This annual review source is designed to assist smaller libraries in the systematic selection of suitable reference materials for their collections. Approximately 500 unabridged reviews, written by over 250 practicing librarians and subject specialists, identify and describe the most useful and affordable reference sources available for small and medium-sized school, public, academic, and special libraries. As with previous volumes in this series, items have been selected from the 1998 edition of "American Reference Books Annual." The nature, scope, and usability of each work is covered by annotations. In many cases, the work is compared to similar titles, and published reviews from professional journals are frequently cited. In addition, all entries are coded to indicate whether the book is recommended for purchase by school media centers, public libraries, or smaller public libraries. Complete bibliographic and ordering information is included for all items. Four main parts include (1) "General Reference Works"; (2) "Social Sciences" (social sciences in general, area studies, economics and business, education, ethnic studies and anthropology, genealogy, geography and travel guides, history, law, library and information science and publishing and bookselling, military studies, political science, parapsychology, recreation and sports, sociology, statistics and urban studies, and women's studies); (3) "Humanities" (humanities in general, communication and mass media, decorative arts, fine arts, language and linguistics, literature, music, mythology and folklore, performing arts, and philosophy and religion); and (4) "Science and Technology," (science and technology in general, agricultural sciences, biological sciences, engineering, health sciences, high technology, physical sciences and mathematics, resource sciences and transportation). (Contains an author/title index and a subject index.) (DSE)