Choice (review publication)

Choice (review publication)
Title	Choice
Category	Academic review
Frequency	Monthly
Publisher	Association of College and Research Libraries
Firstdate	1964
Country	United States
Language	English

Choice (review publication)

Choice is a long-running American review publication serving academic and research libraries, known for evaluative reviews of monographs, digital resources, and audiovisual materials. Published by the Association of College and Research Libraries, it provides selectors at universities, colleges, and research institutes with concise assessments and collection development guidance. The journal intersects with professional networks in librarianship, higher education, and scholarly communication.

History

The publication was founded in the early 1960s amid rapid expansion of academic collections following initiatives associated with the National Defense Education Act, postwar enrollment booms at University of California, Harvard University, and Columbia University. Early editors worked with stakeholders from the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, and regional consortia including the Big Ten Academic Alliance and Ivy League libraries. Over decades it chronicled scholarly output across fields reflected in works from publishers such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer Science+Business Media, and Routledge. During the 1970s and 1980s the title adapted to changes driven by initiatives at institutions like National Science Foundation and policy shifts influenced by debates surrounding Higher Education Act funding. Editorial leadership intersected with figures active in professional organizations including American Association of University Professors and milestones such as the transition of many collections during the rise of consortial borrowing exemplified by systems at Big Ten Academic Alliance and Association of Research Libraries members.

Editorial Structure and Publication Model

The publication operates under the aegis of the Association of College and Research Libraries, itself a division of the American Library Association. Governance includes an editorial board drawing members from institutions like Yale University, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Duke University, and University of California, Los Angeles. The model combines paid staff editors with volunteer reviewers recruited from faculty and librarians at Princeton University, Stanford University, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and other research centers. The workflow aligns with standards promoted by organizations such as the Modern Language Association and the American Historical Association for humanities works, and by bodies like the American Chemical Society and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for STEM titles. Distribution uses subscription channels that reach members of consortia including HathiTrust, OCLC, and regional systems in collaboration with publishers including Gale and EBSCO Information Services.

Content and Review Process

Content focuses on short-form critical reviews, bibliographic metadata, and thematic listings covering monographs, reference works, scholarly journals, and electronic resources from sellers and imprints such as Bloomsbury, SAGE Publications, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley. Reviewers are selected from academic departments and library faculties at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, and University of Texas at Austin. The editorial process requires disclosure of expertise and employs guidelines used by committees in organizations such as the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services and the Council on Library and Information Resources. Reviews address provenance, intended audience, comparators including works by authors such as Edward Said, Michel Foucault, and Judith Butler when relevant, and situate titles within disciplinary canons like those represented at American Historical Association conferences or American Sociological Association meetings. For electronic resources, evaluations consider platforms and aggregators such as JSTOR, Project MUSE, ProQuest, and Google Scholar.

Influence and Reception

The publication has been cited as an influential tool in collection development decisions across academic libraries at University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Toronto, and international institutions including University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Its selection lists and annual highlights inform acquisitions in departments of History of Science and Technology and programs associated with grants from agencies like National Endowment for the Humanities and National Institutes of Health. Critics and proponents have debated its role amid transformations led by initiatives such as the Open Access movement, changes promoted by SPARC, and consolidation among publishers including ProQuest and Clarivate. Professional commentators in outlets associated with the Chronicle of Higher Education and conferences of the American Library Association have discussed its continuing relevance.

Awards and Notable Selections

The publication issues annual lists and distinctions that have highlighted exemplary works across disciplines, with selections that have overlapped with awardees of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Nobel Prize in Literature, and field-specific honors from the American Historical Association and Modern Language Association. Notable titles featured have included works published by Princeton University Press and University of Chicago Press and scholarship by authors affiliated with institutions like Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley.

Digital Presence and Accessibility

The publisher has expanded online access via subscription platforms and partnerships with vendors such as EBSCO Information Services, ProQuest, and institutional access through consortia like HathiTrust and OCLC WorldCat. Digital offerings include searchable review databases, thematic bibliographies, and integration with discovery layers used at libraries including Ex Libris and platforms such as LibGuides. Accessibility initiatives reference standards promoted by organizations like the World Wide Web Consortium and compliance practices common at universities including University of Michigan and University of Washington.

Category:Academic journals Category:American Library Association publications