeting in Philadelphia in July was the online demonstration of the Academic American Encyclopedia. Clusters of librarians gathered to watch and assess the performance of this reference source. Some greeted it with skepticism, others with enthusiasm; but it was quite evident that the day of the single format reference source has passed. Multiple format reference sources were discussed and demonstrated throughout the exhibition hall.

Throughout the past few decades a considerable philosophical literature has appeared, covering the various aspects of the history of philosophy and practically all of the systematic disciplines. Annual reports of this literature have been prepared for the past twenty years by James Collins, St. Louis University, for the Cross Currents review. These surveys are the best single source for keeping abreast of publications in the field. The collected reviews (1957–1977) are now available from Cross Currents at Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Acting is a tool that can bring satisfaction to performers and audiences alike, particularly when understanding inspires connections to another person and to a historical character. This chapter outlines the lessons and challenges one may face when building a historical character, particularly when that portrayal is based on the complex history of the United States. For performers of color, race is part of the process. For educators who plan to perform themselves, to prepare students to create history-based performances, or to have students observe professional portrayals, cultural and racial awareness is key. A people's heritage ― with its beliefs, traditions, and even trauma ― cannot be separated from their individual or collective stories. Culture and race represent a crucial part of their narrative and their identity. Drawing from childhood stories of life in the segregation era, the author explains what it meant then and now to “walk another way” in developing racial awareness, sharing how these memories have affected her professional and creative work. This chapter illustrates the multiple considerations involved in presenting characters from different time periods and culture. In particular, portraying characters or telling stories concerning America's history of oppression can impact the audience as well as the performer. The author shares her perspective as an African-American woman, explaining in detail the logistics of performance experience as a whole. She uses examples from her own character development of people of color from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries to illustrate how the use of research and primary documents contribute to script development.

The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources, research, and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the nineteenth to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1992. A few are not annotated because the compiler could not obtain copies of them for this review.

Topography is a problem in West Virginia. “If you took all the mountains of West Virginia and made them flat, West Virginia would be larger than Texas” is our boast and our network curse. Those mountains provide spectacular views, and stunning areas for our citizens who wish to maintain their independence. Those mountains and that remoteness also create difficulties in information equity, which we are just beginning to address.

Published in its first edition in 1978, the Encyclopedia of Bioethics already deserves landmark status for several reasons including uniqueness of concept, overall quality and broad appeal. Previous articles in this column have traced the historical development of longstanding reference classics. Because the Encyclopedia is a relatively young tool, the substance of this review will depart somewhat from other essays in the series by focusing more on the content, organization and scope of the work rather than its evolution.

The following classified, annotated list of titles is intended to provide reference librarians with a current checklist of new reference books, and is designed to supplement the RSR review column, “Recent Reference Books,” by Frances Neel Cheney. “Reference Books in Print” includes all additional books received prior to the inclusion deadline established for this issue. Appearance in this column does not preclude a later review in RSR. Publishers are urged to send a copy of all new reference books directly to RSR as soon as published, for immediate listing in “Reference Books in Print.” Reference books with imprints older than two years will not be included (with the exception of current reprints or older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). The column shall also occasionally include library science or other library related publications of other than a reference character.

Today, VTLS is a comprehensive, integrated solution to the automation requirements of academic, public, and special libraries around the world. No two libraries are alike; no two regions are alike. VTLS recognizes these differences and offers libraries the flexibility of numerous options to configure the system that best meets their functional and financial needs.