It isn't often in this highly technological environment that a new reference book sees the light of day and becomes an instant classic. Balay's Early Periodical Indexes is such a work. It is the most comprehensive guide available to the indexing of periodical literature from the 16th century until the end of the 19th century. The material itself is widely scattered and difficult to find, and until now there has been no systematic way to even identify it. This extraordinarily useful tool lists and describes titles in a wide range of disciplines. Balay has included indexes published prior to 1900 that are restricted to periodicals (such as Poole's), and those published later (such as Wellesley), as well as serial and topical bibliographies citing publications in all formats-and he explains the relationships among them. The scope is limited to European languages. Electronic databases, both Web-based and CD-ROMs, are included. Four indexes-author, title, topical subjects, and dates of coverage-provide access.

This is a landmark resource, one that will become a familiar sight in every research library.