Goldsmith, Francisca. Libraries and the Affordable Care Act: Helping the Community Understand Health-Care Options.

ALA Editions. 2015. c112p. ISBN 978-08389-1288-1. $24.00. E-book B00ORWJ076 (Kindle)

Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in the United States, many public libraries have attempted to provide access to information about the law while educating communities about it. In this guide, the first of its kind written for library staff, Goldsmith (Consultant and Instructor at Infopeople; author of Graphic Novels Now and Crash Course in Weeding) provides best practices, advice, examples of libraries’ responses to the implementation of the new law, and more. Seeking to help libraries define the expectations and limitations for support roles as the new law is implemented, she offers an overview and context for the Affordable Care Act, basic information about health insurance and the health insurance exchanges, ways to know and assess community needs, functional library strategies and tools for building health awareness, discussions pertaining to ethical and legal matters, as well as considerations relating to health- and healthcare- related reference interviewing, programming, ongoing training, and advocacy. Including appendices of resources as well as end-of-chapter “to do lists,” this ambitious, short, general but not comprehensive, informative guide, while not a detailed how-to-manual setting forth how to implement health insurance, healthcare, and health awareness support programs and services in libraries, nevertheless may be of considerable interest to librarians and other staff members. As a basic, first “go-to,” reference resource, it is highly recommended for many public and other library book collections. Availability: Amazon.com, American Library Association, Barnes & Noble.com

American Library Association. ALA Guide to Medical & Health Sciences Reference.

American Library Association. 2011. c758p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1023-8. $75.00.

Even though this book was published several years ago and many of its entries may be in need of updating because they reference resources that are out-of-print and/or superseded by later editions, this publication still may be of some value to librarians and/or researchers, who are attempting to build nearly comprehensive medical and health science reference collections and/or who are doing in-depth research. Covering clinical and consumer health information in thirteen chapters that are organized by type of publication (ex. bibliography, biography, classification, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, guides, handbooks, histories, indexes; abstract journals, databases, internet resources, quotations, statistics, treatises, etc.), it provides a critically- selected, annotated list of print and electronic, biomedical- and health- related reference resources, including Internet websites and digital image collections. Emphasizing U.S. publications but including materials published in other countries, it covers all types of resources in the fields of bioethics, consumer health, dentistry, health care, international and global health, medical jurisprudence, medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, psychiatry, public health, and toxicology. Each entry includes a bibliographic citation, the Dewey and Library of Congress classification numbers, and a detailed annotation. Unfortunately, entries lack list prices or pricing information, which is useful to librarians who need to compare and purchase these publications. Also many entries are cross-posted word-for-word in different sections and/or chapters, which makes reading this book from cover-to-cover an exercise in diligence since this book’s contents may be repetitive. Of interest to students, educators, practicing librarians, and others, this annotated, classified bibliography-- while in need of updating in the not-so-distant future, if it is to remain useful and pertinent-- may be recommended for public, academic, and special library book collections. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com

Griffey, Jason. Gadgets and Gizmos: Personal Electronics and the Library.

American Library Association TechSource. 2010. 35p. bibliog.. illus. ISBN 978-0-8389-5809-4. $43.00. Item Number 7400-8094. (ALA e-Editions) $33.00. 978-0-8389-5809-4. (Kindle e-Book) $23.00.

Perhaps you may not have realized it, but we are living in the midst of an ongoing information revolution, in which personal electronics or “gadgets” and “gizmos” are key components that have tremendous potential to transform societies and institutions such as libraries. In this book, which was published as an issue of Library Technology Reports (Vol. 46, No. 3), Griffey (Head of Library Information Technology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; author of Mobile Technology and Libraries and with Karen A. Coombs Library Blogging; columnist for American Libraries “Perpetual Beta” and the ALA TechSource blog), a well- known library technology expert, provides a guide to several “current,” relatively inexpensive-- most are less than $300 and none are greater than $500—personal electronic products and how they fit into any library’s plans for a high- tech future. The author examines a handful of personal electronic products in terms of their features, performance, functionalities, costs, and applications for libraries. Focusing heavily on electronic book readers or e-readers, he also includes various multimedia devices for “capturing and consuming” as well as odd or unusual technologies. Some of the categories of gadgets reviewed by Griffey include e-readers, video cameras, audio recorders, scanners, and multimedia players. The author covers many of the most popular products such as Sony e-readers, the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Flip, the Sony Bloggie, the Zoom H2, the iPod Touch, the Apple iPad, and more. While he mainly scrutinizes personal electronic products of significance to libraries, librarians, and their patrons, he also references pertinent software applications and Internet websites. Professional and technical in approach, but understandable to anyone who may have a basic to intermediate knowledge of personal electronic products and their applications, this publication will be of interest to librarians and others. An important resource for librarians and their staffs, it is highly recommended for public, academic, and special library collections. Review copy. Availability: ALA Online Store, Amazon, Amazon (Kindle edition), Barnes & Noble

Polanka, Sue, Ed.. No Shelf Required: E-Books in Libraries.

American Library Association Editions. 2010. c.194p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1054-2. $65.00. Item Number: 7400-0542 (e-book, ALA e-Editions). $52.00. B0043VE3J6 (Kindle Edition). $52.00.

Existing for more than 10 years, electronic books are going mainstream. A relatively new phenomenon for many librarians and publishers, they raise many issues and challenges. In this compilation, Polanka (Head of Reference and Instruction, Wright State University Libraries, Dayton, Ohio; M. L. S., Kent State University School of Library and Information Science; “Off The Shelf” Column Writer, Booklist’s Reference Books Bulletin; Moderator, No Shelf Required blog), a reference and instruction librarian with extensive experience in public, state, and academic libraries, as well as a variety of professionals share their expertise about e-books. In nine chapters, contributors examine electronic books in relation to the Internet, student learning, school libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, and the publishing industries. They discuss topics, not limited to the history of e-books, their types, technologies, devices and software applications, pricing models, data standards, usage statistics, preservation, and future. A must-read for librarians and professionals involved with the collection development, acquisition, cataloging, and/or preservation of electronic books, this nicely- presented and well- documented publication, with easy-to-read, insightful essays by experts, provides a significant, solid foundation for further practice and research. It is strongly recommended for many school, public, and academic library collections as a primary professional resource that can be read in its entirety or by chapter, as needed. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Amazon (Kindle Edition), Barnes & Noble.com

Dowd, Nancy, Evangeliste, Mary, and Silberman, Jonathan. Bite-Sized Marketing: Realistic Solutions for the Overworked Librarian.

American Library Association. 2010. c.140p. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1000-9. $48.00.

Writing upon the premise that worthwhile, ten-minute, marketing fixes for libraries are unattainable, but that library marketing does not have to be grand, here Dowd (Director of Marketing, New Jersey State Library, Trenton, NJ), Evangeliste (Director, User Services and Outreach, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA), and Silberman (Owner, Fearless Future; Graphic Designer, American University Library, Washington, D.C.) show how library marketing can be integrated into the everyday work experiences of librarians and library staff and still be manageable. They have created a book presenting ideas and strategies to help librarians and others articulate the value of libraries. Based mainly upon word-of-mouth marketing but incorporating other marketing techniques, including storytelling, electronic resource marketing, public relations, outreach, advocacy, Web 2.0 tools, design, branding, best practices, and more, the authors present an assortment of simple and cost-effective marketing solutions for small to medium-sized libraries. Easy-to-read, insightful, and nicely-presented, with lists, examples, worksheets, and more, this publication, which functions as a quick informative resource rather than a detailed how-to manual or comprehensive reference book, will be of interest mostly to public librarians and others desiring to articulate the value of libraries and library services. Recommended. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com
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