Briefly Noted

Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections, ed. Audrey Fenner. New York: Haworth Information Press, 2006. 394p. $29.95 softcover (ISBN:0-7890-2834-4) Published simultaneously as The Acquisitions Librarian, v.18,nos. 35/36, 2005

Though a few of the articles published herein focus on broader issues and trends in the integration of print and digital collections, including one interesting article on integrating the print and electronic reference collections in addition to the more commonplace serials studies, most of the chapters here are of the case study variety. Print and electronic usage studies, serials evaluation projects, and various models for cutting, integrating, and changing the management of electronic and print collections are all represented here and with a fairly broad view incorporating the ongoing management of the whole collection that might be useful for any collection managers, bibliographers, and selectors, not just acquisitions librarians. (T.J.)

Supervising Staff: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Marcia Trotta. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2006. 194p. $59.95 softcover (ISBN 1-55570-524-3)

Another in the long-running series of How-To-Do-It Manuals, this one likely does not cover new ground in supervision—books about supervising in general, and even about supervising in library settings, are legion. This work does, however, apply the series' practical focus, concise style, and liberal use of examples, samples, and illustrations to address an issue that remains extraordinarily difficult for many librarians promoted for the first time to supervisory roles and is, therefore, worthy of some attention. The focus does not appear to be on any particular variety of library, and all the expected sections are included, from creating and running teams and understanding your supervisory role to directing training, mentoring, managing crises, and employee hiring and evaluation. (T.J.)

Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan: A Guide to Help You Survive and Thrive, Patricia H. Fisher and Marseille M. Pride. Chicago: American Library Association, 2005. 152p. $45 softcover (ISBN: 0-8389-0909-4)

This very practical guide would be useful for anyone undertaking a strategic planning mission or a wholesale revision (or introduction) of a library marketing plan. Introductory chapters address the primary concepts and include the authors' argument that planning the marketing process is more important than the more often-addressed implementation of specific PR or advertising initiatives. Most of the book, however, is very focused on the step-by-step construction of an effective marketing plan, with plenty of inspirational examples, sample forms and processes, and worksheets to help you make it through the process (T.J.)

A Kaleidoscope of Digital American Literature, Martha L. Brogan. Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information Resources in cooperation with the Digital Library Federation, September 2005. 176p. softcover $30 (ISBN 1-935326-17-0) Also freely available (text and PDF) at http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub132abst.html

This volume reports on a very ambitious effort by the author to catalog both the state of online resources in American literature and hundreds of the actual resources themselves. It consists primarily of a long and well-organized annotated listing of the major digital sources for the study of American literature—from gateways to author sites to e-book collections and other full-text resources, both freely available and subscription based, and it is difficult to imagine a more thoroughly researched and described list being available elsewhere. The remainder, perhaps of equal interest to many librarians, consists of a report—based on interviews with the scholars and librarians who are creating and using these resources—on the state of digital access, analysis, presentation, and publication in this field, with the "kaleidoscope" of the title being a fair indication of the fragmented nature of these resources. (T.J.)