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Strategic Alliances (SAs) have become widely used by global businesses for pursuing strategic goals.¹ Because of the special nuances that can make these kinds of joint ventures (JVs) effective means for achieving challenging strategic goals, they are generally more difficult to establish and manage. Some of the larger, more successful users of SAs recognize the special nature of these relationships and some such as Cisco and Pfizer have even created high-level divisions or departments in their organization explicitly focused on planning, pursuing, and managing outside strategic partnerships. These units not only monitor the alliances (in some cases, dozens at a time) but also develop tools and insights that will allow the organization to engage in SA more successfully.

The first section of this volume deals with leadership qualities in the global environment. In particular, we are pleased to have scholars share their leading-edge research in terms of the following leadership characteristics and qualities: personality, competency, the ability to scan environment in search of useful information, the ability to anticipate and manage errors, and integrity and ethical leadership.

Soon Ang (Ph.D. Minnesota) is Goh Tjoei Kok Distinguished Chair of Management and Head, Division of Strategy, Management & Organization at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research interests are in cultural intelligence, global leadership, and outsourcing. She has published extensively in Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Information Systems Research, Organization Science, Management Science, MIS Quarterly, and Social Forces, and serves on editorial boards including Management Science, Organization Science, Applied Psychology, Decision Science, Information System Research, MIS Quarterly, etc. She has pioneered and coauthored two books on cultural intelligence (Stanford University Press) and coedited the Handbook of Cultural Intelligence (ME Sharpe). She was recently awarded the prestigious Distinguished International Alumni Award by the University of Minnesota for her academic leadership and scholarship record.

Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.

Hogan and Benson's chapter in this volume used the CEO of both Nissan and Renault Ghosn, who was born in Brazil with Lebanese heritage, educated in France, worked in the U.S., and then resurrected a major Japanese firm, as an example to support the view that the principles of leadership are formal and not culture specific. Campbell (2006) earlier had argued that some leadership principles are universal and timeless, such as ethics and integrity. Ethical leadership is critically important in our global society today. The fact that ethical and moral issues have contributed to the falling of banks and financial institutions on Wall Street and in many other parts of the world tells us that ethical leadership is a prerequisite for the health of the global market. Financial institutions are required to engage in global thinking and acceptable standards of behavior to regain a stable and safe global financial market (Garten, 2008).

The following classified, descriptive 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.” The prevailing policy of including all reference books received has temporarily allowed the listing of titles with imprints older than two years; with increased receipt of more current titles from a longer list of publishers, this policy will soon be discontinued (with the exception of older books newly acquired for distribution by another publisher). An additional copy of any title specifically requested by Mrs. Cheney should be sent to her for review. A decision to review titles appearing in the present column will then be made by Mrs. Cheney at her own discretion.

In surveying the state of the art of reference materials for children and young adults in both school and public libraries, it is necessary to reaffirm certain “givens” about such a broad field. As in any other library, selection depends so much upon the clientele. A K — 3 grade school would have simple encyclopedias (of which there are few), e.g. Childcraft (Field), the Golden Encyclopedias, picture dictionaries and similar materials. The K — 6 or the K — 8 would include these and increasingly sophisticated types of reference, depending upon budget and the reading or research interests of the children. For example, some elementary school age children seriously want to know “all there is” about solar energy, computers, transistors, comic books and beasts of the tar pits. Others want only “facts” about sports heroes, stamps, or other collectibles. High school students are interested in the same pursuits, many of them at a highly sophisticated level. Young patrons of public libraries, quite often, are either the most proficient in reading and research skills, or the most lacking in any kind of conceptual application. Therefore, reference collections for this widely spaced age group are diverse in definition, scope, and numbers of volumes. Indeed, some books at an elementary age level are designated reference for three major reasons: 1) to direct children to a book which they might want but cannot find unless it is limited in the place or time allowed for use (e.g. some books on codes); 2) books that are comprehensive and include a quick fact presentation (these are often found in the 500's, 600's, etc., as a general categorical statement, but such a location is not always understood by the very small child who wants information; or 3) the dictionaries, encyclopedias and other books of encyclopedia information as understood by adults but written on a very beginning level. Too often, a college or general public librarian does not understand the microscopic pieces of information that are reference in nature to the growing child. Ideally, this type of reference should be available in kindergarten or even in pre‐school with instruction in its use (which is “fun” oriented, for learning is fun to the small child) at the same school or pre‐school levels.