LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal ISSN 1058-6768 1995 Volume 5 Issue 3-4; December 31. Quarterly LIBRE5N3 REVIEWS ________________________________________________ Guide to special issues and indexes of periodicals. 4th, updated and expanded edition. Edited by Miriam Uhlan and Doris B. Katz. 223 pages. 1994, paper $56.00 (ISBN: 0-87111-400-3) Special Libraries Association. The Guide to Special Issues and Indexes of Periodicals (4th edition) describes and indexes a wide range of special issues available from a substantial number of magazines in a logical and well-ordered fashion. Editors Miriam Uhlam and Doris B. Katz update and improve this classic reference, and in the process, facilitate access to the myriad of business, trade, professional, technical, and other resources published by various magazines throughout the year. Yearbooks, directories, reports, studies, rankings, rosters, and guides all find their way into this effective guide to special issues and indexes of periodicals. 1,748 total entries include, for each periodical, relevant information like title, subscription address, subscription price, publisher, frequency, and the titles of the special issues themselves along with their month of publication and cost. Other useful elements in each entry describe when the first issue appeared, any computer databases in which the special issue is indexed or abstracted, whether the special issues are included in the subscription price or must be ordered separately, and a brief annotation when the title requires explanation. Advertiser indexes are noted, when present, and notation is also made of their frequency. Editorial indexes, when present, are categorized as subject or author and are described in terms of frequency and month of publication. All entries are arranged alphabetically in the main section of The Guide. Each alphabetic entry receives a corresponding record number to aid in using the indexes. Entries are generally well-formatted and easy to read. Bolded field names like Frequency and Publisher make detailed information simple to identify and reward the eye with less strain. To distinguish between field labels and titles, titles of periodicals are bolded and capitalized. Unfortunately, the specific information for the special issues themselves (title/price/date) is not formatted. The resulting information can be somewhat difficult to read since the elements do not line up well. While not at all a significant problem, aligning the title, price and date of special issues would improve readability overall. A classified list of periodicals provides easy access to publications included in The Guide and precedes the main section of entries. This list offers two advantages. First, it is easy to see if a desired periodical is indexed in the subject index of The Guide. And, it presents the user a painless way to identify magazines within a general field of interest for browsing. All entries in the classified list of periodicals also refer to the appropriate entry number in The Guide so that the user may readily check the special issues associated with a specified magazine. A subject index follows the main entries. It is quite thorough and guides the user to periodicals (by record number) that publish special issues of topical interest. Since references are made to entry numbers rather than page numbers, the user may find that any ambiguity in retrieval is minimized. The subject index includes see-also references to other index entries as well as direct references to record numbers. This greatly aids in identifying related materials and other special issues. Other informational resources add to the value of The Guide. A model entry page facilitates using the guide by providing a sample layout. A directory of on-line producers and vendors means contacting a provider is quick and painless. Toll-free phone numbers are provided for on-line producers and vendors when available. And, in this most recent edition, coverage of hard-to- find regional information has been expanded and improved. The editors (and a number of colleagues), using a complex array of questionnaires, phone calls and personal contacts, have gathered a tremendous amount of information into one source. The end result is a quality reference work that is both comprehensive and practical. This most recent version of The Guide succeeds in improving on an already versatile and well-received reference work. Recommended for all libraries, The Guide to Special Issues and Indexes of Periodicals (4th edition) is a most welcome addition to any library collection. Tona Henderson, Penn State University / University Libraries E-mail: TAH@PSULIAS.PSU.EDU ________________________________________ This document may be circulated freely with the following statement included in its entirety: Copyright Tona Henderson, 1995. This article was originally published in _LIBRES: Library and Information Science Electronic Journal_ (ISSN 1058-6768) December 31, 1995 Volume 5 Issue 3-4. For any commercial use, or publication (including electronic journals), you must obtain the permission of the authors: Tona Henderson, Penn State University, USA E-mail: TAH@PSULIAS.PSU.EDU To subscribe to LIBRES send e-mail message to listserv@kentvm.kent.edu with the text: subscribe libres_ ________________________________________