FAST SOURCES

CURRENT CONTROVERSIES AND CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS

Reference H 35 .E352
CQ Researcher. (Formerly Research Reports). (1966  to present).Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly.

       A most useful publication for background information on current topics. Each report defines an issue, includes a chronology, and has bibliographies. A feature called "At Issue" quotes opposing viewpoints from two experts and is part of each report. Reports are bound into hardbound volumes each year with a subject index. Current issues are kept at the reference desk.

Reference D 839 .E3
Editorials on file. (1970  to present). New York: Facts on File.

       A bimonthly publication which reprints editorials on controversial topics selected from over 200 American and Canadian newspapers. It is useful for gathering diverse opinions from a wide variety of sources. Each issue is incorporated into an annual binder which is indexed by subject.

Reference BC177 .C86 1996
Current issues and enduring questions. Edited by S. Barnet and H. Bedau. (1996).  Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's.

       Opposing viewpoints on major social issues (abortion, immigration, drugs) and explication of critical thinking and critical writing form the contents of this volume. Shelved at the Reference Desk.

Reference HV 8694 .D385 1991
The death penalty: Opposing viewpoints. Edited by C. Wekesser. (1991). San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

       A collection of twentysix essays taking the pro and con on various aspects of the death penalty. Includes bibliographies. Shelved at the Reference Desk.

Reference HM 261 .G34
The Gallup poll monthly. (1965  to present). Princeton, NJ: The Gallup Poll.

       The most comprehensive source for public opinion. Provides answers to survey questions on a range of topics and issues, with some accompanying articles. A separate index covers the years 1965 to 1990.

CD Workstation 2d Floor
Polling the Nations. (1986 to present). NY: Macmillan.

       A compact disc which includes actual questions and responses from over six thousand surveys conducted by more than 500 polling organizations. It has questions primarily from national, state and local special surveys, but some other countries are included. May be accessed with typical Silver Platter software by subject, source, date (py=), country, etc.

Social issues research series (SIRS). Boca Raton, FL: SIRS.

       This series reprints articles from newspapers, magazines, government documents, and journals that present a broad spectrum of opinion on contemporary issues. The series is divided into a number of specific categories, with each category containing multiple volumes and numerous articles. The sets and their call numbers are listed below. All volumes are shelved in the reference stacks, but SIRS is also available on a compact disc in the CD workstation area on the second floor of the library.

Alcohol                 HV 5015 .A4           Human Rights      IC 571 .H766
Corrections           HV 7231 .C627       Mental Health      RA 790 .M38
Crime                    HV 6028 .C7           Pollution              TD 172 .P6
Death & Dying      BD 444 .D4              Privacy                KF 1262 .A75 P7
Drugs                    HV 5800 .D8           Sexuality              HQ 31 .S4
Energy                   TJ I .E5                    Third World        HD 82 .T4
Ethics                    BJ 11 .E8                 Women               HQ 1206 .W86
Ethnic Groups        E 184 .A1 E79         Work                  HD 4815 .W6
Food                     HD 9000.1 F6

       The Encyclopedia Britannica Online and the Encarta Encyclopedia on compact disc are available at many library workstations. These may provide a quick source of information. The Britannica Online provides links from many of its articles to related www sites.

SPEECHES

Reference PS 668.B3
Representative American speeches. Edited by A.C. Baird. (19561982). 20 vols. NY: H.W.Wilson.

       This set of small red books reprints the major speeches of our era. Included in 1963, for instance, is Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream". Each volume has biographical notes and a cumulative author index.

Reference PS 663 .M53 V64 1996
Voices of multicultural America: Notable speeches delivered by African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, 17901995. Edited by D. G. Straub.(1996). Detroit: Gale Research.

       One hundred and thirty notable American speechmakers and their speeches are the main focus here, but there is much additional historical and biographical material and photographs. Indexes include ethnicity, speech category, keyword and timeline of major U.S. events.

Reference PN 6121.V52
Vital speeches of the day. (1966 to present).

       "The best thought of the best minds on current national questions." Vital Speeches is a bimonthly magazine which publishes speeches by recognized leaders of public opinion. A presidential inaugural, an address by the U.S. Secretary of State, by a major CEO, or by the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations are typical.

Reference PS 662.C3
Famous speeches in American history. Edited by G. R. Capp. (1963). Indianapolis: BobbsMerrill.

       Eighteen of the most famous speeches in American history, including Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Bryan's Cross of Gold, and JFK's 1961 Inaugural ("Ask not what your country...").

Reference PS663.N4 S6
Smith, A. L. Rhetoric of the black revolution. (1969). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

       Six speeches, including "Free Huey" by Bobby Seale in 1968, make up half this book. The rest is background and analyses of the speakers and the sources of their rhetoric.

BIOGRAPHIES

       The library has a number of biographical resources dealing with specific subject areas. Many of these are listed in other library handouts such as African American Reference Sources, HispanicAmerican and Caribbean Reference Sources, and Literature Reference Sources.

Reference CT 100 .C8
Current Biography. (1940  present). New York: H.W. Wilson.

       A major biographical source. Provides concise biographies of people from a wide range of professions, including entertainers, politicians, sports figures, and artists. The series begins in 1940 and each monthly installment contains 10 to 12 new biographies. The issues are bound at year's end in cumulative volumes, and each volume has an index for the previous ten years.

Reference CT 120 .N45
The New York Times Biographical Service. (1970  to present). New York: The New York Times.

       A biweekly service which reprints articles from The New York Times which have significant biographical information on current newsmakers. The Service also includes full obituaries of notable people.

Reference E185.96 .C66
Contemporary Black biography: Profiles from the international Black community. Edited by M. L. LaBlanc. (1992 1998). 17vols. Detroit: Gale Research.

       Profiles of twothree pages are given for influential persons of African heritage and various nationalities in a wide variety of fields. Volumes include selected individuals from earlier in the 20th century who continue to exert an influence. Each volume is AZ, and includes photographs, bibliographies and discographies. There are cumulative indexes in each volume by nationality, occupation, subject (e.g., Black Muslims), and name.

Reference E 185.86 .B543
Black women in American history: From colonial times through the twentieth century. 16 vols. 1990Brooklyn, NY: Carlson.

       Excerpts from journals and books about AfricanAmerican women's history. Use this series ( a big set of red books) by consulting the volumes that are labeled "index" on the spine.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Reference JK 1 .C15
Congressional Quarterly weekly report. (1953  to present). Washington: Congressional Quarterly.

       A weekly periodical providing news and insight into all business transpiring in Congress during the previous week. Articles also focus on upcoming debates. Current issues are at the Reference Desk. Volumes for twothree years back are located on the reference shelves; older issues are on microfilm.

Reference JK 1 .C14
Current American Government. (1972  to present). Washington: Congressional Quarterly.

       A companion source to the CQ Weekly Report, this guide offers articles and essays which sum up a full session of Congress. The volumes, which are published twice a year, include useful background information on topics such as presidential power, the legislative process, and the powers of the Supreme Court. Biographies of current Supreme Court Justices are included.

Reference JK 1 .C66T
The CQ Almanac. (1963  to present). Washington: Congressional Quarterly.

Reference JK 1096 .C76
Congress and the nation: A review of government and politics. (1945  to present). Washington: Congressional Quarterly.

       These two sets are the best sources for quick concise information on legislation and policy decisions acted on by all three branches of government. The Almanac is published annually in the Spring, and is a summary of one session of Congress. The latter set is published every four years as a record of government for one presidential term.

Reference JK 1012 .A44
The Almanac of American Politics. (biennial). Washington: The National Journal.

Reference JK 1012 .P64
Politics in America. (biennial). Washington: Congressional Quarterly.

       The Almanac and Politics in America both provide biographies of every elected member of Congress and all state governors. They also include voting records, political ratings, and profiles of congressional districts and states. Current volumes of The Almanac and Politics in America are located at the reference desk; Politics in America is also located on the CD Workstation, 2d Fl.

Reference IS 1234 .A1 M38
The Mayor's management report. (annual). New York: City Books.

       Provides an annual report with statistics for every New York City agency and department. The individual reports include major initiatives, budget expenditures, and statements regarding future goals and objectives. The best source for all current information on New York City government.

STATISTICS

     There are numerous statistical sources in the Library's reference collection and these are searchable in the CUNY + catalogue by entering a topic and the term statistics as a keyword. For Example:

K=corrections and statistics             OR                k=public welfare and statistics

For Statistics on All Topics:

Reference HA 202 .A5
Statistical abstract of the United States. (annual). Washington: Bureau of the Census. Current copy at Ref. Desk

Reference HA 544 .A2
New York State statistical yearbook. (annual). Albany: New York State.

For Crime and Justice Statistics:

Reference HV 6787 .A3
Uniform crime reports for the United States. (annual). Washington: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Current copy at Ref. Desk

Reference HV 6787 .A27
Sourcebook of criminal justice statistics. (annual). Washington: Bureau of Justice Statistics.

       The current copy of the Sourcebook is at Reference Desk The Sourcebook can also be accessed at library CDROM workstations and on the web in its most uptodate version at http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook

Reference HN90.V5 S833
Statistical handbbook on violence in America. Edited by A. Dobrin, et.al. (1996). Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

       A collection of tables, figures and graphs illustrating frequency and types of violent behavior in America. Possibly useful for visual aids. Shelved at the Reference Desk

RMG 6/92
Rev. JD 8/98

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