The Western Association of Women Historians (WAWH, www.wawh.org) held their annual meeting on the first weekend in May at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (peace.sandiego.edu) at the University of San Diego. Inspired by the beautiful hilltop setting, the 160 attendees enjoyed a variety of panels and social occasions. One of the pleasures of WAWH meetings is the frequent opportunity for conversation and conviviality, and this year the organized venues included two receptions, lunch on both Friday and Saturday, a light supper on Friday, and the awards banquet on Saturday. This year was also the first time that a book exhibit was included.

The history profession has given some recognition to reference work. The American historical association gives the Waldo G. Leland Prize for the most outstanding reference tool in the field of history, though it is only offered once every five years. As a historian who has written for and edited quite a few reference works over the years, I would argue that reliable reference publications depend on the contributions of scholars. The most useful reference sources are those that are written by recognized experts and edited by more experts with credentials and training in a particular field.