Reference Sources in Sci.,engr.,med...

Library Journal

This thoughtfully compiled, current, and reasonably priced guide is unusual in its coverage of so many scientific disciplines. What it achieves in breadth, it understandably sacrifices in depth and degree of specialization. However, this does not detract from its usefulness as a good general sci-tech reference and bibliographic tool for librarians, researchers, and students. Over 2400 entries are arranged in broad sections (multidisciplinary sources, science, engineering and technology, medicine, and agriculture), which are divided by subject into subsections. For example, earth science is broken down into geochemistry, geodesy, geophysics, mineralogy, etc. Within these subsections, entries are arranged by type of source, such as abstracts and indexes, dictionaries, directories, handbooks and manuals, periodicals, and biographical sources. Entries themselves consist of full bibliographic and title change information and succinct descriptions that sometimes include comparisons with similar sources. An introduction to each specific discipline and an examination of the unique characteristics of its literature precedes each major section. This provides a much-welcomed conceptual framework, particularly for those who lack a science or engineering background. The separate subject, title, and author indexes seem less facile and thorough than the integrated index in C.D. Hurt's Information Sources in Science and Technology (LJ 3/15/89), but the scope of Malinowsky's work is broader. Recommended as an ideal "one-stop-shopping" source for small libraries with limited budgets or as a companion to specialized bibliographic tools in academic, research, and public libraries.-Leacy Pryor, NYPL

Booknews

A bibliographic guide to 2,459 titles in the four disciplines, covering those sources that are considered to be the most important, including some classics. The first part of the guide, Introduction to Science Reference Sources (4 chapters), is designed specifically for information science students. Part 2, Reference Sources (5 chapters--multidisciplinary sources, science, engineering/technology, medicine, agriculture), is bibliographic, and is the core of the volume. Each entry in this part is briefly annotated but not formally reviewed. Part 3 contains the title, author, and subject indexes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)