Briefly Noted

The Browsable Classroom: An Introduction to E-Learning for Librarians, Carolyn B. Noah and Linda W. Braun. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2002. 171 p. $45 paper (ISBN 1-55570-425-5)

This introduction to web-based learning is aimed at librarians in diverse roles as both consumers of continuing education and as educators in distance learning venues. Topics include synchronous/asynchronous environments, preparing content for e-learning, assessment of distant students' needs, models for library staff, and creative program design. This entry-level guide is best suited for those just beginning to contemplate distance education opportunities. (S.H.)

Guide to Library User Needs Assessment for Integrated Collection Resource Management and Collection Development, ed. Dora Biblarz, Stephen Bosch and Chris Sugnet. (Collection Management and Development Guides, no. 11) Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001; Co-published with the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) 72 p. $17.50 paper. (ISBN 0-8108-4131-2)

"This guide is intended to examine the practice, benefits, and specific methods for assessing library users' information needs in any type of library." (p. vii) Types of data and methods of data gathering are enumerated and supplemented by particularly useful scenarios (and pitfalls) involving institutional triggers for assessment, such as a new degree program, consortial programs for document delivery, and the addition of a new branch library. Includes glossary, bibliography, and webliography. (S.H.)

Guide to the Management of the Information Resources Budget, ed. Lisa German, Nancy Slight-Gibney, Dennis Lambert, and Kathleen R. Brown. (Collection Management and Development Guides, no. 9) Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001; Co-published with theAssociation for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS). 26 p. $12.50 paper (ISBN 0-8108-4132-0)

An update to ALA's Guide to Budget Allocation for Information Resources (1991), this guide contains new sections on management of the budget and expenditures of funds. Presented in outline format, the guide presents general allocation principles and processes with special attention to encumbrance, expenditures, budget evaluation, and the relationship between collection development and acquisitions. The guide and its glossary may be particularly useful for library boards or university administrators. (S.H.)