Designed to deliver high quality, critical reviews of the latest reference materials for libraries on limited budgets, this invaluable book will help collection development librarians in smaller libraries identify the most highly recommended resources from 2011-2012.

An indispensable tool for libraries constrained by limited budgets, Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Libraries and Media Centers: 2012 Edition, Volume 32 will continue, as previous editions have, to unerringly guide librarians in choosing the best new materials for their collections.

An alternative to the more expansive 2012 American Reference Books Annual, from which it draws its high-quality reviews, this volume is specifically designed for reference librarians working in collection development at smaller college libraries, K-12 school libraries, or public libraries. The always-dependable reviews are written by librarians with subject expertise, and both positive and negative comments are retained to enable users to select products that fit their specific needs. Content is divided into four main categories: general reference works, social sciences, humanities, and science and technology. Reviews are broken down into reference type, alphabetically arranged within subject headings.

Reviews labeled C (college), S (school libraries), or P (public libraries), indicating which library will most benefit from its purchase

Reviews by 150 subject specialists, each of whom is a librarian trained in review writing and collection development

An author/title index and a subject index