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RR 2011/351 ASLIB Directory of Information Sources in the United Kingdom (16th edition) Edited by Sheila Garrard Routledge London and New York, NY 2010 vii + 1498 pp. ISBN 978 1 85743 576 4 £425 $790
Keywords Directories, Information facilities, Libraries, United Kingdom
Review DOI 10.1108/09504121111184219
The ASLIB Directory of Information Services in the United Kingdom has long been regarded as an essential tool for general reference work in the UK. It was first published in 1928 followed by a second edition in 1957 and then appeared spasmodically until the 1990s when it became a biennial publication. It was originally published by ASLIB, an acronym for the Association of Special Libraries & Information Bureaux, but for several editions has been published by Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group.
ASLIB itself has had a chequered existence, rebranding itself as the Association for Information Management as a membership organization, then, following financial difficulties, becoming a private company offering training facilities and now as a brand name bought by Emerald Press, offering both membership benefits and training. However, it has no relationship with the directory as such now.
The directory gives very little information about itself: the editor is named as Sheila Garrard from European Directories and some proofreaders identified, but no other detail is given. Neither is there any clear statement of the purpose of the directory. A one-page Foreword simply states that it is useful for both learning and minority hobbies and covers both major collections in libraries and also organizations providing information on many topics - from charitable organizations to statutory bodies and government departments. The Foreword was written in November 2010 so is up-to-date, referring as it does to imminent cuts and mergers in many government sponsored bodies. As pointed out the directory can be used in various ways. It is suggested that browsing might be one of these as it "can be fun and an hour go by unnoticed". Although this reviewer finds this to be true of...