For all you collectors out there, we recently received the 41st Edition of Warman's Antiques & Collectibles 2008 Price Guide. It includes the sections on ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry, toys, depression glass reproductions, depression glass thumbnail guide, ceramics collection & care--pottery, and glass collecting & care. Not only is the guide well organized, but it is also beautiful to look through. Some items that caught my eye included the Luke Skywalker as X-Wing Pilot (one of the original 12 Star Wars figures released by Kenner in 1977-78) priced at $15, and a Civil War era American flag with 35 stars, priced at $1,405. While the 2008 edition is kept in the reference section, earlier editions of the guide are available to be checked out.

Another significant new arrival in the reference collection is the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. This 20 volume set, last updated in 2002, is intended to "provide the the widest possible range of articles that will be understandable and useful to any person of modest technical training who wants to obtain information outside his or her particular field of specialization."

Although the goal of the new edition was "a broad revision of the previous edition, much effort was concentrated in certain rapidly advancing areas, particularly in cell and molecular biology; information technology and telecommunications; nanotechnology; the environmental, earth and climate sciences; materials science; and cosmology, among others."

Written in a way to increase the reader's ability to readily access the key concepts of of the field, articles start with a definition and a concise overview of the topic. "The subject matter is developed according to a clear outline and concludes with a bibliography of generally available publications for further study." Numerous cross references to related articles are also included.

Articles that interested me included ones on aircraft propulsion, global warming, cinematography, kiwifuit and cable television systems.