The African-American yellow pages

Library Journal

Although both these books encourage networking in the African American community, the method and scope differ greatly. Bunkley (a senior public affairs representive with Exxon) concentrates on providing an address book for African American celebrities in sports, acting, and politics, followed by organizations of interest to African Americans. Included are African American-owned businesses, colleges, and other organizations targeting African Americans. The title lacks any description of the organizations profiled, many of which have ambiguous names, rendering the book frustratingly difficult for gathering any real information. Even the liberally scattered lists of African American firsts lose their value and appear anecdotal owing to the lack of dates or references to back them up. The lists, and the book overall, raise more questions than they answer. On the other hand, Biddle (Baruch Coll.; president of the Black Caucus of American Library Association) has edited a much more useful and cohesive work, choosing to do without Bunkley's celebrity list. The African-American Yellow Pages is arranged by primary subject area and offers an additional index for narrower topics, like bookstores, advocacy groups, and genealogy, as well as an organizational title index. The coverage includes businesses owned and managed by, or serving, African Americans, and organizations composed mostly of or established to serve the interests of African Americans. Most entries provide a brief description of the organization, although a more in-depth review would have been preferable. Of particular use is the section on web sites and online services for this unique community. Bunkley's directory may be of interest to the home market, but Yellow Pages deserves a place in most public and academic libraries. [Biddle's book was previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/96.]Kelli Perkins, Herrick P.L., Holland, Mich.