of things libraries can measures and how to organize the datacollected. They then proceed to discuss ways to rapidly improveprocesses. This involves a way of being able to identify if achange makes an improvement in a process and designatingchanges that will accomplish improvement. Throughout thisprocess there is a constant reflection on the overall goal that is tobe accomplished.

The final chapter discusses the ways in which to manageprocess improvement throughout the library system. Thischapter details the overarching issues and concerns that amanager in the library will want to consider when engaging inprocess improvement.

This book contains a wealth of information and examples ofhow to think about and work on processes within the library. Itwill appeal to library managers who wish to take on the task ofimproving their library functions and to library employees whowish to have a guide to improving library processes. The bookcontains several technical sections with an abundance ofgraphics, charts, and equations. This is most prevalent in thesections on measuring process performance and rapidlyimproving processes. Whereas this may turn off the non-technical reader, most of the book is highly engaging and shouldappeal to all readers.—Robert D. Laws, Digital and AccessServices Librarian, SFS-atar Library, Georgetown Uni-versity, Doha, Qatar <rdl27@georgetown.edu>.

doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2008.07.005

Transforming Library Service through Information Com-mons: Case Studies for the Digital Age, by D. Russell Baileyand Barbara Gunter Tierney. Chicago: American LibraryAssociation. 2008. 155p. $55.00. ISBN 978-0-8389-0958-4.

Though the concept of the information commons has beenaround for approximately two decades, it is now that anincreasing number of college and university libraries areincorporating them into their environments to keep up withthe demands of ever increasing and changing high-endtechnologies that students, no matter what their discipline ofstudy is, need to be academically successful. In TransformingLibrary Service through Information Commons, D. RussellBailey and Barbara Gunter Tierney guide readers through thehistory, planning, implementation, and assessment of theinformation commons.

Though they are often used interchangeably, the book beginswith a discussion of authors' perceived differences between aninformation commons and a learning commons. Bailey andTierney outline the various goals of each commons and specifyhow they should adjust on differing levels of change, thesebeing isolated change, far-reaching change, and transforma-tional change. Following this discussion is a chapter on thehistory and evolution of the commons concept. As the commonsevolves, the authors outline the requirements that must beaddressed and then periodically re-evaluated and adjusted as theneeds (point of need, time of need, place of need, level of need,and format of need) of the end users change (p.7). Thesubsequent chapters present information on the planning,implementation, and assessment of an information commons.The two largest chapters of this work present case studies oninformation commons in large academic libraries and then small

academic libraries. The case studies include a summarized datachart followed by a narrative section that includes informationon topics such as location of the institution, a description of theinformation commons, statistics on service transactions, staff-ing, training, assessment, governance, and lessons learned sincethe opening of each respective commons. The book concludeswith sample surveys, a glossary of information commons terms,and an extensive bibliography of additional references thatreaders will find valuable for further research.

Transforming Library Service through Information Commonswill be evidently most helpful to libraries that are thinking ofimplementing an information commons, but it will also be usefulto those already established commons that need review. Readersare given an outline for developing a commons with usefulsuggestions based on the case studies presented in the text.Additionally, the authors include snapshots taken of some of thecommons presented in these case studies so that readers canvisualize how the concept has come together at these institutions.Bailey and Tierney have compiled a generalized, yet pertinent,commentary on information commons that any academic librarycan apply to its environment as the organization implements orre-evaluates a space that lends itself to the educational success ofits users.—Andrea Malone, Assistant Librarian, Universityof Houston, M. D. Anderson Library, 114 UniversityLibraries, Houston, TX 77204 <armalone@uh.edu>.

doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2008.07.006

Building Digital Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual No.153, by Terry Reese, Jr. and Kyle Banerjee. New York, NY:Neal Shuman, 2008. 275p. $75.00 ISBN 978-1-55570-617-3.

Anyone interested in learning about building digital librariesand the challenges and opportunities they present will be wellserved by Terry Reese, Jr. and Kyle Banerjee's new book,Building Digital Libraries: a How-To-Do-It Manual. The booktackles an emerging and multi-faceted topic by offering a guidefor planning, building, and maintaining locally created digitalrepositories.

Digital repositories comprise a digital library. Digital reposi-tories are collections of digital content that have been born-digital or have been converted to digitized formats that arestored and processed in a virtual space. The authors explain,“Unlike physical repositories, which exist to preserve specificinformation artifacts, the purpose of the digital repository is topreserve access to information artifacts.” (p.3).

The book is divided into ten chapters, offering useful ques-tions and resources to assist the reader in this how-to book.However, for a how-to manual, this topic requires thoughtfulconsideration and foresight, and readers should not expect asimple formula.

The first chapter, “Planning a Digital Repository,” addressesthe larger issues surrounding a digital repository such aspurpose, file formats, marketing, understanding user needs andsecurity, and offers up additional resources for reference. Reeseand Banerjee are quick to note the framework for building adigital repository is different than building a physical collection.Chapter Two explores the acquisition of digital content andrights management and provides an example of how digitalrepositories are different than physical ones; digital repositories

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