This new four-volume set builds on the work of the massive first edition, which began publication in 1968, reached Z with Volume 35 in 1983, and appeared as an annual supplement through Volume 72 in 2002. Edited by Drake (Georgia Inst. of Technology and a past president of the Special Libraries Association [SLA]) and guided by an editorial advisory board that reads like a who's who in library and information science (LIS), the new ELIS2 brings the well-known resource into the electronic age with outstanding essays by leading experts in digital library services. The set includes about 350 articles (and over 10,000 references) covering digital library projects, the preservation of electronic records, online instruction, JSTOR, access vs. ownership, ethical issues in information systems, and much more. Contributors are experts in their fields: Jose-Marie Griffiths on the role of chief information officers (CIOs) in universities; Paul Callister on digital content licensing; Keith Morgan on library portals; Christinger Tomer on digital initiatives in public libraries; Kevin Butterfield on the OPAC; and Jerry Campbell on the Scholar's Portal. Broad, authoritative essays (often over seven pages) about emerging electronic services are sorely needed, and these will be invaluable to LIS students. So, too, will be the extensive references and suggestions for further reading. ELIS2 covers more that just the digital library, however. Topics also include such bread-and-butter LIS subjects as collection development in public libraries (Cynthia Orr), humanities and its literature (John Immroth), and public library service to children (Marilyn Miller). Global content is strong, with over 15 articles profiling national libraries and additional essays on non-U.S. library associations and cooperatives. The one weakness is that some contributorsAespecially those writing about institutions and associationsAare too close to their topics and lack critical distance. For example, David Bender, a former executive director of SLA, provides an entry about SLA that reads more like a public relations piece than an even-handed assessment of that organization. ELIS2 is also published online (for a full review, see Database&Disc Reviews, LJ 10/1/03). The online subscription is free for one year with purchase of the print edition; it is not available by separate subscription. Plans are to update the online version quarterly, and the list of forthcoming articles shows the same strong mix of international and technological coverage. Indispensable for all LIS collections, strongly recommended for social science and information science reference collections.ABrian Kenney, "Library Journal" Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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