Dalby's introduction clearly explains arrangement, terminology, and bibliographic details. Unlike Walford , which arranges entries in five broad language groups, languages are in alphabetical order, with standard arrangements of subgroups when there are more than six dictionaries per language. Languages crossing national boundaries include subgroups by region and by dialect. Main-entry titles are in the original language as part of the detailed bibliographic description. Also useful are brief descriptions of each language and in several cases their alphabets with transliterations.
Indexing covers personal names and titles, referring to entry numbers.
Compared with Guide to Reference Books, annotations tend to be longer for less common languages but shorter for major ones. Dalby, librarian at The London Goodenough Trust for Overseas Graduates, is also more critical of dictionaries' weaknesses. There is much overlap among the three sources mentioned but with exceptions, e.g., Dalby's inclusion of seven Tagalog dictionaries where other sources list only one. This is a fine example of bibliographic scholarship that will be useful to libraries with strong language and linguistic programs. Stanley P. Hodge, Ball State Univ.