Reader’s Roundup

Reader’s Roundup: Monographic Musings & Reference Reviews

Column Editor: Corey Seeman (Director, Kresge Library Services, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan) <cseeman@umich.edu> Twitter @cseeman

Column Editor’s Note: Maybe it is too hot outside to come up with something witty or profound to share before jumping into the reviews. Seems to be that type of year as we are almost exactly halfway through in 2022. And while the temperatures in greater Detroit (Michigan) are not setting records like they are in Europe, it is nonetheless hot enough to stay indoors near the air conditioning. For those of you who have offered cooling stations in your libraries during these hot spells, you have my eternal gratitude and respect.

When thinking about temperatures and tolerance, there is a great degree (no pun intended) of how we all respond to the heat and cold. In my office, for example, my nearest colleague and I represented the polar opposites when it comes to temperature preference. I much prefer the temperature to be cooler while my colleague prefers a much warmer temperature. I could say that we have thermostat battles in the office when we are both there. However, I am confident (as is my colleague) that the thermostat is more ornamental than functional. So we are left to consistently figure out how to manage on our own.

Thinking about temperatures and this column, it struck me that there is a real difference between personal preference and a more subjective evaluation. We are inundated everywhere with simple preferences being shared out as critical reviews. Everything we do, everything we eat, everything we see and everything we read has a rating scale that can vary greatly in their usability.

What we aspire to do here in the Reader’s Roundup is a more thoughtful and evaluative digestion of the work being reviewed and how it might be used in our libraries. While not very long reviews, they provide context beyond the headline and a few rating points. I very much appreciate the work of the reviewers who really dig into the work and provide context that may be missing elsewhere. Thank you to my reviewers: Ellie Dworak, Carolyn Filippelli (with two reviews), Mandi Smith, and Katherine Swart (with three reviews!)

If you would like to be a reviewer for Against the Grain, please write me at <cseeman@umich.edu>. If you are a publisher and have a book you would like to see reviewed in a future column, please also write me directly. You can also find out more about the Reader’s Roundup here — https://sites.google.com/view/ squirrelman/atg-readers-roundup.

Happy reading and be nutty! — Corey

Issit, Micah. Opinions Throughout History: The Death Penalty. Grey House Publishing, 2019. 978-1-64265-066-2, 789 pages, $195.

Reviewed by Ellie Dworak (Research Data Librarian, Albertsons Library, Boise State University) <elliedworak@boisestate.edu>

It’s difficult to think of a topic as fraught as the death penalty. Yet it is also compelling subject matter, especially when viewed from a historical context. Grey House Publishing provides just that with Opinions Throughout History: The Death Penalty, a collection of twenty-nine essays explicating a broad range of primary and secondary documents concerning capital punishment. The Death Penalty is the seventh of Grey House Publishing’s now eighteen volume Opinions Throughout History series, and was a Choice Outstanding Academic Title in 2020.1 Author Micah Issitt is an independent scholar, with a number of reference titles to his name, including several other books in the Opinions Throughout History series (Security vs. Civil & Privacy Rights; Immigration; Gender: Roles & Rights; Drug Use and Abuse; and The Environment). The book is available in print and electronic formats, though this review focuses on the print version. Free online access is granted with the purchase of the print edition.

The Death Penalty is a hefty volume, designed to provide both a broad overview and deep-dives into specific historical situations. The essays themselves are arranged into a rough timeline, beginning with Colonial America and extending to public perceptions in the contemporary United States. The essays concentrate on shifting opinions within the United States, though the essays give attention to the origins of criminal justice traditions such as the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi and, later, European penal codes.

Each chapter begins with an introduction to the landscape of legal and public opinions regarding the topic at hand followed by a list of topics covered by the chapter. Excerpts from primary sources, photographs, cartoons, and other illustrations are interspersed with the essays, breaking up the text and visual appeal. Each of the chapters ends with a conclusion, a list of works consulted, and several discussion questions, e.g., “How have pharmaceutical companies influenced the capital punishment debate? (p. 592). This structure is appropriate for a classroom setting and the discussion questions would be especially useful for undergraduate students on the hunt for paper topics.

The lists of works consulted for each chapter are a mix of law reviews, scholarly articles from a range of social science disciplines; television and print news sources; and primary source documents. While most of the text-based primary sources are transcribed for easy reading, facsimiles of a few are scattered throughout the book, which helps one get a feel for the time period. An example of this is a page from the 1797 Sedition Act, in all its calligraphic glory (p. 292).

The essays are easy to read and understand, more descriptive than investigative. For example, the marvelously understated assertion that “As of 2019, just over half of Americans support the death penalty, and support for the practice has increased, especially among conservatives, since the election of Donald Trump” (p. 611).2 This approach makes the book useful for gathering background information, but those who wish to delve into the scholarship will have to turn elsewhere. On the other hand, the approach also emphasizes the importance of the primary sources.

The Death Penalty is prefaced by a historical timeline of landmarks in capital punishment such as the horrifying “621

BCE: The Draconian Code of Athens utilizes the death penalty to punish every crime.” At the end of the book is a chronology of historical snapshots covering major events from the years 1880 to 2019. While this does provide additional context, I would prefer to instead have an index to the illustrations.

In conclusion, this is a solid reference title, appropriate for a high school or undergraduate setting. The rise of digitization over the past several years has made it much easier to locate primary sources online, but there is still value in having them presented with context and in a logical order.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Additional References

Amnesty International. 2019. Death Sentences and Executions 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2022 from https://www.amnesty.org/en/ documents/act50/9870/2019/en. Death Penalty Information Center. 2021. States With No Recent Executions. Retrieved May 5, 2022 from https:// deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/stateswith-no-recent-executions. Issitt, Micah L. (n.d.). Micah L. Issitt (Amazon.com author profile). Retrieved May 6, 2022 from https://www.amazon.com/ Micah-L.-Issitt/e/B002J271LS. McCrie, R. D. 2020. “The Death Penalty.” Choice 57 (9): 965.

Endnotes

1. “The 2020 Outstanding Academic Titles.” 2020. Choice 58 (4): 315-320,322-327,330-338,340-343. 2. Jones, J. M. 2019. “Americans Now Support Life in Prison Over Death Penalty.” Gallup. Retrieved May 5, 2022 from https://news.gallup.com/poll/268514/americanssupport-life-prison-death-penalty.aspx.

Mars, Laura (Editor). Working Americans: 1798-2020. Volume 16 (Farming and Ranching), Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2020. ISBN 978-1-64265-484-4, 397 pages. $150 print.

Reviewed by Carolyn Filippelli (Reference Librarian, Boreham Library, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith) <Carolyn.Filippelli@uafs.edu>

Farming and Ranching, Volume 16 of the series Working Americans:1798-2020, is another outstanding volume in this series. Agriculture is and has long been integral to the American way of life, and it is appropriate that a volume on this topic was included as a part of this set. Previous volumes in this series have already received many positive reviews in major library publications for the quality of content and research, the diversity of details and breadth of information, and the overall usefulness of the series for public and academic libraries. This volume is equally deserving of praise. It is a major reference source for the social sciences and popular culture. In academic libraries, for example, students taking classes in history, sociology, or popular culture would find the primary source documents, advertisements, and timelines of historical events especially useful.

Beginning just before the start of the 19th century, Farming and Ranching follows the organization of previous volumes in the series. Profiles of 30 persons across different time periods focus on “those persons who are involved in farming as a way of life and those whose lives were affected by farming.” Aspects of life at home, work, and in the community are provided using content from diaries, family histories, and other reputable sources. It is notable that the profiles represent diverse geographical areas in the United States and that they include narratives from many ethnic groups, whether German, Norwegian, Black, Hispanic, or other nationalities. Stories from both women and men are included as are accounts from various socioeconomic groups. The collection of profiles in this volume somewhat resembles those in Studs Terkel’s 1974 book, Working : people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about what they do, (Pantheon Books), although here the focus is agriculture and the scope more limited.

The chronological organization of Farming and Ranching and the use of bulleted sections make it very easy to locate content. The inclusion of advertisements, photographs, news, and other primary sources contribute greatly to making the personal stories and the time periods come to life. For example, the section on cattle wranglers (1940) includes highlights of life in Osage County, Oklahoma and refers to the Osage Indian Murders. This topic was the subject of a recent book, Killers of the Flower Moon. The addition of highlights from the Census of Agriculture for 2017 is a bonus. Updated periodically by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this publication and its many agricultural statistics is very informative. This volume’s detailed index and the section on Further Reading also increase the utility of the book. The section titled “Selected Prices” for time periods provides prices for common items such as a soft drink, a haircut, a candy bar, eyeglasses, and other consumer goods and services. Seeing prices for these items from earlier times brings both a smile along with some dismay considering current inflation. The

“Historical Snapshots” sections list major events, developments in popular culture, and significant legislation by time periods. Items such as the invention of the Mason jar, creation of the Diamond Match Company, and development of the Kodak box camera are included. Examples of historical events are passage of the Homestead Act, the Civil War, the Great Depression, farm unrest, World War II, and the first U.S. death from COVID-19.

Farming and Ranching includes content on major types of farming and crops: cotton, tobacco, soybeans, fruit and citrus crops, and dairy. Also noted are environmental and other impacts of agricultural production, the sharecropping system, and the promise of research in genetics. The growth in production of new crops such as switchgrass for biofuels, new agricultural practices such as no till farming, and organic farming are also mentioned.

Although this volume effectively covers most aspects of agriculture, mention should perhaps also have been made of the advent of large-scale chicken farming, wheat farming operations in states like Montana, and the growth of the timber industry in the South. The Dust Bowl should also have been noted as an historical event affecting agriculture. Other aspects of farming and ranching such as aquaculture, permaculture, back-to-theland movements, and sustainable agriculture are likely topics for future works.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

McAllister, Lorrie and Shari Laster, editors. Transforming Print: Collection Development and Management for Our Connected Future. Chicago, Ill.: ALA Editions, 2021. 978-0-8389-4882-8, 139 pages $59.99

Reviewed by Mandi Smith (Head of Collection Development Strategies, University of Arkansas Libraries) <ms054@uark.edu>

For more than a decade, one of the major trends in library collections has been a pronounced focus on electronic and digital resources. The recent COVID-19 pandemic, along with the resulting need for expanded remote access, seemingly accelerated this trend across libraries worldwide. Considering the longlasting trend and the new normal in libraries, this reviewer was pleasantly surprised to discover ALA Editions’ recently published book about print collections, Transforming Print: Collection Development and Management for our Connected Future. Edited by Lori McAllister (Associate University Librarian for Collection Services and Analysis at Arizona State University ) and Shari Laster (Head of Open Stack Collections at Arizona State University Library), this book brings together nine case studies related to how print collections are evolving “to become more engaging and widely used by the diverse communities they serve,” as explained in the book’s official online description on the ALA store. The included case studies cover a wide variety of topics, but are loosely grouped together under three sections: “Contemporary Collection Development,” “Collections Access and Management,” and “Centering the User.” Each of the case studies comes from academic or research libraries, and librarians from those types of libraries would probably gain the most use from reading this book — although professionals from many types of libraries and institutions might be inspired by the successes detailed within.

The chapters in the section titled “Contemporary Collection Development” offer insightful variations on traditional collection development, and the intrinsic incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a refreshing change. Unlike many collection development plans where DEI elements are often more of an afterthought, in the scenarios described by the various authors the inclusion of DEI was deliberate, thoughtful, and designed. The authors of one chapter even inserted a brief description of themselves outlining their race, gender, sexuality, experience, etc., so the readers would have a better understanding of the authors’ vantage points and potential privileges as they read the case study.

Even though print is seemingly the focus of the book, most of the collection development practices described in this section do not seem to particularly target print resources. The first chapter, “The New Open Stacks,” begins with a short and informative history of the management and use of resource shelving in libraries. Soon after, however, the chapter delves into a more generalized approach to collection development, incorporating critical race theory and community engagement. Another example of this is found in the chapter “Working Toward Human-Centered Reparative Change Through Print Collection Development at the University of Denver,” where the authors discuss the steps they have taken to diversify collections. Both chapters were interesting and powerful reads that address important concerns in collection development, but they are not specifically directed at print collection development.

This theme of case studies only tangentially related to print continues in the sections titled “Collections Access and Management” and “Centering the User.” Here the reader can learn about the St. Louis Model of collaboration for managing government depositories (St. Louis University), how the Library of Congress chooses what to digitize, and MIT’s creation and use of an indie tarot deck collection. All these chapters are insightful and thought-provoking, but potentially not what one would traditionally consider print management, as implied by the title of the book.

There are some chapters that do deal more directly with the idea of print as a format and the unique challenges and opportunities associated with that. One chapter details the history of HathiTrust’s shared print program, while another discusses using a print collection for object-based learning, specifically through the author’s creation of a model research collection exhibit. Another chapter outlines the results of a research study questioning how faculty prefer to browse the stacks, and online as well. There is even a chapter that successfully argues the need to continue to purchase print resources when managing Latin American collections in the section titled “Contemporary Collection Development.”

If a reader is interested in learning best practices related to collection development — print or otherwise — or best practices related to stacks management, there are several other books in the literature that are more comprehensive and might serve them better. This reviewer would argue, however, that sharing best practices is not necessarily the objective of Transforming Print: Collection Development and Management for our Connected Future. Rather, this book’s objective is to inspire libraries and librarians to try something new. In nearly every case study the authors refused to stay stagnate. They experimented. They innovated. They transformed traditional library practices in creative ways. The various authors refused to accept that things had to happen in the same way they always have. As a reader of this book, you will be informed; more importantly, however,

you will be inspired — both to try out the ideas shared and to devise new ones of your own.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Policing in 2020. Reference Shelf. NY: H.W. Wilson, 2021. 9781642657890, 232 pages. $75.

Reviewed by Carolyn Filippelli (Reference Librarian, Boreham Library, University of Arkansas – Fort Smith) <Carolyn.Filippelli@uafs.edu>

Policing in 2020 provides an overview of many of the social, technical, and legal issues affecting contemporary police work. Social justice issues and movements such as Defund the Police and Black Lives Matter highlight how police practices have been called into question and are changing. The effectiveness of traditional policing models such as community policing are being re-evaluated, and newer models such as Insight Policing have been offered as an alternative. In cities such as Minneapolis, Defund the Police has been proposed as an alternative for reform of some traditional police practices. Instead of eliminating police departments, Defund the Police calls for redistribution of police work, transferring some calls involving issues such as mental illness and homelessness to social agencies and persons with special expertise. In addition to social movements, the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on police work are described. One of the most striking sections of this book is the influence of corporations on policing. Giant tech companies such as Microsoft provide software and equipment for mass surveillance and facial recognition, and Amazon’s doorbell camera Ring program is widespread and has been used to identify criminal behavior. Other companies supply body cameras and drones, for which the lack of consistent and appropriate policies for police use is a continuing problem. Social media companies and police use of social media have implications for privacy and civil rights issues. Another controversial development is the emergence of companies such as Lexipol that actually write polices for local police departments.

One background article helps provide some context for understanding issues in policing in the United States. The development of police forces as a response to industrialization and unrest in cities resulted in the growth of a distinct police culture — one with a somewhat militaristic tone — and the emergence of strong police unions. Policing is in need of reform, and this book clearly highlights some of the issues, such as better education and training, police recruitment practices that incorporate DEI, better, clearly-written police department policies, and citizen involvement. Major problems such as funding hinder reform initiatives. Politicization of policing issues and the polarization of society add complexity as do concerns with ICE’s role in immigration and ICE’s relationship with local police departments. The best way forward is uncertain. However, one consideration may be that the diversity among police forces in different geographical areas and types of communities provides opportunities for local citizens to work with police to achieve reforms that work at the local level.

This volume provides an excellent overview of policing and includes an outstanding Bibliography. Its content and sources make this book an excellent choice for students in criminal justice and sociology programs and also for students in English composition and speech classes who need background sources. Likely, the reader will be inspired to find additional information on a number of issues discussed, such as education for law enforcement, police use of body cameras and social media, deescalation techniques, and police surveillance practices.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Spires, Kendal (Ed.). Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 15th Edition. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson, 2021. 9781642658057, 1,368 pages. $295.00.

Reviewed by Katherine Swart (Collection Development Librarian, Hekman Library, Calvin University) <kswart20@calvin.edu>

Now in its fifteenth edition, Middle and Junior High Core Collection continues to serve as an essential collection development tool for public, school, and academic librarians. Edited by Kendal Spires, Collection Development Librarian at NoveList/EBSCO, the volume presents more than 6,000 recommended books selected by experienced librarians and NoveList staff. Works include fiction and nonfiction books ideal for grades 5-9, along with professional texts geared toward public and school librarians. The print edition of Middle and Junior High Core Collection (which this reviewer viewed as a PDF) corresponds to an EBSCO database of the same name. The database includes full book reviews, additional recommendation levels, and enhanced metadata. Print volumes and databases also exist for core children’s collections, senior high collections, and graphic novels.

The editors have paid special attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in this latest volume, and detailed subject headings have been updated to reflect time periods and locations. Series names are now given for fiction titles, and more graphic novels are included. Non-English titles are excluded, though some bilingual materials appear. Textbooks, dictionaries, and works about computer software are also left out. The editors have cut back on “classic” literature in favor of highlighting lesser-known works, though some classics still appear in the print volume.

The first part of the book is the Classified Collection, which includes nonfiction titles arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification, followed by biographies in order of subject and fiction titles alphabetized by author. All books are recommended, and starred titles are considered essential for their subject area. Complete bibliographic information includes author, title, publisher, publication date, number of pages, and ISBN. Grade-level recommendations and Dewey code follow, along with the Library of Congress control number and suggested subject headings. Awards are noted with the year they were received. Series order, publication history, and film adaptations are supposedly included though I didn’t see any. Lastly, each entry includes a brief plot description and excerpt from a review source.

I looked up Guts by Raina Telgemeier, which is under 155.4 “Psychology of specific ages.” It is starred and recommended for grades 3-7. Subject descriptors include “Fourth grade girls,” “Anxiety in children,” and “Autobiographical comics,” among several others. I looked up Gary Schmidt in the fiction section,

and four of his books are listed. The Wednesday Wars won a Newbery Honor, but that distinction is not listed, I’m assuming because only medal-winning books are indicated. Many of the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan are included, but the book numbers are not given. I suppose looking at the publication dates will remedy that. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Horn Book are frequent review sources.

The second part of the volume is an extensive index by author, title, and subject. This was helpful in finding the Telgemeier books, as I wouldn’t have known what Dewey Decimal Classification to look under for her autobiographical graphic novels. Classic books are under the subject “Classics,” and there are an impressive number of books on Climate Change, Immigrants, LGBTQIA Fiction, and Racism. Look up Classroom Management, Libraries, and Reading for professional materials for librarians. As a collection development tool, Middle and Junior High Core Collection is invaluable for making acquisitions and weeding decisions. The bibliographic information, review excerpts, subject headings, and grade-level recommendations are assets to librarians looking to broaden their collections or provide curriculum support. The book is also a readers’ advisory tool that librarians can consult when students present interest in specific genres and subjects. Choosing between the print volume versus the database subscription will likely be a matter of cost. Personally, I liked browsing the index for serendipitous finds, but I realize the database has full-length reviews and keyword searching. In all, it’s a great resource librarians will want to have.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Spires, Kendal (Ed.). Senior High Core Collection, 22nd Edition. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson, 2020. 9781642656480, 1,000 pages. $295.00.

Reviewed by Katherine Swart (Collection Development Librarian, Hekman Library, Calvin University) <kswart20@calvin.edu>

Senior High Core Collection is a collection development aid for school, public, and academic librarians serving teens in grades 9-12. Edited by Kendal Spires, Collection Development Librarian at NoveList/EBSCO, the volume presents more than 4,000 recommended books gathered by experienced librarians and NoveList staff. Effort was made to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among the selections, and outdated books have been removed with each edition of the collection. New in this edition are the inclusion of additional award books and the addition of series names for fiction titles.

Genres include nonfiction, fiction, and graphic novels. Publication place is limited to the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. There are no non-English-language books represented, though a few dictionaries and bilingual books do appear. “Classic” literature is mostly left out of the print edition, as are textbooks and books about specific computer software. Books meant for adults are generally excluded, though some adult books are included if they are popular in curriculum.

The print edition of Senior High Core Collection (which this reviewer viewed as a PDF) is derived from an EBSCO database of the same name. The database includes enhanced content such as full book reviews, Lexile scores, cover art, supplemental titles (including those deemed “classics”), and weeded books. Print volumes and corresponding databases also exist for children’s books, middle and junior high books, and graphic novels. Organized by Dewey Decimal Classification, the book begins with nonfiction followed by fiction and anthologies. Essential books are marked with a star; all other books are simply recommended. Each entry has the relevant bibliographic information for the book — author, title, publisher, publication date, number of pages, ISBN, and Library of Congress control number. Grade level recommendations are included, as well as a suggested Dewey classification number and relevant subject headings. Following these are a list of awards the book has won, a brief summary, and a snippet from a review source. In some cases publication history, film adaptations, sequels, and series are given. For example, under Madeleine L’Engle, the book A Wrinkle in Time is recommended for grades 5-10. The record indicates that it is part of the Time Quartet series, though only lists A Wind in the Door as a sequel. Its Newbery Medal is noted, as well as a descriptive summary. However, the film adaptation is not given for some reason.

Lastly, the end of the book contains an extensive alphabetized index combining authors, titles, and subjects. Dewey Decimal Classification numbers are given for each item rather than page numbers.

Senior High Core Collection will be an asset to librarians selecting for their collections. The brief summaries, review snippets, and grade level recommendations add value, making it a great reference for collection development. Being able to look up titles by Dewey Decimal Classification and subject allows librarians to pinpoint areas that need developing and aid in curriculum support. Furthermore, the volume works as a readers’ advisory tool for students interested in specific genres and subjects.

Librarians will need to choose whether to invest in a print volume with a limited shelf life versus subscribing to the likely pricier database. At least the print volume allows for easy browsing and serendipitous discoveries.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

Spires, Kendal and Julie Corsaro (Eds.) Young Adult Fiction Core Collection, Third Edition. Ipswich, MA: H.W. Wilson, 2019. 9781642650228, 630 pages. $255.00.

Reviewed by Katherine Swart (Collection Development Librarian, Hekman Library, Calvin University) <kswart20@calvin.edu>

Young Adult Fiction Core Collection is a collection development aid containing nearly 3,200 book recommendations for grades 6-12. The volume was compiled by an editorial team of librarians led by Kendal Spires and Julie Corsaro, both Collection Development Librarians at NoveList/EBSCO. Corresponding to the print book are two EBSCOhost databases: Middle & Junior High Core Collection and Senior High Core Collection. This reviewer only had access to the book.

Now in its third edition, Young Adult Fiction Core Collection compiles the “Core Collection” and “Most Highly Recommended” fiction titles from the two databases. In addition to fiction, the databases also include young adult nonfiction and short stories. Graphic novels are not included. (You’ll need an additional print volume and database for those.) The collected books are all published in or distributed to the United States. Additionally, this book includes English-language titles published in Canada and the United Kingdom. Likewise, the books included in this work are English-language titles with a few bilingual titles. Part 1 of the book contains bibliographic information for each book and a short entry. Arranged alphabetically by author, the bibliographic information includes title, author, publisher, publication date, number of pages, price, ISBN, and Library of Congress control number (if available). Publication history and editions are given for older books, and some entries list sequels and companion volumes. Awards won, such as the Michael L. Printz Award, Newbery Medal, and several others, are given with the year. Each entry lists the recommended audience in grade levels, as well as subject headings based on Sears List of Subject Headings. Lastly, each entry includes a short description of the work and a snippet from a review source. Acevedo, Elizabeth was the first entry I looked up. Under her name The Poet X: A Novel is starred (most highly recommended) and includes twelve subject headings, a slew of awards, an adequate annotation, and a Kirkus review. Upon closer inspection, two of the subject headings are the same, and the 2019 Printz Award is missing because Young Adult Fiction Core Collection was likely published before the award was announced. Errors will happen and print books are static in time, so I tried not to let it bother me. I turned to Schmidt, Gary D. and found four books listed. In The Wednesday Wars entry, the main character’s last name is incorrect. I wondered if I was being too picky. Part 2 is an index by author, title, and subject. Page numbers are not given for any of them; but look up a subject like Bullying, and you’ll find a list of authors and titles. Look up an author, and you’ll get a list of their titles. Look up a title, and you’ll get its author. Hypothetically.

As I moved down the alphabet from Bullying, I found three blank lines (where authors and titles should have been) followed by three incomplete entries. One, “_____ onions. Soto, G.,” caught my eye. The word Buried is missing from the book title. I paged through the index and found this kind of error over and over again — authors’ names and entire words completely missing. They were easy to spot and any editor should have noticed them, too.

As a whole, Young Adult Fiction Core Collection is useful for collection development in school, public, and academic libraries. Paging through the list of works introduced me to incidental books I wouldn’t have necessarily found by searching a database. But up close, the volume is static and sloppy. I couldn’t help wondering whether it would be better to subscribe to the databases in order to have the most current titles or whether I would find the same kinds of errors in their metadata. If inconsistencies don’t bother you, then you’ll like this book better than I did.

ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this available somewhere in my shared network. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it within three to five days via my network catalog.)

Guide to the ATG Reviewer Ratings

The ATG Reviewer Rating is being included for each book reviewed. Corey came up with this rating to reflect our collaborative collections and resource sharing means and thinks it will help to classify the importance of these books.

• I need this book on my nightstand. (This book is so good, that I want a copy close at hand when I am in bed.)

• I need this on my desk. (This book is so valuable, that I want my own copy at my desk that I will share with no one.)

• I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)

• I need this available somewhere in my shared network. (I probably do not need this book, but it would be nice to get it within three to five days via my network catalog.)

• I’ll use my money elsewhere. (Just not sure this is a useful book for my library or my network.)