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Choice - American Library Association - Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, founded in 1964, is a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Choice's primary mission is to assist librarians who build collections at the undergraduate level by providing concise but critical reviews of current scholarly books and electronic resources.November 2009 Milestone Document of American Leaders: exploring the primary sources of notable Americans, ed. by Paul Finkelman with James A. Percoco. Schlager Group, 2009. 4v index afp ISBN 9780979775857, $395.00 Milestone Documents of American Leaders is a four-volume print collection and online database that will continue to expand. Offering transcribed primary documents and analysis covering the works of many prominent Americans, it follows Milestone Documents in American History, ed. by Paul Finkelman (CH, Dec,08, 46-1851). In both the print and online versions, the transcribed text of each document includes a concise overview of the life and career of the document's creator(s) written by experts on the chosen author or topic. Also included in the print edition is a time line indicating where these documents fit into the author's life/career, resources to help facilitate discussion about the author and documents, and additional primary and secondary resources on the author and topics covered. Included with the transcribed document is a glossary with additional background on the particular persons or concepts. After logging onto the database http://history.salempress.com/, users are greeted by a Spotlight on History, a brief entry on a topic germane to the current month; links to content within the database; and a search box. The online content employs a very concise user-friendly interface that allows easy access to the transcribed documents and analysis. Documents are presented with images of the author or objects related to the content and include JavaScript pop-up windows in lieu of the glossary boxes from the print version. The online content also includes a list of links to related items. Online content is free of charge for "approximately three years" with the purchase of the print version and is updated with new content periodically; e.g. the online version contains various speeches by President Barack Obama that are not part of the print version. One major issue with this collection is the omission of scans of the original documents and of the transcribers' credentials for users to view for themselves. The transcription of older handwritten documents, due to different handwriting styles and vernaculars, is quite challenging; the results may vary, depending on the transcriber. Assuming that the Milestone Documents selection was transcribed by experts on the author or topic, the analyses for each document, in both the print and online versions, are well written, and the online content is user-friendly. This collection will give users unprecedented and instant access to some valuable primary documents. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Three stars. Lower-level undergraduates and general readers. | ||||||
G. Johnson, Governors State University |
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