Guidelines for the Preparation of Reviews for North Carolina Libraries
North Carolina Libraries is the quarterly
journal of the North Carolina Library Association. The "New North
Carolina Books" section reviews recently published fiction, nonfiction,
and reference works thematically related to North Carolina. Reviewers
are librarians or authorities on North Carolina. Reviewers are not
paid for their work, but they keep the books they review.
Guidelines
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Read the book carefully; avoid the temptation
to skim through it.
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Generally, a review should begin with an interesting
introduction, summarize the book's contents, and conclude with an objective
critical analysis and statement of suitability for various types of libraries
(academic, public, school, or special). The review should describe the
author's goal and tell whether (s)he achieved it.
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Mention the author's background and qualifications.
If the book is the first by an author, so so; if it is not, mention other
works. If possible, compare the new book to the earlier ones.
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For works of fiction, consider point of view,
setting, plat believability, success of character development, and appropriateness
of length.
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For works of nonfiction, consider comprehensives,
nature of source material, objectivity, currentness, and illustrative matter.
Note the presence of bibliographies, appendixes, and indexes.
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Children's books require special care.
Tell whether works of fiction are likely to be believable and stimulating.
Judge the literary and artistic merit of the book; do not praise of criticize
the book simply on the basis of its subject or theme. Be aware of stereotypes
and generalizations in regard to race, sex, or age. Notice whether
works of nonfiction are accurate, current, and free of oversimplification.
For all books, notice the appropriateness of illustrative matter and its
compatibility with the text.
Format
At the beginning of the review, cite the
author(s), editor(s), or compiler(s) in order; place of publication and
publisher; number of pages; price; and ISBN. Note ordering information
if this differs from publisher.
Examples:
| Anthony J. Badger. Prosperity
Road: The New Deal, Tobacco and North Carolina. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1980. 295pp. $20.00
ISBN 0-8078-1367-2. |
| Buck W. Yearns and John G. Barrett,
eds. North Carolina Civil War Documentary. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press, 1980. 365pp. $17.95. ISBN
0-8078-1407-5. |
Generally, reviews contain about 400 words.
Please send a typed copy, as well as a copy on 3.5" disk if possible, with
the review saved in ASCII or Wordperfect 5.1. The reviewer's name
and institutional affiliation should appear at the end of the review.
Examples:
Jane Doe
Mayberry Public Library |
John Doe
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro |
Deadlines
The review is due no later than the 10th
of February, May, August, or November. If the reviewer cannot review
the book, (s)he should return it to the book review editor immediately.
Editing
Reviews are subject to minor editing.
The book review editor and the editorial board of North Carolina Libraries
reserve the right to alter reviews to conform to style requirements of
the journal (Chicago Manual of Style). If extensive modification
is required, the review and a list of suggestions will be returned to the
reviewer.
Address
Send reviews to:
Nicholas Graham
Head of Public Services
North Carolina Collection
UNC-CH
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Tel: (919) 962-1172
Fax: (919) 962-4452
E-mail: ngraham@email.unc.edu |
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NCL Handbook