Safford, B. R. (2010). Guide to reference materials for school library media centers (6th ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN: 978-1-59158-277-9Publisher's Description:
"This guide will help librarians strengthen their reference collections in all curricular areas with exciting books and powerful web-based materials.
Book publishing remains strong with digital printing processes, making reference books more visually attractive to students. Many printed materials are also published as eBooks and many of these are combined with index databases linked with web resources. But with so many available resources, how do school libraries know they are choosing the best new materials?
As the growth of eBooks and database formats accelerates, selecting reference materials for school library collections has become a complicated process. Like previous editions, Guide to Reference Materials for School Library Media Centers, Sixth Edition is designed to suggest the best material in all formats, on all subjects, and at all levels—to help school librarians find the best resources.
To compile this guide, the author reviewed materials in school, public, and community college collections, and confirmed quality by examining published reviews in standard library reviewing guides. The resulting book lists reference tools for school librarians and has major sections recommending general science, humanities, and social science reference books, eBooks, and subscription databases for K-12 library collections. Materials listed come both from publishers who specialize in K-12 materials and publishers whose market is not typically school libraries.
Features
• Items available via web delivery are marked with "web"
• Items specifically recommended for elementary schools are indicated with an "E"
• Annotations suggest which materials can be used for cross-curricular projects
• Subject and author/title indexes complement the broad category organization
Highlights
• Covers all curricular areas and many student interest areas
• Helps school librarians strengthen and update collections
• Allows librarians to compare similar sources and electronic providers
• Points out why expensive materials can be cost effective"
