Almanacs and Factbooks

Square with three books inside.

Requests for simple facts are common at most reference desks.  Known as "ready reference questions," these requests are generally known for a single fact or a short answer.  Often, these questions will begin with "who," "what," "where," or "when."  Examples of this type of ready reference question include:  "Who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1952?"  "What is the highest point on the North American continent?"  If you have taken the time to become familiar with your ready reference sources, the answers can be found quickly by consulting one or two standard reference tools, such as almanacs, factbooks, encyclopedias, and directories.

Designed for browsing, almanacs are annual publications of facts compiled for the user who wants a brief amount of information on any one of a wide variety of topics.  Almanacs contain current and retrospective information about countries, personalities, and events, and are a good source of statistical information.  When you are evaluating almanacs, check for accuracy and currency of content, not just a recent date of publication.  Examine the index; does it appear complete and easy to use?  Are there cross-references?  For an almanac to be useful, you need to purchase a new one every year; keep old almanacs as a record of previous years' events.

The two best-known almanacs for general reference use are TIME Almanac  and World Almanac. 

TIME Almanac with Information Please.  Family Education Network, Inc.  Annual.
World Almanac and Book of Facts.  World Almanac Education Group, Inc.  Annual.
Both of these books are made up of current and retrospective information, arranged by topic.  The index to each is in the front, followed by sections on recent events; both contain color photographs of notable events during the past year.  Because each one contains material not found in the other, and because the prices (especially paperback) are low, you should consider purchase of both almanacs.  A children's version of each one is also available.

The TIME Almanac is available on the Web at: http://www.infoplease.com The World Almanac and Book of Facts may be found at: http://www.facts.com/online-almanac.htm. eLibrary (through LiLI) provides access to the World Almanac and Book of Facts, World Almanac of the U.S.A., and the World Almanac for Kids.  World Almanac and Book of Facts and World Almanac of the U.S.A. are available through EBSCO's MasterFILE Premier and MAS Ultra - School Edition.

Statistical Abstract of the United States.  U.S. Census Bureau.  Annual.
This compendium is the "standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.  It is designed to serve as a convenient volume for statistical reference and as a guide to other statistical publications and sources ....  [It] includes a selection of data from many statistical publications, both government and private."  (Preface, 2002 edition)  Most of the statistics furnished are at a national or state level.

The current edition is divided into 31 topical sections such as:

Appendices include references to the sources which provided this statistical information.

Every library staff member should learn to use Statistical Abstract; this is the single best source available for all kinds of U.S. statistics.  If possible, purchase it in print, as it is generally easier to use than the electronic formats.  It is also available on CD-ROM and on the Web for free at: www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

The World Factbook.  Central Intelligence Agency.  Annual.
This publication outlines the essential facts about each of the world's countries.  It gives a geographical, historical and political overview of each country in three or four pages, along with a color representation of the flag and outline map, with major cities indicated.  One of the appendices lists international organizations and their members.  The print edition includes a section of maps at the back; two large wall maps of the world, political and physical; plus a smaller map of the time zones.  This volume is available in print and on the Web at: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html.

A reminder:  it is especially important that you become familiar with your ready reference tools, as giving a quick answer requires that you have a general knowledge of what you will and will not find in each.

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