Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Educators Resource Directory, 2009/10 Eighth Edition. 666p. Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing, 2009. 978-1-59237-397-0. $145.

While the Internet has undermined the need for printed directories of contact information, there are still times when the ability to scan a printed page has its advantages. In this case, when a teacher is exploring the types of assistance available in education, it is useful to find disparate resources categorized and listed in a succinct fashion. Without knowing a specific professional organization in guidance or the names of groups providing teaching opportunities in Eastern Europe, a researcher may spend hours looking for relevant agencies online. The Educators Resource Directory provides comprehensive listings of useful resources for educators. These include professional organizations, workshops and conferences; consultants; employment; grants and scholarships; government agencies; professional development opportunities; school supply catalogs and testing resources. Many sections, including the extensive lists of publications and online resources, are divided by teaching disciplines or professional activity. All told, 6,156 resources are presented with brief descriptions, contact information. A substantial statistical section provides 145 tables of national figures on elementary and secondary education, educational attainment, federal programs, libraries, international comparisons and Canadian education. However, since the tables are not indexed, a full list of tables would have made this data from government sources more useful. Resources in the directory are indexed by title, publisher, geographic area, and general subject. In short this directory is a valuable resource for teaching professionals. This work is also available as an online subscription as well as a print/online package.