Home › Library Instruction › Subject Guides ›

Recreation and Leisure Services

Subject Guide

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves--in finding themselves."
– Andre Gide

Table of Contents

Identifying Books

Use UNISTAR, Rod Library's online catalog, to identify and locate books and other resources about recreation and leisure services. To ensure that you use appropriate subject terms when you search UNISTAR, use the Library of Congress Subject Headings books located at the Reference Desk. A wide range of subject headings will lead to information about recreation and leisure services. Some examples are:

  • Adventure education
  • Camping
  • Cities and towns growth
  • Ecotourism
  • Heritage tourism
  • Hobbies
  • Leisure
  • Leisure - research
  • Leisure - United States
  • Mountaineering
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Outdoor education
  • Outdoor recreation
  • Outdoor vacation
  • Parks
  • Play
  • Problem youth
  • Recreation
  • Recreation leadership
  • Recreational therapy
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Volunteerism
  • Youth - services

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The following dictionaries and encyclopedias offer definitions and short articles related to various aspects of recreation and leisure services.

Dictionary of Travel and Tourism Terminology
UNI Reference G 155.A1 B38 2002

Encyclopedia of Ecotourism
UNI Reference G 156.5.E26 E53 2001

Encyclopedia of Leisure and Outdoor Recreation
UNI Reference GV 11 E55 2003

Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America
UNI Reference GV 53 E53 2004 vols. 1-2

Encyclopedia of Tourism
UNI Reference G 155.A1 E4295 2000

Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood & Adolescence
UNI Reference HQ 772 G27 1998

Facts on File Dictionary of Nonprofit Organization Management
UNI Stacks HD 62.6 O88 1986

Silberstang's Encyclopedia of Games & Gambling: A Modern Hoyle for Sophisticated Gamers
UNI Reference GV 1301 S52 1996

Handbooks, Manuals, and Guides

The following books are selected handbooks, manuals, and guides that are representative to recreation and leisure services.

America's Secret Recreation Areas: Your Recreation Guide to the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Lands of the West
UNI Reference GV 191.42.W47 H63 1995

At Risk Youth and Gangs: A Resource Manual for the Parks and Recreation Professional
UNI Stacks HV 6439.U5 A87 1994

Assessment Tools for Recreational Therapy and Related Fields
UNI Reference RM 36.7 B87 2002

Grants for At-Risk Youth
UNI Reference HV 1431 K34 2000

National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations
UNI Reference HV 97.A3 N365 1994 1-2 vols

National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness Guide: The Classic Handbook
UNI Stacks GV 199.6 S56 1999

Nonprofit Almanac
UNI Reference HD 2769.2U6 D55 1996/97

Recreation and Entertainment Industries: An Information Sourcebook
UNI Reference GV 188.3.U6 C57 2000

Tourism Development Handbook: A Practical Approach to Planning and Marketing
UNI Stacks G 155.A1 G588 2000

Sport, Leisure, and Tourism Information Sources: A Guide for Researchers
UNI Reference GV 188 S66 1999

Wilderness A to Z: An Essential Guide to the Great Outdoors
UNI Reference GV 191.6 C37 2001

Statistical Information

Many books are located in the Rod Library that include statistical and/or demographic information related to recreation and leisure services topics. In addition, Rod Library's database called LexisNexis Statistical contains a wealth of statistical information on a wide variety of topics.

Americans at Play: Demographics of Outdoor Recreation & Travel
UNI Reference GV 191.4 W44 1997

First Measured Century: An Illustrated Guide to Trends in America, 1900 - 2000
UNI Reference HB 1323.C52 U658 1998

Growing Up in America: An Atlas of Youth in the USA
UNI Reference HB 1323.C52 U658 1998

Iowa's Youth: Trends from 1890 to 1990
UNI Reference HQ 796.I63 1998

LexisNexis Statistical
Available through the Rod Library home page. Select this title from the Databases A-Z listing under Journals and Magazine Articles (Panther Prowler).

Statistical Handbook on Adolescents in America
UNI Reference HQ 796 S8237 1996

Statistical Record of Children
UNI Reference HQ 792.U5 S74 1994

Youth Indicators
UNI Reference HQ 799.7 Y6 (Earlier in Documents at ED 1.327)

Bibliographies

Some Rod Library books are bibliographies and lead to additional information on specific topics. Listed below are selected bibliographies related to topics in recreation and leisure services.

Ecotourism: An Annotated Bibliography for Planners and Managers
UNI Stacks G 155.A1 E463 1995

Guide to Women's Studies in the Outdoors: A Review of Literature and Research with Annotated Bibliography
UNI Stacks GV 191.64 R6 1998

Leisure Literature: A Guide to Sources in Leisure Studies, Fitness, Sports, and Travel
UNI Reference GV 174 L37 1992

Leisure Recreation and Aging: A Selected, Annotated Bibliography
UNI Stacks GV 184 C65 1994

Recreation and Entertainment Industries: An Information Sourcebook
UNI Reference GV 188.3.U6 C57 2000

Identifying Journal Articles

Information concerning topics in recreation and leisure services can be found in a number of scholarly and popular journals and magazines. The following database indexes are most useful in finding journal articles in this area. Many Rod Library electronic resources contain the full-text to articles. To search those available through Rod Library home page, select the desired index or abstract title from the Databases A-Z listing under Journal and Magazine Articles (Panther Prowler). The “*” symbol located next to the database name in the list below, designates that the database contains at least some full-text articles.

If the full-text of the article is not found in the database you are searching, click on the link (where available) to determine if Rod Library has access to the article in electronic format, in print format, or if Rod Library has no access to the article.

CINAHL
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Indexes articles form 1982 to the present in nursing and allied health and has some overlap with topics in recreation and leisure services.

Education Full Text*
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Indexes articles in education from 1983 to the present. Some full-text articles are available online.

ERIC
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Indexes journal articles and documents in education from 1966 to the present.

Academic OneFile*
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Academic OneFile is from the service provider InfoTrac. The database covers a wide range of subjects, including recreation and leisure services. Many articles are available full-text within the database.

PsycINFO
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Indexes the psychological literature form 1998 to the present.

SPORT Discus
Rod Library Databases A-Z
Indexes articles form 1975 to the present in sports, physical fitness, sport science & recreation.

Representative Journals

Listed below are representative Rod Library journals for recreation and leisure services. Rod Library has access to journals in a variety of formats. The format types for specific titles that the Rod Library owns are listed with each title. The title's call number is also listed with each title. To identify specific journal locations within the Rod Library, conduct a title search in UNISTAR using the name of the journal.

Annals of Tourism Research
Print & electronic formats - G 155.A1 A58

ARNOVA NEWS
Print format (Current year only) - HV 6 A82

British Journal of Social Work
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 B67

Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal
Print & electronic formats - HV 701 C45

Child & Youth Care Forum
Print & electronic formats - HV 701 C513

Child and Youth Services
Print & electronic formats - HV 701 C47

Children and Youth Services Review
Electronic format

Clinical Social Work Journal
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 C63

Chronicle of Philanthropy
Print format (Current year only) - HV 85 C53

Exchange
Print format - HV 854 C46

Foundation News & Commentary
Print & electronic formats - AS 11 A2 F68

Fund Raising Management
Print & electronic formats - HV 41 F94

Giving Forum
Electronic format

Grassroots Fundraising Journal
Print format - HV 41.9 U5 G82

International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration
Print & Electronic formats - TX 901 I57

International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
Print & electronic formats - TX 901 I57

International Social Work
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 I63

Journal of Adolescence
Print & Electronic formats - RJ 499.A1 J574

Journal of Adolescent Research
Print & Electronic formats - HQ 796 J6237

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning
Print format - LC 1038 J68

Journal of Experiential Education
Print format - L 11 J7645

Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing
Print format - TX 911.3.M3 J68

Journal of Leisurability
Print format - GV 183.5 L43

Journal of Leisure Research
Print & Electronic formats - GV 1 J68

Journal of Park and Recreation Administration
Print & Electronic formats - GV 181.5 J68

Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance
Print & electronic formats - GV 201 J6

Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency
Print & electronic formats - HV 6001 J74

Journal of Social Work Education
Print & electronic formats - HV 11 J66

Journal of Sustainable Tourism
Print & electronic formats - G 155.A1 J67

Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism
Print & Electronic formats - TX 911.5 J68

Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing
Print & Electronic formats - G 155.A12 J673

Journal of Travel Research
Print & Electronic formats - G 155.A1 J68

Journal of Volunteer Administration
Print format - HV 91 J68

Journal of Youth and Adolescence
Print & electronic formats - HQ 796 J625

Landscape Architect & Specifier News
Print format - SB 469 L36

Leisure Sciences
Print & Electronic formats - GV 1 L43

Leisure Studies
Print & Electronic formats - GV 1 L44

Leisure Week
Electronic format

National Parks
Print & electronic formats - SB 482.A4 N377

Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 N66

Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Print & Electronic formats - HD 62.6 N6615

Nonprofit Times
Print format (Current year only) - HD 62.6 N68

Nonprofit Review
Electronic format

Nonprofit World
Print format - HD 62.6 N69

Nonprofit World Report
Electronic format

Park Science
Print & electronic formats

Reclaiming Children and Youth
Electronic format

Research on Social Work
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 R47

Social Work
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 S644

Social Work Research
Print & electronic formats - HV 1 S6475

Stanford Social Innovation Review
Electronic format

Tourism Management
Print & electronic formats - G 155.A1 T5923

Volunteer Leadership
Print format - GV91 V63

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
Electronic format

Youth & Society
Print & electronic formats - HQ 793 Y68

Youth Law News
Print format (Current year only) - KF 3731 A3 Y68

Youth Studies Australia
Electronic format

World Leisure Journal
Print & Electronic format - GV 1 W67

Internet (WWW) Resources

In recent years, more information has been placed on the Internet. Listed below are several representative websites in recreation and leisure services. Links to additional quality web resources in recreation and leisure services may be found on the Library's home page. Under the Web Resources heading, click on Selected Internet Resources and then on Information by Subject. Next, choose Education, and then Leisure Services.

American Camping Association (ACA)
URL: http://www.acacamps.org/
ACA is a community of camp professionals and is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp experience. The website includes the ACA-accredited camp database.

CYFERNet: Children, Youth, and Families Education and Research Network
URL: http://www.cyfernet.org/
A national network of Land Grant university faculty and county extension educators working to support community-based educational programs for children, youth, parents, and families.

GORP: Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
URL: http://www.gorp.com/
An Internet directory that will lead you to a vast array of information related to outdoor recreation.

Iowa DNR: State Parks
URL: http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/
The website includes information related to the State of Iowa's parks and includes directions to the areas, maps, and regulations.

Lifestyle Information Network (LIN)
URL: http://www.lin.ca/
A website developed as a global center for information exchange for the leisure services and is supported by the Canadian government. The National Recreation Database is located at this website.

National Park and Recreation Association (NPRA)
URL: http://www.nrpa.org/
The mission of NPRA is to advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

Wilderness Education Association
URL: http://www.wildernesseducation.org/
An organization that promotes wilderness safety and conservation by educating competent, outdoor leaders.

Last Revised: May 2009 E. Neuhaus Written: December 2001 E. Neuhaus