The evaluation of a reference book is a systematic intellectual process conducted by librarians to determine its suitability for a library's collection. This process is different from that of a book reviewer, as the librarian's goal is to assess the book's utility and authoritativeness for its intended users. Evaluation is necessary because the information in a reference source may be outdated, inadequate, biased, or simply wrong. Furthermore, factors like high price, poor format, and difficult language must be considered before procurement.
1. General Checklist for Evaluating Reference Sources
A standard checklist of criteria is used to evaluate most reference books. The key points are outlined below.
- Past Record of the Publisher: The reputation of the publisher is a crucial starting point. Well-known publishers like Oxford University Press, Wilson, and Europa have a long history of producing high-quality, reliable reference works. A book from a new or unknown publisher requires more scrutiny, often necessitating a close look at book reviews before a purchase decision is made.
- Authority: This refers to the credibility of the content, which is judged by the qualifications, reputation, and experience of the authors, compilers, and editors. Standard reference works, such as The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, often employ top experts, including Nobel laureates, to write articles, which ensures their authoritativeness.
- Scope: This criterion examines the intended coverage of the work. A librarian must assess the book's scope in terms of subject, geographical area, time span, language, and target user to see if it aligns with the library's needs. It is also important to verify whether the book actually adheres to its stated scope.
- Treatment: Treatment relates to the thoroughness, completeness, reliability, and style of the information provided. A librarian should check for factual accuracy and bias. For example, Encyclopedia Americana is known to have a bias towards America. The style of writing should also be appropriate for the target audience; for instance, a children's encyclopedia should use simple language and plentiful illustrations.
- Arrangement: Reference books can be arranged in various ways, most commonly alphabetically. It is important to know whether the alphabetical arrangement is letter-by-letter (e.g., "backbone" comes before "back date") or word-by-word (e.g., "back date" comes before "backbone"). Other arrangements include classified, chronological, or geographical orders.
- Special Features: Many reference books include unique features that add value, such as bibliographies, supplements, appendices, maps, or style manuals. Regularity of updates is another critical feature; yearbooks are updated annually, while directories may be updated at irregular intervals.
- Format: The physical quality of the book is essential, especially for heavily used reference materials. This includes:
- Binding: Should be durable enough for long-term use, with leather or reinforced bindings being preferable for core reference works like dictionaries.
- Paper Quality: Should be high-quality, long-lasting paper to withstand heavy use and prevent deterioration.
- Font and Page Makeup: The font should be legible, and margins should be wide enough to allow for future rebinding without losing text.
- Illustrations: Should be clear, relevant, and of high quality, with color being preferable in many cases.
- Book Reviews: Reviews published in reputable journals and newspapers are important aids in evaluation, as they are often written by scholars and subject experts.
- Limitations: No reference work is perfect. A dictionary may omit certain types of words like idioms, and a comprehensive encyclopedia may become outdated quickly due to the rapid growth of knowledge. Understanding these limitations helps a library decide to procure multiple, complementary sources to provide comprehensive coverage.
- Conclusion: The final step is an overall judgment on the source's suitability for the library's collection, which helps authorities make a procurement decision.
2. Evaluating Specific Types of Reference Materials
While the general checklist applies broadly, different types of reference materials require special attention to certain criteria.
Encyclopedias
- Authority: Check if the articles are signed by contributors and review the credentials of the editors and editorial board members.
- Scope: Assess the coverage by checking for key topics and personalities relevant to the library's user community. For example, check for figures like Rabindranath Tagore or C.V. Raman to gauge its coverage of Indian topics.
- Treatment: Compare articles on the same topic (e.g., William Shakespeare) across different encyclopedias to evaluate thoroughness and potential bias.
- Index: An index is indispensable for a multi-volume encyclopedia. The lack of one, as was initially the case with the 15th edition of Britannica, is a major flaw.
- Limitations: Be aware that to accommodate new knowledge, older editions may drop articles that were present in previous versions.
Dictionaries
- Past Record: The history of a dictionary, like the Oxford English Dictionary, is a strong indicator of its quality and authority. A "brand name" often implies reliability.
- Scope: Consider the comprehensiveness (number of entries) and whether it is an unabridged, desk, or pocket dictionary.
- Word Treatment: This is a critical area for dictionaries. Check for:
- Spelling: Does it use British or American spelling, or both?
- Pronunciation: Are pronunciations indicated clearly with diacritical marks or a phonetic alphabet?
- Definition: Are definitions accurate and easy to understand for the target user?
- Etymology: Is the origin and history of words provided?
- Other details: Does it include syllabification, part-of-speech, inflexions, quotations, synonyms, antonyms, and usage labels?
Yearbooks and Almanacs
- Authority and Past Record: Since yearbooks provide current data, the reputation and long publication history of the producer (e.g., Statesman's Yearbook, India: A Reference Annual) is the primary guarantee of authenticity.
- Scope: Determine if the scope is international, regional, or national, and if it matches the library’s needs.
- Treatment: The information is condensed and brief but must be updated annually to be of value.
- Arrangement: Unlike dictionaries, yearbooks are often arranged by topic or chapter, not alphabetically, making a good index essential.
- Limitations: Yearbooks are selective and often have a geographical bias. For instance, Manorama Yearbook is biased towards India, while Statesman's Yearbook is biased towards the UK.
Bibliographies, Abstracting, and Indexing Periodicals
- Scope: Check for international vs. national coverage, the types of documents included (journals, patents, reports), and the languages covered.
- Treatment: For abstracting services, determine if the abstracts are informative (a detailed summary) or indicative (a brief description).
- Arrangement: Entries may be arranged by broad headings, classification schemes (like DDC or UDC), or other systems.
- Special Features: The quality and number of indexes (author, subject, patent, etc.) are critical for usability.
- Limitations: Time lag—the delay between a document's publication and its appearance in the service—is a key limitation to check.
Geographical Sources (Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps)
- Date: The publication date is extremely important for geographical sources, as boundaries, place names, and political entities change frequently. An older source may contain inaccurate information.
- Authority: Look for reputable publishers known for cartography, such as Hammond or Rand McNally. The authority of the compiler (e.g., a national government agency) is also a key indicator of reliability.
- Treatment: Check for selectivity and how disputed territories are handled.
- Format: For atlases and maps, the quality of color, clarity, and physical size are important. For globes, check for features like raised relief for mountains.
Biographical Sources
- Method of Compilation: Determine how the information was gathered. For current "who's who" type sources, information is often compiled from questionnaires sent to the biographees, which ensures authenticity but may lead to gaps if people don't respond. For retrospective sources, the competence of the biographer is key.
- Method of Selection: Check the criteria used for including individuals. An international source produced in the UK, for example, will likely have a bias towards covering more celebrities from the UK.
- Treatment: Assess whether the entries are brief sketches or in-depth essays and if the length and detail are appropriate for the person's significance.
- Arrangement: Most are alphabetical, but some are arranged by subject or profession (e.g., India Who's Who), which may require good indexes for access.