Briefly Noted

Using PDAs in Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual, Colleen Cuddy. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2005. 145p. $65 (ISBN 1-55570-543-X)

This volume from the popular how-to-do-it series covers in some detail the usage of personal digital assistants (PDAs) in libraries for both staff and users, ranging from use of PDAs to read e-books to use of specialized barcode-reader PDAs in the stacks. Though any printed work on this topic is out of date as soon as it is available, and the traditional PDA has long had its death knell predicted, the author does mention next-generation smart phones as a type of PDA and covers the topic area well with examples of possible PDA usage, ample photos of specific hardware and screen shots, and plenty of definitions for the non-tech-savvy crowd. (T.J.)

Growth, Creativity and Collaboration: Great Visions on a Great Lake: NASIG 2004, ed. Patricia Sheldahl French and Richard L. Worthing. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2005. 394p. $34.95 softcover (ISBN0-7890-2976-6) Published simultaneously as The Serials Librarian, v. 48, nos. 1/2 and 3/4, 2005

A look at the table of contents of these proceedings of the North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) conference held in the summer of 2004 illustrates the extent to which electronic serials have almost completely absorbed the full attention of librarians in this field. The contributed papers are arranged into categories for vision, strategy, and tactics, but the weight of the volume focuses on the practical work of electronic serials librarians. (T.J.)

Assessing Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners, Violet H. Harada and Joan M. Yoshina. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005. 168p. $40 (ISBN 1-5915-8200-8)

Assessment of student learning and the development of learning outcomes are critical areas for everyone working in education today, especially as accreditation and grant-making agencies focus increasingly on assessment and outcomes measurement. This work is notable in its practical guide to the assessment process and the many tools and examples provided, though the focus is on school library media specialists and the learning that takes place in media centers at K–12 schools. (T.J.)

Planning, Renovating, Expanding, and Constructing Library Facilities in Hospitals, Academic Medical Centers, and Health Organizations, ed. Elizabeth Connor. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Information Press, 2005. 218p. softcover $24.95 (ISBN 0-7890-2541-8)

This volume includes 13 case studies of significant physical library moving, renovation, and similar projects and addresses libraries in several different kinds of institutions. While each library has a focus on health and medicine, the lessons learned from these detailed illustrations of planning, moving, merging, and financing projects might be useful for librarians with similar tasks in any field. The cases are generally well organized and documented, including photos, diagrams, and planning documentation as relevant. (T.J.)