Know It All, Find it Fast: An A‐Z Source Guide for The Enquiry Desk

Citation

Parry, F. (2005), "Know It All, Find it Fast: An A‐Z Source Guide for The Enquiry Desk", The Electronic Library, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 146-147. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470510582844

This is a second, completely updated edition of the popular source book for general reference information first published in 2002. The authors, all of whom work – or have worked – at Bradford libraries, have produced a handy A‐Z source guide that, according to the introduction, is aimed particularly at the general, non‐specialist market. The target readership is therefore more likely to be librarians who work in public libraries than those in commercial or academic environments, although the sources mentioned are probably sufficiently useful to act as starting points for the more specialist enquiries. There is also a notable British emphasis with very nearly all the key web sites, directories and other sources for categories such as law, government, education, referring to UK interests.

The layout in each category follows a pretty much standard pattern: typical questions; considerations; where to look – printed then electronic sources; tips and pitfalls. I am not entirely sure that the “typical questions” sections serves any useful purpose other than to remind librarians about what may turn up unexpectedly. The “considerations” section is more useful with hints about the kind of information available in any given category. Some categories, notably those dealing with law, government and public affairs, are more fully “considered” than others. The information given in the “tips and pitfalls” sections varies in usefulness and could have been more expansive.

The information given in the “where to look” sections, however, cannot be faulted and is obviously the work of reference librarians who have spent much time working and researching in the field. The printed sources are usually well annotated and up to date – I spotted several books with publication dates of 2003 and 2004. I can see this being used by librarians for cherry‐picking the best reference books while updating parts of their collections. The electronic sources are similarly well‐researched and comprehensive enough for most general information needs. It would have been useful to have had a cd‐rom or, better still, a web site with a list of the links listed in the text that can be updated between edition. They do, however, list the Internet Public Library and Refdesk – but strangely not BUBL – as online sources which can be book marked for quick access.

This guide does not list resources exhaustively, but then that is part of the appeal for the general reader. While there is always Walford's guide to reference material and numerous Internet subject portals for more detailed information, this book will come to the aid of every hard‐pressed librarian who needs a concise, easy to use source guide for “information in a hurry”.