Reference Source Analysis – 300's

1. Carol Weiland LIBR 150 Endangered Species Reference Source Analysis – 300's

2. Call Number (at Greenwood Library) R GWD J333.9542 B4438E 2004

3. Benson, Sonia, and Rob Nagel. Endangered Species. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 2004. Bibliographic Citation

4. Arrangement • 3 volumes • Vol. 1 - Mammals • Vol. 2 - Arachnids, Birds, Crustaceans, Insects, and Mollusks • Vol. 3 – Amphibians, Fish, Plants, and Reptiles

5. Arrangement (cont.) • Each volume features these introductory sections: Reader's Guide Endangerment and Its Causes Endangered Species Fact Boxes and Classification International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Endangered Species Act Changes in Status from First Edition Words to Know Followed by Entries for species, arranged alphabetically under classes covered in each volume

6. A cumulative index covering all 3 volumes is included in each volume. Italic type indicates volume number, boldface type indicates main entries and their page numbers, and “ill.” indicates illustration. Index

7. Scope and Currency • 240 species of plants and animals chosen to show broad range of species facing endangerment • Neither definitive nor exhaustive because of ever-changing status of species, and because scientists have only named and described 1.5 million species out of an estimated 10 to 100 million! • State of endangered species changes almost daily, but 40 new species were added to the work since 1st edition

8. Purposes and Format The book is intended for student use, about fifth grade and up, but it would also be very useful for teachers and general readers seeking information on a specific endangered plant or animal or on efforts to monitor and save endangered species. The original book format is a well-made set of 3 hard-cover volumes. The entire contents are also accessible online through the Gale Virtual Reference Library (under subject heading Environment), which is a database carried by KCLS. Books in Print shows that it's also available as an E-book..

9. Special Features • Each entry gives: • Specie's common and scientific name • Fact box with classification information, current status in the wild, country or countries where found • Locator map showing range of species • Most have quality color photograph • Information on Description and Biology, Habitat and Current Distribution, and History and Conservation Measures In addition, “Where to Learn More” section before Index provides an annotated book list, as well as relevant periodicals, websites, and organizations.

10. "An impressive set. Accessible to students in grades five and up and is recommended for school and public libraries."-- RBB/Booklist (04/15/99) "...This is a wonderful research tool for life science classes." -- Public Schools of North Carolina "Often we limit our thinking of endangered species to only animals, but this set includes endangered and threatened mammals, arachnids, birds, crustaceans, insects, mollusks, amphibians, fish, reptiles and plants. Gives a good overview of the species, and is an excellent starting place. Recommended."-- Book Report (October 1999) "This will be a useful set for both school and public libraries. A very affordable alternative to The Endangered Wildlife of the World (Marchall Cavendish, 1993) or the Grolier Student Encyclopedia of Endangered Species (Grolier, 1994).-- School Library Journal (August 1999) NOTE: I could not find any reviews of the 2nd ed. specifically or info about either author. Reviews and Credentials

11. Personal Impression • I found this to be an excellent reference source. It may be designed for 5th grade and up, but the information would be useful to any reader except perhaps a professional biologist. The book is well-organized, easy to use, and full of information presented clearly and colorfully. My only criticism has to do with the locator maps—the background color and shading color showing range of the species are too similar, making the range hard to discern in some cases.

12. Reference Uses • As described above, useful for students doing reports on or interested in endangered species • Only librarian on duty at Greenwood Library had not used the book yet • Teachers and general readers can find more detailed information on specific endangered species or good general information on programs and organizations that work to save them • Kinds of questions this source can answer: • What is the status of the Giant Panda? • Where is the Black Rhinoceros found and what does it eat? • How many grizzly bears were in North America 200 years ago?

13. Complementary Sources Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World ,13 volumes – Marshall Cavendish, 2001 Grolier World Encyclopedia of Endangered Species, 10 volumes – Grolier, 1993 Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America, 6 volumes – Gale, 2000 Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. 17 volumes – Gale, 2004 NOTE: Beacham's and Grzimek's are also available in an online version in Gale Virtual Reference Library database, available at KCLS.

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