Frequently Asked Questions What is CD HotList and why do you do it?
What is CD HotList and why do you do it? CD HotList Editor Rick Anderson is a librarian and a music critic. In early 1999 it occurred to him that his colleagues in the library profession might like to hear about some of the cooler titles that he sees and hears each month. CD HotList was designed basically as a “heads-up” for interested librarians, a way of saying "Here's some cool stuff you might want to consider for your collections." After doing it by himself for a year he invited some other music librarians to pitch in as well. He and the rest of the reviewing team present the information in a way that facilitates ordering. You'll notice that each entry includes complete catalog information as well as a capsule review; you can print out each monthly issue, circle the items you want and hand the printout to your ordering staff, who will (in theory) rise up and call your name blessed for providing them with such complete and legible information. In 2002, Rick handed over the editorial reins to Dan Cherubin. In 2004, Dan handed the reins back to Rick so that he could finish graduate school. Rick subsequently made a deal with Baker & Taylor whereby B&T took over publishing and distribution of CD HotList, with Rick resuming his role as Editor.
What do the initials after the reviews mean?
CD HotList is written by Rick and a number of Contributing Reviewers. Each review is marked by the initials of its contributor.
How do you decide what to include?
As we go about our duties throughout each month, we keep an eye out for releases that are both of high quality and of probable relevance to most library collections. Because most academic library collections tend to focus on classical and jazz, CD HotList does too. But because we want this list to be useful to everyone, we also include sections for Rock/Pop, Country/Folk, and World/Ethnic music (fully recognizing that the boundaries between those categories can be fuzzy). We also recommend the occasional music-related book or DVD.
All of your reviews used to be positive, and now they’re more mixed. Why is that?
CD HotList was originally conceived not as a review source, but rather as a recommendation service. We reviewed only 12-15 titles per month, and we included items that we thought most libraries should seriously consider acquiring. We do still focus on recommendations. However, we have expanded the number of titles we cover each month, and we now include both titles that are strongly recommended (these get the gold star that identifies them as “Rick’s Picks”) and others that we feel are worthy of notice, but may not be perfect for every library.
Where do you get your discographical information?
This information now comes mainly from Baker & Taylor’s database. When a title is not yet in that database, we usually take title info from the cover, and sometimes from the spine. We do not follow AACRII in entry headers. This is because CD HotList is an ordering tool rather than a cataloging tool. We get list prices from B&T or from Amazon.com.
The December, 2002 issue is missing from the new version of CD HotList because it was a compilation of contributors' "Top Ten" lists rather than a regular issue of fully-annotated recommendations. During the first few months of 2004, CD HotList was in its transitional phase between the old format and the beginning of its partnership with Baker & Taylor; during that period (from January through March) no issues were published.
Can I order from the CD HotList website? CD HotList has partnered with Baker & Taylor to provide you with a convenient way to order the titles recommended by CD HotList. Simply click on the "Buy Now" button to get more information about individual titles and ordering from Baker & Taylor. If you are not currently a Baker & Taylor customer, you can sign up by calling 800.775.1800.
Other questions, comments, concerns, corrections, kudos or brickbats? Please feel free to contact Rick. FAQ contents © CD HotList 2002 |