Reading Public Library's Pennsylvania Collection: 2009 ...



READING PUBLIC LIBRARY'S PENNSYLVANIA COLLECTION: 

2009 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT REASSESSMENT

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Ann Fleer

Lia Horton

Carol Leh

Rebecca Leopold

Holly McRee

Kathryn Staropoli

INFO 665

Collection Development

Drexel University

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. The Library 3

II. The Service Community and Its Needs 4

III. Selection Criteria 4

IV. Current Materials (2000-2009) 5

Process of Selection 5

Materials Selected 8

V. Retrospective Materials (Before 2000) 17

Process of Selection 17

Materials Selected 20

VI. What We Learned From This Assignment

VII. Group Strategies and Responsibilities

VIII. References

IX. Appendix

Table 1. Evaluation of Selection Aids

Table 2. Selection Criteria

THE LIBRARY

 

The Reading Public Library, as a participant of the 23-member Berks County Public Library

System, shares the system’s mission of “countywide development, coordination, and promotion

of public library services. The System is an advocate for the library and information needs of all

the people of Berks County.” (Berks County Public Libraries System Manual

 

).

   

The Reading Public Library (RPL) occupies a unique place within Berks County

 

and the Library System due to its multiple roles:

 

1)      System member library with an assigned service area of the City of Reading;

 

2)      District Library Center for Berks County as designated by the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania;

 

3)      Resource Library for the federated system.

We decided that the collection would probably have collection development goals based on the

RLG Conspectus level of Instructional Support: “adequate to support undergraduate and most

graduate instruction, or sustained independent study; that is, adequate to maintain knowledge of

a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, of less than research intensity.” (Library

of Congress website, ).

 

Pennsylvania history is a special collection at this library; an entire room is devoted to it

 

(). It is a strong collection,

 

and additional qualifying items would be welcomed  in order to make the collection

 

as comprehensive as possible. Genealogical items are especially welcomed, according to

 

Nathaniel Thomas, government documents librarian at the Reading Public Library, because

 

people come to the library seeking genealogical information from all over the county.

 

THE SERVICE COMMUNITY AND ITS NEEDS

 

Reading, Pennsylvania’s population in 2006 was estimated at 81,183. The service population is

 predominantly young (median age is 29, as compared to 36.4 in the U. S. as a whole) and white

(59.2% of the population in 2000, 56.6% estimated in 2006-8) although the Hispanic ethnic

group is growing among all races (37.3% of the population in 2000, estimated to increase to

52.1% in 2006-8).

(U. S. Census Quick Facts for Reading ;

U. S. Census. American Fact Finder for Reading, PA ).

  

The target population for our project would be the adults in the community, although school-age

students might also benefit from the information on Pennsylvania history. Information on

Pennsylvania history may be needed for genealogical searches, for self-educational

purposes, and for school projects.

SELECTION CRITERIA

This resource selection project will provide access to a wide range of instructional level

resources, in many formats, in the broad area of Pennsylvania history, chosen for timeliness and

depth of subject areas covered.

These selection criteria from Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management

 

by Peggy Johnson (2009, American Library Association) apply as follows:

 

-Completeness and scope of treatment (which would improve the quality of the reference

source);

 

-Reputation, credentials, or authoritativeness of author, publisher, editor, reviewer (which

would assure the accuracy of the reference source)

 

-Geographic coverage (our criteria would limit the search to items on Pennsylvania

history)

 

-Uniqueness of content (which would prevent duplication in the collection)

 

-Cost in relation to quality of item (cost effectiveness and durability would be important

so the item would be worth its cost and would hold up under frequent use)

 

-Gaps in current collection (Filling gaps in the current collection would make the

collection more comprehensive in its treatment of Pennsylvania history).

CURRENT MATERIALS (2000-2009)

Evans and Saponaro identify six categories of selection aids that the collection librarian can use for identifying resources to add to a collection. These aids provide information on publishers and content in all the formats that the library collects. Each aid has distinctive characteristics as well as advantages and disadvantages. Learning to use these resources is an essential element in the selection process. The five categories of resources we chose from those listed on pages 83 and 84 are:

a) Current sources for in-print books

b) Catalogs, flyers and announcements

c) Current review sources

d) Bibliographic databases

e) Recommended, best, and core collection lists

Process of Selection

The steps followed for identifying current resources in various formats to add to the Reading collection library were 1) Identify specific aids from the six categories, 2) Search the selection aids for items to add to the collection, and 3) Document the results of each search as described in Appendix A, Table #1. Each of these steps is expanded and explained in more detail below.

Selecting Aids: After Reviewing the Evans and Saponaro descriptions of aids in table 4-1 and the chapter description of each aid, we identified a list of specific selections aids to be searched. We then determined the format and level of materials that can be retrieved from each selection aid. Since our goal is instructional materials and materials that meet the criteria established in section #3, we focused on selection aids that met these additional criteria. The Reading library catalog is accessible in order to ensure that the items were not currently in the collection. LC information was also verified from the Library of Congress.

Selecting Materials: When a review was found for an item that met the Section #3 criteria, we verified that the title using WorldCat as a selection aid. We also verified that the cost of the items was within our $3,500 budget. Finally we searched additional review sources to identify additional reviews for this item. Review sources not in the original list of selection aids, were to the list.

Documenting Searches: The final step in our search process was to document the search in steps 1 and 2 above and create a table that shows our usage of the selection aids. This table is in the Appendix, Table 1. Further information on the selection aids is described in the following section.

Discussion of the Most Useful Selection Aids

Category a) Bowker’s Global Books in Print is indispensible for its ease in searching for materials and the bibliographic information provided, and in some instances reviews are available. It is an amazingly comprehensive “at-a-glance” resource. Providing comparable coverage for serials, Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory is “an authoritative source of bibliographic and publisher information” and was extremely useful for selecting active periodicals that focus on Pennsylvania. was also useful for verifying bibliographic information.

Category b) Penn State University Press is an excellent resource for this project, as “the Press recognizes its special responsibility to develop books about Pennsylvania, both scholarly and popular, that enhance interest in the region and spread awareness of the state's history, culture, environment” . Although not limited to Pennsylvania history, it was an ideal resource for both older and recently published books on the subject; subsequently, its titles could be checked in review sources and against various libraries’ online catalogs.

Category c) Review sources for this project have come from Choice, Journal of Southern History, Pennsylvania Magazine, Library Journal, School Library Journal and Magazines for Libraries. Choice reviews books “of primary interest to academic libraries” (Evans, 2005, p. 88) but is appropriate for selecting materials for a specialized collection. Each Choice review ends with a “summing up” recommendation that gives quick insight, e.g., “All levels/libraries” was the recommendation given for the title “At work in Penn's Woods,” lending weight to the selection of that title for the collection. Similarly, Library Journal recommends the videocassette “Stories from the Mines” for “public libraries, especially in Pennsylvania” and provides another example of a review’s usefulness as an evaluative tool for a librarian developing a particular collection.

Category d) WorldCat was an excellent starting point for an overview of materials on Pennsylvania. Restricting an expert search to the LC classification United States Local History Pennsylvania, f146-160, brings up materials subject specific to Pennsylvania, which can then be limited by format. The Access Pennsylvania catalog was useful for uncovering possible gaps in the Reading Public Library’s Pennsylvania material as compared to other Pennsylvania libraries. Google Books was another interesting resource, providing an avenue for public domain material on Pennsylvania freely accessible to patrons via the Internet, e.g., “Pennsylvania Railroad: its origin, construction, condition and connections”

Category e) “Recommended lists” accessed directly from Pennsylvania web sites are also worthwhile. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Heritage Society each provide a wealth of information on Pennsylvania, including publications. These listings can be compared and considered against the library’s collection; the sites themselves may present other useful links for librarians seeking information on Pennsylvania resources.

Materials Selected: Pennsylvania History

Monographs

Bouton, T. (2007). Taming democracy: The people, the founders, and the troubled ending of

the American Revolution . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Centering on Pennsylvania, the symbolic center of the story of democracy's rise during the American Revolution, Bouton shows in this highly provocative first book that the Revolutionary elite often seemed as determined to squash democracy after the War of Independence as they were to support it before the conflict. Bouton introduces us to the Revolution's unsung heroes - farmers, weavers, and tailors who risked their lives to create democracy and then to defend it against what they called the forces of “united avarice.” $21.95

Winner of the Philip S. Klein Book Prize for the best book that illuminates the history of Pennsylvania from the Pennsylvania Historical Association ,

Taming Democracy was noted as “that rare book--scholarly yet written with verve, readable for pleasure as well as for knowledge” by Publishers Weekly in its May 2007 issue. Choice (Martin, 2008) recommends it for “upper-division undergraduates and above.” Critically acclaimed in multiple review sources , this story “of ordinary Americans in Pennsylvania” after the Revolutionary War would have special relevance in Reading Public Library’s collection devoted to Pennsylvania history.

Falk, C. and Gross, G. (2008). Architecture and artifacts of the Pennsylvania Germans:

Constructing identity in early America. University Park, PA: Penn State Press.

This book examines how a mid-18th century group, the Pennsylvania Germans, built their cultural identity. Cynthia Falk explores the relationship between ethnicity and the buildings, personal belongings, and other cultural artifacts of early Pennsylvania German immigrants and descendants; she demonstrates that more than anything, socioeconomic status and religious affiliation influenced the character of the material culture of Pennsylvania Germans. $45.00

This monograph is published by Penn State University Press “that recognizes its special responsibility to develop books about Pennsylvania, both scholarly and popular, that enhance interest in the region and spread awareness of the state's history, culture and environment.” It is listed in Bowker’s Global Books in Print and received a favorable review from Choice (Cooper, 2009) recommending it “for upper-division undergraduates and above.” Reading Public Library is a District Library Center with specific collections that include a Pennsylvania German Collection .

Pencak, W. & Blair, W. (2000). Making and remaking Pennsylvania’s Civil War. University

Park, PA: Penn State Press.

For many people, Pennsylvania's contribution to the Civil War goes little beyond the battle of Gettysburg. The essays in this volume, which contain a wealth of new information about Pennsylvania during the war years, suggest ways to reconsider the impact of the Civil War on Pennsylvania and the way its memory remains alive even today. $46.00

Winner of the Philip S. Klein Book Prize (2002) for the best book that illuminates the history of Pennsylvania from the Pennsylvania Historical Association , Making and Remaking Pennsylvania’s Civil War was co-authored by Drs. Blair and Pencak, both of whom are history professors at Penn State. Choice recommended it for “general and academic collections” (Simon, 2001) that also noted “readers interested in Civil War history, and especially historical memory, need not be Pennsylvanians to find these essays innovative and provocative.” Civil War History called it a “worthwhile addition to American Civil War scholarship that addresses two key areas of research: studies of the Northern home front and regional histories. Blair and Pencak's compilation shows that essays about one state, Pennsylvania, can inspire similar scholarship in other states and further shape our understanding of the multifaceted conflict that is the Civil War” (Rockenbach, 2003).

Pencak, W. & Richter, D. (2005). Friends and enemies in Penns’s Woods: Colonists, Indians and the racial construction of Pennsylvania. University Park, PA: Penn State Press.

Two powerfully contradictory images dominate historical memory when we think of Native Americans and colonists in early Pennsylvania. How relations between Pennsylvanians and their native neighbors deteriorated, in only eighty years, is the central theme of Friends and Enemies in Penn's Woods. William Pencak and Daniel Richter have assembled some of the most talented historians working in the field today with essays that trace the collapse of whatever potential may have existed for a Pennsylvania shared by Indians and Europeans. $76.00

Drs. Pencak and Richter are professors of history at Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Dr. Pencak has co-edited three books on Pennsylvania history for Penn State Press; Dr. Richter’s specialty is Colonial North America and Native American history. The book is listed in Bowker’s Global Books in Print and received a favorable review from Choice that recommends “this commendable collection of essays for all levels/libraries” (Marietta, 2005).

Speakman, J. (2006). At work in Penns’s Woods: the Civilian Conservation Corps in

Pennsylvania. University Park, PA: Penn State Press.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of the most popular programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and in Pennsylvania the CCC had one of its largest and most successful programs. This monograph is the first comprehensive study of Pennsylvania’s CCC program, combining administrative history with portraits of many of the men who worked in the camp; Dr. Speakman draws on archival research in primary sources, including some source collections never used before, and on interviews with former CCC men. $42.00

Dr. Speakman is Professor of History at Montgomery County Community College near Philadelphia; this book highlights the CCC relief and reforestation effort in Pennsylvania in which Dr. Speakman’s own father served. The book is listed in Bowker’s Global Books in Print, and Choice lauded it as “an excellent study of state history with national themes” with its recommendation for “all levels/libraries” (Travis, 2007). As the first comprehensive study of the CCC “that transformed the forests and natural areas of Pennsylvania and the United States, with 194,500 Pennsylvania citizens having served in its ranks” , At Work in Penn’s Woods is an essential addition to Reading’s Pennsylvania history collection.

Serials

Pennsylvania Heritage. (1974). Harrisburg, PA: Historical and Museum Commission.

Pennsylvania Heritage is a beautifully illustrated and popularly styled magazine featuring fascinating stories of the Commonwealth’s rich history and culture. Every issue brings informative and insightful perspectives authored by talented historians, curators, and archivists, as well as news about museum and preservation programs, plus the Pennsylvania Heritage Society newsletter. $20 subscription per year

This quarterly magazine is co-published by the Pennsylvania Heritage Society and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission . It was verified in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory and Access PA catalog . Its scope of treatment of Pennsylvania history and culture makes it a worthwhile periodical for Reading Public Library.

Pennsylvania History: a Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. (1933). State College, PA:

Pennsylvania Historical Association.

Pennsylvania History contains two to four studies in each issue dealing with the social, intellectual, economic, political and cultural history of Pennsylvania and the Middle Atlantic region. A regular feature of this publication is the inclusion of edited documentary material. $30 subscription per year to institutions

This quarterly periodical is the official publication of the Pennsylvania Historical Association . Magazines for Libraries notes that the magazine’s “well-documented articles are selected for their appeal to both the specialist and the general reader” (Wies, 2009).

Pennsylvania Legacies: the Newsmagazine of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. (2001).

Philadelphia, PA: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Legacies is a semi-annual illustrated history magazine exploring a variety of topics in Pennsylvania history for the curious reader. $15.00 subscription per year to institutions

A publication of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Legacies was verified in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory and the Access PA catalog with 8 Pennsylvania libraries, not including Reading Public Library, currently owning this title.

Nonperiodicals

Curra, T. & Matkosky, G. (2001). Stories from the mines [Videotape]. Scranton, PA:

University of Scranton Press.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of European immigrants came to northeastern Pennsylvania to work in the coal mines. Stories from the Mines highlights the indelible contribution to America's history made by anthracite coal and the men who mined it, and chronicles the struggle of these miners to earn a decent wage, alleviate dangerous working conditions and gain respect.

$25.00

Stories from the Mines received a favorable review from Library Journal as “recommended viewing for students seeking to understand this controversial, often overlooked chapter in America history” (Rees, 2004) and recommends it for public libraries, “especially in Pennsylvania.” Thomas Currà is an Emmy award–winning television producer who lives and works in northeastern Pennsylvania .

Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. (2001). Pennsylvania Biographies and Genealogies, 1600s-1800s [CD-ROM]. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc.

A unique blend of family history and biography, this CD names 315,000 individuals who lived primarily in southeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania during the colonial and early federal periods. The numerous volumes of biographies, county histories, and genealogies which were drawn on in the compilation of this CD were originally published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, and all seventeen volumes--available on this CD at a fraction of their original cost--are now conveniently accessed by means of a single electronic index.

$19.95

This CD-ROM is listed in Bowker’s Global Books in Print, verified in WorldCat and has a holding in Access PA online databases . The Pennsylvania Room of the Reading Public Library houses all of the library's local history and genealogy materials, and N. A. Thomas, the library’s Government Documents Librarian (personal communication, November 4, 2009) stresses that the library “is always on the lookout for new family histories and genealogies to incorporate into this collection.”

Moore, C. & George, O. (2008). Fly boys: Western Pennsylvania Tuskegee

Airmen [DVD]. Pittsburgh, PA: WQED Multimedia.

Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania's Tuskegee Airmen covers the "Tuskegee Airmen Experiment," a military initiative to see if African-American men were capable of flying complicated engines of war. More than 40 men from western Pennsylvania served as Tuskegee Airmen, and some of their stories are told in this gripping documentary.

$17.95

The program is hosted and produced by WQED’s Mid-Atlantic Emmy® award-winning Chris Moore and was made possible with major funding from the University of Pittsburgh. This documentary was favorably reviewed in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette February 2008 as “a good primer, explaining the origins of the Tuskegee Airmen, their contributions to the war effort and the challenges they faced after the war” .

It is listed in with holdings in Access PA online database .

Myers, J. (2005). The Grange Fair: an American heritage [DVD].

Pittsburgh, PA: Inecom, Incorporated.

The Grange Fair in Centre Hall, PA, was founded in 1874 and remains the only ‘tent’ county fair in the United States. At Grange Fair, families spend nine nights camping in a fair-supplied canvas tent on sites that are handed down from generation to generation. Based in a quickly fading traditional farming lifestyle, the Grange Fair competitions are founded on cooperation, hard work, discipline, decorative arts, cooking and canning, and animal husbandry. $24.95 .

An award-winning documentary from filmmaker Joe Myers, The Grange Fair comes

recommended by Library Journal and School Library Journal. Library Journal states “this is a high-quality and engaging video that is highly recommended for general collections and all audiences” (Glaviano, 2008). School Library Journal calls it “a wonderfully engaging documentary, winner of a local Emmy award that celebrates all facets of the rural lifestyle by taking viewers to a Pennsylvania fair, one of the largest Grange events in the country” (Thomas, 2008). With its singular content that celebrates a particular facet of Pennsylvania life, the Grange Fair is essential to Reading Public Library’s special collection that preserves Pennsylvania’s unique history.

Free Internet Resources

Ayers, E. (2000). The valley of the shadow: Two communities in the American Civil War.

Retrieved November 1, 2009, from the Virginia Center for Digital History,



The Valley of the Shadow is a digital archive that details life in two American communities, one Northern and one Southern, from the time of John Brown's raid through the era of Reconstruction. In it are thousands of original letters and diaries, newspapers and speeches, and census and church records left by men in women in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and Augusta County, Virginia, that gives voice to hundreds of individual people telling the forgotten stories of life during the era of the Civil War.

Dr. Edward L. Ayers is a historian of the American South and a pioneer of digital history . His award-winning Valley of the Shadow was recommended by Federal Resources for Educational Excellence that “serves as a clearinghouse for resources produced by different federal agencies to promote educational excellence” and the Librarians’ Internet Index Websites You Can Trust . A comprehensive listing of the project’s awards and recommendations can be accessed at .

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. (2009). Pennsylvania history. Retrieved

November 1, 2009, from

Pennsylvania History is an online community that realizes the mission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to preserve the Commonwealth's memory as a teacher and champion of its heritage for citizens of Pennsylvania and the nation.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its Pennsylvania History resource is recommended by the Librarians’ Internet Index Websites You Can Trust and the Internet Public Library .

Pennsylvania State Archives. (n.d.) ARIAS: The archives records information access system.

Retrieved November 4, 2009, from

The Archives Records Information Access System (ARIAS) is designed to facilitate access to archival records created by all branches and levels of Pennsylvania State Government. Currently, about 1,500,000 records are accessible in ARIAS, and the State Archives plans to make additional records available in the near future.

ARIAS is Pennsylvania’s free digital state archives maintained by the Pennsylvania State

Archives .

The ARIAS web site was listed on Family Tree Magazine’s “101 Best Web Sites 2006.”

Total Expenditure: $383.80

RETROSPECTIVE MATERIALS

Process of Selection

The retrospective collection of the Reading Public Library in Reading, PA consists of both in-print material (1999 and before) material considered out-of-print. The books chosen for the retrospective collection serve several purposes, namely filling in gaps in the collection and enhancing the existing collection. The Reading Public Library, alongside the Berks County Library System, has an extensive collection in the area of Pennsylvania history and provides their patrons with high-quality resources. The areas that are currently most prolific in Pennsylvania history include, but are not exclusively limited to, the following: the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Revolutionary War, Parks and trails in Pennsylvania, the state’s regions, and Pennsylvania politics.

In the text Developing Library and Information Science Collections, Evans and Saponaro provide a list of six distinct classifications of selection aids (with examples) for in-print materials, which can be used when developing or enhancing a library’s collection. The six classifications for in-print materials are as follows: catalogs, flyers, and announcements, current reviews, bibliographic databases; best books, recommended lists, and core collections, and subject bibliographies. Evans and Saponaro also note both the advantages and disadvantages for each selection aid. In addition detailing current in-print materials for the retrospective collection, Evans and Saponaro note that out-of-print materials can be used for retrospective collections. Some of the most helpful sources for finding out-of-print materials are bibliographic databases and out-of-print or antiquarian book sellers such as AB Bookman’s Weekly and ALIBRIS, as well as Bibliofind. Through utilizing the selection aids, librarians can successfully identify materials in a wide array of formats from books (both in-print and Out of print) to audiovisual materials to periodicals. The selection aids are invaluable to librarians because they offer librarians multiple resources to reference for collection development and remove a lot of time and stress that is placed on librarians.

The process used to identify materials acceptable for the Reading Public Library’s retrospective collection (Before 1999) was composed of several key steps. The steps are as follows: The first step in the acquisition process was the preorder work: that is to say, reviewing the scope of the existing collection. While this step is time-consuming, reviewing the library’s current collection allows one to understand what is already available and what could be added to improve the collection. Additionally, understanding the collection as it is currently will allow the library to avoid ordering duplicates and ultimately save money.

The next step is utilizing various selection aids to determine several factors: whether the book would have a potentially high circulation rate; the credentials of the author and publishing company; what types of reviews the book received; and what the price range for buying the book(s) would be. Once we found an item that met the criteria established, it was cross-checked with the Reading Public Library’s catalogue to make sure it was not already in the collection. Additionally, we verified the material through WorldCat and the Library of Congress catalogue.

In many ways the selection process for selecting the retrospective materials mirrored the selection process for the current materials. In both instances the first step to the selection process including reviewing the Reading Public Library and the Berks’s County Library’s online catalog for view the current collection and learn what materials could be added: . The next step in the process for both the retrospective collection and the current collection was to begin searching for materials that would enhance the existing collection.

It was in searching for materials that the two processes had the biggest differences. The current selections are all in-print materials whereas the retrospective materials are all out-of-print materials (OP). Therefore, different tools must be utilized in order to find exemplary material. For instance, when selecting current material, selection aids such as current review sources and current sources for in-print books were utilized. However, these sources would not work for OP material.

Selection Aids: Upon examining the information found in chapter four (Selection Process in Practice) and the section of chapter eleven (Distributors and Vendors) titled “Out-of-print, Antiquarian, and Rare Book Dealers, our group identified the key selection aids that should be reviewed for retrospective materials. Next, the desired format, context, and level of the materials found in each type of selection aid were determined. The objective is to find instructional materials and materials that meet the criteria established in section three we looked at selection aids that would allow us to meet the objectives. Before making any decisions we searched the Reading Public Library’s online catalog to ensure that the materials were not already a part of the collection. Below is a list of the most useful selection aids that were used for selecting the retrospective materials.

a) Sources for out-of-print books

o The first source I consulted was an out-of-print (OP) book dealer with a web-based business: Abebooks. Evans and Saponaro recommend this site as one of the leading OP dealers with a web presence. Abebooks is invaluable because of its selection options and limiters as well as its ease of use. Interloc, , offers users a substantial range of OP books to browse and is notable for its ease of use. Set up in a fashion similar to , interlock provides fast, easy, and free searching and is an excellent “at-a-glance” source.

f) Bibliographic databases

o WorldCat is a great place to start a search for in-print or out-of-print materials because it offers such a large outline of the materials available for our topic: Pennsylvania history. WorldCat also provided numerous options for limiting the search so that only the relevant material was shown. By doing an expert search for kw: Pennsylvania AND kw: history, I was able to find 782 books, which I could them limit by year.

g) Announcements, catalogs, and flyers

o Penn State University Press was an excellent selection aid to use for this project, because it offers information about books that will enhance both current and retrospective collections: .

o

Materials Selected: Pennsylvania History

Monographs

Hassler, E. W. (1998). Old Westmoreland: a history of western Pennsylvania during the

Revolution. Westiminster: Heritage Books.

“This history of the Pennsylvania frontier, of which Fort Pitt was the center, details this state's most crucial time (1775 to 1783). In terms of conflict, the pioneers of this region suffered great hardships due to weather, Indians, and of course the British” ().

Hassler’s book provides a unique outlook on western Pennsylvania during the Revolution years: 1775 - 1783. The book would make an excellent addition to the current collection most notably because there are only fifteen books listed in the catalog as pertaining to the Pennsylvania frontier and most of the current books speak specifically on one family or area. Old Westmoreland: a history of western Pennsylvania during the Revolution, is available for purchase from some of the most notable out-of-print and antiquarian book sellers available: Alibris, Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, and Abe Books.

Book price: $20.99

Minnigh, H. W. (1998). History of company k: 1st (inft,) penn'a reserves: The boys who fought at home. Pennsylvania: Thomas Publications.

“Reprint of the original 1891 book on the company of infantrymen who came from the town and fought in the Battle of Gettysburg, written by their captain. Now honored with a monument on the town square in Gettysburg, these men were recruited and enlisted in Adams County and later found themselves in the unique situation of fighting in and around their hometowns. During the battle they took part in a charge down what is now known as ‘Little Round Top’” ().

The Reading Public Library has an extensive collection of books on the Battle of Gettysburg, and the current collection encompasses a wide range of information. However, while the books are excellent sources they tend to cover an expanse of information whereas History of company k: 1st (inft,) penn'a reserves: The boys who fought at home focuses on a very specific area. Minnigh’s reprint of the 1891 book allows readers to gain knowledge of the soldiers fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg from a first-hand source.

Book price: $3.16

Small, C. L. (1991). The Jennie Wade story. Pennsylvania: Thomas Publications.

“An interesting account of the only civilian killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Researched and written by a native of the Gettysburg area, the story brilliantly depicts a perspective of the war which is often overlooked: the role of a common civilian” ().

The Jennie Wade Story proves to be a useful addition to the Reading Public Library’s collection for several reasons. Firstly, a search of the Reading Public Library’s catalog for subject/keyword “Gettysburg” limited by non-fiction provides a list of 103 titles. Of these titles, the majority focus on the well-known soldiers and politicians (e.g: Pickett and Lincoln), the Gettysburg National Monument, details of the battle, and the differing views amongst the Union and Confederate soldiers. One of the primary goals of collection development is to provide patrons with all sides or viewpoints of an event or issue, and The Jennie Wade Story offers a different account of the battle that isn’t fully supported by the current collection: the account of the only civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Book price: $51.00

Non-Print Material

Foley, J. (Director). (1988). America's Civil War: Gettysburg; Bloody Standoff in Pennsylvania 1863 [Motion picture]. United States: Classic Images Productions.

”The events leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg began as a brigade of Rebel soldiers moved toward the Pennsylvania town in search of shoes. Before the conflict ended, the number of dead, wounded, and missing soldiers would reach over 50,000. Place names from the battle would remain in the nation's conscience -- Cemetery Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and the Wheat Field. America's Civil War: 1863 -- Gettysburg, Bloody Standoff in Pennsylvania tells of the bloody battle that took place from July 1 to July 3, 1863. In November of that year, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address” ().

The Reading Public Library possesses seventeen movies that pertain to the Battle of Gettysburg. Currently, the films in this subject area relate to notable persons who fought in the Gettysburg Battle, virtual tours of the battle ground, and adaptations of the Battle. Foley’s movie, America's Civil War: Gettysburg; Bloody Standoff in Pennsylvania 1863, offers an overview of the Battle of Gettysburg. The film would work well in the collection for several reasons: the film offers viewers a wide scope of information; the video is an hour long and can appeal to viewers of varying ages. This particular film is part of a larger collection called Civil War: 125th Anniversary Series; there are ten movies that total this collection.

Film price: $5.55

Nevinson, C. (Director). (1995). All aboard for Philadelphia [Motion picture]. United States: Invision Communications, Inc.

“A lively trolley and railroad video tour of the booming city and its suburbs from the late 1890s through the 1930s. Rare, vintage film footage and archival photographs capture the city's rich history. Journey through the downtown, with its stately theaters, banks, hotels, and shrines of American Independence. Venture into the industrial neighborhoods, their mills, factories, and sweatshops teeming with immigrant labor. Commute to the streetcar neighborhoods where families tried to escape the problems of the inner-city. Ride a train to the railroad suburbs along the legendary Main Line where planned communities of magnificent estates boasted country living at its finest. Closed Captioned; Black & white. Hi-Fi Stereo; approx. 35 min” ().

All Aboard for Philadelphia provides viewers with a glance at Philadelphia’s evolving history. Philadelphia played a pivotal role in shaping both modern-day Pennsylvania and America, therefore residents of Pennsylvania would benefit from materials that offer insight and information about this key city. Adding All Aboard for Philadelphia in Reading Public Library’s collection will certainly enhance the patron’s cultural awareness. Additionally, seeing as the film is relatively short (approximately 35 minutes), it would appeal to both adults and children. Film price: $20.00

Total Expenditure: $100.70

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT

One thing that the group learned was that Reading, PA has a high concentration of Spanish speakers who need to be accommodated. However, locating Spanish materials about Pennsylvania history are extremely difficult to find. Another lesson learned was that working on a collection development project as a group proved to be time-consuming, but overall, the end result is stronger than it would have been if everyone worked alone. Working in a group to develop a portion of a library’s collection allowed us to have multiple viewpoints represented; each person had a say as to what he/she felt would strengthen to existing collection. Also, working with a group was beneficial because each person brought different skills to the group. This allows the selection process to be more objective; there is less room for personal opinion.

One problem that was encounter was locating needed information. In order to find all the information you need multiple credible sources must be consulted: WorldCat, the Library of Congress, Ulrich’s Guide to Periodicals, AB Bookman’s, etc. This proved to be a major challenge when searching for the retrospective collection. Many of the review sources were for current in-print books rather than older books or out-of-print materials. The same problem was encountered when searching for non-print materials.

REFERENCES

Ayers, E. (2000). The valley of the shadow: Two communities in the American Civil War. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from the Virginia Center for Digital History,



Balas, J. I. (2001, February). Extending a welcome to the library and to the Internet

[Review of the website ]. Computers in Libraries, Feb 2001,Vol. 21, Iss. 2, 43-48.

Berks County Public Libraries System Manual. Retrieved Nov. 7, 2009 from

Bouton, T. (2007). Taming Democracy: The people, the founders, and the troubled ending of the American Revolution. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

$21.95

Butler, M.J. (2002, October). [Review of the book Steel and Steelworkers: Race and Class Struggle in Twentieth-Century Pittsburgh. By John H. Hinshaw]. Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Oct 2002, Vol. 40, Iss. 2, 323.

Collecting levels. (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 7, 2009 from Library of Congress website:

from

Comer, J.C. (2005, September). [Review of Book High Noon for Natural Gas: The New Energy Crisis by Julian Darley]. Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Sept 2005, V43, Iss. 1, 132.

Cooper, J. (2009, October). [Review of the book Architecture and artifacts of the

Pennsylvania Germans: Constructing identity in early America, by C. G. Falk]. Choice,Oct 2009. Vol. 47, Iss. 2, 398.

  

Curra, T. & Matkosky, G. (2001). Stories from the mines [Videotape]. Scranton, PA:

University of Scranton Press. $25.00

Davies II, E.J. (2007, April). [Review of the book The Face of Decline: The Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in the Twentieth Century. by Thomas Dublin and Walter Licht]. American Historical Review, April 2007, Vol 112, Iss. 2, 548.

DeBlasio, Donna M. (2008). [Review of the book The Face of Decline: The Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in the Twentieth Century.by Thomas Dublin and Walter Licht]  The Oral History Review, Wntr-Spring 2008. Vol 35 Iss. 1, 82

Evans, G.E., & Saponaro, M.Z. (2005). Developing library and information center collections (5th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Fact sheet: Reading city, Pennsylvania. Retrieved Nov. 08, 2009 from U.S Census Bureau

Falk, C. and Gross, G. (2008). Architecture and artifacts of the Pennsylvania Germans:

Constructing identity in early America. University Park, PA: Penn State Press. $45.00

Foley, J. (Director). (1988). America's Civil War: Gettysburg; Bloody Standoff in Pennsylvania 1863 [Motion picture]. United States: Classic Images Productions. $5.55

Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. (2001). Pennsylvania Biographies and Genealogies, 1600s-1800s [CD-ROM]. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc. $19.95

Glaviano, C. (2008, May 15). [Review of the DVD The Grange Fair: An American heritage Produced by J. Myers]. Library Journal, May 2008, Vol. 133, Iss. 9; 134.

Hassler, E. W. (1998). Old Westmoreland: a history of western Pennsylvania during the

Revolution. Westiminster: Heritage Books. $20.99

The History of Reading. City of Reading website (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 07, 2009 from

Hopper, L. (2002, July). Bridging the digital divide. [Review of the website Internet Public Library].  Library Journal, July 2002, Vol. 127, Iss 12, 132.

Janes, J., (2009, May). Coping with Convergence: Technological Progress Brings Loss and Possibilities. [Review of the website Internet Public LIbrary]. American Libraries, May 2009, Vol. 40, Iss. 5, 36

Johnson, P. (2009). American Library Association Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management. Chicago : American Library Association.

Kren, M. (2005, March). [Review of the book Edward W. Redfield: Just Values and Fine Seeing. By Constance Kimmerle]. Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, March 2005, Vol. 42, Iss. 7, 1217.

Marietta, J. (2005, May). [Review of the book Friends and enemies in Penn’s Woods:

Colonists, Indians and the racial construction of Pdennsylvania by W. Pencak &

D. Richter]. Choice, May 2005, Vol. 42, Iss. 9, 1655.

Martin, T. (2008, April). [Review of the book Taming democracy: The people, the founders,And the troubled ending of the American Revolution by T. Bouton]. Choice, Apr 2008,Vol. 45, Iss. 8, 1398.

Minnigh, H. W. (1998). History of company k: 1st (inft,) penn'a reserves: The boys who fought at home. Pennsylvania: Thomas Publications. $3.16

Moore, C. & George, O. (2008). Fly boys: Western Pennsylvania Tuskegee

Airmen [DVD]. Pittsburgh, PA: WQED Multimedia. $17.95

Myers, J. (2005). The Grange Fair: an American heritage [DVD]. Pittsburgh, PA: Inecom, Incorporated. $24.95

Nevinson, C. (Director). (1995). All aboard for Philadelphia [Motion picture]. United States: Invision Communications, Inc. $20.00

Osborne, B. (2004, January). [Review of Book Gettysburg: Memory, Market, and an American Shrine. By Jim Weeks]. Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Jan 2004, Vol. 41, Iss. 5, 979.

Our history. (2009). Reading Downtown Improvement District Authority website. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2009 from

Owen, R. (2008). 'Fly Boys' soars with story of Tuskegee Airmen. [Review of the video Fly boys]. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 11/06/09 from



Pechatnikov, A. (2007, October). [Review of the book. Natural Gas and Geopolitics From 1970 to 2040. by David G. Victor, Amy M. Jaffe, and Mark H. Hayes]. The Energy Journal, Oct 2007, Vol. 28, Iss. 4, 171-174.

Pencak, W. & Blair, W. (2000). Making and remaking Pennsylvania’s Civil War. University Park, PA: Penn State Press. $46.00

Pencak, W. & Richter, D. (2005). Friends and enemies in Penns’s Woods: Colonist’s, Indians and the racial construction of Pennsylvania. University Park, PA: Penn State Press. $76.00

Penn State University Press Making and Remaking PA's Civil War to the Penn State Press page.

Pennsylvania Heritage. (1974). Harrisburg, PA: Historical and Museum Commission. $20 subscription per year

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. (2009). Pennsylvania history. Retrieved November 1, 2009, from

Pennsylvania History: a Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. (1933). State College, PA:

Pennsylvania Historical Association. $30 subscription per year to institutions

Pennsylvania Legacies: the Newsmagazine of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. (2001). Philadelphia, PA: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. $15.00 subscription per year to institutions

Pennsylvania State Archives. (n.d.). ARIAS: The archives records information access system. Retrieved November 4, 2009, $383.80

Publishers Weekly. (2007, May). [Review of the book Taming democracy: The people, the founders, and the troubled ending of the American Revolution by T. Bouton].

Publisher’s Weekly, May 2007, Vol. 254, Iss. 21, 43.

Reading Pennsylvania Crime Statistics and Data Resources. Retrieved Nov. 08, 2009 from

Rees, S. (2004, February 15). [Review of the video Stories from the mines produced by T. Curra and G. Matkosky]. Library Journal, February 2004, Vol. 129, Iss. 3, 176.

Reference & Research Book News. (2002, August). [Review of the book Steel and Steelworkers: Race and Class Struggle in Twentieth-Century Pittsburgh. by John H. Hinshaw]. Reference & Research Book News, August 2002, Vol. 17, 9

Rockenbach, S. (2003, March). [Review of the book Making and remaking Pennsylvania’s Civil War by W. Pencak and W. Blair]. Civil War History, March 2003, Vol. 49, Iss. 1,75-77.

Science News. (2005, February). [Review of Book High Noon for Natural Gas: The New Energy Crisis by Julian Darley].  Science News, Feb 26, 2005, Vol. 167, Iss. 9 143.

Simon, J. (2001, December). [Review of the book Making and remaking Pennsylvania’s CivilWar by W. Pencak & W. Blair]. Choice, Dec 2001, Vol. 39, Iss. 4, 747.

Small, C. L. (1991). The Jennie Wade story. Pennsylvania: Thomas Publications. $51.00

Speakman, J. (2006). At work in Penns’s Woods: the Civilian Conservation Corps in

Pennsylvania. University Park, PA: Penn State Press. $42.00

State and country quickfacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved Nov. 07, 2009 from

Tech Trends. (2000, March). [Review of the Website ] TechTrends, March, 2000, Volume 44, Iss. 2.

Thomas, D. (2008, May 1). [Review of the DVD The Grange Fair: An American heritageProduced by J. Myers]. School Library Journal, May 2008, Vol. 54, Iss. 5

Travis, P. (2007, June). [Review of the book At work in Penn’s Woods: the Civilian

Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania by J. Speakman]. Choice, June 2007,

Vol. 44, Iss. 10, 1817.

Wies, L. (2009, January 12). [Review of the periodical Pennsylvania History: A journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies published by the Pennsylvania Historical Association]. Magazines for Libraries, January 2009.

APPENDIX

Table 1

Evaluation of Selection Aids

| |Category |Contents |Title Searched |Why Helpful |

|Selection Aid | | | | |

|AccessPA |Bibliographic Database |Searchable database of specific|Making and Remaking |Provides bibliographic, |

| | |or all PA catalog bibliographic|Pennsylvania’s |imprint, and summary |

| | |records. |Civil War |information of title. |

| | | | |() |

| | | |Tracks across the sky: An | |

| | | |engineering marvel collides | |

| | | |with  nature's most powerful | |

| | | |forces. | |

| | | |[DVD] | |

|ALA |Best books, recommended lists,|Website of the American Library|ALA Recommended Great Websites |Established by the ALSC |

| |and core collections |Association. |for Kids |Children and Technology |

| | | |[Web resource] |Committee, “children’s |

| | | | |librarians evaluate books,|

| | | | |magazines, tapes, and |

| | | | |software for children to |

| | | | |find the best of all.” |

| | | | |() |

|Amazon |Retail source for new,|Bibliographic information, |Edward W. Redfield: Just Values |In addition to subject |

| |used, O/P |summary, available formats, price,|and Fine Seeing |search and bibliographic |

| | |customer reviews, similar items | |information, Amazon records|

| | |(Project2 Assignment). |Governments of Pennsylvania |are well known source of |

| | | |Magazine |review and recommendations.|

| | | | |() |

| | | |High Noon for Natural Gas: The New| |

| | | |Energy Crisis | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Natural Gas and Geopolitics: From | |

| | | |1970 to 2040 | |

| | | | | |

| | | |The Face of Decline: The | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in | |

| | | |the Twentieth Century | |

| | | | | |

| | | |The Golden Age of American | |

| | | |Impressionism | |

|Amazon Review by Kathleen |Retail source for new, |Bibliographic information, | |In addition to subject |

|M. Brown of University of |used, O/P |summary, available formats, |Sex among the Rabble |search and bibliographic |

|Pennsylvania | |price, customer reviews, | |information, Amazon |

| | |similar items (Project2 | |records are well known |

| | |Assignment). | |source of review and |

| | | | |recommendations. |

|Amazon Review by Suzanne |Retail source for new, |Bibliographic information, | |In addition to subject |

|D. Lebsock of Rutgers |used, O/P |summary, available formats, |Sex among the Rabble |search and bibliographic |

|University | |price, customer reviews, | |information, Amazon |

| | |similar items (Project2 | |records are well known |

| | |Assignment). | |source of review and |

| | | | |recommendations. |

|American Historical |Current review sources |Magazine Review |The Face of Decline: The |“Official publication |

|Review | | |Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in|of the American |

| | | |the Twentieth Century |Historical Association |

| | | | |(AHA).” |

| | | | |() |

|American Libraries |Current review sources |Magazine Review |Internet Public Library |Flagship Magazine of |

|Review | | | |the ALA and the chief |

| | | | |perk of membership; |

| | | | |“American Libraries |

| | | | |offers a discussion of |

| | | | |professional news and |

| | | | |issues.” |

| | | | |() |

|Baker and Taylor |Library vendor source for |“Distributor of physical and |Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania |Library book vendor; also|

| |new books. |digital content and value-added |Tuskegee Airmen |provide bibliographic |

| | |services” to libraries. |[DVD] |information for a wide |

| | | | |variety of formats |

| | | |The Grange Fair: an American |including video’s and |

| | | |Heritage |audiotapes. |

| | | |[DVD] |(baker-) |

|Books in Print |Current sources for in-print|Searchable bibliographic database | |Bowkers is indispensable |

|Online |books |of in-print book information. |Taming Democracy |for its ease in searching|

| | | | |for materials and the |

| | | |Steel and Steelworkers: Rise and |bibliographic information|

| | | |Class Struggle in Twentieth |provided, and in some |

| | | |Century Pittsburgh |instances reviews are |

| | | | |available. It is an |

| | | |Sex among the Rabble |amazingly comprehensive |

| | | | |“at-a-glance” resource. |

| | | |Friends and Enemies in Penn’s | |

| | | |Woods | |

| | | | | |

| | | |A Country Shopkeeper in | |

| | | |Pennsylvania | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Stories from the Mines | |

| | | |[VHS] | |

| | | | | |

| | | |The Grange Fair: an American | |

| | | |Heritage | |

| | | |[DVD] | |

| | | | | |

| | | |The Golden Age of American | |

| | | |Impressionism | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Digging in the City of Brotherly | |

| | | |Love: Stories from Philadelphia | |

| | | |Archaeology | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Genealogist's Guide to | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Records | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Gettysburg - Memory, Market and an| |

| | | |American Shrine | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Natural Gas and Geopolitics: From | |

| | | |1970 to 2040 | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Serving history in a changing | |

| | | |world:  the Historical Society of | |

| | | |Pennsylvania in the Twentieth | |

| | | |Century | |

|Choice |Current review sources | | |Choice is appropriate for|

| | |Choice reviews books “of primary |Steel and Steelworkers: Rise and |selecting materials for a|

| | |interest to academic libraries” |Class Struggle in Twentieth |specialized collection. |

| | |(Evans, 2005, p. 88) |Century Pittsburgh |Each Choice review ends |

| | | | |with a “summing up” |

| | | |Making and Remaking Pennsylvania’s|recommendation that gives|

| | | |Civil War |quick insight, e.g., “All|

| | | | |levels/libraries”. |

| | | |Friends and Enemies in Penn’s | |

| | | |Woods | |

| | | | | |

| | | |At Work in Penn’s Woods | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Architecture and Artifacts of the | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Germans | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Edward W. Redfield: Just Values | |

| | | |and Fine Seeing | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Gettysburg - Memory, Market and an| |

| | | |American Shrine | |

| | | | | |

| | | |High Noon for Natural Gas: The New| |

| | | |Energy Crisis | |

| | | | | |

|Computers In Libraries|Current review sources |Magazine Review | |“Computers in Libraries is a|

| | | | |monthly magazine that |

| | | | |provides complete coverage |

| | | | |of the news and issues in |

| | | | |the rapidly evolving field |

| | | | |of library information |

| | | | |technology.” |

| | | | |() |

|Federal Resources for |Best books, recommended |Organized by category and | |Government website for |

|Educational Excellence |lists, and core collections |subject access, this is a |Valley of the Shadow |“teaching and learning |

| | |directory structured list |[Web resource] |resources from Federal |

| | |of websites and other | |Agencies”. |

| | |resources for learning. | |(Free.) |

| |Best books, recommended |Publisher of genealogy |Family Tree Maker | publishes “over |

| |lists, and core collections |books and CDs. |Pennsylvania 1700s-1800s |2,000 genealogy books and |

| | | | |compact discs featuring |

| | | |Pennsylvania Biographies |colonial genealogy, Irish |

| | | |and Genealogies, |genealogy, immigration, royal |

| | | |1600s-1800s |ancestry, family history, and |

| | | |[CD-ROM] |genealogy methods and |

| | | | |sources”. |

|Google Books |Bibliographic Databases |Search the full contents of|Pennsylvania Railroad:  |Google Books provides an |

| | |books from two Google |its origin, construction,|avenue for public domain |

| | |sources: “Partner Program |condition and connections|material on Pennsylvania |

| | |and the Library Project”. | |freely accessible to patrons |

| | |Books. | |via the Internet. |

| |Best books, recommended |Website of the Historical |All aboard for |The society […] “has |

| |lists, and core collections |Society of Pennsylvania. |Philadelphia (VHS 1995) |preeminent printed collections|

| | | | |on Pennsylvania and regional |

| | | |Architecture and |history, and offers superb |

| | | |Artifacts of the |manuscript collections |

| | | |Pennsylvania Germans |renowned for their strength in|

| | | | |17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century|

| | | |Pennsylvania Legacies: |history.” |

| | | |the Newsmagazine of the | |

| | | |Historical Society of PA | |

|Internet Public Library |Best books, recommended |Organized by category and |Ellis Island Records |“The Internet Public Library |

| |lists, and core collections |subject access, this is a |[Web resource] |is a public library for the |

| | |library for the Internet. | |world wide web.
Students from |

| | | |Pennsylvania State |a consortium of colleges and |

| | | |Archives [Web resource] |universities with programs in |

| | | | |information science develop |

| | | |Pennsylvania History |and maintain the IPL.” |

| | | |[Web resource] |) |

|Journal of Southern History|Current review sources | | |The SHA objectives are |

| | |Published quarterly and |Making and Remaking |“promotion of interest and |

| | |sponsored by Rice |Pennsylvania’s |research in southern history, |

| | |University, this journal is|Civil War |the collection and |

| | |a publication of the | |preservation of the South's |

| | |Southern Historical | |historical records, and the |

| | |Association. | |encouragement of state and |

| | | | |local historical societies in |

| | | | |the South”. Relevance to PA |

| | | | |History is primarily in Civil |

| | | | |War Era subject areas. |

| | | | |(jsh.rice.edu) |

|Librarian’s Internet Index |Best books, recommended |Organized by category and | |“Librarians' Internet Index |

| |lists, and core collections |subject access, this is a |Valley of the Shadow |(LII) is a publicly-funded |

| | |directory structured list |[Web resource] |website and weekly newsletter |

| | |of websites selected by | |serving California, the |

| | |librarians. |Pennsylvania State |nation, and the world.” |

| | | |Archives [Web resource] |() |

|Library Journal |Current review sources |“Find impartial library | |Library Journal recommends the|

| | |book reviews on new & |Stories from the Mines |videocassette “Stories from |

| | |prepublication books, |[VHS] |the Mines” for “public |

| | |best-sellers, fiction, | |libraries, especially in |

| | |non-fiction, literature, |The Grange Fair: an |Pennsylvania”. |

| | |reference & more from |American | |

| | |Library Journal.” |Heritage | |

| | | |[DVD] | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Internet Public Library | |

|Library Of Congress |Bibliographic databases |Search the authority | |Authority records enable |

| | |records of the Library of |Taming Democracy |librarians to provide uniform |

| | |Congress Catalog. | |access to materials in library|

| | | |Sex among the Rabble |catalogs and to provide clear |

| | | | |identification of authors and |

| | | |Digging in the City of |subject headings. |

| | | |Brotherly Love: Stories |() |

| | | |from Philadelphia | |

| | | |Archaeology | |

| | | | | |

|Library Video Company |Library vendor source for |“Instructional media |Tracks across the sky: An|“Library Video Company is the |

| |new books. |distributor of educational |engineering marvel |leading distributor of |

| | |videos, CD-ROMs, DVDs, |collides with  nature's |educational video, DVD and |

| | |audiobooks”. |most powerful forces[DVD]|audiobook to schools and |

| | | | |public libraries nationwide. |

| | | | |The company stocks thousands |

| | | | |of titles covering a diverse |

| | | | |range of topics for all ages |

| | | | |and grade levels”. |

| | | | |() |

|Magazine’s for Libraries |Current review sources |“Reviewing the best |Pennsylvania History: a | [Magazines for Libraries |

| | |publications for all |Journal of Mid-Atlantic |Reviews] “timely, critical |

| | |serials collections - the |Studies |evaluation of journals, |

| | |general reader and school, | |magazines, and databases will |

| | |junior college, college, | |allow you to create and |

| | |university and public | |maintain quality collections |

| | |libraries…” | |of all sizes”. |

|Oral History |Current review sources |Magazine Review |The Face of Decline: The |“In The Oral History Review, |

|Review | | |Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in |the official publication of the|

| | | |the Twentieth Century |Oral History Association since |

| | | | |1973, publishes articles, book |

| | | | |and film reviews, and |

| | | | |bibliographies deal with the |

| | | | |verification of human |

| | | | |experience and research |

| | | | |findings in oral history”. |

| | | | |(Ohr.) |

|Oxford University Press |Catalogues, flyers and |Titles published by |Taming Democracy |“The World’s Largest University|

| |announcements |Oxford University | |Press: Excellence, Tradition, |

| | |press. | |Innovation”. |

|Pennsylvania Heritage |Best books, recommended| | | “Every issue brings |

|Society; |lists, and core |Pennsylvania |Pennsylvania |informative and insightful |

| |collections |Heritage Magazine is|Heritage |perspectives authored by |

| | |“co-published by the|Magazine |talented historians, curators, |

| | |Pennsylvania | |and archivists…” |

| | |Heritage Society and| | |

| | |the Pennsylvania | | |

| | |Historical and | | |

| | |Museum Commission”. | | |

|Pennsylvania Magazine |Current review sources |Magazine featuring | |Statewide magazine “bringing |

| | |regular reviews of |A Country Shopkeeper in Pennsylvania|the best of Pennsylvania’s |

| | |titles of interest | |people and places, events and |

| | |to Pennsylvania | |history and lots more to |

| | |readers. | |readers since 1981”. |

| | | | |(pa-) |

|Pennsylvania Portal |Best books, recommended|Pennsylvania State | |Contains links to “research |

| |lists, and core |website and website |Pennsylvania History |collections in a variety of |

| |collections |of the Pennsylvania |[Web resource] |formats: cataloged objects and |

| | |Historical and | |documents, digital images of |

| | |Museum Commission. |Pennsylvania Manual |same, databases of historic and|

| | | |[Web resource] |cultural resources, and written|

| | | | |histories”. |

| | | | |(Portal.state.pa.us) |

|Pennsylvania State Archives |Best books, recommended|Website maintained |Pennsylvania State Archives |Archives Records Information |

| |lists, and core |by the state of |[Web Resource] |Access System (ARIAS) is |

| |collections |Pennsylvania | |designed to facilitate citizen |

| | | | |access to archival records |

| | | | |created by all branches and |

| | | | |levels of Pennsylvania State |

| | | | |Government. |

| |Catalogues, flyers and | | |Penn State University Press is |

| |announcements |Titles published by |Making and Remaking Pennsylvania’s |an excellent resource for this |

| | |Penn State |Civil War |project, as “the Press |

| | |University press. | |recognizes its special |

| | | |Friends and Enemies in Penn’s Woods |responsibility to develop books|

| | | | |about Pennsylvania, both |

| | | |At Work in Penn’s Woods |scholarly and popular, that |

| | | | |enhance interest in the region |

| | | |A Country Shopkeeper in Pennsylvania|and spread awareness of the |

| | | | |state's history, culture, |

| | | | |environment” |

| | | | |(). |

|Publisher Announcements |Catalogues, flyers and |The Genealogical |Genealogist's Guide to Pennsylvania |Paperback containing “455 |

|Genealogical Society |announcements |Society of |Records |invaluable pages listing the |

| | |Pennsylvania Online | |books, microfilm, & misc. |

| | |Store: Hard to Find | |documents available for |

| | |and Out of Print | |genealogical research.” |

| | |Books | |() |

|Reference and Research Book |Current review sources |Magazine Review |Steel and Steelworkers: Rise and |“Focuses on reference and |

|News | | |Class Struggle in Twentieth Century |scholarly works in the social |

| | | |Pittsburgh |sciences and the humanities”. |

| | | | |() |

|School Library Journal |Current review sources |Magazine Review |The Grange Fair: an American |“Monthly publication with |

| | | |Heritage |articles and reviews for school|

| | | |[DVD] |and public librarians who work |

| | | | |with young people.” |

| | | | | |

|Science News |Current review sources |Magazine Review |High Noon for Natural Gas: The New |Magazine for the Society |

| | | |Energy Crisis |for Science and the |

| | | | |Public. |

|Tech Trends |Current review sources |Magazine Review | |Tech Trends is a |

| | | | |publication of the |

| | | | |Association for |

| | | | |Educational |

| | | | |Communications & |

| | | | |Technology. |

|The Energy Journal |Current review sources |Magazine Review |Natural Gas and Geopolitics: From 1970|Quarterly Journal of the |

| | | |to 2040 |International Association|

| | | | |for Energy Economics. One|

| | | | |of the cases described in|

| | | | |this book focuses on |

| | | | |North America. Based on |

| | | | |this review, the focus of|

| | | | |this book is too broadly |

| | | | |on gas markets, rather |

| | | | |than PA history. |

|Ulrich’s Periodical |Current sources for in-print | | |Ulrich’s Periodicals |

|Directory |serials. |Bibliographic database |Pennsylvania |Directory is “an |

| | |of in-print serial |Heritage |authoritative source |

| | |titles. |Magazine |of bibliographic and |

| | | | |publisher |

| | | |Governments of Pennsylvania Magazine |information”. |

| | | | | |

| | | |Pennsylvania History: a Journal of | |

| | | |Mid-Atlantic Studies | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Legacies: the | |

| | | |Newsmagazine of the Historical Society| |

| | | |of PA | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Facts | |

|Virtual Reality Website|Catalogues, flyers and |Elementary School |Virtual Reality Tours of the |Pictoral tour of |

|Announcement |announcements |Student Web Site |Historical Scientific and Cultural |Philadelphia city |

| | | |Sites of Philadelphia |sites. |

| | | | | |

| | | |[Web resource] | |

|WorldCat |Bibliographic databases |Expert search to the LC | |WorldCat provided an |

| | |classification system. |Taming Democracy |excellent starting |

| | | | |point for an overview |

| | | |Sex among the Rabble |of materials on |

| | | | |Pennsylvania. |

| | | |engineering marvel collides |Restricting an expert |

| | | |with  nature's most powerful forces. |search to the LC |

| | | |[DVD] |classification United |

| | | | |States Local History |

| | | |All aboard for Philadelphia (VHS 1995)|Pennsylvania, |

| | | | |f146-160, brings up |

| | | |Digging in the City of Brotherly Love:|materials subject |

| | | |Stories from Philadelphia Archaeology |specific to |

| | | | |Pennsylvania, which |

| | | |Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania |can then be limited by|

| | | |Tuskegee Airmen |format. |

| | | |[DVD] | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Genealogist's Guide to Pennsylvania | |

| | | |Records | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Biographies and | |

| | | |Genealogies, 1600s-1800s | |

| | | |[CD-ROM] | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Pennsylvania Facts | |

| | | | | |

| | | |Serving history in a changing world:  | |

| | | |the Historical Society of Pennsylvania| |

| | | |in the Twentieth Century | |

Table 2

Selection Criteria

Title |Library Objective Supported |Completeness

And Scope of

Treatment |Author, Publisher,

Reviewer

Reputation |

Geographic

Coverage |

Unique

Content |

Reader/User Level |Cost

Related to Quality |

Collection

Gaps | |

Taming Democracy |

YES |

YES |

PW, Choice

reviews |

Pennsylvania |Post-Revolutionary politics & society; Winner Philip Klein Book Prize |

Instructional

Support

Level |

21.95 |

YES

| |Architecture and Artifacts of the Pennsylvania Germans |

YES |

YES |

Penn State Press Pub; Choice review |

Pennsylvania |

Pennsylvania

German culture |

Instructional

Support

Level |

45.00 |

YES | |

Steel and Steelworkers |

YES |

YES |Choice, Reference & Research Book News |

Pittsburgh |

Economics,

Labor, civil rights studies |Instructional

Support

Level |

75.50 |

YES | |

Sex among the Rabble |

YES |

YES |

Choice review |

Philadelphia |Revolutionary era gender/sexuality issues |Instructional

Support

Level |

22.50 |

YES | |

Making and Remaking Pennsylvania’s

Civil War |

YES |

YES |Author reputation; Penn State Press Pub; Choice & Civil War History reviews |

Pennsylvania |

The Civil War and Pennsylvania;

Winner Philip Klein Book Prize |

General and Academic

libraries |

46.00 |

YES | |

Friends and Enemies in Penn’s Woods |

YES |

YES |Author reputation; Penn State Press Pub; Choice review |

Pennsylvania |Colonial era race relations between colonists and Native Americans |

General and

Academic

libraries |

76.00 |

YES | |

At Work in Penn’s Woods |

YES |

YES |Author reputation; Penn State Press Pub; Choice review |

Pennsylvania |The first comprehensive study of the Civilian Conservation Corps in PA |

General and

Academic libraries |

42.00 |

YES | |Memory, Market and an American Shrine |

YES |

YES |Author reputation; Choice & LJ reviews |

Gettysburg |The marketing of Gettysburg National Military Park |

General libraries |

44.00 |

YES | |

A Country Shopkeeper in Pennsylvania |

YES |

YES |Author reputation; Penn State Press Pub;

Pennsylvania Magazine review |

South-central Pennsylvania |Early 19th century economics and society in south-central

Pennsylvania |

General |

55.00 |

YES | |

Pennsylvania Facts

(serial) |

YES |

YES |

No review found |

Pennsylvania |County-by-county coverage |

Financial

|

79.00 |

YES | |

Pennsylvania

Heritage

Magazine |

YES |

YES |Co-published by PA Heritage Society & PA Historical & Museum Commission |

Pennsylvania |

Pennsylvania history and culture |

Specialist and General

Reader |

20.00 |

YES | |Pennsylvania History: a Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies |

YES |

YES |Pennsylvania Historical Assoc. Publication; Magazines for Libraries review |Pennsylvania & the Mid-Atlantic region |Intellectual, economic, political and cultural history |Specialist and General

Reader |

30.00 |

YES | |Pennsylvania Legacies: the Newsmagazine of the Historical Society of PA |

YES |

YES |

Historical Society of Pennsylvania publication |

Pennsylvania |Illustrated PA history magazine on a variety of topics |

General Reader |

15.00 |

YES | |

Stories from the Mines

[VHS] |

YES |

YES |

Library Journal review |

Pennsylvania |Early 20th century coal mining in northeastern PA |

All audiences |

25.00 |

YES | |The Grange Fair: an American

Heritage

[DVD] |

YES |

YES |Library Journal and School Library Journal

reviews |

Centre Hall, Pennsylvania |The only remaining tent county fair in the US |

All audiences |

24.95 |

YES | |

Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania Tuskegee Airmen

[DVD] |

YES |

YES |Emmy award winning producer; created with funding by University of Pittsburgh |

Western Pennsylvania |African-American airmen who served with distinction in WWII |

All

Audiences |

17.95 |

YES | |Pennsylvania Biographies and Genealogies, 1600s-1800s

[CD-ROM] |

YES |

YES |

No review found |

Southeastern & Southwestern Pennsylvania |Family history and biography colonial/early Federal periods |

Specialized

(genealogists primarily) |

19.95 |

YES | |

Valley of the Shadow

[Web resource] |

YES |

YES |Prestigious author; numerous recommendations including FREE & LII |

Franklin County, PA &

Augusta County, VA |Award-winning digital archive; Civil War era human interest stories |

All audiences |

FREE |

YES | |

Pennsylvania History

[Web resource] |

YES |

YES |Presented by the PA Historical & Museum Commission; recommended by IPL & LII |

Pennsylvania |Online community dedicated to preserving/

proclaiming Pennsylvania history |

All audiences |

FREE |

YES | |

Pennsylvania Archives |

YES |

YES |Published by Archives Information Access System

(ARIAS) |

Pennsylvania |

PA government records |

All audiences |

383.80 |

YES | |

Pennsylvania Manual

[Web resource] |

YES |

YES |Published by the PA Dept. of General Services in a 200 year old tradition |

Pennsylvania |

Comprehensive guide to PA

government |

All

Audiences |

FREE |

YES | |M

Governments of Pennsylvania |h

NO |

YES |

Municipal Analysis Service |

Pennsylvania |Financial Evaluation of PA government |

Professional |

150.00 |

NO | |

Tracks Across the Sky |

YES |

YES |

Library Video Company

|

Kinzua Viaduct |

Unique

|

General |

19.95 |

NO | |

Not selected = not selected

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