Kister’s Best Encyclopedias: A Comparative Guide to General and Specialized Encyclopedias. By Kenneth F. Kister. 2nd edition. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1994. 506 p. ISBN 0–89774–784. $42.50.

With the proliferation of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference works on the market, those making purchasing decisions can be at a loss without some guidance. Kenneth Kister has long been recognized as an expert on the subject of encyclopedias. In this second edition of Kister’s Best Encyclopedias he provides ca. 750 reviews in the following categories: general English–language encyclopedias, out–of–print encyclopedias, subject encyclopedias, and foreign–language publications.

The general encyclopedia category covers titles for adults and older students and for children and younger students by size (small, medium, and large) and includes a section on electronic encyclopedias in online, CD–ROM, hand–held, and floppy disk format. The three titles considered to be large encyclopedias receive the most comprehensive treatment, ranging from 7–12 pages; reviews for the medium and small–sized adult titles range from 1–8 pages in length, and those covering the children’s and young adult works are from 1–5 pages long. Coverage of electronic titles ranges from 1/2–2 pages; out–of–print, subject, and foreign–language encyclopedias typically have much briefer descriptions of about 250 words.

Entries for each individual general encyclopedia include a factual section which gives the full titles; general editor; publisher; former title (if any); date published; electronic versions; number of volumes, words, pages, articles; bibliographies, illustrations and maps, cross–references, index entries, staff (editorial staff, advisers, and contributors); trim size; price and sales information. This objective information is followed by a critical review that includes a history of the publication, comments related to organization and accessibility, readability, bibliographies, illustrations, description of special features, and a “report card” which evaluates 10 selected topics on the following criteria: coverage, accuracy, recency, clarity. Each review is concluded with a summary and brief section called “Other Opinions.” The summary is just one concise paragraph, and it usually includes Kister’s overall opinion, for example, statements that begin with the words, “The bottom line”; “A very good supermarket encyclopedia”; “Compton’s Encyclopedia has reclaimed its place as one of the best”; or “An example of how not to make an encyclopedia.” The “Other Opinions” section provides citations to descriptions of the work in other guides and reviewing sources. Each section, then, is concluded with a “Comparison Chart” which lists the factual information about each title so that it can be viewed relative to the other titles.

Appendix A is a selected annotated bibliography to other books, articles, and journal publications about encyclopedias. Appendix B is a directory of publishers and distributors of encyclopedias. The index is a dictionary type listing of subjects, publishers and titles. Reviewed titles are capitalized to distinguish them from those that are mentioned in the comparative evaluations.

The work is extremely well organized and the preface very clearly describes its contents. An introductory section entitled “Questions and Answers about Encyclopedias” defines encyclopedias, discusses their origin and evolution, major publishers, and includes a valuable list of criteria to be considered when evaluating an encyclopedia or buying one.

The second edition, while similar in coverage to the first, is much expanded in depth of coverage and number of titles covered (ca. 30 percent more). This increase is obvious by the larger physical size accompanied by a smaller type size. The two–column arrangement makes the book attractive, very readable, and easy to consult.

Although many of the general encyclopedias are international in scope, some titles of particular interest to those interested in Third World countries would include: Encyclopedia of the Third World, Encyclopedia of World Cultures, International Encyclopedia of Population, and International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, among others.

The coverage provided by Kister, particularly of the general encyclopedias, is outstanding with respect to depth and comprehensiveness of the valuation and comparison to related titles. The treatment of subject encyclopedias is not as comprehensive as that provided in the ARBA Guide to Subject Encyclopedias and Dictionaries (Libraries Unlimited, 1986), or the more current annual editions of American Reference Books Annual. However, this Kister’s Best Encyclopedias is essential for all academic, public, and school library collections. Librarians, school media specialists, parents, and consumers, in general, will find this reference tool very useful.

Lois Buttlar is Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University, Ohio. She has an M.L.S. and a Ph.D. from Kent State. Dr. Buttlar has been a cataloger, and instructional materials specialist. She was Acting Director (and later Assistant Director) of the Instructional Resources Center, Kent State University College of Education. The latest of her eight books are Education: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (1989), and Multiculturalism in Libraries (with Rosemary R. DuMont and William Canyon, 1994). Her articles have appeared in Collection Management, College and Research Libraries, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Library Quarterly, RQ, and various other journals. She is a frequent book reviewer, and has presented papers at a number of conferences.

Citation

Buttlar, Lois, Review of Kister’s Best Encyclopedias: A Comparative Guide to General and Specialized Encyclopedias. By Kenneth F. Kister. Third World Libraries, Volume 5, Number 1 (Fall 1994).