Scholars' guide to Washington, D.C., media collections /

This latest in the "Scholar's Guide to Washington, D.C." series scores a triple scoop by updating Rowan's Scholars' Guide to Washington, D.C. Film and Video Collections (1980), incorporating the treasures in Shirley Green's Pictorial Resources in the Washington, D.C., Area (1976), and complementing such media reference guides as James Heintze's Scholars' Guide to Washington, D.C., for Audio Resources (CH, Nov'85). Prefaced by Douglas Gomery's essay, the guide describes the collections of 131 institutions or archival depositories in Washington, DC, concentrating on collections of "photographs, news photos, film and television, newsreels and television news, sound recordings, radio, newspapers, newsmagazines, news clippings." The book is designed to pique the interest of the casual reader as well as the experienced researcher. Each entry describes access, approximate date spans, finding aids, requests for staff research services, names of reference staff, addresses/phone numbers, and, most important, advice to researchers from the author about the special strengths, preliminary inquiries, or cautions to be noted for that archive. An appendix, "Entries by Type," enhances the guide. Until this material is available on-line, we can only hope for more and frequent editions, more detail, even more private sources, and maybe a reprint of David Culbert's essay "The Scholar and the Visual Image" from the 1980 edition. Essential reading for those who collect tools with which to inspire students to explore on their own the riches of the culture around them. Highly recommended for all academic institutions and large public libraries. H. H. Ives; American University Library