READY REFERENCES

SOURCES
TOPIC 5: ALMANACS AND
YEARBOOKS
LEARNING OUTCOME

Students able to:

Identify types of almanacs and yearbooks
used to answer reference questions
Discuss criteria used in the evaluation of
almanacs & yearbooks

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 The essential annual for the 21st century, this
high-energy almanac is packed with facts, photos,
infographics, time lines, and maps--the perfect
stocking stuffer and book to browse all year long.

A guide to the world like no other, this vivid and

comprehensive book offers the best of National
Geographic and more: science, nature, history,
world cultures, geography, and the environment,
illustrated with amazing photography, fascinating
infographics, and maps created by expert
cartographers. Highlights this year include the
James Webb telescope, launching in 2021; a
brand-new wildflower guide; a guided tour of the
moons of our solar system; a beautiful infographic
on jellyfish; and a feature on lithium, central to the
work of recent Nobel prize-winning chemistry.

https://www.bookdepository.com/National-Geographic-Almanac-
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READY REFERENCE SOURCE: ALMANACS and
YEARBOOKS

Almanac and yearbooks frequently provide quick

answers and summaries for factual questions.
These materials consolidates, summarize and
synthesize information on various topics
Compendium of useful factual and statistical
information, retrospective as well as current one
covering local, state, national and international
affairs.
E.g.;
World Almanac and Book of Facts
Whitaker’s 2019
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 ALMANAC AND YEARBOOK

 These sources are works that are designed to be CONSULTED for

specific information and are helpful for wide range of uses. These
include;
 Finding statistics, dates. Addresses, formulas and other sort of
factual information
 Provide a broad overview and background information on a topic
 Provide a clear understanding of a topic
 Obtaining a summary of events and developments surrounding a
topic
 Discovering how to complete a task, solve a problem or answer a
question

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ALMANACS

An annual publication containing

chronologies of events, a calendar for the
coming year, details of events such as
anniversaries, records and predicts
astronomical events (e.g. the rising of the
sun), moon rise, tides, weather, and other
phenomena with respect to the time.

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 Purposes:

To illustrate characteristic of place

To provide information in a quick and
easily accessible form
To show organization of a specific time
period
To provide information about dates and
events related to specific group or activity
To provide useful facts
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 Characteristics:

1. Annual publication
2. Include a range of visual text: tables,
graphs, charts and diagram
3. Collection of useful facts of wide interest to
the general public
4. Provide information in a quick and easily
accessible form
5. Include records, lists and numerical
information

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 YEARBOOKS

An annual compendium of the data and statistics.

The purpose is to record the year’s activities by
country, subject, or specialized area.

A book published yearly as a report or summary of

statistics or facts : annual

A school publication that is compiled usually by a

graduating class and that serves as a record of the
year's activities
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 i.Most of the queries of users in a library can be easily
answered with the help of yearbooks.
 ii. They provide information about the current developments
and recent trends in a subject.
 iii. They are a convenient source of all kinds of statistical
information.
 iv. Sometimes yearbooks also cite the sources of information
which provide additional keys to further information.
 v. Some of the yearbooks also provide biographical
information.

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YEARBOOK

 The ALA Glossary of Library Terms defines an yearbook as “an

annual volume of current information in descriptive and/or statistical
form, sometimes limited to a special field”.
 William Katz defines an yearbook as “an annual compendium of data
and statistics of a given year”.
 Yearbooks, therefore, are regarded as excellent and convenient
sources of general background information on countries of the
world.
 Yearbook aims to cover activities which have taken place during a
period of one year. Sometimes, it is limited to a particular subject,
country, or region and records mostly current developments in
various field

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Types of Yearbooks

Yearbooks are of various types, but they can broadly be

categorized, according to their scope, as follows:
a) General Yearbooks
b) Subject Yearbooks
c) Organizational Yearbooks

They are further available at different levels, according to

various geographical areas of coverage:
i) National
ii) Regional
iii) International

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YEARBOOKS

E.g.:
The Europa World Yearbook 2019
Statesman’s Year-Book
Britannica Book of the Year
Yearbook of Technology and Education
Information Malaysia Yearbook
Buku Tahunan Malaysia
Yearbook of International Organizations
(https://uia.org/yearbook) (published in six
book volumes and online.)
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  Globally renowned for its accuracy,
consistency and reliability, source for
detailed country surveys containing the
latest analytical, statistical and directory
information for over 250 countries and
territories.
 Source of contemporary political and
socio-economic analysis for library
reference shelves, offering timely
information with a global reach.
 Also available online as an authoritative
and regularly-updated digital resource.
www.europaworld.com.

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 http:uia.org

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 EVALUATION CRITERIA

 Accuracy
 Indexing
 Documentation
 Comprehensive
 Uniqueness
 Format
 Currency
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Example of evaluation:
Citation: Bogart, D. (Ed.). (2006). The Bowker Annual Library and Book
Trade Almanac. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.
Authority: R.R. Bowker is a leading publisher of bibliographic information
Purpose: To provide facts, figures and reports relevant to the field of library
science.
Scope: Pertinent to the field of library science, includes research and
statistics, reference information, and a directory of information.  Annually
updated.
Format: Contents section contains italicized subheadings. Information
includes title, author (in italics), followed by the page number. Single column
per page.  Lots of text (no charts, graphs, illustrations).
Entries: Range from reports from the field; legislation, funding and grants;
library/information science education, placement, and salaries.
Overall Evaluation: Necessary for all libraries, whether public or academic,
not necessarily in circulation for the patrons, but rather as a reference tool for
the workers. The information found in this book is relevant to their field of
service.  As a part time librarian and current library graduate student, I found
this book very interesting, especially the section on job placement
percentages and average salaries.
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 ONLINE ALMANAC
 CNN.com Daily Almanac

http://www.cnn.com/almanac/daily/
 Farmer’s Almanac
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/
 The Old Farmer’s Almanac
http://www.almanac.com/
 The Time Almanac
http://www.infoplease.com/almanacs.html

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ONLINE ALMANAC…CONT’D

 Whitaker’s Almanack
 http://whitakersalmanack.com/
 World Almanac and Book of facts
 http:www.worldalmanacforkids.com

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 THANK YOU

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