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Building collections in religious studies is an important and often perplexing duty for many librarians. How much coverage is enough and to what depth? What titles offer appropriate information for the believer, researcher, and critic alike? And how are librarians that are not well versed in a particular faith best able to approach a collection-building project? Tierney V. Dwyer earned a master’s degree in library science from Indiana University’s School of Library and Information Science in Bloomington. She wrote this guide when she was attending Unitarian Universalism services. Her guide to Unitarian Universalism resources offers assistance to academic librarians seeking to build a deep and reflective collection and to public librarians looking for one or two titles to represent this fascinating religion, a faith that Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott practiced and that continues to guide and inspire a wide range of worshipers.—Editor

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious faith grounded in the principles of its founding religions: Unitarianism and Universalism. Unitarianism began in the sixteenth century in Poland and Transylvania, where a number of Christians rejected the idea of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as God). These Unitarians declared that they believed in the oneness, or unity, of God. In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and America, other Christian reformers discovered what they deemed to be little biblical support for the Christian concept of hell. These reformers came to believe in a universally loving God and felt that God would grant all human beings salvation—they became known as the Universalists. Both of these religions existed independently around the world until 1961, when the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church in America joined together to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The UUA, headquartered in Boston, is the loosely governing body of the Unitarian Universalist Church, overseeing more than one thousand congregations in North America. But Unitarian Universalism is not limited to the United States and Canada—Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations can be found today on nearly every continent, and many of them work under the auspices of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU).

In a given UU church today, one is likely to find Christians of all denominations, Jews, Wiccans, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, and people from other religions. The adherents of these faiths are free to practice their religion individually while still taking part in the pluralistic UU church community. While respecting the religious texts and prophets of other faiths, the UUs do not hold these texts as dogma or regard prophets as holy beings. They embrace the teachings of other faiths to enhance their own understanding of the world and of spirituality. Numbers in UU congregations are steadily growing, and the religion is gaining more visibility in mass media and among the academic and research communities. Information on this faith, however, is very scattered and often difficult to find.

This guide identifies and describes some of the most important and current sources on the topic. It is designed primarily as a guide for academic libraries planning to build, or evaluate an existing, collection on UU and its members. But, with the growing interest in the UU faith, public libraries will find some of the selected texts useful in providing a basic introduction to the subject.

Bibliographies

Harris, Mark W. “Bibliography,” Historical Dictionary of Unitarian Universalism. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2004. (ISBN: 0-8108-4869-4).
Harris’ “Bibliography” is a comprehensive record of history sources. Although the bibliography is not annotated, it begins with several pages of background information on resources, provides a table of contents, and indexes its items by the following headings: Periodicals and Yearbooks, Published Primary Sources, Biography, Histories (sub-categorized by region, time period, etc.), and Worship.

Robinson, David. “Bibliographic Essay,” The Unitarians and the Universalists. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985 (ISBN: 0-313-20946-4).
Although dated, this important source on American Unitarianism and Universalism provides excellent commentary on the quality of the listed materials and contains an exhaustive list of further sources.

Wright, Conrad. American Unitarian and Universalist Historical Scholarship: A Bibliography of Items Published 1946–1995. Cambridge, Mass.: Unitarian Universalist Historical Society, 2001 (No ISBN available).
This bibliography focuses primarily on scholarly items pertaining to the history of Unitarianism and Universalism in the United States. Although it was published in 2001, its scope is limited to the years 1946–1995. It is indexed by author, topic, and subject.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Harris, Mark W. Historical Dictionary of Unitarian Universalism. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2004 (ISBN: 0-8108-4869-4).
Considered by many to be the most authoritative reference work on UU, the dictionary contains a lengthy chronology and introduction as well as entries on important people, places, causes, issues, countries, and time periods.

Jones, Lindsay, ed. Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. s.v. “Unitarian Universalist Association,” by John C. Godbey. 15 vols. (ISBN: 0-0286-5733-0).
This lengthy entry on UU provides an explanation of the UUA including background, history, and beliefs of both Unitarianism and Universalism. Formation and views of the UU church and discussion of the UUA’s membership in the International Association for Religious Freedom is also included.

Keller, Rosemary Skinner, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and Marie Cantlon, eds. Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana Univ. Press, 2006. s.v. “Unitarian Universalist Movement, Women,” by Cynthia Grant Tucker. 3 vols. (ISBN: 0-2533-4685-1).
This source is unique in its specific focus on the role and history of women in the UU faith. It profiles important women like Judith Sargent Stevens Murray and Margaret Fuller in the history and formation of both the Unitarian and Universalist church. It discusses the emergence of female clergy and women’s groups (which eventually consolidated into the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation in 1963). The entry contains a lengthy bibliography.

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One only has to pick up a newspaper to learn of the continuing implications of September 11 on our political lives, but the terrorist attacks have had far reaching cultural and academic consequences as well. In her guide to academic freedom in a post–September 11 America, Janet Beuthe Anderson surveys the resources that inform the growing debate surrounding this topic. As librarians and academics struggle to navigate the newly besieged information world, her guide will be of great use to all of us wondering what new lines have been created, how we can work to eradicate some of those new lines, and how we can shore up the lines that protect our daily work.

As a recent graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, Anderson is in a unique position to create this guide as she is both a researcher on the topic and immersed in a world affected by the very issues she researches. A member of the American Library Association and the Progressive Librarians Guild, Anderson has long been interested in the topic of censorship and free speech and spent part of her time at Indiana researching literature related to academic freedom after September 11.—Editor

Academic freedom has long been an important issue to those in the academic profession, yet few fully grasp what academic freedom entails. Does it protect only the faculty of a university? What about other employees or officials? Is there a difference between public versus private colleges? Do students have the right to academic freedom, and, if not, should they? What exactly is protected under academic freedom? How is this freedom ensured? Many more questions and concerns may arise when the topic of academic freedom is discussed, which illustrates both the importance and uncertainty surrounding this subject.

The aspects involved with this issue have become ever more uncertain as well as more disputed, controversial, and significant since two commercial passenger jet airliners flew into the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Much like the Cold War in the 1950s, the new War on Terror has brought with it an examination of what is being taught and what information is available to citizens of America. Also, similar to the McCarthyism of the Cold War era, many in the field of academia are crying out in anger at what some see as invasions of privacy and witch-hunt tactics aimed at weeding out potential terrorists.

With such practices and questions arising, it only made sense that academic freedom policies be reexamined in a way that allows the public to take part. While there is much written on this often controversial topic generally, there is not as much available about the role of academic freedom in a post-September 11 America, and when resources are unearthed, it is often hard to extract the unbiased, educational resources from the editorialized and politically charged materials. This research guide attempts to do precisely that—allow those in academic settings (including librarians, faculty, students, and staff) to discover the available sources addressing this issue. The need for this research guide is due in part to the need to define and clarify the questions surrounding academic freedom and to the fact that no such guide has been compiled since the events of September 11. The most recently published bibliography on this topic was Stephen Aby and James Kuhn’s Academic Freedom: A Guide to the Literature (Greenwood Press) in 2000. Their guide, which covers more than 480 sources and is organized into 11 categories, provides essential information on the topic, including detailed annotations ranging between 150 and 300 words for each source, but lacks information that is pertinent since September 11. Therefore the aim of this guide is to encourage librarians to broaden their collection of recent resources on this topic, both for scholarly research as well as to provide support to those who may have concerns about academic freedom as it affects them directly.

For the purposes of this research guide, academic freedom is defined as “a right claimed by the accredited educator, as teacher and as investigator, to interpret his findings and to communicate his conclusions without being subjected to any interference, molestation, or penalization because the conclusions are unacceptable to some constituted authority within or beyond the institution.”¹ The majority of monographs selected are recent and valuable sources pertaining to present-day issues surrounding academic freedom, but a core collection of books of historical importance are also included as it is necessary to understand the history of academic freedom. Web resources have been selected on the basis of impartial and useful information provided and include a variety of perspectives on academic freedom that provide valuable information as well as links for further sources. This guide will serve as a tool for education professionals and prove useful for collection development purposes, encouraging librarians to continuously add to their collections and to seek out resources of varied aspects and views while maintaining key historical sources.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Handbooks

Abowd, Tom, et al. Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility after 9/11: A Handbook for Scholars and Teachers. Task Force on Middle East Anthropology, 2006 (accessed Apr. 23, 2009).
Written in large part because of the events on September 11, this handbook aims to prevent the silencing of those who teach Middle East and Islamic Studies. However, the writers and researchers clearly point out that it is not just those who study these topics who are affected. The intention of this handbook is to support those who may encounter attacks on or for their work. The overall tone is optimistic, though, as the collaborators point out,“the commitment to thoughtful, critical, and engaged teaching and scholarship that sometimes makes academics targets of attack also produces important skills that can help in a response.”

Brown, Christopher M. and Benjamin Baez.“Academic Freedom.” In Higher Education in the United States: An Encyclopedia. Ed. J. F. Forest and Kevin Kinser. Vol. 1, 8–12. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2002 (ISBN: 978-1-576-07248-6).
In this entry the authors clearly define academic freedom and how it pertains to higher education. Including statements by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Association of American Colleges on the topic as well as legal matters such as the case of Sweezy v. New Hampshire, this resource will be valuable to anyone interested in academic freedom within higher education. Though there is no direct mention of the events of September 11, the authors do discuss the economic and political influences on academic freedom as well as how this freedom is affected by modern-day conservatism.

Neal Wyatt, Editor
Denise A. Brush, Guest Columnist

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Reduce, reuse, recycle: It’s the simple mantra of a movement to help save the earth. While most of us have installed eco-efficient light bulbs and neatly bundle our old newspapers for weekly pickup, crafting environmental collections that serve the needs of our patrons is often a haphazard process at best. Global warming is a hot topic for publishers, so much so that it is hard to separate the important, well-researched, and useful books from all the noise surrounding the issue. Denise A. Brush, subject librarian for science and engineering at Rowan University Libraries in Glassboro, New Jersey, is well qualified to suggest a strategy for developing a solid collection in this area of environmental studies. While earning her BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT, she worked for the late climatologist Helmut Landsberg at the University of Maryland’s Department of Meteorology. A public services librarian, she earned her library degree from Drexel University in 2004 and is a reviewer for Science Books & Films.—Editor

While the rest of the world has recognized the reality of global warming since the 1990s, the United States has not taken it seriously until very recently. The 2008 presidential election was the first time that both major party candidates campaigned on the need for the United States to address global warming.

The 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace was awarded to former vice president Al Gore and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ‘‘for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change.”¹ The IPCC, in their April 2007 report, stated that there is a 90 percent probability that the measured increase in global temperatures in the past three decades was caused by greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere since 1950 by humans.² The report described the many climate changes that have already occurred and their consequences for communities and ecosystems, making it clear that global climate change is happening, whether it is man-made or natural.

According to columnist Gregg Easterbrook of the New York Times, there is now a consensus among American scientists that global warming is real:

The American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society in 2003 both declared that signs of global warming had become compelling. In 2004 the American Association for the Advancement of Science said that there was no longer any ‘‘substantive disagreement in the scientific community’’ that artificial global warming is happening. In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences joined the science academies of Britain, China, Germany, Japan and other nations in a joint statement saying, “There is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring.”³

This is a time when libraries can provide a vital educational service. The following bibliography recommends books, films, reference works, journals, scholarly articles, databases, and websites to help students, faculty, and the public learn about global warming.

Books

Global warming is a field that is changing extremely rapidly as new research results come to light. Except for some key historical books identified below, purchases of books on global warming should focus exclusively on the past few years. University libraries should also consider reviewing and updating their collections on renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, nuclear, biofuels, and hydrogen power.

Alley, Richard B. The Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change, and our Future. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univ. Pr., 2002 (ISBN: 978-0-691-10296-2). Penn State geology professor Richard Alley explains how ice cores can tell the story of past climates hundreds of millions of years ago, and also provide valuable insight into what the future could bring. This older book remains relevant because it describes a scientific methodology that continues to play a big part in climate science. For academic and public libraries.

Braasch, Gary. Earth under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World. Berkeley, Calif.: Univ. of California Pr., 2007 (ISBN: 978-0-520-26025-2). In this important book, photojournalist Gary Braasch presents photographic evidence from his six years of travel around the globe that the environmental effects of global warming are real. Key ecosystem and climate changes, from glacial and permafrost melting to physical changes in the oceans to a multitude of effects on animals and plants, are described in photographs and with essays contributed by experts. For all libraries.

Coward, Harold and Andrew J. Weaver, eds. Hard Choices: Climate Change in Canada. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Pr., 2004 (ISBN: 978-0-88920-442-3).This collection discusses the political, economic, and social implications of global warming for Canada. Each chapter is written by an expert in a particular academic discipline. Some experts favor adaptation and others argue for various types of efforts to slow global warming, but all agree that Canada is experiencing real climate change already and will continue to do so. For academic libraries.

Flannery, Tim. The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. New York: Grove/ Atlantic, 2006 (ISBN: 978-0-8021-6502-2). Also available in e-book and audio formats from Recorded Books.This is one of the most comprehensive and readable overviews of the subject of global warming. It was nominated for the 2007 ALA Notable Books Award. Tim Flannery, who provides an Australian perspective, explains how climate change research has lead to the current scientific consensus and describes some of the options for solving the crisis. This book summarizes many of the other top books on global warming as well as key scholarly articles, making it an essential purchase. For public and academic libraries.

Goodstein, Eban. Fighting for Love in the Century of Extinction: How Passion and Politics Can Stop Global Warming. Burlington, Vt.: Univ. of Vermont Pr., 2007 (ISBN: 978-1-58465-657-9). In his third book on economics and the environment, liberal economics professor Eban Goodstein warns that habitat destruction and species extinction is happening now and will continue unless the climate is stabilized. He explains the importance of biodiversity in our natural environment and argues for political activism and education to raise American consciousness. A nationwide teach-in on global warming at American colleges and universities, first proposed in this book, occurred on January 31, 2008. For academic libraries.

Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale, 2006 (ISBN: 978-1-59486-567-1). Also available on CD. Former vice president Al Gore explains global warming to the general public and makes the case for action, in this book that accompanied the documentary film and launched the worldwide campaign that resulted in the Nobel Peace Prize. For public and academic libraries.

Hoffman, Andrew J. Carbon Strategies: How Leading Companies are Reducing their Climate Change Footprint. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Univ. of Michigan Pr., 2007. (ISBN: 978-0-472-03265-5). This how-to manual is written for companies that want to develop a proactive plan to cope with climate change. It recommends specific business strategies, and offers numerous case studies detailing what various companies have done both to plan for future carbon emissions regulation and to take advantage of climate-related market opportunities. A very useful source of ideas for business students and faculty interested in climate change, as well as for business owners. For academic and public libraries.

Houghton, John T. Global Warming: The Complete Briefing. 3rd ed. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge Univ. Pr., 2004 (ISBN: 978-0-521-52874-0). This book, now in its third edition, developed from the original briefing on global warming given to Prime Minister Thatcher in 1990 by Sir John Houghton, former chairman of the Scientific Assessment Working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It “aims to state the current scientific position on global warming clearly, so that we can make informed decisions on the facts.” This work has become an essential primary source that is frequently cited. For academic libraries.

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The second edition of the Reading List, RUSA’s juried selection of the best genre books in eight different categories, was announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting this past January. The winning titles showcased the rich pleasures that genre books offer readers. To celebrate the creation of the Reading List and to highlight the importance of genre fiction in library collections, I instituted an “Alert Collector” occasional series on genre fiction. The first column in the series focused on romance fiction. This second entry focuses on fantasy fiction.

Fantasy fiction is, like much of genre fiction, at the center of a storm. Motifs, approaches, and styles that were once its sole domain have spread out and entered other genres. Today it is often difficult to decide if a book is a fantasy or a horror or a romance title. To the dismay of some purists, sometimes it is even hard to tell fantasy from science fiction. Forms are changing, genre lines are blurring, and new spin-off genres are appearing. The richness of this genre world offers readers great new frontiers to explore, but it can be a bit of a headache for librarians trying to build collections, work with readers, or even shelve titles in the most useful manner.

To help us get our bearings in this fabulously rich stew of books, I asked the Adult Services staff at Williamsburg Regional Library (WRL) to look at the genre and map it out for readers and librarians alike. I thought of WRL because several of the staff there are known in readers’ advisory circles for their knowledge of fantasy fiction and their appreciation of genres in general. Charlotte Burcher, who wrote the “Historical Fantasy” section, reads broadly in adult and young adult fantasy. She is a member of WRL’s Looking for a Good Book team and a regular blogger on fantasy titles at Blogging for a Good Book. Neil Hollands, who wrote the “Literary Fantasy” section, is the author of Read On … Fantasy Fiction (Libraries Unlimited, 2007) and coordinates WRL’s Looking for a Good Book service. He writes for Booklist Online’s Book Group Buzz blog and reviews fantasy titles for Library Journal. Andrew Smith, who wrote the “Realistic Fantasy” section, is readers’ services librarian at WRL, where he implemented the library’s Gab Bags collection for book discussion groups and coordinates the library’s book groups and author visits. He is a contributor to the NoveList readalikes collection and develops reading lists as part of the WRL Looking for a Good Book team. WRL Adult Services Director Barry Trott, who wrote the “Epic Fantasy” section, is series editor for Libraries Unlimited’s Read On series and author of Read On … Crime Fiction (Libraries Unlimited, 2008). He also writes for NoveList and edits the “Readers’ Advisory” column in RUSQ. Jessica Zellers, who wrote the “Paranormal/Urban/Contemporary Fantasy” section, is electronic resources librarian at WRL. She is completing her first book on women’s nonfiction for Libraries Unlimited and is a regular contributor of readalikes and articles to NoveList.—Editor

Fantasy is one of fiction’s largest and fastest growing genres. While there are many definitions, a generous approach to the genre includes any work that contains magic or other elements that cannot be understood by the rules of reality. It also includes largely realistic works set in imagined variations on certain historical periods—the medieval era in particular. Although fantasy does have escape value and is enjoyed by many readers for exactly this reason, it is a mistake to think of this as the genre’s only appeal. The best fantasy fiction features a wonderful blend of action, strong characters, and detailed, atmospheric settings. Classical themes such as honor, love, war, revenge, responsibility, otherness, obsession, and loyalty are explored in fantasy tales. Subjects such as bigotry, greed, religious extremism, politics, abuse, and addiction can be examined in fantasy contexts without offending cultural sensitivities. Fantasy is a chameleon, taking in elements of historical, romance, crime, and adventure fiction, often in the pages of the same book. This article highlights five major types of fantasy: epic high fantasy, paranormal/urban/contemporary fantasy, historical fantasy, realistic fantasy, and literary fantasy. While this covers the largest subset of the genre, space does not allow us to fully cover other important subgenres: political fantasy, hero fantasy, dark fantasy, romantic fantasy and fantasy romance, humorous fantasy, fables, and science fantasy most prominently. Alert collectors should also note two other aspects of fantasy: First, an appreciation of series and their reading order is critical to the genre. Series gaps in the collection reduce the enjoyment of readers and circulation of every series title. Circulation of a series may languish until that series becomes known or nears completion, but then it will rise quickly. Second, while this article focuses on fantasy published for the adult market, collectors should understand that, more than in any other genre, young adult readers will explore the adult fantasy collection and, conversely, adult fantasy fans will appreciate young adult and children’s fantasy works. Awareness of authors such as J. K. Rowling, Lloyd Alexander, Susan Cooper, Brian Jacques, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Garth Nix, Christopher Paolini, Tamora Pierce, Philip Pullman, and Jonathan Stroud will behoove librarians trying to satisfy fantasy readers.

Epic High Fantasy

When many readers think of fantasy fiction, they are really thinking of epic high fantasy. These stories, often rooted in Norse and Celtic mythology, feature elegant prose, large casts of characters, arduous quests, and lots of magic. Objects play an important role here; rings, chalices, and swords are frequently keys to the success of the quest. A major appeal of epic fantasy is worldbuilding. These tales play out on a large map, giving an opportunity for authors to develop and explore their worlds. Series titles are common here as well. These tales take time to reach resolution.

Contemporary epic fantasy writers can hardly avoid being compared to the early masters. E. R. Eddison, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Lord Dunsany paved the way for writers like Terry Brooks, Ursula K. Le Guin, David Eddings, Raymond Feist, Jennifer Roberson, and Stephen Donaldson. Epic fantasy flourishes today with these writers and others producing exciting tales of high adventure. Readers come to these works looking for adventure on a sweeping scale, elegant language, and struggles between good and evil.

Bujold, Lois McMaster. Chalion series. The Curse of Chalion. New York: EOS, 2006. (ISBN 0061134244).
Perhaps better known for science fiction, Bujold is also a master of high fantasy. Here, she presents a damaged hero, betrayed by those he trusted, who returns to serve the royal family. As tutor to the young royesse of Chalion, former nobleman Lupe dy Cazaril puts his life and honor at risk to protect his charge and to revenge himself on his betrayers. Bujold presents a compelling mixture of magic, violence, and romance in this series starter.

Duncan, Dave. Tales of the King’s Blades series. The Gilded Chain: A Tale of the King’s Blades. New York: Avon Eos, c1998. (ISBN 9780380974603).
Duncan blends adventure, magic, politics, and swordplay into a satisfying tale. This series starter sets the stage, a land with a medieval/feudal feel, and the premise, that a class of men is raised to be bound swordsmen to their liege lords. Duncan tells the life of the swordsman Durendal, bound by powerful magic to serve the king. Durendal and his band are sent on a quest to uncover the secrets of the distant city of Samarinda.

Hobb, Robin. Farseer trilogy. The Assassin’s Apprentice. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. (ISBN 055357339X).
Hobb has made her name with several epic high fantasy series. The Farseer trilogy is Hobb at her best. She tells the story of a prince’s by-blow, trained as an assassin to serve the royal family. Hobb is noted for her skilled and creative world-building and for the depth of her characters. She offers up a fine mix of adventure, political intrigue, and romance.

Jordan, Robert. The Wheel of Time series. The Eye of the World. New York: Tor, 1990. (ISBN 0812500482).
Jordan’s series is an epic undertaking in worldbuilding. Over twelve books, Jordan takes readers on a far-reaching journey across his fictional landscape. The series starter introduces the heroes of the quest, who find themselves caught up in events far beyond their imagining, in a world where magic and physical prowess battle for control. Complex characters, twisting plots, and a deft blend of action and description make this a potent series.

Kay, Guy Gavriel. Tigana. New York: Roc, 1990. (ISBN 0670833339).
Kay is noteworthy for having been selected to assist in the editing of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work for posthumous publication. Tolkien’s influence is clear here in the varied cast of characters, the strong sense of place, and the story of a young hero, son of a vanquished kingdom, leading the struggle against the forces of evil. A prolific fantasist, Kay has a number of important stand-alone novels as well as series titles.

Paranormal/Urban/Contemporary Fantasy

Buffy the Vampire Slayer did a great service to humankind (above and beyond killing monsters, that is): she ushered in the craze for Contemporary Fantasy. Buffy showed the masses that fantasy can be fun, modern, quirky, sexy, and funny. Also known as Paranormal Fantasy, the books usually feature paranormal characters (werewolves, vampires, wizards, fairies, etc.) in a contemporary setting. City settings are especially popular (ergo the subgenre Urban Fantasy) and crossovers with other genres are hot, most notably with romance and erotica. Expect fast pacing, exciting plots, and hip characters.

Forerunners of Contemporary Fantasy include Charles de Lint and Emma Bull, both of whom are still popular. J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer are phenomena in their own right; other hot authors include L.A. Banks, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, P.C. Cast, MaryJanice Davidson, Christopher Golden, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Armstrong, Kelley. Women of the Otherworld series. Bitten. New York: Viking, 2001. (ISBN: 0452286034).
Werewolves, necromancers, and other assorted denizens of the supernatural world drive the stories in Armstrong’s books. Expect a bit of mystery, a lot of romance, and female leads who steal the show. The novels work well on their own or can be read in sequence (ten to date); first in the series is Bitten.

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The role and powers of the president have come under increasing scrutiny since the tragic events of September 11. While the current political debate is focused on the unilateral actions of the office of the president since the terrorist attack, interest in the ways presidents use and manage the power of their position have been a subject of concern since George Washington. Amalia Monroe explores the history and methods of presidential power in this highly useful guide. While the guide is designed for college-level research, there are many suggestions for public libraries and a selection that would serve the needs of high school students as well. Monroe is a social sciences librarian at the University of Kansas, where she works as the bibliographer for political science and international documents. In addition to receiving her MLS from Indiana University, Monroe has a BS and MS in political science from Illinois State University.—Editor

American presidential power has long been an area of interest in the social sciences and receives increasing attention from researchers and the mass media. This popularity has resulted in an abundance of research materials on the topic. The problem, however, is that these materials can be very difficult to locate, as they are scattered across several disciplines (e.g., political science, history, and sociology) and are published in a variety of sources that are not always well indexed by databases and online catalogs (e.g., articles in reference sources and chapters in books). Locating research materials on American presidential power can also be difficult because it is often subsumed in sources covering the presidency as a whole. Even bibliographies, which could help to identify resources in this area, are scarce and dated. The goal of this guide is to fill this gap by listing and describing core resources addressing American presidential power as well as resources that librarians can use to evaluate or update their existing collections. The guide includes some of the most important reference sources, biographical sources, books, periodicals, journal articles, databases, government information resources, and Internet resources on the topic.

Reference Sources

Genovese, Michael A., ed. Encyclopedia of the American Presidency. New York: Facts on File, 2004 (ISBN: 978-0-8160-4699-7).
Arranged alphabetically by topic, this encyclopedia includes entries addressing the operations and the institution of the presidency and individual administrations. Relevant articles include “War Powers,” “Presidency, Theories of,” and “Separation of Powers.” Each entry is brief but concise, explaining key concepts related to the presidency. The title is out of print but remains an essential reference source and should be retained in all collections.

Israel, Fred L. Presidential Documents: The Speeches, Proclamations, and Policies That Have Shaped the Nation from Washington to Clinton. New York: Routledge, 2000 (ISBN: 978-0-415-92037-7).
Guide to significant presidential sources from important events in the American presidency. Sources include speeches, proclamations, and executive orders. This is a selective source; however, each entry is followed by a discussion explaining its significance. These sources are useful for understanding the actions of presidents.

Nelson, Michael. Guide to the Presidency. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Pr., 2007 (ISBN: 978-0-87289-364-1).
Two volumes covering all aspects of the American presidency. It is divided into eight parts. In the third part, “Powers of the Presidency,” the authors divide different sources and expressions of presidential power into seven detailed and exhaustive chapters. These include “Unilateral Powers of the Presidency,” “Legislative Leader,” and “Commander in Chief.” Each ends with notes and selected bibliographies. Cross-referencing is also provided, which demonstrates the relationship between discussions of presidential power.

Nelson, Michael, ed. The Presidency A to Z. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Pr., 2007 (ISBN: 978-0-87289-367-2).
Addresses presidential power in different sections: bureaucracy, veto power, and separation of powers. This is a good source for beginning researchers because of the easy-to-understand writing style and the additional reading lists at the end of every section. Cross-referencing is also provided at the beginning of some sections.

Nelson, Michael, ed. Powers of the Presidency. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Pr., 2008 (ISBN: 978-0-87289-958-2).
Powers of the executive branch are broken down into several sections, including “Unilateral Powers of the Presidency,” “Chief of State,” “Legislative Leader,” “Chief Diplomat,” “Commander in Chief,” and “Chief Economist.” This book is a good source for understanding the formal and informal powers of the executive from historical, constitutional, and current perspectives.

Sisung, Kelle S. and Gerda-Anne Raffaelle, eds. Presidential Administrations Profiles for Students. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999 (ISBN: 978-0-7876-3911-2).
Reference work intended for students, undergraduate students, and teachers. It is arranged chronologically by administration (Washington to Clinton). Each profile contains a biographical section and an administration section. At the end of each profile a bibliography and list of suggested readings is provided. Though intended for lower-level students, this source provides important information on each administration and is an easy to use and understand reference source for beginning researchers.

Wettreau, Bruce W. “Chief Executive” and “Commander in Chief.” Congressional Quarterly’s Desk Reference on the Presidency. Washington, D.C.: CQ Pr., 2000 (ISBN: 978-1-56802-589-6).
Wettreau addresses commonly asked questions about the powers and functioning of the executive office in a clear and concise manner (e.g., Who declares war, the president or Congress? What is an executive order?). These articles provide a starting point for researching presidential power and will help in understanding the many different subsections of the topic.

Woll, Peter. “Executive Power.” In Encyclopedia of the American Presidency, ed. Leonard W. Levy and Louis Fisher, 587–93. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994 (ISBN: 978-0-13-276197-0).
Effectively summarizes the growth of presidential power in the twentieth century. Sections addressing the different powers of the president are also included. Woll further explains the most influential perspectives on presidential power put forth by experts such as Edwin Corwin, Richard Neustadt, and Arthur Schlesinger. The title is out of print; however, it should be retained by libraries because of its continued usefulness.

Books

Included are classic works as well as more recent publications. Recently published books specifically addressing American presidential powers post–September 11 are listed because they represent a shift in the academic literature.

Crenson, Matthew A., and Benjamin Ginsberg. Presidential Power: Unchecked and Unbalanced. New York: Norton, 2007 (ISBN: 978-0-393-06488-9).
Discusses the expansion of the presidency. The authors frame their argument of the expanded executive branch in relation to the decline of “popular political engagement” among the general public of the United States. It considers the motives and opportunities utilized by the executive that has led to the “aggrandizement” of the American presidency. This is a useful source for current analysis of presidential power.

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Building genre collections is a central concern of public library collection development efforts. Even for college and university libraries, where it is not a major focus, a solid core collection makes a welcome addition for students needing a break from their course load and supports a range of academic interests. Given the widespread popularity of genre books, understanding the basics of a given genre is a great skill for all types of librarians to have.

It was, therefore, an important and groundbreaking event when the RUSA Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) voted to create a new juried list highlighting the best in genre literature. The Reading List, as the new list will be called, honors the single best title in eight genre categories: romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and the adrenaline genre group consisting of thriller, suspense, and adventure.

To celebrate this new list and explore the wealth of genre literature, The Alert Collector will launch an ongoing, occasional series of genre-themed articles. This column explores the romance genre in all its many incarnations.

Five librarians gathered together to write this column and share their knowledge and love of the genre. Each was asked to write an introduction to a subgenre and to select five books that highlight the features of that subgenre. The result is an enlightening, entertaining guide to building a core collection in the genre area that accounts for almost half of all paperbacks sold each year.¹

Georgine Olson, who wrote the historical romance section, has been reading historical romance even longer than the thirty years or so she has been recommending good reads to fellow readers, and is a regular contributor to NoveList, editor of Fiction Acquisition/Fiction Management: Education and Training (Haworth, 1998), and chair of the Alaska Library Association Adult Readers Roundtable. Kristin Ramsdell, who wrote the Regency romance section, works at California State University, East Bay, and won the 1996 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Librarian of the Year award. She also is the romance review columnist for Library Journal. Joyce Saricks won the RWA Librarian of the Year award in 2000 and is the author of two groundbreaking readers’ advisory titles, Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library and The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Lynne Welch, who wrote the paranormal romance section, reviews for Booklist, contributes to NoveList, and was the 2004 RWA Librarian of the year. Neal Wyatt, the Alert Collector editor, contributed the contemporary romance section.

Note: Romance titles are frequently republished. Publication information is given for the newest in-print version of each title listed. Out-of-print titles are indicated with o.p.–Editor

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Collections that explore the wealth of a culture are vital to the essence of every library, as they provide opportunities to build connections between students, faculty, librarians, and the community. As witness to the possibilities stands the amazing Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. New York Public Library provides a service to the world with this rich collection and beautifully arranged, accessible Web site. Yet as with the Jazz collections the Schomburg Center includes, the interwoven strands of cultural studies are long, tangled, and complexly interrelated. Shana Higgins’s gathering of resources will help librarians build a collection that provides students, researchers, and lifelong learners a way to contextualize and study the unique cross-cultural aspects of African American and Latino culture.

Higgins is uniquely suited to author this guide. As an instructional services librarian at the University of Redlands Armacost Library, she is responsible for collection development in Latin American studies and race and ethnic studies. In addition to holding an MLS from Indiana University, Bloomington, she also holds a masters degree from their Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.–Editor

Arthur, or Arturo, Schomburg is best known as the bibliophile whose collection of books, prints, and manuscripts on African American art and culture served as the foundation for what is now the New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Less known is that Arturo Schomburg was Puerto Rican. The fact that we rarely encounter Schomburg represented as both African American and Latino (Afro-Latino) is emblematic of the experience of most Afro-Latinos in the United States and underscores this bibliography’s purpose. These resources are intended to illuminate some recent voices seeking to make visible the lived experience of Afro-Latinos across the Americas.

Piri Thomas’s enduring classic memoir of growing up in Spanish Harlem, Down These Mean Streets (New York: Knopf, 1967), provided one of the first descriptions of the experience of being identified as both African American and Latino in United States popular culture. One might consider Bodega Dreams (New York: Vintage Contemporary, 2000) by Ernesto Quiñonez to be an update on Thomas’s classic, insofar as it tells a more current tale of growing up Puerto Rican in East Harlem. Each novel subtly deals with the experience of being both African American and Puerto Rican. It is a part of the mise-en-scene, noticeable if one is attuned. Likewise, the Dominican-born Julia Alvarez characterizes Afro-Latina experience in her book In the Name of Salome (Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2000). Of late, Afro-Dominicans have also found some visibility in United States popular culture. On television, characters such as Judy Reyes as nurse Carla Espinosa on Scrubs and BET’s first Latina host, Julissa Bermudez, both of Dominican descent, claim their blackness and latinidad. Still, the Afro-Latino experience across the Americas remains marginalized.

The term Afro-Latino is itself fraught with ambiguity. According to Africana, the multivolume encyclopedia edited by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Jr., the term refers to “the cultural experience of Spanish-speaking black people in what has become the territory of the United States.”¹ For Latin American and Latino studies scholars, such as Anani Dzidzienyo and Suzanne Oboler, the term includes those identified as or who self-identify as black in Latin America and the Hispanophone Caribbean.² A more popular United States understanding of the term describes the connection between Latino and African American communities in the United States, particularly in relation to Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans on the East Coast, whose cross-cultural contact and productions have been more widely disseminated.³ Despite ambiguities, in the last few years, the Afro-Latino experience has become an increasingly rich area of study within academia.⁴ The U.S. 2000 Census seems to have served as a catalyst for some in the United States to intensify examination of Afro-Latino cultures.⁵ For the first time, the Latino population exceeded the African American population in the U.S. Census, clarifying the need to address the heterogeneity within the Latino community and the changing meanings of blackness in the United States.

The principal objective of this column is to educate readers about Afro-Latino experiences across the Americas, and to direct librarians and interested researchers to some current resources. Included are annotated recommendations for books, periodicals, reference materials, films, subscription databases, and Web sites. Print publications and audiovisual materials date from 1995 to 2006. The works listed are in English or include subtitles in English.

Books

This selection of books is limited to items that would enhance a core collection at the university level or at a small college, and several are suitable for public libraries rounding out their popular culture and history collections.

Andrews, George Reid. Afro-Latin America, 1800-2000. New York: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2004. (ISBN: 0-19-515232-8).
Reid’s book examines societies with relatively large Afro-American populations and provides relevant background on the ideology of racial egalitarianism, including concepts of blanquamiento and mestizaje.

Duany, Jorge. The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move: Identities on the Island and in the United States. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Univ. of North Carolina Pr., 2002 (ISBN: 0-80-785372-0).
In addition to providing an analysis of Puerto Rico’s intensely circular migratory relationship with the United States and a problematization of the concept of nationhood as it relates to Puerto Rico, Duany examines the construction of race and blackness in the Spanish Caribbean and United States as well as the sort of ambivalences that develop when these interact.

Dzidzienyo, Anani, and Suzanne Oboler, eds. Neither Enemies Nor Friends: Latinos, Blacks, Afro-Latinos. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005 (ISBN: 1-40-396568-4).
This edited volume collects fifteen essays that explore the interaction of African Americans, Latinos, and Afro-Latinos within particular racialized spaces in the Americas. Several articles deal with the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Puerto Rican experience in the United States as well as with the Haitian, Ecuadorian, and Columbian experience.

Ferrer, Ada. Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868-1898. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Univ. of North Carolina Pr., 1999 (ISBN: 0-80-784783-6).
Ferrer’s book provides a rich analysis of the tensions between racist and anti-racist rhetoric that was deployed during Cuba’s wars of independence and shaped Cuban nationalism. She demonstrates the persistence of racial hierarchies even within an ideology of racial egalitarianism.

Findlay, Eileen J. S. Imposing Decency: The Politics of Sexuality and Race in Puerto Rico, 1870-1920, American Encounters/Global Interactions. Durham, N.C.: Duke Univ. Pr., 1999 (ISBN: 0-82-232396-6).
By analyzing Puerto Rican antiprostitution campaigns, attempts at reforming marriage laws, and working-class ideas about free love, Findlay exposes the race-related double standards of sexual norms and practices in Puerto Rico between 1870 and 1920, the period that witnessed Puerto Rico’s shift from Spanish to United States colonialism. Findlay’s examination of popular and elite, Puerto Rican and American, and black and white discourses found in both literature and official archives contends that racialized sexual norms and practices were consistently a central component in the construction of social and political orders.

Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop: Puerto Rican Culture and Latino Identity, Popular Cultures, Everyday Lives. New York: Columbia Univ. Pr., 2000 (ISBN: 0-23-111077-4).
Flores contests and explores the appellation “Latino” as a term that elides multiple identities, particularly those more closely identified as black or of African descent, connecting these explorations to music. He re-establishes ties between the African American and Latino communities through an examination of the birth of hip hop. Forgotten by most, the beginnings of hip hop in New York City were multiethnic in composition.

de la Fuente, Alejandro. A Nation for All: Race, Inequality, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Cuba, Envisioning Cuba. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Univ. of North Carolina Pr., 2001 (ISBN: 0-80-784922-7).
 A Nation for All examines the effects of institutional policies on official discourses of race and on the characteristics of racial inequality in Cuba from 1902 to 1999. Fuente analyzes the framing of race in Cuba through three republics and foreign influences (particularly the United States) on racial constructions and race relations. Moreover, he illuminates some of the contradictory racial discourses of Castro’s socialist Cuba, at once de-emphasizing race while creating the circumstances for fuller inclusion of Afro-Cubans in education and employment.

Greenbaum, Susan D. More Than Black: Afro-Cubans in Tampa. New World Diaspora series. Gainesville, Fla.: Univ. Pr. of Florida, 2002 (ISBN: 0-81-302747-0).
An important resource, as Greenbaum makes visible the Afro-Cuban-Americans absent in most discussions of Cuban ethnicity in the United States. Her ethnographic study focuses on a specific locality and on a particular organization, the Marti-Maceo Society.

Negrón-Muntaner, Frances. Boricua Pop: Puerto Ricans and the Latinization of American Culture. New York: New York Univ. Pr., 2004 (ISBN: 0-81-475818-5).
Negrón-Muntaner makes thought-provoking connections and distinctions between constructions of race on the island of Puerto Rico and in the United States. For example, in the chapter, “Writing on the Wall,” she places Jean-Michel Basquiat within his Afro-Caribbean roots. Her analyses not only highlight the social constructedness of racial thinking but also the foreground diverse constructions of race and the ways in which they are transformed through space, time, and reception.

Pérez-Sarduy, Pedro, and Jean Stubbs, eds. No Longer Invisible: Afro-Latin Americans Today. London: Minority Rights Publ., 1995 (ISBN: 1-87-319485-4).
This collection of essays addresses the experience of black Latin Americans of African ancestry. Activists and scholars from Latin America, North America, and Europe map the veiled history of the black Latin American experience from slavery to contemporary times. The book examines black African experience across the region, including Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru, highlighting the ways in which it compares and contrasts in different states.

Rivera, Raquel Z. New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone. New Directions in Latino American Cultures series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003 (ISBN: 1-40-396044-5).
Rivera seeks to restore the links between the Puerto Rican and African American communities by centering the birth of hip hop culture in the 1970s. She pays attention to the tensions between the African American and Puerto Rican and Latino communities, signaling the complex and multiple identities available to Afro-Caribbeans in the United States.

Rivero, Yeidy M. Tuning out Blackness: Race and Nation in the History of Puerto Rican Television. Console-ing Passions series. Durham, N.C.: Duke Univ. Pr., 2005 (ISBN: 0-82-233543-3).
Rivero explores the political and cultural dynamics that have shaped racial representations in Puerto Rico’s commercial media from the late 1940s to the 1990s. She advances critical discussions about race, ethnicity, and the media in Puerto Rico, countering the discourse of racial egalitarianism that allegedly pervades Puerto Rico’s national culture.

Rogers, Reuel R. Afro-Caribbean Immigrants and the Politics of Incorporation: Ethnicity, Exception, or Exit. New York: Cambridge Univ. Pr., 2006 (ISBN: 0-52-167640-1).
This book considers the political behavior of Afro-Caribbean immigrants in New York City to answer a familiar but nagging question about American democracy: Does racism still complicate or limit the political integration patterns of racial minorities in the United States? The book concludes that discrimination does interfere with immigrants’ adjustment to American political life. But their strategic options and political choices in the face of this challenge are unexpected ones not anticipated by standard accounts in the political science literature. Thus Rogers offers a fresh theoretical perspective on how foreign-born racial minorities adapt to the American political system.

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A major event in the publishing world, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code inspired a stream of books reacting to its subjects and presentation. Readers became caught up in the mix of fiction and fact, often confused the two, and looked for nonfiction titles to shed light, support ideas, or further debate. Readers also asked for books that read like Brown’s novel, and fiction authors scrambled to capture some of his audience, creating a slew of fiction works riffing off of his themes and approach.

Terry Beck has gathered a rich list of works that inform Dan Brown’s novel. As the outgoing chair of the ALEX Awards (an award from the American Library Association [ALA] and the Young Adult Library Services Association [YALSA] honoring the best adult books for teen readers), she has a unique view of what captures readers’ interest and what sustains reading pleasure. Certainly the books included in this column are highly appealing and fascinating, but what makes this column so interesting is Beck’s look at how readers approach such a keystone title through public library collections and how they think about such bedrock academic subjects as religion, art, history, and symbology.

All types of librarians can find myriad uses for her annotated bibliography, that is, if they don’t give into temptation and duck into the stacks for some reading of their own!–Editor.

Dan Brown’s breakout bestseller, The Da Vinci Code,continues to create controversy more than three years after its initial publication. Rarely has a work of fiction ignited such furor over its plot, background, or premise. The book seemed to offend many, garnering criticism from theologians, church groups, fraternal organizations, and scholars. Yet readers were hooked, and it maintained a two-year presence on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover fiction, sold more than sixty million copies (in both hardback and paperback formats), and changed our collective culture.

The novel relates the story of Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor called upon to interpret symbols drawn in blood on the floor of the Louvre–cryptic messages left by a murder victim, Jacques Saunière, a noted curator of the Louvre’s collection. Langdon quickly finds himself chasing one of history’s greatest mysteries. It’s the conspiracy theory of all time: the Holy Grail, which has supposedly been secreted in a place known only to the chosen few, members of select secret societies. Throughout centuries, elaborate shields and intricate plots reportedly have been concocted to keep its location hidden. But the greatest mystery is defining what the Grail actually is–a cup, or something so unbelievable that if it were known, the Christian world would be forever changed. With lightning-paced speed and a fabulous mix of history, legend, art, and puzzles, Brown takes readers on a ride millions have found addictively enjoyable and compelling.

At first the book was treated as a thriller, a work of fiction, and no one seemed to look at it as anything but highly entertaining. Janet Maslin of the New York Timesdeemed it a “riddle-filled, code-breaking, exhilarating brainy thriller,” while the Booklist reviewer declared “the story is full of brain-teasing puzzles and fascinating insights.”1

That “nothing more than a thriller” perception soon changed however. Brown culled a mix of information from books, monographs, documents, and art to create a work of fiction that many readers took as fact. While he was careful to note “all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,” many readers carried this statement a step further and assumed that the theories being discussed by characters were accurate as well.2 The line that distinguishes fiction and nonfiction just simply wasn’t present for these readers, caught up as they were in the tantalizing mix of real and pretend that Brown created. Passion, emotion, and fervor erupted from all sides, with books, television programs, and Web sites all promoting what each group perceived as true. At this point the entertainment factor seemed to collide with reality and the controversy began.

Today, three years later, readers are still hungry for books similar to The Da Vinci Code and are still fascinated by its subjects: early Christian history, Biblical interpretation, art, symbolism, and architecture. The immense interest has spawned a bit of an industry, leading not only to a major Hollywood movie, but also to a bevy of fiction and nonfiction titles related to the novel’s ideas and themes. Rarely do we see such an enormous impact by a work of fiction on the world of nonfiction, or so many novels trying so hard to match another author’s approach.

This guide seeks to collect the best of these titles, allowing librarians to build a collection that is responsive to reader demand and that facilitates deeper exploration of the multiple topics arising from the novel.

Nonfiction

Gnostic Gospels

King, Karen L. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle. Santa Rosa, Calif.: Polebridge, 2003 (ISBN 0-944-34458-5).
Harvard Divinity School professor King is a renowned Gnostic scholar. Mary’s gospel is not complete, but what remains in the ten known pages is a picture of the early Church and its attempts to organize.

Meyer, Marvin W., and Esther de Boer. The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004 (ISBN 0-060-72791-8).
Meyer is considered one of the real authorities on the topic of the gnostic gospels. In this work, he provides the translation of the gospel of Mary and other gnostic gospels. Esther de Boer’s commentary supplements Meyer’s translation and interpretation of Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ closest disciple.

Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. New York: Random, 1979 (ISBN 0-394-50278-7).
Long considered the ground-breaking work in the study of the gnostic gospels, Pagels’s work is a fascinating examination of the development of early Christianity. It also influenced the resurgence of the Gnosticism movement in the twentieth century.

Witherington, Ben. The Gospel Code: Novel Claims about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci. Downers Grove, Ill.: Intervarsity, 2004 (ISBN 0-830-83267-X).
A well-known author and commentator, Witherington is a New Testament scholar who provides an Evangelical counter to The Da Vinci Codeby examining the Biblical texts, the theology, and church history.

Holy Grail

Baigent, Michael, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. Holy Blood, Holy Grail: The Secret History of Jesus, The Shocking History of the Grail. New York: Delacorte, 2005 (ISBN 0-385-34001-X).
Dan Brown borrowed heavily from this work of nonfiction, even going so far as to mention the book in his novel. (Two of the authors unsuccessfully sued Brown for copyright infringement.) All this aside, it’s a fascinating book about the bloodline, the mystery, and the secret society. Da Vinci fans will love it.

Barber, Richard. The Holy Grail: Imagination and Belief. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Pr., 2004 (ISBN 0-674-01390-5).
Barber traces the history of the Holy Grail through literature, including cinema treatments, from Lancelot to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.There’s even a discussion of Monty Python’s treatment of the Grail in a chapter called “Irreverent Grails.”

Goering, Joseph. TheVirgin and the Grail: Origins of a Legend. New Haven, Conn.: Yale Univ. Pr., 2005 (ISBN 0-300-10661-0).
Where did the idea of the Holy Grail come from? Years before Chrétien de Troyes wrote Perceval, the first work of literature to mention the Holy Grail, images of the Virgin Mary were painted in small towns in the Spanish Pyrenees. In each image, there is a radiant bowl or dish, which in the local dialect is called a “grail.” Though written for an academic audience, this is a very readable account of Grail legend.

Griffin, Justin E. The Holy Grail: The Legend, the History, the Evidence. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2001 (ISBN 0-786-40999-1).
The mystery of the Holy Grail is examined in this short introduction to the lore of the Grail, citing the Biblical origins and the historical possibilities. Is it a cup? Or is it some other relic? Griffin’s approach is both scientific and historic.

Mary Magdalene

Chilton, Bruce. Mary Magdalene: A Biography. New York: Doubleday, 2005 (ISBN: 0-385-51317-8).
Chilton, a professor of religion at Bard College, presents a portrait of Mary Magdalene based on his interpretation of sacred texts, including the gnostic gospels. His examination of her life portrays a woman possessed by demons who is a central figure in Jesus’ ministry. He also examines the myth and mystery surrounding Mary Magdalene and her place in both the church and history.

Erhman, Bart D. Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2006 (ISBN 0-195-30013-0).
Erhman, chair of the Department of Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, is known for his scholarly yet approachable work, and this does not disappoint. He examines the Biblical texts and legend behind Mary Magdalene with a writing style that should appeal to both sides of the “was she really a disciple?” argument.

Lahr, Jane. Searching for Mary Magdalene: A Journey through Art and Literature. New York: Welcome Bks., 2006 (ISBN 1-932-18389-2).
The image and myth of Mary Magdalene has inspired artists and writers for thousands of years. Lahr’s study of this body of work is presented in a larger format to accommodate some of the art reproductions.

Leloup, Jean-Yves. The Sacred Embrace of Jesus and Mary. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions, 2006 (ISBN 1-594-77101-4).
Probably the most controversial element of The Da Vinci Code is the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers. Leloup, founder of the Institute of Other Civilization Studies and the International Council of Therapists, argues that Jesus was not celibate and that Paul’s writing was more a reflection of his own thinking than of Jesus’ teaching.

Malachi, Tau. St. Mary Magdalene: The Gnostic Tradition of the Holy Bible.Woodbury, Minn.: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2006 (ISBN 0-7387-0783-X).
The gnostic gospels are not accepted by mainstream Christianity, but they are studied by scholars and theologians for clues to early Christianity. This work is a compilation of the life and sayings of Mary Magdalene. And this is a Magdalene who is both disciple and wife to Jesus.

Markale, Jean. The Church of Mary Magdalene: The Sacred Feminine and the Treasure of Rennes-le-Chateau. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions, 2004 (ISBN 0-892-81199-4).
A remote village in southern France is the site of a medieval castle and village. Does it really hold the key to the proof of Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene? How did a lowly priest amass the funding for a multimillion dollar construction project? The great mystery of the church in a remote village in southern France is explored in this compelling work.

Schaberg, Jane. The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene: Legends, Apocrypha, and the Christian Testament.New York: Continuum Pub., 2002 (ISBN 0-826-41383-8).
Was Mary Magdalene really Jesus’ intended successor? This feminist look at early Christianity delves into the suppression of women in the early church and the attempts of the male-dominated hierarchy to discredit Magdalene.

Starbird, Margaret. Magdalene’s Lost Legacy: Symbolic Numbers and the Sacred Union in Christianity. Rochester, Vt.: Bear and Co., 2003 (ISBN 1-591-43012-7).
——. Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile. Rochester, Vt.: Bear and Co., 2005 (ISBN 1-591-43054-2).
——. The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail. Rochester, Vt.: Bear and Co., 1993 (ISBN 1-879-18103-7).
Margaret Starbird’s response to Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln’s Holy Blood, Holy Grail began with her attempt to refute the claims that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married and that their descendents have carried on in Europe. Instead, after an exhaustive study of history, heraldry, symbolism, art, mythology, and the Bible, she reached the same conclusion. Her subsequent books have focused on Magdalene and the sacred feminine. Starbird’s works are noted on the resource list on Dan Brown’s Web site www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/resources.html.

Secret Societies

Allen, John L. Opus Dei: An Objective Look behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church. New York: Doubleday, 2005 (ISBN 0-385-51449-2).
The Vatican analyst for CNN and NPR has written a detailed account of the history and structure of this secretive and somewhat controversial organization. And it answers many questions that have been raised about its theological background, its ties to the Vatican, and Vatican financial structures.

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Euthanasia is a topic of hot debate in social, political, legal, medical, religious, and ethical arenas. It is one of those topics that collection development librarians grapple with when striving to create authoritative, accessible, and useful collections. What are the best books, what journals are needed, and just what issues make up the debate? Kelly Myer Polacek has addressed the topic from a huge range of perspectives, keeping in mind both academic and public library needs. Her article supplies librarians with a critical understanding of the cases key to the current debate; a wealth of foundational articles, critical texts, and core journals important in shaping a reliable collection; and a framework for reference librarians to use when assisting researchers. Polacek obtained an MLS degree (with an emphasis in science librarianship) from Indiana University’s School of Library and Information Science in December 2006. She also holds a master’s degree in the biological sciences, with an emphasis in science education and physiology. Polacek and her dog, Fran, are registered Pet Partners with the Delta Society.–Editor

Derived from the Greek terms eu meaning good, and thanos meaning death, euthanasia is the act of bringing death to another person in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. Although euthanasia has historically been common practice in many societies, it remains one of the most controversial topics today. In 2005, Jack Kevorkian, also known as “Dr. Death,” was denied parole for his involvement in the assisted death of Thomas Youk. Terry Schiavo’s death, perhaps the most famous of 2005, was precluded by the unprecedented involvement of her family, the media, and the federal government. These recent events renewed public and professional interest in euthanasia, resulting in hundreds of publications on the topic.

This flurry of publications contributed to the thousands of journal articles, books, magazine and newspaper articles, and Web sites already available. Although much of this material is of unknown authority, valuable information indeed exists within professional, medical, and legal literature, as well as materials from advocacy groups, health resources, and government publications. This guide collects those resources and fills a gap currently existing among collection development and evaluation tools. It is unique in its breadth of coverage, including biased and unbiased Web sites, databases, and scholarly and popular writings, which discuss the legal, ethical, philosophical, medical, historical, national, international, and practical issues surrounding the topic of euthanasia. It is a timely and comprehensive portal for a range of libraries and researcher needs.

Libraries with limited budgets can simply add the books listed here, and in doing so, meet the information needs of their users. The diverse perspectives of the materials listed in the guide can be considered by academic libraries with larger scopes and budgets and will supplement existing collections and fill any gaps in coverage. Public libraries can create a multiauthor, multiperspective collection with as little as two or three books by considering the selection of Greenhaven Press publications and works from famous cases listed below. This guide could also serve as a collection development tool for health science and medical libraries. Health practitioners will appreciate the currency of information available in the Internet sources and periodicals suggested, while the search strategies for databases make excellent starting points for academics and other researchers. Finally, even though assisted suicide is legal only in the State of Oregon, there are many methods, such as living wills and power-of-attorney, used to declare varying end-of-life intents. Those needing clarification on the legality of these documents will also find practical information in this guide. The author thanks Lokman Meho and Douglas R. Brewster for help in the preparation of this manuscript.

Web Resources

Medical Web Resources

WebMD

A comprehensive Web site with information for consumers, patients, physicians, nurses, and educators. An excellent starting point to learn about terminal diseases and conditions that might precipitate consideration of euthanasia. Useful search terms: euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, end-of-life.

MedlinePlus

Provides consumer-oriented information from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Effective search terms are “end of life” and “living will.” Results of these searches provide links to internal and authoritative external sites related to: advanced directives, bereavement, cancer, hospice care, caregivers, and assisted living.

Health On the Net Foundation

Health On the Net (HON) Foundation is a nonprofit, nongovern m en tal o rga nization dedicated to helping laypersons and medical professionals find reli able sources of health care inf ormati on on the Intern et. Only sites abiding by HON’s honor code are retrieved during a search. Use keyword: euthanasia.

Organizations and Associations

National Right to Life

This national organization is dedicated to the protection of innocent human life. Although known primarily for its desire to prohibit abortion, it is also involved in other life issues such as living wills and euthanasia.

International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Addresses the issues of euthanasia, assisted suicide, advance directives, and pain control. Promotes the right of patients to receive medical care and compassion rather than physicians’ rights to engage in euthanasia. Particularly useful for users seeking legal information.

The Hemlock Society

The Hemlock Society began in 1980 when the wife of founder Derek Humphry took her own life with the help of her husband. The site contains information about and links to sites describing its members’ efforts to change laws and policy.

Books and Audiovisual Material

Battin, Margaret Pabst. Ending Life: Ethics and the Way We Die. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2005 (ISBN: 0-19-514027-3).

Battin has been a contributor to the field of bioethics, particularly on the topics of suicide and euthanasia, for more than thirty years. This collection of her works includes historical and cross-cultural essays, systematic pieces as well as fiction and creative nonfiction. Includes bibliography and index. Also consider her 1994 publication, The Least Worst Death ( New York: Oxford Univ. Pr.)

Battin, Margaret Pabst, and Arthur G. Lipman. Drug Use in Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. New York: Pharmaceutical Products Pr., 1996 (ISBN: 1-560-24843-2).

This publication is unique in its discussion of the chemical and pharmacological properties of drugs used to end life and the physiological consequences of successful and unsuccessful euthanazations.

Dowbiggin, Ian Robert. A Merciful End: The Euthanasia Movement in Modern America. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Pr., 2003 (ISBN: 0-19-515443-6).

A historical account of euthanasia in the United States during the last century. Dowbiggin traces the decades, providing accounts of the significant events of the euthanasia movement. Unlike the other materials in this bibliography, it includes a significant emphasis on eugenics and its role within the euthanasia movement.

Dworkin, Gerald, R. G. Frey, and Sissela Bok. Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1998 (ISBN: 0-521-58789-1).

Three philosophers debate the ethics and legality of euthanasia, the limitations of medicine, neglect of the dying, the Christian view against euthanasia, and the suicide “slippery slope.”

Gailey, E. A. Write to Death: News Framing of the Right to Die Conflict, from Quinlan’s Coma to Kevorkian’s Conviction. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2003 (ISBN: 0-275-97713-7).

Using examples from mainstream publications, Gailey argues that the media has focused on the medical and legal aspects of euthanasia and ignored ethical and religious concerns, thereby promotin g pro-eutha nasia views and ignoring pro-life perspectives. This discussion of euthanasi a from the perspective of media involvement makes this text a unique resource.

Greenhaven Pr.: Opposing Viewpoints Series; At Issues Series; Current Controversies Series; History of Issues Series, 2003-2006.

These books contain collections of essays on issues related to euthanasia. The essays are written by different authors and placed adjacent to each other for easy comparison. Academics and professionals will appreciate that the essays are written by experts in the field. Although described as series for young adults, these books are useful for any reader new to the subject. Available in print or online via a subscription database.

Balkin, K., ed. Assisted Suicide. Current Controversies Series. Detroit: Greenhaven Pr., 2005 (ISBN: 0-7377-2198-7).

Espejo, R., ed. Suicide. Opposing Viewpoints Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Pr., 2003 (ISBN: 0-7377-1241-4).

Haley, J., ed. Death and Dying. Opposing Viewpoints Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Pr., 2003 (ISBN: 0-7377-1224-4).

Medina, L. M., ed. Euthanasia. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Detroit: Greenhaven Pr., 2005 (ISBN: 0-7377-2005-0).

Nakaya, A. C., ed. Terminal Illness. Opposing Viewpoints Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Pr., 2005 (ISBN: 0-7377-2964-3).

Snyder, C. L., ed. Euthanasia. Opposing Viewpoints Series. San Diego: Greenhaven Pr., 2006 (ISBN: 0-7377-2934-1).

Woodward, J., ed. The Right to Die. At Issues Series. Detroit: Greenhaven Pr., 2006 (ISBN: 0-7377-3439-6).

Humphry, Derek. Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying. 3rd ed. New York: Delta Trade Paperback, 2002 (ISBN: 0-385-33653-5).

A veritable guide to choosing and completing the act of euthanasia. Humphry’s guidance includes information about starvation, drugs and dosages, hospice options, a final checklist, life insurance, durable power of attorney, and living wills, among many others.

Humphry, Derek. The Good Euthanasia Guide 2004: Where, What, and Who in Choices in Dying. Junction City, Ore.: Norris Lane Pr., 2004 (ISBN: 0-97682831-6).

In Final Exit, Humphry instructs readers how to commit suicide. In The Good Euthanasia Guide, he lists contact information of right-to-die groups and describes ways in which an individual can seek (illegal) assistance in dying. He also discusses the taboo subject of euthanasia for the untreatably mentally ill.

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Graphic novels are an incredibly popular format in all types of libraries. Popular movies such as Batman, Spider-Man, V for Vendetta, and Sin City are all based on graphic novels or comics and underscore the growing appreciation for the medium. Readers are leading the way, demanding these titles and teaching us the joys of the graphic form. Yet despite our patrons’ call for these items in our collections, it is often hard to know what to buy, what is useful and popular in a sea of seemingly odd titles and collections, and how to approach the question of suitability and classification. An academic librarian undertaking a collection-building effort at her university wrote this Alert Collector column. The fact that academic librarians are paying attention to the form simply strengthens the argument that this particular type of reading experience has far exceeded its day as a boyhood pastime (if indeed that perception was ever true).

Anne Behler is a reference librarian at The Pennsylvania State University who works in the Maps and Gateway Libraries specifically, and in the instructional programs department (which runs the services of the library that are geared primarily toward meeting undergraduate and first-time user needs). She is the selector in charge of contemporary topics, which led her to developing Penn State’s graphic novel collection. Demonstrating her commitment to student outreach, she is the co-chair of the libraries’ annual open house, an event that welcomes more than four thousand students to the libraries each year, and is involved in the library’s pilot effort at providing remote reference services in the university’s student union building (the HUB). She is an active member of the ALA and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), serving on the Reference Services Section’s Education and Professional Development for Reference Committee, as well as serving as intern for the RUSA Thomson Gale Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Services Committee.–Editor

The graphic novel format, like all forms of narrative, includes many different types of stories. For example, the superhero story is intriguingly told in Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come. In this graphic novel, a slew of well-known DC Comic superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, confront the challenges of their new generation, and not so moral, successors. The teen-interest novel, those sly and moody books that explore the angst of approaching adulthood, finds particularly rich expression in the graphic format, as exemplified by Ghost World by Daniel Clowes. Satire is also a common form, best represented by Robert Crumb’s work. Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond is an excellent introduction to manga, which is an extension of Japanese anime and an art form in and of itself. These works often have strong appeal with teenage girls, proving yet again that stereotypes of the format are pointless. Graphic works include nonfiction as well and cover such topics as true crime, history, science, biography, and memoir. A good example of this is the stellar work Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fies, which poignantly captures the story of his mother’s battle with lung cancer. Finally, adaptations such as Jerry Bingham’s Beowulf take well-known stories and recreate them in a graphic format, making accessible to some readers works that would otherwise be off-putting. This rich range of reading choices not only answers our patrons’ calls for titles, it adds a richness and depth to our collections and helps encourage a love of reading.

The graphic novel represents a format that has come into its own in the last three decades. In the words of Will Eisner, the man credited with writing the first graphic novel and coining the term for the format, “The manner of [comics] creation has evolved from a work written and drawn by a single individual to a wedding between writer and artist. This has established a creative process that employs the skills of an accomplished writer and an artist of great sophistication.”¹ With roots in the serial comic strip, during the 1970s and ’80s, comics began to take on a more literary tone; many publishers moved away from the serial publication of short comic books to focus on more complex book-length titles, and as a result, comic readership expanded from children to young adults and adults, who found their preferred format maturing along with them. The move away from serial titles also meant that the desired book would much more likely be in stock in bookstores rather than solely available (and often sold out) at the local comic shop.²

The evolution of comics from Sunday-morning strips to comic books to graphic novels–”book-length comic books that are meant to be read as one story”–has drawn much critical attention.³ Several titles have won prestigious book awards, beginning with Art Spiegelman’s Maus, which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. Widely read review sources like the New York Times Book Review have published articles on graphic novels, including “Draw What You Know: Graphic Novels Are Never Dull–Try Saying that About Most Works of Prose Fiction,” in which writer Nick Hornby relates (when comparing his pile of “proper books” to his pile of comic books) “[C]omic books are never dull, in the excruciating way that prose fiction can be, and it’s as hard to imagine half-reading most graphic novels … as it is to imagine half-reading a sonnet.”⁴

The graphic novel’s rise in popularity and sophistication has also grabbed the education community’s attention. Educators recognize that today’s students are constantly visually stimulated by the media and have a strong impatience for sitting down and wading through dense text. Graphic novels cater to young people’s growing affinity for the visual rather than written media.⁵ It is no wonder, then, that graphic novels are often cited as wonderful tools to help get the “reluctant reader” into books. Gretchen Schwarz has pointed out that, in addition, graphic novels provide readers with the opportunity to learn about literature they might otherwise never encounter (through adaptations), as well as to critique the way visual portrayals create meaning.⁶ It is clear that graphic novels engage readers, and in fact, studies have shown that graphic novels make useful literacy tools as well, exposing readers to twice as many words as the average children’s book.⁷

There is also little doubt that graphic novels are extremely popular with readers. The combined educational value and high appeal of graphic novels make them an essential asset to any library collection. Therefore it is extremely important for librarians to become familiar with the many incarnations of the graphic novel, in order to build the best collection possible to serve our patrons.

The resources presented in this column are meant to serve as a starting point for selectors working with graphic novels and will provide background information on the format as well as recommended selection tools. A listing of graphic novels that selectors should consider when building a core collection for any library is also included. This list is not comprehensive and is–like any other list–admittedly subjective. It includes titles that have been recognized for their significant contributions to the world of graphic novels; it has been compiled to form a solid foundation for anyone interested in learning more about this exciting area of literature. I highly recommend that newcomers to graphic novels read these core titles to get a sense of the form as well as to enjoy both serious literary, artistic endeavors and pure reading pleasure.

Background Information on Graphic Novels

Gravett, Paul. Graphic Novels: Everything You Need to Know. New York: Collins Design, 2005. (ISBN: 0-06-082425-5)

Paul Gravett presents an in-depth look at many of the graphic novels that could be considered core titles. This text intermingles graphic novel history and analysis of titles, with colorful excerpts from the highlighted texts to create a work that is useful for the graphic novels neophyte and the long-time reader. The section titled “Resources” is especially helpful. It presents a bibliography of publishers’ Web sites, suggested further readings about graphic novels, review sources, and more.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Edited by Mark Martin. New York: Paradox Pr., 2000. (ISBN: 1-56389-557-9)

This text is a reference source that reveals the inner workings of the comic format by using the format itself. Artist Scott McCloud uses a book-length comic to illustrate the complex artistic elements and creative process that distinguish the comic format from all others. Readers are trained in vocabulary as well as how to follow the sequence of a comic work. McCloud’s reverence for the elevation of art that comics can achieve is apparent on every page, creating a text that is effective in helping the novice comics reader to not only understand how to approach the reading of the medium, but to appreciate comics as a literary and artistic form as well.

Robbins, Trina. From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Comics from Teens to Zines. San Francisco: Chronicle Bks., 1999. (ISBN: 0-8118-2199-4)

Graphic novels and comic books are often perceived as a male-centered format. Trina Robbins’s book proves that this has not always been so. From Girls to Grrlz traces the history of girls’ comics from the 1940s to the 1990s and presents readers with several titles that should be considered when building a graphic novel collection meant to appeal to both genders. As with many titles that relate graphic novels history, Robbins’s takes the form of an annotated bibliography intermingled with historical details. This is a form that works particularly well for the beginner selector, as it allows one to review a foundational list of titles while developing an understanding of the history and culture surrounding the format.

Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art. London: Phaidon Pr., 1996. (ISBN: 0-7148-3993-0)

Roger Sabin’s bountifully illustrated history of comics is noteworthy because it reaches back to the very beginnings of comic-like creation with its examination of art forms since the Middle Ages. This text is also unique because it examines the format’s history in both the United States and Britain.

Weiner, Stephen. Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel. New York: Nantier Beall Minoustchine, 2003. (ISBN: 1-56163-367-4)

Weiner skillfully presents the history and development of the comic, from the birth of the very first comic strips in the early 1900s to the graphic novels of the present, using language and structure that makes the complex history easy to understand for those new to the format. The work is structured so that each chapter covers roughly a decade in the history of comics, and Weiner gives not only raw historical facts but presents analysis that helps the reader to understand the core reasons for the evolution of comics into the graphic novel. The book also highlights comic and graphic novel titles and authors who have come to represent the changes in the comics format as well as suggestions for further reading, in effect helping the reader to create a core list for him or herself.

Resources Addressed to Librarians

Goldsmith, Francisca. Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing, and Marketing a Dynamic Collection. Chicago: ALA, 2005. (ISBN: 0-8389-0904-3)

Graphic Novels Now is the perfect handbook for a librarian starting a graphic novel collection. After giving a brief overview of the graphic novel format and its history, Goldsmith provides selectors with the tools they will need to get started–recommended review sources, collection-maintenance suggestions, cataloging advice, marketing and programming suggestions, and even advice on how to handle the politics associated with graphic novels. Much of Goldsmith’s advice is drawn from her own experiences with trying to start a graphic novel collection in a public library; the text takes a slight angle toward public libraries, but would serve as a wonderful tool for academic and school librarians as well.

Weiner, Stephen. The 101 Best Graphic Novels. Edited by Keith R. A. DeCandido. New York: Nantier Beall Minoustchine, 2001. (ISBN: 1-56163-284-8)

Stephen Weiner, a librarian and leading graphic novels specialist, presents an annotated list of 101 graphic novels that he considers to be the best. Of course, no list can be considered definitive forever, and new titles are published every day, but Weiner’s titles are carefully chosen and his annotations keep in mind the appeal of the book to different types of readers. Librarians might use the list to assess their own library’s graphic novel collection or as a foundation for building new collections. As is usual of Weiner publications, this guide also includes a brief history of graphic novels, as well as an appendix of suggested further readings about the format.

Selectors’ Tools

Bibliographies and Lists

Rothschild, D. Aviva. Graphic Novels: A Bibliographic Guide to Book-Length Comics. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995. (ISBN: 1-56308-086-9)

Aviva Rothschild’s bibliography is proof of the complexity and variety of theme that exists within the graphic novel format. Rothschild’s annotations are thorough and helpful and range in category from adaptations of classics to superheroes to Westerns.