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BiBliographic Essay
e Art of the Bibliographic Essay
by Beth M. Sheppard
T
heological Librarianship is pleased to present a selection of bibliographic essays in each issue of the
journal. For those not familiar with this time-honored method by which librarians share expertise
on a topic, and to assist those who hope someday to contribute to the field using the medium of the
bibliographic essay, a brief introduction to the art of this important library tool will be helpful.
The PurPose of The BiBliograPhic essay
In the final chapter of the Fourth Gospel the Evangelist remarks that if everything that was known about Jesus’
life and deeds was recorded, even the world itself would not be able to house the resultant books. If the entire
globe might provide inadequate shelving for works detailing the intricacies of the ministry of the founder of
Christianity, then how many lifetimes might it take to read them all? And when might one also master texts on
or by other figures in religion be they Barth, Borg, Bahinabai (a Hindu female poet), or Blavatsky (the founder
of the eosophical Society)? e fact is that regardless of how large the reference staff at a theological library,
or how well read an individual information professional might be, the vast amount of material associated with
the field of religion or its related disciplines dictates that it is impossible to grasp it all. Inevitably, in a robust
learning environment a patron will ask a question involving a methodology, figure, subject, or movement
beyond the bounds of the librarians’ own areas of expertise. Reading bibliographic essays, whether written
by a librarian, a teaching faculty member, or researcher with expertise in the subject, is an excellent way for
librarians to gain awareness of important work in fields that may be outside their own special knowledge.
e bibliographic essay is not, of course, the only tool available to librarians. e reference librarian well versed
in the craft of librarianship has access to a host of tools to guide patrons forward on their journeys of intellectual
discovery, even when the subject matter appears to be arcane. Everyone has a favorite research utility. e OPAC
is often a first line of inquiry and is easily supplemented by abstracts, dictionaries, databases, book reviews, and
the rich resources of the reference room and internet. In some desperate cases an enterprising librarian may even
seek to contact a colleague with whom he or she has networked at a professional meeting. When delving into the
librarian’s bag of tricks, however, the value of the bibliographic essay is not to be underestimated. In addition to
serving as a “pathfinder” to guide patrons or as an introduction to important work in a previously unexplored (by
the librarian) segment of the field of knowledge, a well-written bibliographic essay may also assist the librarian in
collection development.
The NaTure of The BiBliograPhic essay
While bibliographic essays are de rigueur in some fields such as history, to the uninitiated the bibliographic essay
inhabits a hazy terrain. It shares characteristics with the book review, the annotated bibliography, and the full-
blown article. Yet, it is not quite any of these. It might be best described as a hybrid. Its essence is integrally linked
with its purpose. In short, a bibliographic essay provides an introduction to several of the key sources on a given
topic, rather than just one. us, the bibliographic essay differs from the book review, in which authors tend to
address the merits of a single, recently published title. Because the essay incorporates discussion of many books or
articles, the bibliographic essay likewise has affinities with the annotated bibliographies found at the conclusion
Beth Sheppard, Section Editor for Bibliographic Essays, is the Director of e United Library, Garrett-Evangelical and
Seabury-Western eological Seminaries, Evanston, Illinois.
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THEOLOGICAL LIBRARIANSHIP
An Online Journal of the American eological Library Association
Volume 1, Number 1 • June 2008
of books, but it goes well beyond the scope of these. Indeed, individual sources within a body of literature are
discussed, evaluated, compared, and contrasted, resulting in a fuller presentation of the material than would occur
in even an extensively annotated list. In addition, as distinct from an annotated bibliography, a bibliographic essay
frequently reflects a point of view or position about the topic or how the resources relate to one another. Finally,
while a bibliographic essay in many ways resembles the format of a full-blown article, it does not fall into that
category either. For instance, the bibliographic essay does not typically include footnotes, and its characteristic
content as an overview of existing literature is in marked contrast to the objectives of articles in which an author
might report of the results of a new experiment or theory, or advance the implications of a new archeological or
historical discovery.
As a consequence of this hybrid nature, the bibliographic essay might best be conceived as a conversation between
an author who has read extensively on a given topic and those less experienced with the subject wishing to benefit
from the author’s advice regarding the best resources to deepen their own understanding. In such a conversation,
the expert would not merely list the items that would be read in a terse list, but would detail each recommended
resource’s importance to the field, where it stands in relation to developments in the field of study, and what newer
studies supplant or supplement older classics. e bibliographic essay is a written proxy for this rich dialogue about
the materials available to those preparing to delve into a subject. Of course, like any other written document, the
author of the bibliographic essay must take care in how the essay is crafted so that potential readers may use it to
best effect. at is the nature of the art.
coNsideraTioNs for sTrucTuriNg a BiBliograPhic essay
ere are a number of questions that an author will do well to keep in mind when weaving a list of recommended
readings into a coherent and vibrant bibliographic essay. e list below, even though it isn’t intended to be
comprehensive, contains five questions that authors of bibliographic essays should consider when crafting
manuscripts.
What possible organizational scheme may be employed to assist with the flow of the essay? e author must lead
the reader along a well-ordered path where the discussion of the materials flows naturally from one resource
to the next. e organizational scheme, for instance, may be based on chronology, theological perspective,
format/type of material, common methodologies in the resources, denominational viewpoints, schools of
thought, status of works as classic or trendy, common lines of argumentation, the intended level of material
(introductory, intermediate, or advanced), or any other organizing principle that suggests itself when the
materials are taken together as a body of literature.
What resources should be included? Unlike an annotated list, which may easily be comprehensive, the author
of a bibliographic essay must judge which materials should be included in the essay and which others may
be excluded. e object is to find things similar enough that they may be readily compared/contrasted,
or which fall into an established theme. Authors should also keep in mind that the primary objective is
to provide advice regarding what works are worth reading on a topic, rather than identifying what should
not be read. is does not mean that one should avoid pointing out weaknesses or oversights in texts, but
does imply that truly inferior works may be left out of the discussion. e goal is to highlight prominent,
distinctive, standard, innovative, or influential works.
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THEOLOGICAL LIBRARIANSHIP
An Online Journal of the American eological Library Association
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Volume 1, Number 1 • June 2008
What is the context, discipline, or historical period that is the focus of the essay? e topic of the bibliographic
essay must be established clearly and be easily identifiable for the reader. As a consequence, a few sentences
introducing the main focus near the start and also a conclusion at the end are appropriate elements for a
bibliographic essay.
Are there other formats or media? In a day when electronic formats are becoming more prevalent, including
resources other than those of traditional print may be appropriate for bibliographic essays in some fields.
Has attention been paid to prose and stylistic elements? Even though hammering out the content and the
structure of a bibliographic essay are vital, authors should not overlook stylistic matters such as word choice,
figures of speech like alliteration or metaphor, avoidance of redundancy, variations in sentence length, and
other techniques. Along these lines, care should also be exercised in using personal pronouns such as “I,”
“me,” and “you.” e prose and style of bibliographic essays is a bit more formal than that of the reaction
paper or editorial, so in general the use of personal pronouns and an autobiographical tone in the essay
should be avoided. Focusing on stylistic details such as these increases the reader’s pleasure and grasp of the
material while elevating the essay from the realm of the mundane.
e author who begins the task of writing a bibliographic essay with these considerations in mind is well on his or
her way to producing a well-structured piece, written with flair.
coNclusioN
e bibliographic essay plays a crucial role in the field of information studies. Librarians may use this tool to
assist patrons in areas of research in arenas beyond a personal realm of expertise, develop the collection, or dive
into recommended readings to increase the breadth of their own professional knowledge. e bibliographic essay
is characterized by a type of learned writing that straddles the fences between the full academic article, the book
review, and the annotated bibliography. Despite the ambiguous location between these three genres, authors
should pay careful attention to its composition and structure.
A few bibliographic essays appear in this inaugural issue of eological Librarianship. It is hoped that the combination
of this short exposition on the art and nature of the bibliographic essay and the examples provided by these essays
will help to guide and inspire prospective contributors in this format. While the world may not have room to
contain all of the potential books that might be written in religious studies, there is certainly space for bibliographic
essays to help point the way through the stacks. Who will accept the challenge?
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