Running head: REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS Kim Fasching Azusa Pacific University LIB 525, Section #12796

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS Abstract For this project, we were to select 5 reference sources and determine their usefulness and appropriateness for a school library. At least one source must be online. Items to be taken into consideration include: cost, subject, appearance, how it is arranged, ease of use, frequency of updating, reviews, criteria unique to the title, CDE content standards and grade level appropriateness. I chose 4 print sources and 1 online source, mostly due to the fact that my budget doesn't allow for a yearly fee for online databases and library usage wouldn't justify the purchase. I chose the online source to help out with a program near and dear to my heart-our school garden.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

TITLE: The Medieval and Early Modern World (7 volume set, all have different authors) Smith, B. G. (Ed.). (2005). Medieval and early modern world. (Vols. 1-7). New York: Oxford University Press.

COST: $257.75 from Follett SUBJECT: World history and geography, Ancient History - 1900. CDE Stds: 6th and 7th grade History standards and Library standards GRADE LEVEL: interest level of gr. 5-8, reading level of gr. 6-9. Appropriate for middle and high school both. APPEARANCE: The books have handsome covers, the inside pages are full with interesting pictures and artwork, maps, boxed quotes, original source documents. ARRANGEMENT: Each book is divided into chapters. There is text and color photos on every page. Scattered throughout in margin notes are profiles of people of note. Each book has its own index, as well as a comprehensive index in The Medieval and Early Modern World volume. EASE OF USE: Because of the thorough indexes, it is easy to find the topic of interest. 3

Some of the original source documents break the flow of the text, but this is not a major issue.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS UPDATING: According to the publisher's write-up, this series contains newlycommissioned maps. The series appears to be a follow up to a series called The World in Ancient Time. It is a first edition, so updating is not necessary at this time. UNIQUE CRITERIA: Each book contains bibliographical references and an index. Primary sources and documents are found throughout the series. A further reading list, timeline, glossary and margin notes may all be found in these books. REVIEWS: School Library Journal (1 July 2006) "In accessible language supported by prolific illustrations and primary sources, these volumes describe eras that transformed the world... Chapters beginning with, "Imagine you are-" help readers experience the scenarios as they occurred... (E)ach section draws teens into the lives and issues that awakened people's minds and paved the way for the modern world. These exceptional volumes will captivate students and re-create history as a living spectacle." Fasching (June 2011) Based on everything that I have read about this series on Follett Titlewave, Oxford University Press website, and Amazon.com, it seems to be a very well-written, well-received series. I would purchase this for my library if I had the opportunity to do so.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

TITLE: Merriam-Webster's Compact 5-Language Visual Dictionary Corbeil, J., & Archambault, A. (2010). Merriam-Webster's compact 5-language visual dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

COST: $29.95 at Borders, $25.46 at Follett SUBJECT: visual multi-language dictionary, vocabulary, polyglot materials CDE Stds: all Library standards GRADE LEVEL: Follett lists this as young adult, I would say 4th grade and up. APPEARANCE: This is a small (8" x 6") hard paperback with a dust jacket. It feels like the binding will break if opened flat because it is so thick. Filled with color pictures. Very visually stimulating and interesting. The entry pictures are a combination of 5

photographs, drawings and, most likely, computer-generated images. ARRANGEMENT: This book is divided into 12 sections based on themes, then broken into subthemes. Each section is color-coded by a small (1/8") square block of color on the edge of the page (in lieu of finger cutouts). The table of contents gives the theme and subtheme listings; the index gives the individual item listings in all 5 languages. REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS EASE OF USE: The organization of this dictionary makes it very easy to find items. However, it is in rather small print, which makes it difficult for anyone with vision problems. UPDATING: As far as I can tell, this is the first edition of this book. UNIQUE CRITERIA: This dictionary has a picture for every entry and the name of it in 5 languages (English, Spanish, French, German and Italian). The sections are colorcoded for ease of use. The entries are based on the most commonly-needed words, according to "experts." REVIEWS: Library Media Connections (October 2010) "...Both brevity and its depth of use make this volume useful in classrooms, libraries, and by individuals interested in the five languages. Colorful illustrations and coverage of celestial bodies, plants, food, human body, communications equipment, personal accessories, combat sports, and scientific symbols, with many other timely sections, will encourage browsing... (H)igh interest in world cultures and travel make this an extremely interesting and useful visual dictionary." Fasching Other than the small print, I found this book to be incredibly interesting. I would have spent the afternoon at Borders reading it, if I had the time! This is a book

that I would put out in my classroom during free reading time, or as an after-test filler and expect to be fought over by the students. Definitely recommended.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

TITLE: Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures (from the series entitled Muslim World) Pohl, F., Stewart, D.J., Jiwa, S., & Lukens-Bull, R. (Eds.). (2011). Islamic beliefs, practices, and cultures. Muslim world. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.

COST: $79.95 at Follett and Marshall Cavendish SUBJECT: Islam customs and practices, doctrines, civilization CDE Stds: 7th grade History, Standard 2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages. GRADE LEVEL: Follett marks this series as Young Adult, reviews say it is appropriate for 7th grade and up. APPEARANCE: The cover is an eye-catching view of Muslims praying and what the inside of a mosque may look like. Inside, the book contains both color and black and white photos. The pages are all edged in a nice trim. The text is in colorful fonts

where appropriate. Boxed or framed sidebars help point out important facts and people. It is a large book at over 350 pages.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARRANGEMENT: The book is arranged in chapters that go chronologically from the 7th century beginnings of Islam to current practices. An index and table of contents help the reader navigate the book. EASE OF USE: An index and table of contents are helpful to find the topic of interest. UPDATING: This is a new series. UNIQUE CRITERIA: Contains bibliographical references, focus articles on numerous topics, and 14 chapters. REVIEWS: Library Media Connection (May June 2011) "The chief purpose of this series is to provide an understanding of Muslim society today. Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures devotes chapters to the beginnings of the Muslim religion in the 7th century and to the doctrines and schools of thought held by Muslims today... would be a valuable addition to a high school library. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Recommended." School Library Journal (1 June 2011) "These titles do not shy away from current controversies, such as the debates over the definition of jihad and whether or not Islamic law requires the practice of female genital mutilation (considered by the WHO to be a human-rights violation). Sideboxes and pull-quotes highlight key concepts and enhance accessibility... Excellent for assignments."

Fasching This would dovetail nicely with the 7th grade History standards; however, I would need to look more closely at this book to determine if it would be appropriate for middle school. The reviews say the series is quite comprehensive. Only this volume would be needed from the series, though. Undecided on a recommendation at this time.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

TITLE: Encyclopedia of Health, 4th ed. (18 volumes) Sheehan, A. & Royston, A. (Eds.). (2010). Encyclopedia of Health (4th ed., Vols. 118). Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.

COST: $359.95 from Follett and Marshall Cavendish SUBJECT: Medicine, health CDE Stds: Health gr. 7-12, Science 7, Biology; Library Stds 1-4 GRADE LEVEL: Follett pegs this set at interest level of gr. 5-8, with a reading level of gr. 8.3 APPEARANCE: This is a hardbound set of 18 slim volumes. Topics are covered in a 1-2 page article with boxed sections for some. Photos, charts and diagrams are throughout. Each topic has a Q & A section, with questions a student might have about it (i.e., "Can you get acne from eating chocolate?"). ARRANGEMENT: This set is arranged alphabetically, from Abdomen to Yoga. The 18th volume has a first aid section and index. There are profiles of notable figures in the 11

field under discussion; glossary and index in each volume. The set is also color-coded for ease of use.

REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS EASE OF USE: The alphabetical arrangement, indexes and color-coding make these very easy books to use. UPDATING: The last version was published in 2003. Claims to have about 100 new articles. The Q & A sections are also new. UNIQUE CRITERIA: The Q & A section for each topic, glossary and separate pronunciation guide. Webliographic information and a listing of hotlines to contact on some topics are also unique to this set. REVIEWS: Booklist (Vol. 106, No. 11) "Easy-to-understand language, an attractive design, and content that supports student research and interest lend value to the set. Schools and libraries serving middle- and high-school students will want to give this up-to-date edition first consideration." School Library Journal (Feb 2010) "Potentially controversial topics such as abortion, abstinence, faith healing, and sexuality are treated sensitively and without bias." Fasching All reviews for Encyclopedia of Health are glowing endorsements. There are several minor issues that were brought up: some articles appear to be more updated than others re: chickenpox vaccine, and CPR. None of these reviewers found this to be a deal-breaker, though. I would certainly seriously consider this as a replacement for the similar item from the 1970s that my library currently has on the shelf.

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REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS

TITLE: Kidsgardening.org: helping young minds grow National Gardening Association. (2011). kidsgardening.org: helping young minds grow. Retrieved COST: free SUBJECT: gardening, school gardens, composting, LPs for teaching via the garden, grant sources CDE Stds: Standards from all curricular areas can be addressed with a garden. GRADE LEVEL: This site appears to be geared more towards elementary students, but could be modified for all grades as needed. APPEARANCE: The main text is down the middle; main menu is on left sidebar. Sponsors, offers, featured articles or books are on the right sidebar. It is colorful and easy to read. Because it is a free site, there is a minimal amount of advertising from the site's sponsors (predominantly Scott's). ARRANGEMENT: The main divisions are the home page, teachers' room, family room, and store. On the home page, a large menu is on the left sidebar with themes such as grants & resources, digging deeper, and community. Within each of these themes 18 June 2011, from http://www.kidsgardening.org/

are more choices of pages to look at. Grants & resources includes a link to a search engine for lessons, activities, materials, organizations and other topics of interest. Digging deeper topics include pollination lessons, hydroponics, seed collection and storage, and classroom projects. REFERENCE SOURCE EVALUATIONS EASE OF USE: There are many choices under each section of the menu, which lets the user narrow their choices as needed. As with any website, browsing is encouraged. The user must take care to not get lost; I recommend opening in new windows. UPDATED: At least weekly, if not daily. UNIQUE CRITERIA: Designed for schools with a garden or considering a garden program. Lists of grant sources. Lessons on any number of topics, including generating and keeping interest in the project. REVIEWS: This site and its parent site, http://garden.org/, have received awards or other recognition from numerous organizations, including ALA, exploratorium ten cool sites, Science NetLinks, NWF, USDA, NSTA, and skewl sites. Fasching As I explored through this website, I found many articles and links that will be useful for our school garden program. However, when I attempted to use the search engine, I kept receiving a "check server connection" message. I was assured that the issue was being fixed. In the meantime, there were enough other articles and links to find some of the things I tried to locate with the search engine. This is definitely a helpful site and will be more so when the database portion is back up and running. I will definitely put this information out for the garden program at my school. For free, it's worth it! 15