The winner of the 2020 Dartmouth Medal for most outstanding reference work, an annual award presented by the expert reference and collection development librarians of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of ALA, is the “Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History” published by Gale, a Cengage Company.
Truly international in focus, this encyclopedia merges world history and LGBTQ history into one resource. It provides broad world coverage, with entries covering every continent except Antarctica, with intentional focus on Asia and Africa, and contributors representing 35 countries. Entries also provide a balance across the gender spectrum, with special considerations to race and class. With 316 full-color photos and illustrations, plus a comprehensive index and thematic outlines and cross-references, this set is very aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. Its thematic outlines make it easy to assemble a list for in-depth research.
Honorable mentions go to:
‘Black Baseball, 1858-1900’ represents the culmination of scholar James E. Brunson, III‘s research. This valuable and unique resource revives the stories of the African American baseball players and officials of the late 19th c.
‘Disability Experiences: Memoirs, Autobiographies, and Other Personal Narratives’ gathers together an exceptionally useful collection of first-person glimpses into the lives of persons with disabilities from the 15th c. to the present.
‘Sir Banister Fletcher’s Global History of Architecture (21st ed.)’, presents an entirely rewritten version of the classic guide to architecture of the world filled with useful essays and valuable images.
The Dartmouth Medal, established in 1974, honors the creation of a reference source of outstanding quality and significance. The award is given to the best new reference source published in the previous year (more precisely, the previous December 1 to December 1, as the source needs to be available for a sufficient amount of time to be adequately reviewed). It is awarded to a new publication, not a new edition.
The Dartmouth committee, made up of reference subject experts from academic, public, and sometimes school and other libraries, receives nominations from librarians, editors, and publishers and spends countless hours reviewing copies throughout the latter half of the year.
The Dartmouth Medal selection committee includes: Sara Duff, University of Central Florida, chair; Donald Altschiller, Boston University; Brian E. Coutts, Western Kentucky University; Janice M. Derr, Eastern Illinois University; Barry Trott, Williamsburg (VA) Regional Library.
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more at www.rusaupdate.org.