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Evaluation of Reference SourcesPublished or to Be PublishedJovian Lang OFM aa Faculty, Division of Library and Information Science, St.John's University, Jamaica, NY, 11439Published online: 17 Mar 2009.
To cite this article: Jovian Lang OFM (1987) Evaluation of Reference Sources Published or toBe Published, The Reference Librarian, 6:15, 55-64, DOI: 10.1300/J120v06n15_06
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Evaluation of Reference Sources Published or to Be Published
Jovian Lang, OFM
Over the past ten years I have been either serving on the RASD, Reference Sources Committee or working on the publication of their Reference Sources for Small and Medium-sized Libraries, Third, Fourth and currently the Fifth Edition. From my experience working on these projects I intend to address the readership of this periodical. During this time I must have handled three to four thousand quality reference tools, helping to make decisions whether or not they were to be included on the lists or in the publications. Many times they have been essential tools for libraries larger than the libraries defined in the preface to Reference Sources for Small and Medium- sized Libraries.
PUBLISHERS SEEK TO FULFILL NEEDS
Most librarians who deal regularly in reference materials discover that publishers are really trying to fulfill the needs that we have. For them it means a successful book or item that will sell well because librarians recognize the advantage of having such a tool at their fingertips. All of us have at one time or another received question- naires from publishers searching for a description of a reference tool that would be helpful to librarians. Once they know what the needs are, they search around until they locate a qualified author to work up the material requested.
We might mention at this spot, that certain publishers do "spin-offs." By this we mean that a publisher has the rather large work, from which he can excerpt certain sections for specific audiences. For instance the Subject Guide to Books in Print makes
The author is on the faculty olthe Division of Library and Information Science. St. John's University. Grand Central and Utopia Parkways. Jamaica. NY 11439.
8 1987 by The Hawonh Press. Inc. All rights reserved. 55
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56 The Publishing and Review of Reference Sources
it possible to have a specialized list of books in print available for selected audiences, such as Business and Economics Books and Serials in Print; Children's Books in Print; Religious Books and Serials in Print; etc. In most of these instances the publisher will either add material or have a much better subject breakdown in the spin-off, so that the librarians, aware of the particular item, may decide whether their specialty demands the use of such a work. If they already have the major work, they may want to think very seriously about whether the advantages of the special subsection would be worth the cost of the item. However, for subject specialists, these spin-offs may be the answer to their needs.
The committee has expressed concern on many occasions that there seems to be a dearth of true children and young adult reference works. RASD itself recognizes the problem, and has appointed an ad-hoc committee entitled Reference Services to Children and Young Adulrs, to investigate establishing a standing committee on reference services to young adults and children. One would hope they would be able to put the proper pressure on publishers by suggesting the various areas in which tools of this nature should be available for their clientele.
ONLINE REFERENCE SERVICES
In the Fourth Edition, the title changed from Reference Books . . . to Reference Sources for Small and Medium-sized Libraries. The main reason was that the subcommittee felt fomats such as microforms and databases should be included in the list of reference materials. In this technological age, in many instances, it may be less expensive for libraries to have such services available to their clientele than to purchase hard copy. This is particularly true for indexes and other print sources that have basic bibliographic information, and are usually on the major online vendors, such as BRS, DIALOG, andlor SDC. The use of online reference services has increased more and morc, and finally some of the companies, recognizing the value of their material and the wide use it is receiving, are bringing some of the prices within range of present libraries budgets. Payment of such services has been handled in a sufficient number of other articles, together with the problem as to whether or not charges should be made to the patron. Most probably there are other articles on this particular topic even in this current issue of The Reference Librarian.
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Reviews and Evalualion oj" Reference Works
STATE OF REFERENCE REVIEWING
Those of us who depend on review columns of reference tools know the variety of sources in which we find such material and are grateful that they exist. For the most part we are intercsted in up-to-date review columns, those that appear monthly and quar- terly, but we will not refuse to look at certain annuals, to double check our needs against the material that has bcen reviewed. Most review sources make use of a stable of reviewers who are librarians working in reference materials regularly, and therefore are quite knowledgeable in their review activity.
Editors of review columns are dependent upon the publishers for copies of the material. Usually, the reference material is expensive, more so than the majority of other books that are reviewed, so it might be more costly for the publisher to make sure that a sufficient number of such copies are made available to the various columns or cditors. Usually, the small presses do not have sufficicnt money set aside for such publicity, so that it becomes extremely difficult to find reviews of good reference matcrial published by them. I have spent five minutes or more at many such booths at the ALA Conference, trying to convince the owners of small presses that they should make sure that their reference tools be reviewed by those columns that specialize in refercnce book reviewing.
While working on the committee, our greatest fear would be that we would miss some rather cxcellent work that had not been reviewed within the time constraint into which we were boxed. In fact, it was so difficult, that we found it necessary to have a ccrtain percentage of books from the previous year reviewed in the following year, because these works, and reviews about them, did not become available until the time limit for the previous year's list was completed. This is one of the big problems in most reviewing: the difficulty of getting the reviews in time and having them published with the least amount of delay. Frequently it seems to be more troublesome in relation to reference materials, probably be- cause it is more demanding to revicw them well.
One could say that the state of reference reviewing is quite good for the works that actually appear. As I indicated earlier, qualified reviewers do the work, and can readily makc distinctions and comparisons that are beneficial to the reference librarians who need to purchase or evaluate the material for their own use. However, we continuously have that problem of not being aware of some rather good reference tools that have not been reviewed, primarily
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58 The Publishing and Review of Reference Sources
because the publishers are not aware as to the proper method of distribution of their books so that they will have reviews published readily.
EVALUATING REFERENCE TOOLS
Much of the following material I use during my classes in Collection Development. When I have a group of neophytes in front of me in a classroom, future librarians who will be making many decisions about purchasing items that their library needs, I am convinced there ought to be some criteria that can be given to these students, in order that they can easily justify the reasons for the purchases they will be making. To make the idea much more acceptable to them, as a rule I try to draw out from them the criteria that they think any good piece of print or non-print material should have. Having done this for many years, it is not amazing to me to discover that students from year to year will come up with the same criteria. Consequently, I would like to offer the following as suggestions for authors, publishers, and reviewers of reference books as criteria that they should be searching for within the works that they write, publish, or review. Keep in mind also that this is not only my personal view, but that of hundreds of students who were approaching this problem with a fresh mind on the topic. There is no particular priority order among these criteria. All of us have come to the conclusion that we would not expect every book to have every one of these criteria Fulfilled. Yet the more a particular work will possess the better it will be.
CRITERIA FOR ANY REFERENCE TOOL
1 . Credibility. Almost all of these criteria can be expressed synonymously and frequently are. In this instance the material must be believable, easy to accept; through the presentation of the author the reader would be willing to agree with the material being presented, whether it was a matter of a mere listing of facts, or the logic presented through the author's cogent reasoning.
2. Artistic Quality. Under this criterion we admit that the work is an esthetic success. In some instances people might think the reference tool is not necessarily beautiful, however if it is properly
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Reviews and Evaluation of Reference Works 59
done, it certainly ought to attain some degree of artistic quality in, if nothing else, the way in which the material, is presented.
3. Worth. This norm answers the question: does it have a message? For reference tools particularly, this would be a major concern, even more so than perhaps some of the other criteria. In many instances it may only be that it satisfies the needs for a certain portion of our clientele, but for them the message is very necessary and valuable. This factor is of serious significance when we find that the information presented has great import for a large secior of humanity. In that way its worth becomes more obvious.
4 . Interest Factor. Many of these criteria have a vital interest with regard to only a sector of our clientele. Were we trying to judge a much more general book, the interest factor would play a very important part. In this case, if the topic is of high interest for the general populace, the material presented in a reference tool will be more beneficial to a large number of people. Nevertheless even if the interest factor pertains to a small specialized group, it is substantial enough to need our constant consideration.
5. Effects on User. Most of us have always agreed that a tool of this nature will satisfy many of the users, will fulfill certain needs, and will usually have a good effect on the user. Such reference material fulfills a demand of the user which brings a good deal of satisfaction. Knowledge picked up in the reference tool may even cause a change in some persons' living patterns, the way in which certain job activities are performed, or ideas are ameliorated-all because of data from an excellent reference tool.
6. Literary Style. One usually thinks of literary style in conjunc- tion with fiction. However, courses are available at the college level to aid authors to better their literary style for material other than fiction. This fact indicates that there is a need to present material in a reference work in such a way that it will appeal to the reader and not cause difficulties. Good literary style will aid tremendously in conveying the sometimes complicated ideas to the reader.
7. Readability or Comprehensibility. Closely allied to the previ- ous number, is the need that a work, and particularly a reference tool, be readily comprehensible to the user. Much material of a reference nature can be complicated and exceedingly difficult to understand. Readability that enables a person who is not necessarily a specialist in the field to understand the material is extremely important, whatever the person's reason might be to access the material. This does not mean that those reference tools that are
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60 The Publishing and Review of Reference Sources
intended primarily for the specialist are to try to avoid using the scientific terms that exist. Just be sure that specialized terms are comprehensible since they are necessary to understand the material discussed.
8. Reputation and Significance of Author or Producer. By wording this criterion in this way, it is hoped that we protect the person who may be authoring a first work. In that case, reputation may not have preceded him, yet his significance by reason of his presentation may be sufficient to allow evaluators to come to the conclusion that the particular work is worthwhile, should readily be considered along with other material of this nature, and deserves praise and publicity. In some instances, we recognize certain writers as authorities in a field and would hope that their later publications would be at least comparable to their former endeavors. Also, when it comes to publishers, or producers of non-print material, we may know that certain companies specialize in reference material and their work is more than acceptable, almost an indication that since they have published it, it is most likely markedly good. Their editors are so capable at their jobs, that they can bring even a young author to present material in a way that will satisfy the users, whether librarians or the library's clientele.
9. Originality, Uniqueness. Perhaps one might expect to find this more frequently in poetry, drama, and novels, nevertheless it certainly has place in non-fiction material. Reference librarians will be looking for the way in which the material is presented, the fact that certain approaches are different in this particular tool from others with which they are familiar, and therefore of a unique and worthwhile nature. This feature is most obvious in certain types of statistical material. So many librarians say that we have a tremen- dous amount of statistics available, but to find them in the way in which a specific client needs them is not always possible. Any work therefore that can shed a new light on material that we have searched for in the past and been unsuccessful in locating can fit under this criterion.
10. Durability. Under this caption we classify material which may last indefinitely, that though eventually it might become outdated, nevertheless, considering the period it covers, the matter will always be of consequence to someone, even if only the historian. Under another aspect, one might relate it to credibility, in the sense that no matter what time a person picks up the material, the information is still there, worthwhile, believable, and usable.
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Reviews and Evaluation ojReference Works 61
11. Universality. Under this canon we would like a particular work to have application to a broad field. In some instances, when we refer only to some very specialized tools, this norm may seem to be less weighty, yet for all of the specialists in that particular area throughout the whole world, this material would certainly be meaningful and necessary. Insofar as we limit the audience, it has universal appeal to that specific audience.
12. Authenticity. Usually this gauge will be quite clear from the way the material is presented, the use of many of the former criteria, such as literary style, readability, significance of the author or publisher, its durability-all of these tie into and proclaim its authenticity. In the field of reference, this is a major standard and one which normally will stand out immediately to a knowledgeable librarian or specialist in the field.
13. Clarity, Adequacy, and Scope. When we talked above about literary style and comprehensibility, clarity certainly was of im- mense importance, yet in the reference field this is such a significant aspect, that it seems worthwhile to mention it as a special area of concern. Included with this idea is whether or not the work covers the proper scope and is adequate for the purpose intended. So certain aspects relate to clarity, yet from other viewpoints, a factor to take into consideration is whether or not the work is actually fulfilling its purpose.
14. Validity. Under this general caption, we would be stressing such ideas as accuracy, objectivity, the lack of bias, up-to-dateness, usefulness, and appropriateness. We would hope to find many situations where the material is not simply factual, but the presen- tation of various aspects of the particular topic, usually with different points of view. An example might be one of the most excellent textbooks that I ever used (Child Psychology, by George G . Thompson: Houghton Mifflin, 1952), in which the author presented one after another the various theories many scholars had, giving their viewpoints.
15. Format. Many times the manner of prcsentation is of utmost importance in a reference tool, in order to achieve many of the kinds of things we have been talking about so far. In somc instances it may not be as decisive as others, yet the fact that we avert to it as a concern in certain circun~stances makes it worth mentioning at this time. We are interested in its physical makcup, the type face and type size for the age level of the intended audience, the binding being durable and attractivc, sufficient margins for rebinding, paper
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62 The Publishing and Review of Reference Sources
of good quality, probably off-white, and the appropriateness of having illustrations, maps, charts, glossary, bibliographies and appendices. We want to know if the illustrations are simple, artistic, and suited to the content and meaningful to the intended audience. Most essential in any reference tool is the index, so much so, that most librarians will not even consider a work as reference unless it has a satisfactory index.
16. Thesis. All our reference tools should have some purpose for their existence, usually stated in the preface or foreword, making it clear what the particular author had in mind. In a sense it sets up a measuring rod against which the authors or reviewers can place the books and decide whether or not they have achieved the purposes intended.
SUMMARY
To reiterate some of the points mentioned above, one could conclude that good reference material should supply knowledge and information in the subject field, be in keeping with the interest, needs, and concepts of the audience in a manner that will render the material within their comprehension, might lead to higher ideals, could very well help in the formation of opinions, extend and improve basic cultural, moral, political, social, and psychological values, build belief in social equality and individual freedom, aid a person in choice of modes of behavior, bolster a person's sense of power and prestige, and all of this accomplished through an excellent literary quality exemplified with simplicity, beauty, hu- mor, imagination, and sincerity.
CRITERIA FOR PERIODICALS ON REFERENCE
In keeping with the criteria discussed above, one could conclude that the content of such periodicals should contain articles of quality, both long and short, depending on the specific topic under discussion. Most probably a certain amount of activities that have been occurring in certain libraries that have proved beneficial, a sufficient number of reviews to satisfy the readership, and adver- tisements of value for that same group. As to format, it is to be hoped the paper and print will be of size and quality that is easy to
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Reviews and Evoluarion of Reference Works 63
handle and read. If illustrations are used, usually quite important, they should be realistic, with colors if necessary, to the point and very descriptive, in some instances more diagramatic. Ordinarily one would expect the cover to appeal to the user.
CRITERIA FOR NON-PRINT MATERIALS ON REFERENCE
Databases have been discussed in other articles sufficiently, so the only thing to mention here is that the more user friendly such materials are, the more used they will be by both librarians and patrons. From all appearances, it seems that database producers are aware of this and are trying to achieve the goal by making their work readily accessible to those who have a fair amount of computer literacy.
Audio-visual materials that are used primarily for description of reference materials, or helpful in any other way to aid others to use libraries well, are in existence. Some questions that should be asked about these are the following: Is the medium well chosen, appro- priate? Is the scope broad enough to present a truthful, accurate and up-to-date picture of the subject? Is there adequate treatment of specific concepts? How effectively are the purposes of the film, filmstrip, slides, etc., accomplished? What are the educational advantages of this topic presented in this manner? Does it suggest follow-up material? Is the continuity logical and satisfactory? Does the vocabulary coincide with the interest level of the viewer? Are the colors, sound effects, narration and photography satisfactory? Are the facts recorded accurately? Is the material modem? Do the main facts stand out clearly in the midst of details and are they relevant? Does the picture include items or elements of known size so that the observer may secure an accurate idea of the unknown elements? Is there a manual or manuscript to follow a clearly defined sequence? Is the voice of the narrator pleasant, the diction good, the enunciation clear? Is there sufficient variation provided so that the listening span of the person is not taxed or comprehension hindered?
CONCLUSION
My hope is that this material will prove beneficial to authors, publishers, and reviewers. Much of the material has been developed over a period of many years, picking and choosing an idea from
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64 The Publishing and Review of Reference Sources
books, periodical articles, and whatever other sources might be available, including discussions with librarians on the job. At this stage, it would be impossible to credit each person with the germ of the idea that has been presented here. Should librarians or authors recognize their own ideas amid these, I hope they will take it as an endorsement of their fine ideas and not be perturbed that I was unable to cite properly the correct bibliographic information for their ideas. Hopefully, the material presented will allow many to consider seriously how and why they choose certain reference tools for specific purposes.
REFERENCES
I . Reference Sources for Srnull and Medium Sized Libraries, compiled by the Ad Hoc Committee for the 4th Edition, RASD, ALA, Jovian P.Lang, OFM, Deborah C. Masters. Co-Editors and Chairpersons. Chicago. American Library Association. 1984.
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