"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
After a preface in which the author explains the criteria he used in judging the works, the volume opens with a section titled "About Encyclopedias," where Kister answers such questions as "How are encyclopedias bought and sold?" and "What should you look for when choosing an encyclopedia?"
The part of the book likely to be of greatest interest to librarians and consumers alike is "General Encyclopedias," which is sub-divided into five categories by size of encyclopedia and intended reader (such as "Small Encyclopedias for Adults and Older Students") as well as the two categories "Electronic Encyclopedias" and "Out-of-Print Encyclopedias." Reviews range from under a page (primarily for works that are reprinted under different titles) to 11 pages for the New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Each review includes basic facts about the work, an evaluation, and where other reviews may be found. New to this edition is a "Report Card" feature, where sample articles from each work are graded on an A to F scale on coverage, accuracy, recency, and clarity. At the end of each section is a useful comparison chart of all encyclopedias in that category, listing for each the number of words, pages, articles, illustrations and maps, cross-references, and index entries, as well as retail price and a rating on an A to F scale. The only drawback to these charts is that there is no separate column for black-and-white as opposed to color illustrations, nor does this information appear in the reviews themselves.
The section "Electronic Encyclopedias" alone is practically worth the cost of the book--though this part will age the quickest. Just one error was spotted: Encarta is noted as being available in three versions, but there is no DOS version. The comparison chart at the conclusion of this section will help the frustrated librarian distinguish between, for example, the four CD-ROMs going by the name of Compton's.
The section of the book on subject encyclopedias is divided into 30 categories ("Computer and Electronic Sciences," "Music," etc.), with brief reviews of standard works, usually citing other reviews. Although Kister's Best Encyclopedias will (justifiably) be better known for its reviews of general encyclopedias, librarians should not overlook the fine reviews in this section. The volume concludes with appendixes featuring a bibliography on evaluating and making encyclopedias, a directory of encyclopedia publishers and distributors, and an index.
Any reader wanting to make sense of the often confusing world of encyclopedia publishing will benefit from this work. Librarians in all public and academic libraries will want to place this on their "must buy" list and may want separate copies for their reference and circulating collections.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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