How can we turn Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) into Identified Flying Objects (IFOs)? This issue of The Reference Shelf looks at the fantasies and realities of UFOs in American culture. Articles examine such topics as the existence of Area 51 and the recent popular movement to reveal government secrets over UFO sightings. Other sections cover scientific data on UFOs, the scientific study of extraterrestrial life, and the evolution of alien fantasies in American popular culture.

Some studies indicate that as many as one in four adult Americans suffers from some kind of mental health concern each year. This issue of The Reference Shelf takes a closer look at mental health in America and the struggle to spread awareness about mental health challenges. Articles in this issue look at topics such as mental health coverage, mental health training for institutions and government officials, and mental health interventions by police. Other topics include mental health and the workplace and efforts to fight the stigma on mental illness.

Each year since 1925, students from around the country engage in debates informed by the National Forensic League’s (NFL) yearly national debate topic. Subjects under consideration for this year’s debate topic include Global Climate Change, Emerging Technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology & Cyber Security, Global Health Security, Diplomatic Engagement with Russia, and the United States’ Involvement in Treaties. Through samples of the best and most recent journalism and popular writing on the topic, The Reference Shelf provides an essential guide for students, teachers, and others interested in taking a deeper look at some of the most pressing and popular controversies in this current moment of American history.

Studies indicate that income inequality is increasing, with wealthy Americans controlling a greater share of the wealth while incomes for most Americans have changed little compared to the increasing cost of living. This issue of The Reference Shelf takes a close look at the factors impacting income inequality in the United States. Articles featured in this issue examine topics such as the minimum wage, wealth inequality, tax loopholes, corporate taxation, and the ways in which healthcare, childcare, and food expenses prevent Americans from advancing in the economic spectrum.

This issue of The Reference Shelf looks at some of the best American journalism and writing on the topic of voting rights. Sections present articles on subjects ranging from convict disenfranchisement, voting and race, and the challenges of voting in urban versus rural areas. This issue pays special attention to the debate over voter fraud and voting security and how recent allegations of voter fraud have been used to justify new voter restrictions in many states. Other topics covered include voter ID requirements, voting and transportation for the elderly, and the debate over online voting.

In this annual issue of The Reference Shelf, we look at some of the best, most impactful, and most uplifting speeches from 2021–2022. Ranging from politicians to political activists to celebrities, this volume of The Reference Shelf provides a unique record of American culture during the year as seen through the eyes of some of the nation’s most important public figures. With an eye toward encompassing a diversity of perspectives, speeches will help provide a glimpse of American thought and attitudes on the year’s most important stories.