GEOSCIENCE ENCYCLOPEDIAS: A SELECTED LIST AND GUIDE FOR THEIR FURTHER IDENTIFICATION

Encyclopedias constitute a major genre of reference material available in most libraries. Even so, they are often underused, especially for instructional purposes. Although the Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series edited by Rhodes Fairbridge is well known, many geoscientists are unaware of the number and range of specialty encyclopedias in their field and the potential they offer for instructional activities.

In part, this is explained by the lack of a comprehensive list of subject encyclopedias or a quick way of isolating them using library or commercial catalogs. Several methods, alone or in combination, can be used to identify many subject encyclopedias available in North American libraries. These methods were used to generate a list of approximately 250 encyclopedias with significant geoscience content published since 1980.

Once titles have been selected, they can be effectively used by instructors for classroom preparation and by students to clarify and extend textbook explanations, select project topics, and complete assignments. An abridged bibliography of geoscience related encyclopedias and an explanation of the list's construction are presented.