Introduction

“The more things change, the more things stay the same”—not so with regards to reference publishing. True, print remains a viable medium, but online resources, databases, and a sprinkling of alternative formats such as CD-ROM and ebook (mostly as a supplement to print) are proliferating. Just look at the upsurge of e-content coverage in this year's reference supplement as compared with that in the debut 1997 supplement. “When I think that our 1997 reference catalog didn't contain a single electronic product,” says Casper Grathwohl, VP/publisher of Oxford University Press's reference department, “it's daunting to imagine what the future will bring.”

And the present? Browse our Subject Listings and find continued strong coverage in such areas as philosophy and religion, consumer health, and medicine; a slew of guides for librarians; and more government and politics, international affairs, and military science titles than ever—perhaps reflecting the political and world affairs anxieties of the upcoming election year.

As to content, reference publishers have been aggressively refashioning their offerings across the board. Having by now embraced the e-minded direction in which reference has long been pointing, they're forging more confidently ahead, many with a full load. They are digitizing their backlists, expanding and condensing print offerings to optimize usefulness, and launching and reformatting their e-content. They're experimenting with a wider array of purchase and subscription options; enhancing their platforms' capacity for searchability and adaptability; and in some cases, adding video content and exploring pay-per-view models (see “Reference into the Future,” p. 8).

And remember to check out our Publisher Listings (see p. 60) for contact information, title page references, and updates to current online databases during the past year.