Assignment 1: Evaluation of a Reference Work

When it came to looking for an older, out of date reference resource that was under-utilized within a school library I chose to focus on a handbook. The library that I visited was successful in keeping an up-to-date collection, but I felt that Emily Post’s Etiquette A Guide to Modern Manners 14^th Edition could be updated to better reflect the times. When I initially pulled the book from the shelf, I was surprised to smell a musky odor. The book itself was in good condition but the pages were old and yellowed. Opening the cover of the book revealed an empty due date slip pocket from 1986, revealing its age immediately. Flipping through the thumb-indexed pages allowed me to see many contents that just didn’t pertain to high school students. While reading, I discovered that some of the information was outdated or irrelevant and the lack of images made this manual far from engaging. Under the heading “everyday living” was the subheading “the telephone”. Post’s assertion that “nothing is more frustrating than trying to get an important call through, only to get a busy signal hour after hour” re-enforced my belief that this book was dated (319).

Next, I looked to the handbook’s overall layout. The pages gave readers headings and each was broken up into chapters. At the back there was a glossary so readers could easily find what topic they were looking for. While these were all great from a reader’s perspective, the content was still very dense in nature and not something high school students would be enticed to read. The cover itself left me wanting more. Having said this, there was still a great deal of information that students could make use of if necessary, to understand various customs and behaviours that reflect our actions today. Unfortunately, this information wasn’t “of value and interest to [the] school, community, and student population (Riedling 44) as handbooks should be. I knew this, simply by looking to its circulation history. Perhaps an updated version could change this?

When looking to replace Emily Post’s Etiquette A Guide to Modern Manners 14^th Edition I chose two titles that I felt would together work to update this school’s reference manual. The first was Modern Manners Tools to Take You to the Top by Dorothea Johnson and Liv Tyler and the second was How Rude!: The Teenager’s Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behaviour and Not Grossing People Out by Alex Packer. Together, I felt these manuals could work to replace an outdated resource while simultaneously providing students with information on proper behaviour and etiquette. In addition to this, they were available for a reasonable price – roughly $50.00 for a paper copy of each title. I have included a more detailed description of each title below.

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1. Modern Manners Tools to Take You to the Top by Dorothea Johnson and Liv Tyler:

When I first came across this guidebook, I couldn’t help but notice the colourful images and teen friendly lingo that adorned it. As a 21^st century etiquette guide, this resource will inform students on many aspects surrounding jobs, people, and tips for lifelong success. Both authors are well known, Dorothea as a world-renowned etiquette expert and Liv for her acting and modeling career. As an educator and parent, I was particularly drawn to the “electronic communication” section. Here, the authors delve into aspects such as finding a balance with technology, etiquette on the web, info sharing and creating a professional online persona, all of which support today’s curriculum. Interesting facts and famous quotes are scattered throughout the book to heighten interest and break up writing. In addition to this, many cultural differences are highlighted to reach a broader audience. American and European styles of eating and the use of traditional utensils such as chopsticks are included to address our increasingly globalized world. Lastly, a new copy would only cost around $25.00 from a local vendor. These are some of the reasons why I chose this title as a potential resource replacement.

1. How Rude!: The Teenager’s Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behaviour and Not Grossing People Out by Alex Packer:

Simply reading the preface of this guide book convinced me that this was a resource I wanted to use for a replacement. Clearly, this was a title students could relate to. Packer’s charming humour, paired with entertaining comics relating to the content, made this an obvious choice as a replacement. In addition to advice on new terms and technologies, this manual answers real questions from teens with real issues –“Dear Alex, I’ve had my eyebrow, lip, and nose pierced. Is it all right to wear my rings to a job interview?” (Packer, 55). Such questions address issues today’s teen face on a daily basis, many of which are not addressed in Post’s etiquette guide. The cost, roughly $20.00 means that a hardcopy could easily be purchased to better reflect the needs and interests of today’s students.

In determining the value of the above-mentioned references to the school, I have come up with a rubric to help organize my assessment. I have adapted much of the suggestions on pages 21-23 in Reference Skills for the library media specialist: tools and tips to better suit the school’s individual needs. Based on my evaluations, the two resources I have found would successfully replace the existing resource, bringing it up to date and relevant for today’s patrons. The rubric below breaks my evaluation criteria into four main components. Please see below for more information.

Rubric for the Evaluation of a Reference Work:

• The underlined represents the evaluation of the original resource.
• The bold font represents the evaluation of the replacement resources together as a unit, replacing the existing resource.

	Poor and Below Standard	Adequate and Meets Standard	Exceptional and Exceeds Standard
Accuracy	Resource is outdated, presenting inaccurate information and/or reviews are from questionable sources.	Resource presents factual information but could be due to advertising. May contain questionable sources.	Resource presents factual information with positive reviews from credible sources. A reputable publisher is also present.
Meets Curriculum Needs/Goals of the School	Content does very little to support curricular needs and goals of the school.	Content supports some of the curricular needs and goals of the school.	Content supports curricular needs and goals of the school. Canadian content is a primary focus.
Age appropriate and/or relevant for current student body	Content is limited to a select audience and does not consider cultural and intellectual needs. Resource may be geared for a younger or older age group.	Content is accessible to a wide range of students but may be limited in its ability to support the cultural needs of students.	Content is inclusive and accessible to a wide range of students. Illustrations and overall layout are visually appealing and inviting.
Physical Condition and Cost	Physical condition is poor. Reference needs replacing and/or weeding – (smell, discolouration, water damage, etc.). The price is not justified by the minimal to non-existent use of the resource.	Physical condition is fair but will need to be considered for replacement or weeding next year. The price of the resource is justified by the demand and anticipated use.	Physical condition is good. The price of the resource is justified by the demand and anticipated use.

Works Cited:

Johnson, Dorothea, and Liv Tyler. Modern Manners: Tools to Take You to the Top. Potter Style, 2013.

Packer, Alex J. How Rude!: the Teen Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out. Free Spirit Publishing Inc., 2014.

Post, Emily. Etiquette A Guide to Modern Manners 14^th Edition. Harper & Row, 1984.

Reidling, Ann Marlow,. Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the library media specialist: tools and tips. Worthington, Ohio, 2013