Core LIS text is also a mainstay of reference desk, consumer health and health library collections
New York, NY (January 22, 2008)—Almost 30 years ago, frustrated that there was no textbook on the market he could use to teach his courses in health sciences librarianship at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Fred W. Roper decided to create his own. He teamed up with JoAnne Boorkman at the UNC Health Sciences Library and together they published the first edition of what has become the most widely adopted text in the field.

Now in its 5th edition, Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences will be released by Neal-Schuman Publishers and the Medical Library Association on March 14, 2008. It has become a must-have not only for medical, hospital, and health sciences libraries, but also for academic and public library reference desks and collection development departments. A useful guide for anyone doing health research, it covers research and health reference fundamentals and identifies the best and most authoritative print and online sources in the health sciences.

From the publication of the first edition in 1980 to the fourth in 2004, Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences has been praised by reviewers for its readability and comprehensive approach. Said Medical Reference Services Quarterly, “Few works serve as a solid framework for the field of health sciences librarianship or provide as many insights and detailed knowledge,” and Booklist called it “an excellent, comprehensive introduction to health-sciences reference sources and their use.” Doody’s Book Review Service said it was “essential for all health sciences libraries as well as academic and public libraries striving to maintain useful medical and consumer health reference collections,” and “both students and experienced reference librarians will find pearls in this excellent and timely work.”

The organization of Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences has remained consistent across editions, though chapter authors change, making for the dynamic mix of expertise and continuous process of reappraisal that has so distinguished this guide. Says Roper, who has retired as the book’s lead editor but has penned this edition’s Foreword, “The heart and soul of each of the editions to date . . . [are] the chapter contributors. We attempted to identify those individuals in the profession who had great expertise in the topics that needed to be covered. The list of contributors reads like a veritable who’s who of the profession and of the Medical Library Association.”

The first of the book’s three sections covers reference fundamentals—from the nature of reference work to the principles of collection development, organization, rotation, and management. The book’s second section, “Bibliographic Sources,” identifies core bibliographic resources for researching monographs, periodicals, and electronic databases (including indexing and abstracting resources); U.S. government documents and technical reports; and conference papers, literature reviews, and translations. In the third and final section, “Information Sources,” chapters identify the most essential medical dictionaries, handbooks and manuals; directories and other biographical sources; and a wide range of print and online sources for drug information (including drug interaction and alternative therapy information), consumer health information, and evidence-based medical research. Also included are authoritative sources for medical and health statistics, historical information, and grant details for healthcare professionals seeking funding.

Say editors Jeffrey Huber, Jo Anne Boorkman, and Jean Blackwell in the book’s Preface, “We hope this edition will help guide readers in navigating the maze of print and electronic health sciences resources and in the challenges of building and maintaining a current reference collection.”

Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences, 5th Edition
ISBN 978-1-55570-634-6. 2008. 6 x 9. 392 pp. $85.00

About the Editors
Jeffrey T. Huber (PhD) is Professor and coordinator of the Houston Master’s program and health sciences curriculum for the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University. He is also Associate Director for Research at the Houston Academy of Medicine–Texas Medical Center Library and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of the Medical Library Association.

Jo Anne Boorkman (MS) is Head of the Carlson Health Sciences Library, UC Davis, where she also serves as coordinator for health sciences collections. She is an MLA Fellow, and a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals. A Fellow of the Special Libraries Association, she is their representative to the Health and Biosciences Section of the International Federation of Library Association.

Jean C. Blackwell (MLS) is a Reference Librarian at the Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a member of the MLA and the AHIP.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and the American Medical Library Association
Neal-Schuman Publishers is the leading provider of library management, Internet and information technology resources, and is the Medical Library Association’s co-publisher. Recent releases include The Medical Library Association Guide to Cancer Information and the much-anticipated forthcoming 3rd edition of Drug Information: A Guide to Current Resources. Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK.

For More Information
Contact Matt Wilson
(matt.wilson@neal-schuman.com)

100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com