Usefulness of non-fiction booklists

I have created numerous non-fiction booklists over the years, but with deletions and additions to the collection, new technology and the availability of many resources online, non-fiction booklists are more oftern than not out-of-date soon after they are printed. So, do they really serve a purpose, or are there better and more useful alternatives for providing access to the full range of resources on a particular subject, other than the Library OPAC.