AIDS crisis in America

Library Journal

The strengths of this information-packed but somewhat carelessly executed reference guide include its compilations of statistics, chapters on the impact of AIDS among the homeless and the incarcerated, and excerpts from source documents such as the 1986 Surgeon General's report. Weaknesses include the user-unfriendly inclusion of four separate glossaries (the text incorrectly states that they don't overlap); baffling omissions (e.g., AIDSLINE) and selections (e.g., GAO reports on drug abuse) in the information resources list (for a more complete list, see Jeffrey Huber's How To Find Information About AIDS , 2d ed., Harrington Park Pr: Haworth, 1992); and a partisan slant that brings the work's objectivity into question. A comparable (and more tightly edited) volume is Stephen and Carl Flanders's Library in a Book: AIDS (Facts on File, 1991) . Other up-to-date sources include the looseleaf service AIDS Reference Guide (Atlantic Information Services, 1989+) and the AIDS Information Sourcebook (Oryx, annual). Recommended only for comprehensive collections in social aspects of AIDS and AIDS advocacy, or where subject demand warrants. For more information on AIDS, see this issue's collection development article on p. 65-68.--Ed.-- Judith Eannarino, Washington, D.C.

Booknews

A comprehensive, nontechnical reference on the history, significance, and future of HIV/AIDS in the US, for teachers, students at any level, and the general public. A particularly good introductory essay by attorney and advocate Virginia Shubert broadly surveys the principal aspects of the epidemic, ranging from the basic science of the virus to the social, political, and economic questions it raises. A comprehensive resource section provides additional sources of related information, including government agencies, health organizations, publications, and media. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)