Briefly Noted

Developing Print Repositories: Models for Shared Preservation and Access, Bernard F. Reilly, Jr. (CLIR Reports, no. 117) Washington, DC: Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), 2003. 63 p. $20 (ISBN 1-932326-01-4) Full text (PDF and HTML) also available online <http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub117abst.html>

The mounting space pressures faced by research libraries are forcing the question: What to do with valuable collections to which researchers need only infrequent access? Print repositories, including shared repositories that serve many different campuses, are a solution many libraries have chosen. The author, from the Center for Research Libraries, documents the growth of these repositories and their different strategies and characteristics and discusses the potential for further development of these facilities and cooperative agreements to build more robust collections, economize, and foster stronger inter-library collaboration. (T.J.)

Emerging Visions for Access in the Twenty-first Century Library, Conference Proceedings: Documentation Abstracts, Inc. Institutes for Information Science, April 21-22, 2003.(CLIR Reports, no. 119) Washington, DC: Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), 2003. 78 p. $20 (ISBN 1-932326-03-0) Full text (PDF and HTML) also available online <http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub119abst.html>

This collection of papers addresses a wide variety of issues for the administrators and librarians who are planning their services, collections, and facilities for the years to come. Colored by the current fiscal problems faced by many libraries, the authors bring varying perspectives to bear on issues as diverse as scholarly communication and open access, university organizational structures, information technology, and the importance of libraries as public and civic institutions--all with a mind to rethinking, sometimes dramatically, the ways that people will access information in the future. (T.J.)

The Image and Role of the Librarian, ed. Wendi Arant and Candace R. Benefiel. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002. 186 p. $24.95 softcover (ISBN 0-7890-2099-8)

Published simultaneously as The Reference Librarian, vol. 37 no. 78.

This collection of essays, perhaps interesting for librarians and those who work with them, covers the history of cultural images of librarians, their changing professional roles, enduring librarian stereotypes, and the future trends of the field. Some articles seem written as much to amuse as to further understanding, but the sum of the parts is a broad overview of the history and future of the profession as seen by both librarians and the culture at large. (T.J.)

Hard Facts on Smart Classroom Design: Ideas, Guidelines and Layouts, Daniel Niemeyer. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2003. 160 p. $29.95 (ISBN 0-8108-4359-5)

A very detailed guide, this volume presents a full picture of what you need to know to plan, design, and build user-friendly "smart classrooms" that can take advantage of the information and pedagogical technologies now available. Extremely thorough, especially in technical and architectural/construction issues, the book presents more than 70 diagrams, drawings, and photographs of important details and effective classroom layouts. Includes a valuable checklist of "Ten Most Frequently Overlooked Details for College Classrooms." (T.J.)

Introduction to Reference Work in the Digital Age, Joseph Janes. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2003. 250 p. $59.95 (ISBN 1-55570-429-8)

Joseph Janes, one of the founders of the Internet Public Library, has written what feels like a digital reference textbook for library science reference courses. It covers in excellent detail not only what reference work is in general but, also, why reference services exist and how user needs, staff capabilities, and new technologies are combined and in constant evolution to serve library users. This book should be of some use for those considering starting a digital reference service, but there are more focused handbooks and guides designed specifically for that purpose. This is probably better considered an introductory textbook on the concepts, terms, strategies, technologies, and goals of digital reference. (T.J.)