World Guide to Special Libraries

The enormous wealth of knowledge stored in specialized libraries can be deduced from the broad range of special fields ranging from 'Abrasives' to 'Zoology'. The completely revised and updated 6th edition of the well-established "World Guide to Special Libraries" guides the user to locations scattered all over the world. To ensure you find the precise resources and facilities you need, we have classified over 35,450 libraries worldwide using 803 keywords. This classification is supplemented by 405 cross-references. Depending on their thematic focus, individual libraries may even be entered under various key words. The Schweizerische Institut fur Volkskunde, Basle, for example, is listed under 'Folklore' as well as under '...Switzerland'. Including multiple entries, the "World Guide to Special Libraries" boasts a total of 47,513 records. Entries are arranged alphabetically by country and name and typically consist of the following details: name of the library (along with English translation, if available), its address, phone- and fax-numbers, E-mail and Internet-address, year of foundation, director's name, holdings data, membership in library associations and national and/or international library lending schemes, special collections. A list of national libraries encompassing the entire national literature of the respective countries can be found at the beginning of Volume I. The "Guide "lists libraries of departments, institutes, hospitals, schools, companies, administrative bodies, foundations, associations and religious communities. In addition to departmental libraries, the keyword 'Political Science', for example, lists libraries of state and federal parliaments as well asministries, administrative divisions, political foundations, educational academies, political associations, research centres and federal centres of political education. Keywords provided by the "World Guide to Special Libraries" are far more detailed than merely subjects such as 'History', 'Law' or 'Medicine'. In addition to a general chapter on 'Engineering', for example, there is a broad range of technical areas broken down into highly specialized items such as 'Agricultural Engineering' and 'Traffic Engineering'. The "Guide" contains special libraries from all over the world. The keyword 'Veterinary Medicine' alone counts holdings from 71 countries on all five continents. The keyword 'American Civil War', however, names only a few libraries within the USA. The Index lists all institutions within a single alphabet, references to the information source are provided, too. Here you will find that the Atlanta-based Coca Cola Company not only contributes literature on 'Food, Food Sciences, Nutrition' but also boasts a Law Library. Less surprising, however, may be the fact that the University of the South Pacific operates a library specializing in marine biology on Kiribati. "World Guide to Special Libraries" is a highly useful reference work for librarians, documentalists, archivists and academics seeking easy-to-handle information on specialized libraries.