‘Descriptive’, ‘informative’ and ‘comprehensive’ are words that could describe the sources in this book by Michael Bemis, but also actually describe the book itself. It is obvious from the start that this is not just a list of resources with the publisher's blurb being reprinted or restated. Bemis has looked at each title he has reviewed and gives a succinct yet informative statement of each book's coverage, its strengths and weaknesses.
The titles in this list cover mainly US resources from 2000 to 2012, although historical works of note are included. Print periodicals and websites are included as additional resources, but due to the breadth and scope of journal articles these have not been included.
One of the positive aspects of this book is that it covers a wide range of topics. The traditional topics of information literacy, cataloguing and reader's advisory are covered, but there are many others that are surprising. They include administration and management, architecture, careers and employment, ethics, humour, philanthropy, popular culture and more. The book also includes a handy list of relevant US and international professional organisations.
Another welcome yet unexpected bonus is the practical nature of the work. It does not focus purely on academic works but provides annotations of many works that are practical in nature and aimed at the practising librarian. Here, how-to manuals sit next to theoretical research, which in turn sits beside handbooks on various topics.
Not every book in the 1594 numbered entries has a full annotation. Each chapter has titles that are given the full treatment, with annotation and comment. To be given this full treatment, a title must meet criteria stated by Bemis as timeliness of information, authority of resource or author qualifications, professional standing and special features that are unusual or particularly helpful. The resources that do not merit the full treatment, but are still applicable to a topic, receive a bibliographic entry. This selectivity enables more resources to be covered.
Overall this book provides a useful starting guide to published resources in a particular area. I can see it being useful for both students and practitioners alike, and while it does not free you from having to conduct your own literature search or environmental scan on an issue, it does provide a starting point. I highly recommend this title to students and fellow librarians alike.