Early Periodical Indexes

It isn't often in this highly technological environment that a new reference book sees the light of day and becomes an instant classic. Balay's Early Periodical Indexes is such a work. It is the most comprehensive guide available to the indexing of periodical literature from the 16th century until the end of the 19th century. The material itself is widely scattered and difficult to find, and until now there has been no systematic way to even identify it. This extraordinarily useful tool lists and describes titles in a wide range of disciplines. Balay has included indexes published prior to 1900 that are restricted to periodicals (such as Poole's), and those published later (such as Wellesley), as well as serial and topical bibliographies citing publications in all formats-and he explains the relationships among them. The scope is limited to European languages. Electronic databases, both Web-based and CD-ROMs, are included. Four indexes-author, title, topical subjects, and dates of coverage-provide access. This is a landmark resource, one that will become a familiar sight in every research library.

...Balay's book is a godsend for reference librarians. Undoubtedly, it is already a classic in the library world. For anyone interested in the history of periodical indexing, Balay has provided an indispensable reference source....annotations are extremely valuable and informative. That the author has thoroughly reviewed these documents is apparent....It has depth and demonstrates scholarship, a quality so often lacking in expansive but shallow Internet resources., This useful bibliography from the most recent editor of the Guide to Reference Books lists 400 titles that index periodicals published before 1900...It is highly recommended for reference collections..., Annotations fully describe scope, content, and organization; establish the relation to other resources; and are exacting in evaluations...Drawing on the author's extensive experience as a reference librarian who frequently dealt with the vexing question of how to identify the contents of periodicals before 1900, Early Periodical Indexes is an invaluable guide., ...helps to fill a serious need., Robert Balay's distinguished career in reference and bibliography provides admirable authority for this welcome contribution to bibliography.

Robert Balay(B.A. Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn.; M.A., University of Minnesota; M.S.L.S., Columbia University) has been Reference Editor at Choice magazine for the past fifteen years, but is now semi-retired. He edited the eleventh edition of the esteemed Guide to Reference Books, as well as the supplement to the tenth edition. He was Head of Reference, Yale University Libraries, from 1968 through 1985.