LIBRARY 150 Information Services Reference Sources Dewey 100s

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LIBRARY 150Information ServicesReference
SourcesDewey 100s

• Elizabeth Gould
• Winter Quarter
• Week 2, 2003

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Man, Myth Magic The Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Mythology, Religion, and the Unknown
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Bibliographic Citation

• Man, myth magic the illustrated
  encyclopedia of mythology, religion, and the
  unknown / Editor in chief Richard Cavendish. --
  Rev. ed. -- Marshall Cavendish, c1995. 21 v.
  2976 p. ill. (some col.) 31 cm.
• Bibliographical reference and index
• Summary Covers the religions of the
  world, the myths that mankind has created, and
  the supernatural
• ISBM 185435731X (set) 1.
  Occultism--Encyclopedias.2. MythologyEncyclopedi
  as.3. Religions--Encyclopedias.

R133.03MANBushSchoolLibrary
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Arrangement

• arranged alphabetically in 21 volumes
• volume 1 contains readers guide, which explains
  how encyclopedia is best used and bibliographies
  grouped by subject
• volumes 1-20 contain A-Z entries, each with its
  own table of contents
• volume 21 contains index

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Bibliographic Subjects

• Magic, the secret of love
• Alchemy
• Witches and witchcraft
• Devils, demons and angels
• Foretelling the future
• Birds, plants and animals in myth and folklore
• Nature, fertility and creation myths
• Rites of passage
• Symbols and meanings
• The heros quest
• Legendary lands and beasts
• Western religions
• Eastern religions
• Ancient myths and legends
• Folklore, primitive beliefs and customs
• Psychology and the paranormal
• The soul
• Ghosts, vampires and hauntings
• Mystics

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Indexing

• volumes 1-20 contain individual tables of
  contents within each volume
• volume 21
• alphabetical index giving volume and page number,
  as well as subheadings within subjects (see
  also)
• study indexes with subject headings related
  directly to major thematic areas of encyclopedia

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Scope

• entries include
• bibliographies
• articles on historical events and movements
• descriptions of myths and rituals
• reports on paranormal events
• appears to be fairly comprehensive from near
  death experiences to new thought

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Scope

• world religions
• cults, sects and mysterious religions
• ancient cultures and religious customs
• heroes in mythology
• psychic research
• approaches to life and the afterlife
• visionary pioneers
• magic
• symbols in mythology and religion
• witchcraft
• good and evil
• foretelling the future
• natural mysteries
• plants and animals in mythology
• origins of mythology, religion, and magic

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Currency

• appears to be fairly current
• covers moonies to New Testament apocrypha to
  mushrooms and mutilation

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Intended Purpose

• Intended for school-aged audiences who are
  interested in various religions, cults and
  beliefs throughout the ages.

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Additional Purposes Served

• comparative religion or mythology
• origins of beliefs or myths
• historical or artistic meaning of symbols
• understanding of cultures

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Physical Format

• book format only

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Special Features

• well illustrated
• well cross-referenced
• well indexed
• major entries divided by subheadings
• entries with listings of additional readings on
  subject covered
• lack of editorial bias on sensitive subjects

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Authority or Credentials of issuing body Review
Opinions

• Booklist finds this encyclopedia valuable for
  high-school and public libraries. It also likes
  its new works added to the bibliographies and
  further reading lists.
• Choice suggests this encyclopedia more as a
  resource for the curious than a tool for
  scholars and finds that a bias remains in some
  entries, which is not surprising in a book that
  retains a sexist title!
• Library Journal finds the articles lively and
  informative, which aids both the serious scholar
  and the amateur investigator, and commends the
  conscious effort to keep the descriptions free of
  arcane and esoteric terminology. It further
  praises the individually authored titles written
  by experts, good illustrations, and the extensive
  bibliography and indexes.
• Review praises the serious scholarly component
  (indicated by known editorial advisors) and its
  new edition on New Age influences.
• The editor, Richard Cavendish, is known for his
  writings on witchcraft and magic.

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Personal Impression

• I was impressed by the extent of material covered
  and its readability, as well as the large number
  of illustrations, which made it easier to
  immediately identify what was being referred to.

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Examples Typifying Reference Uses

• What is Nirvana and how do I get there?
• What is the origin of the use of mistletoe and
  its magical status?
• What are the underlying beliefs of the Mormons?
• Is witchcraft still being practiced? Who or what
  is a witch?
• Is cannibalism still being practiced? What is
  the basis for cannibalism?
• Ive heard of Nagos, where are they from and
  what are their beliefs?

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Can You Find the Answers to These Questions Using
the World Wide Web?

• Askjeeves was very good at answering specific
  one-word questions such as mistletoe, but is
  less helpful with modern questions that people
  have opinions about such as cannibalism and
  witchcraft.
• Google helped with words such as cannibalism
  and witchcraft, but there are limitations when
  looking up such things as Nirvana, where most
  of the numerous entries were about the rock group