Reference Reviews
Reference for Students
Senior High Core Collection: A Selection Guide, 17th ed. Edited by Raymond Barber and Patrice Bartell. New York: The H.W. Wilson, Co., 1007. 1 vol. $245. 1456 p. ISBN 978-0-8242-1086.
This replacement for the Senior High School Library Catalog continues the tradition of a reliable collection development and reference source and is available both in print and as an online database. The 17th edition has more than 6,500 works and the subscriber will receive more than 2,400 in three annual supplements. While most of the entries are for books, periodicals for both librarians and students are included and recommended electronic resources. Perhaps librarians will find the "Short List of Titles" of most use in this time of reducing budgets. The front matter has the Second Summary of the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the "Outline of Classification," is provided. The arrangement of the volume is in three sections. Part I has "The Classified Collection" with nonfiction, fiction, and story collections, Part II has the "List of Recommended Periodicals," Part III the "List of Recommended Electronic Resources" and Part IV the "Author, Title, Subject, and Analytical Index." Entries in the classified collection have author, title, publisher, date and number of pages, an indication if it is available in paper or library binding and the cost. The grade level is given with subject headings, ISSN or ISBN and a brief annotation. If you do not feel your budget will permit you to purchase this, you need to ask your local parent association or a local service group to donate it to the library. It is a must for you to use for purchase decisions, to combat any intellectual freedom challenges and to weed the collection.