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A detailed reference work that documents every aspect of the American public library experience through topical entries, statistics, biographies, and profiles.

The American Public Library Handbook is the first reference work to focus on all aspects of the American public library experience, providing a topical perspective through comprehensive essays and biographical information on important public librarians.

Based upon the author's own notes and extensive experience, as well as library periodicals, library reference books, monographs, textbooks, Internet sources, and correspondence with individual libraries, this book comprises nearly 1,000 entries addressing all aspects of public library service. Each topical essay considers terminology of the area covered, its historical context, and current concerns and issues. Biographies highlight the philosophical perspective of the individuals covered, while entries on specific libraries present timely data and interesting facts about each facility. This unique handbook also offers up-to-date statistics, historical highlights, and information about programs and events of individual libraries.

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Library Journal Review

This reference work is intended as a precis of public libraries in America, and it largely succeeds. Entries are of three types: biographical (76 library leaders, all deceased before 2000), institutional (culled from other resources), and topical. Having these succinct biographical entries in one volume is useful, but the institutional entries are uneven. The profile of the Montclair, NJ, public library, for example, provides detailed information about its role as a model of suburban library service, while Seattle's entry-much shorter-barely mentions its controversial central library. However, the real value of this book is in its 65 topical essays, each with sections on terminology, a historical summary, and current issues. Essays on evaluation and research, intellectual freedom, philosophy of public librarianship, readers' advisory-all with fulsome bibliographies-provide excellent introductions to their topics. As for noticeable lapses, there is no essay on philanthropy; it isn't even listed in the index. And while Andrew Carnegie warrants his own brief essay, there is no entry for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. VERDICT Marco (seminar program instructor, Newberry Lib.) is a seasoned professor; LIS students will find this volume-especially as an ebook [ISBN 9781591589112]-hugely helpful.-Brian Kenney, White Plains P.L., NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Guy A. Marco MALS, PhD, is instructor in the seminars program at the Newberry Library, Chicago, IL. His published works include Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound in the United States ; Opera: A Research and Information Guide ; four other reference books; and about 150 articles and reviews.