 An almanac includes brief factual information about a broad range of subjects. They contain interesting facts about almost anything: population statistics, entertainment, sports, geographical data, political and historical data. Almanacs also include a summary of the year's notable events. If you have questions about specific dates, facts, times, amounts, etc, the best source to find information quickly is an almanac. They are like a lot of resources combined into one book. Look at the first page and notice the types of topics covered. Also notice that there is a very specific index at the front of the book and a "Quick Reference Index" (very general) at the very back. It is very important to use the index in an almanac. You can find the name of who won the best actor Oscar in 1982, the name of the largest city in the world, the names of presidential cabinet members, or who won the World Series in 1995? . **Be careful!!! Almanacs are published yearly with the most up-to-date information. A 2002 almanac would contain statistics from 2001. If you are looking for the current Secretary of State, be sure to use the most recent edition of the almanac. For historical type information (Who was Secretary of State during the Carter administration?), older books are acceptable sources.
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