1994 Corpus Almanac and Canadian Sourcebook

Jeff Moon is Head of the Maps, Data, & Government Information Centre (MADGIC), at Queen's University

This book could be described as a cross between two other Canadian
almanacs. It contains the “directory” flavor of Gale’s Canadian
Almanac & Directory, while trying to capture some of the
“information” flavor of Macmillan’s Canadian Global Almanac. The
former is exclusively a directory (names and addresses); the latter is
more of what one expects of an almanac (information and statistics, from
A to Z).

Access to information in the Corpus Almanac is facilitated by special
indexes and a well-laid-out table of contents. Indexes include a
magazine/periodical index, an index to associations and societies,
indexes to each chapter, and a general index. The multiple entry points
provided by these indexes facilitate quick access to desired
information. This year’s “bonus” section is a useful chapter on
government finance.

Approximately two-thirds of the book consists of directory listings.
The almanac has been enriched by judicious addition of information to
the underlying directory framework. It shies away from the “popular
press” kind of information (sports, entertainment, etc.) included in
The Canadian Global Almanac, preferring instead to focus on more
“serious” information (government, education, banking, demography,
etc.).

As a directory, the Corpus Almanac compares favorably with The Canadian
Almanac & Directory. Similar coverage is provided in both, although
there are entries exclusive to each publication. The Canadian Almanac
has broader “directory” coverage, but the Corpus Almanac is better
organized and easier to use. As a one-stop directory/information source,
the book is recommended; the decision to purchase or not will depend on
current strengths in this area of your reference collection.