Ireland's Index to Inspiration, A Thesaurus of Sources for Speakers and Writers

The goal of this index, first published by Norma Olin Ireland as Index to Inspiration (Faxon, 1976) and well-reviewed in library journals is to help inspire speakers and writers who wish to address others effectively and imaginatively on all manner of subjects, early and modern, serious and humorous, with some emphasis on current problems of the day, especially on topics of moral significance. The word "inspiration" is used in the broad sense of the term, meaning not only religious but creative inspiration as well. The first edition analyzed 220 books; the second edition retains the original concept, analyzing 396 books published primarily between 1975 and 1990, with additional subheadings.