Finding Book Reviews
October 07, 2002

by Staff, General Reference Service, Mid-Manhattan Library

General Reference Service, on the 2nd floor, is an excellent place to search for reviews of all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction. You may also search for book reviews in more specialized subject indexes found in other units at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Literary criticism may be found on the 3rd floor in the Literature & Language Collection.

REVIEWS OF BOOKS IN MANY PERIODICALS AND NEWSPAPERS MAY BE SEARCHED ON ELECTRONIC DATABASES AVAILABLE ON COMPUTERS THROUGHOUT THE LIBRARY AND AT www.nypl.org [LIBRARY CARD REQUIRED FOR REMOTE ACCESS.]

  • EBSCOhost - Many of the databases include book reviews from adult or children's magazines and newspapers
    Using your mouse, click on <Electronic Databases>, then <EBSCOhost>. Click on <connect from home>, or <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Find> type "book review" AND [subject, author, or title].
    The following databases in EBSCOhost include book reviews:
    MasterFILE Premier, Business Source Premier, Academic Search Premier, Newspaper Source, Business Wire News, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Professional Development Collection, ERIC, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, Religion and Philosophy Collection, Alt HealthWatch, Middle Search Plus, Primary Search, and Health Source - Consumer Edition.
  • New York Times & New York Post Full-text - NYT (3/2000-present), NYP (1/2000-present)
    Click on <Electronic Databases>, <Newspapers/Magazines>, then <New York Times & New York Post Full-text>. Click on <connect from home>, or <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Find> type "book review" AND [subject, author, or title].
  • New York Times Historical Newspapers from ProQuest - Full text coverage, 1851 thru 1998.
    Click on <Electronic Databases>, <Newspapers/Magazines>, then <New York Times Historical Newspapers from ProQuest>. Click on <connect from the library>, <Search methods>, then <Guided>. To find book reviews, at <Search for> type the author's name, title, or subject. Do not change the option in the field, 'All Basic Search Fields'. In the box to the left of the onscreen text, 'in the Article type field', select 'review'. Press <Select>.
  • Newsday and NYNewsday via Dialog@CARL - Full text coverage, 1987+. Updated daily. Click on <Electronic Databases>, <Newspapers/Magazines>, <Newsday and NY Newsday via Dialog@CARL>, <connect from the library>, then <Go to Advanced Search>. At "Lead paragraph" field type "review book". At the "text" field, type [the author's name, title, or subject]. Press the "Search" button.
  • Books in Print- Books currently in print in the United States - some with book reviews
    Click on <Electronic Databases>, then on <Books in Print>. Search by author, title or subject. Press the <Enter> key. Click on <Book Reviews> if available.
  • DIALOG @ CARL - Book reviews from various electronic databases [LIBRARY ACCESS ONLY]. Click on <Electronic Databases>, and on <Dialog@CARL> Each database is comprised of different record descriptors, thus search techniques differ depending on the database. Book reviews may be full-text or abstract/citation only.

GENERAL REFERENCE HAS A CD/ROM WHICH ALLOWS SEVERAL YEARS OF FULL-TEXT SEARCHING AND PRINTING OF BOOK REVIEWS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES:

New York Times Ondisc See Librarian at General Reference Information Desk

Indexes book reviews in the daily New York Times (type: "Books of the Times" and author or title) and the Sunday Book Review Section (type: "Se(Book Review)" and author or title. Reviewers' names are also searchable. If you find your review, you may print the full text by pressing the <Print> button on the Netscape screen. Note: You must sign up to use this CD-ROM at the General Reference Information Desk.

GENERAL REFERENCE HAS TWO OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE PRINTED INDEXES FOR FINDING BOOK REVIEWS:

  • Book Review Digest (1905-) Located at second stack from General Reference Information Desk
    Each annual volume cites reviews (with brief excerpts from the review) under the author's name. There is a title and subject index in the back of each volume. If you are not sure in what year the book was reviewed, check the cumulated author/title indexes available with the set (covers 1905-75, 1975-1984, and 1985-1994; thereafter search year by year). You may also start your search by finding a book's publication year in the library's catalog.
  • Book Review Index (1965-) Located at second stack from General Reference Information Desk
    Reviews are cited by author. There are title indexes in each annual volume and a cumulation by author with title indexes for the years 1969-1979.

ADDITIONAL PRINTED INDEXES OF BOOK REVIEWS LOCATED IN GENERAL REFERENCE ON THE 2ND FLOOR:

  • Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (1900-) Includes book reviews by author from 1900 to 1904. Since 1976, book reviews are cited by author in a separate section at the back of each volume. Use Book Review Digest for reviews of books published from 1905 to 1976.
  • Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (1890-1899) Book reviews are listed by author's name only.
  • Access (1975-) Indexes book reviews in many periodicals, including the Village Voice; search the subject index under the author's name.
  • Kirkus Reviews (1933-) There is a cumulative author index for the years 1948 to1972 shelved on the 2nd floor.
  • Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1907) Indexes are by subject and by author.
  • Christian Science Monitor Index (1965-) Reviews are listed under the headings "Books - Authors" and "Books - Titles".
  • Index to the Times [London] (1945-) Book reviews are found under the heading "Books Reviewed and Noticed" as well as by author and title. Covers reviews in the Times Literary Supplement.
  • New York Times Index (1851-) Indexes to reviews in the daily paper and the Sunday Book Review section; reviews are listed by author under the heading "Book Reviews" in each volume.

A SELECTION OF PRINTED INDEXES (P), ELECTRONIC INDEXES (E) AND CD-ROM INDEXES (C) OF BOOK REVIEWS ON SPECIFIC SUBJECTS:

2nd floor: General Reference = GR ; Education = ED; Health Information Center = HIC

3rd floor: ART; Literature & Language = LL

4th floor: Periodicals Shelves = PER; Periodicals Desk = PER/DESK

5th floor: History and Social Science = HSS

ART

(E) Art Full Text (some full-text; coverage from 1981+ depending on periodical) - Covers art and architecture. Using your mouse click on <Electronic Databases>, <Art and Architecture>, <Art Full Text>, then <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Enter terms, select options> type "book review" [subject, author, or title].

(P) Art Index (Nov 1973-) ART - There is a "Book Review" section at the back of each volume beginning Nov 1973.

BUSINESS

(E) Business and Company ASAP (1980-) This database indexes reviews of business books. On Library computers or the Branch Libraries home page, click on <Electronic Databases>, on <Business and Company ASAP>, and then on <Start searching>. At the search box, type: "book review" AND words from the book's title, subject and/or author's name.

(P) Business Periodicals Index (1958-) GR - Book Review section follows main body of each volume.

(E) Business Source Premier (mostly 1990+, some earlier) - full text scholarly business journal articles - Using your mouse click on <Electronic Databases>, <Business & Industry>, <Business Source Premier>, then <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Find> type "book review" [subject, author,
or title], select <All Words (AND)>.

(P) Wall Street Journal Index / Barron's Index (1996-) GR - Book reviews begin in 1996 (though index is from 1955) in Volume II of each year under "Book Reviews", "Books-Authors" and "Books-Titles".

EDUCATION

(E) ERIC Document Reproduction Service - Book reviews from education documents

Click on <Electronic Databases>, <Education>, then <Eric Document Reproduction Service>. Enter the subject or book title in the <Keyword in Abstract> field. Then, select <Book and Product Reviews> in the <Publication type> field. Then click on <Search>.

(P) ERIC (1929-) - ED - Earlier volumes have book reviews under that heading, while later ones have a "Book Review" section is at the back of each volume.

(C)  ERIC Index ( 1982-) ED - There is also a CD-ROM version available in Education. At <Find> type: "book reviews AND Montessori," for example.

(E) Professional Development Collection (mostly 1990+, some earlier) - Book reviews from selected education journals - Using your mouse click on <Electronic Databases>, <Education>, <Professional Development Collection>, then <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Find> type "book review" [subject, author, or title], select <All Words (AND)>.

HEALTH

(E)  Health Reference Center - Indexes reviews of selected medical books. On Library computers or the Branch Libraries home page, click on <Electronic Databases>. Choose <Community & Health>, <Health Reference Center>, then <Proceed>. At <Click on the entry and enter search terms> type: "book review" followed by words from the book's title, subject and/or author's name. Also available on CD-ROM in HIC.

HISTORY

(P) America: History and Life (1980-) HSS - Vol. B of each year from 1980 through 1988 is all book reviews; from 1989 to the present, book reviews are listed separately within each specific subject.

(E) History Resource Center (1990+, varies ) - full text coverage of history-related magazines - Click on <Electronic Databases>, <History>, <History Resource Center>, then <connect from the library>. To find book reviews, at <Basic Search> type 'book review AND [subject, author, or title]'.

LAW

(P) Index to Legal Periodicals (Sep 1985-) HSS - "Book Review" section is at the back of each volume.

LIBRARIANSHIP

(P) Library Literature (1980-) HSS - "Book Review" section is at the back of volume.

(E)  Library Literature & Information Science (1984-) Electronic database available at library locations only.

LITERATURE

(E) NoveList - Book reviews for fictional works - Click on ,<Electronic Databases>, <Literature>, <connect from the library>, <NoveList>, then <Start>. Search by author, title, series name, or plot. Retrieve search results. If there is a red check in the 'Includes description' field for the book title of interest, click on the book title to view book reviews.

PERFORMING ARTS

(P) Music Index (1949-1990) GR - Book reviews in music periodicals listed by author under "Book Reviews" with title cross-references.

(P) The Rolling Stone Index (1967-1996) GR - Book reviews are first listed by title. There is an author index to book reviews, followed by a 'reviewer' index to book reviews. (P) Bibliographic Guide to Dance (Sep 1990-) MY - "Book Review" section under "Book Reviews in the main body of each annual volume.

RELIGION

(P) Index to Book Reviews in Religion (1988-1992) HSS - There is an author and editor index, a title index, a series index, an index to reviewers, and a classification index.

(P) Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (1992-1997) HSS - "Book Review Index" is a separate section near the back of each volume.

SCIENCE

(P) General Science Index ( June 1983-) GR - "Book Review" section follows main body of each volume.

OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES

(P) The International Index: a Guide to Periodical Literature in the Social Sciences and Humanities (1907-Mar 1965) GR - Precedes the Humanities Index and Social Sciences Index.

(P) Humanities Index (1974-1993) GR - Reviews are listed by author in the "Book Review" section in the back of each volume. LL has 1994-, and HSS has 1979/80-.

(P) Social Sciences Index (1974-) HSS - "Book Review" section at the back of each volume.

(P) Criminal Justice Periodicals Index (1992-) HSS - "Book Review" section is within the "Subject Index" of each volume.

(P) Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities (1961-1990) GR - Book reviews are listed by author.

(P) The Philosopher's Index (1997-) HSS - "Book Review Index" at the back of each quarterly issue.

SELECTED SOURCES OF BOOK REVIEWS IN EITHER PRINT (P) OR ELECTRONIC FORMAT (E):

(P) Booklist (Sep 1969-), Choice (Mar 1964-), and Library Journal (May 1976-) PER. Kirkus Reviews are available only at the PER/DESK.

(P) Bulletin of Bibliography (1982-) PER - "Book Review" section is at the back of selected issues--one or more issues per year have a book review section.

(P) The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (1979-) PER - Offers book reviews in the field of bibliography.

(P) The New York Review of Books (Feb 25, 1963-) PER/DESK - Microfilm and paper issues.

(P) New York Times Book Review (1896-) is available in a variety of formats. GR, has bound issues for October 1896 to 1981 (some gaps), and microfiche for 1977, 1979, 1980, and from 1982 to current. Hardcopy issues for recent years are available at PER/DESK.

(P) Publisher's Weekly (Nov 1989-) PER

(P) Quarterly Black Review of Books (1996-) African and African-American interest titles -- print issues for 1998- are at PER. Issues from 1996- are available full-text on Ethnic Newswatch (E), one of the online electronic databases accessible from Library computers or the library's web site at www.nypl.org.

(P) Times Literary Supplement (1923-1964) GR - Bound volumes. Earlier holdings, from 1902-, are available on microform, and more recent microform and paper issues are both available at PER/DESK.

INTERNET SITES WITH BOOK REVIEW SOURCES:

BOOKSELLERS AND PUBLISHERS

COMMERCIAL INTERNET SITES

LITERARY MAGAZINES

Atlantic Unbound (Atlantic Monthly) www.theatlantic.com/books/books.htm Literary magazine published in Boston since 1857

NEWSPAPERS

PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

* For additional indexes and sources of book reviews, see Librarians at Information Desk in each unit