Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)

July 2005: Compiled and annotated by Sue Searing

The Library in the Palm of Your Hand: PDAs

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1. Ten Myths About PDAs
2. Information at the Point of Care
3. Getting Started with PDAs
4. The PDA Librarian
5. Library Services for PDA Users
6. Electronic Book Usage in Public Libraries
7. Redesigning Library Applications for PDAs
8. Additional Information and Resources

1. Ten Myths about PDAs

John, Nancy R., and Dennis C. Tucker. "Ten Myths about PDAs Debunked."
Computers in Libraries v.23, no.3 (March 2003): 26-30.

Although this article appeared more two years ago, these myths about PDAs are still
circulating.

#1. It's Just a Fad - Mobile computing is becoming a part of many Americans' daily
life. By 2007, there will be 60 million PDA users worldwide.

#2: Only a Few People Have Handhelds - Millions already own PDAs; and as more
businesses cut costs by replacing laptops with PDAs (and increasingly sophisticated cell
phones), new devices and services are being developed.

#3: They Don't Have Much to Offer Libraries - In fact, PDAs allow libraries to realize
the dream of point-of-need service. In addition to the online catalog, libraries can offer
expensive databases, e-journals and e-books; links to resources that support PDAs; free
software; instruction and users groups; information about the library; e-reference and e-
reserves.

#4: They Don't Have Much to Offer Librarians - Library staff can benefit from PDA
functionality like datebooks, address books, and memo pads. Add-on software and a
keyboard can turn a PDA into a wee PC. Infrared beaming allows you to share data with
other PDA users - for example, you can beam your business card to a colleague.

#5: There Are Too Many Kinds of PDAs to Support - Really, there are only three types
of PDA: mobile phones, Blackberries and other small devices; Palm-based devices; and
devices that run Windows software. Redesign the library's web pages for the simplest
and smallest display.

#6: It's Expensive to Provide PDA Services - Costs will vary depending on whether the
library merely provides services for people who already own PDAs, furnishes PDAs to
library staff, or acquires a stock of devices for loan to patrons. Creating or re-designing
web pages is relatively cheap; installing a wireless network is not too expensive; and
many PDA applications are available free.

#7: We'd Have to Provide Handhelds for Users - More and more library users have their
own PDAs.

#8: PDA Service Will Soon Become Obsolete - Mobile computing is here to stay. If
libraries don't offer PDA services, a competitor will.

#9: No One Will Use the PDA Service We Provide - Usage may be low at first, but the
library benefits from being ahead of the curve and capturing the early adopters as
customers.

#10: No One Else Is Doing It - Libraries have been slow to offer PDA services, but web
companies like Amazon.com haven't. The forward-looking libraries that have reached
out to PDA users serve as inspiring models.

2. Information at the Point of Care

Peterson, May. "Library Service Delivery via Hand-held Computers-The Right
Information at the Point of Care." Health Information & Libraries Journal v.21
(2004): 52-56.

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are now commonplace in clinical medical practice.
They enable doctors to utilize tools, such as cardiac monitoring software, at the patient's
bedside, and they serve as electronic diaries and organizers. Their true strength,
however, is as information retrieval and storage devices. How can health science
librarians make the most of PDA technology?

Information Resources:

• The most suitable information resources for PDAs are ready reference tools, like
  drug databases and dictionaries. These can be displayed well on a small screen,
  and they provide fast answers when doctors are under time constraints
• Some information resources stand alone, but others-such as Ovid@Hand--can
  be synched with a larger information system, such as Medline, to facilitate further
  research on flagged topics.
• With a wireless connection and a browser, a PDA can access the full range of
  library and web-based materials.

Role of the Library:

• Evaluate PDA information resources and recommend those that are reliable and
  authoritative.
• Arrange trials of new resources and solicit feedback from users.
• Train users by making PDAs a standard part of library instruction.
• Provide docking stations and/or wireless connectivity in the library.
• Establish and facilitate a PDA users group.
• Modify selected library web pages for optimal display on a tiny screen.

Management Issues:

• Technical problems arise when the parent organization does not prescribe a
  particular model of PDA.
• Docking stations may not easily accommodate multiple devices; several types of
  docking stations may be required. (Wireless networks eliminate this problem.)
• Network security is critical, especially when users are accessing or downloading
  patient data.
• Many information providers are geared to individual subscribers and require user
  IDs and passwords.
• The Pocket PC and Palm operating systems are both widely used, so information
  resources should ideally be compatible with both.
• There are costs to supply library staff with PDAs and train them.
• Policies and maintenance routines must be put in place to assure PDA-friendly
  library web sites.

Conclusions:

• As clinicians are increasingly pressured to practice evidence-based medicine,
  demand on medical libraries for PDA information resources will grow.
• Platform-independent resources, web browser compatibility, and wireless
  connections will take some of the anxiety out of choosing which PDA to
  purchase.
• Librarians must work with the vendors of information products to develop
  subscription models.
• "As the technology develops, the PDA will become as much a part of the
  clinicians' armory as the stethoscope, and the library is well positioned to ensure
  that they have access to the best quality information via the device at the bedside,
  when they need it."

3. Getting Started with PDAs

McCabe, Jennifer. "Getting Started with PDAs: A Library-driven Project at James
Madison University." Library Hi Tech News n.1 (2004): 30-32.

The library at James Madison University provided PDAs and associated services to an
Informatics class. From their experiences they distilled a set of general guidelines for
incorporating PDAs into academic library services:

• Identify the need. Focus on the specific uses to which the PDAs will be put and
  target a specific cohort of students and/or faculty. Write a clear mission statement
  for the project. Outline the goals and objectives, the expected student
  competencies, and the necessary software and hardware.
• Build support. Line up technical support, since PDAs may not fit into the
  institution's existing tech support models. If the project is tied to a class, get the
  buy-in of teaching faculty. Be sure that library administrators understand the
  project. Work with the campus grant officers if outside funding is needed, and
  clarify equipment procurement issues with business staff. Look for intellectual
  and emotional support among colleagues who are already using PDAs, as well as
  those who aren't yet users but are enthusiastic about the project.

• Do it as a team. Motivate each other to take ownership of the project, make (and
  stick to) a timeline, and identify and divide up tasks. Specific tasks include:
  o Creating a written description of the project.
  o Choosing a platform and model of PDA.
  o Choosing software.
  o Establishing borrowing policies and procedures.
  o Setting up an inventory system.
  o Procuring the devices.
  o Writing student competencies and designing projects.
  o Planning communication.

• Start small. Choose a class of 20-50 people. Pick one model of PDA, based on
  the availability of appropriate applications.

• Do it incrementally. Allow time for the new service to catch on and for
  participants to achieve comfort with the technology. Create a timeline or Gantt
  chart to track progress.

• Tie the pilot project to a class. Guarantee a group of student participants with a
  vested interest in the project's success, who may also contribute innovative ideas.

• Publicize the project. Informing the campus community will raise the profile of
  the library as a leader in using emerging technologies. Report on progress to
  stakeholders and other interested parties. Use multiple communication channels--
  interest group lunches, open houses, email newsletters, articles in campus
  publications, etc.

• Get feedback. Solicit the participating students' opinions, but be sure they
  understand that their opinions will not affect their grades. Pay attention to
  questions asked by users. Employ questionnaires, online discussions, brown bag
  lunches, and other techniques to gather feedback. Assess students' performance
  on required tasks.

• Have fun! Use your enthusiasm to sustain the team's motivation and interest
  others in the project.

4. The PDA Librarian

Rios, Gabriel R. "PDA Librarian." Reference Services Review v.32, no.1 (2004):
16-20.

New roles for librarians have emerged at libraries that have experimented with PDAs.
At the University of Virginia's Claude Moore Library, the "PDA initiative" has a number
of components, including:

• A library-sponsored PDA user group.
• An annual InfoFair that spotlights mobile information technology, with over 20
  exhibitors and some 500 participants.
• Infra-red services within the library, allowing PDA users to transfer files between
  PDAs, the Internet, and desktop computers; to access TCP/IP based applications
  via Ethernet; and to print directly from PDA files.
• A wireless LAN.
• Open training sessions on selecting and buying a PDA, using PalmOS, and
  viewing and manipulating web pages and documents.
• Curriculum-integrated training in the context of courses and student conferences.
• Content developed and/or licensed by the library.

Lessons learned include:

• Once the librarians became known as leaders in PDA technology, users asked for
  more services and products; some of these fell outside the library's expertise and
  scope. Users expected library service desks to function as PDA help desks.
• The popular infra-red service proved problematic because PDA hardware and
  software differs among manufacturers.
• Patrons used the library's infra-red-equipped computers to install and upgrade
  programs on their PDAs, so librarians had to create and update documentation
  about these procedures.
• Questions from physicians about storing patient data on PDAs raised issues about
  privacy protection that required consultation with local experts on HIPAA
  regulations.
• The lack of a standard PDA brand or model within the institution put pressure on
  the library to offer platform-independent resources.

Librarians benefited from the PDA initiative by:

• Gaining greater understanding of their patrons' information-seeking behavior in
  the context of their daily work.
• Forging relationships with other campus units, including the CIO's office.
• Taking on an enhanced image as leaders in information technology.
• Reinforcing the insight that "it is important for librarians to be fixated not on the
  medium but on the end result, which is access to quality information."

6. Electronic Book Usage in Public Libraries

Dearnley, James, Cliff McKnight, and Anne Morris. "Electronic Book Usage in
Public Libraries: A Study of User and Staff Reactions to a PDA-based Collection."
Journal of Librarianship and Information Science v.36 no.4 (December 2004): 175-
182.

During a three-month trial period, patrons of the bookmobile service of the Essex County
Library (England) used e-books on Hewlett Packard iPAQ devices. Researchers at the
Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, evaluated the experiment.

Background:

• While a few libraries in the UK were providing e-books, the practice was not
  widespread at the time of this trial (Jan-April 2004). Reasons for the slow uptake
  include a lack of UK titles in commercial e-book collections, concerns about
  network security, the expense of launching a new service, the lack of e-book
  standards and the obsolescence of e-book formats.
• The potential benefits to public libraries of offering e-books are raising the
  library's profile as an innovative service provider and making reading material
  available any time, anywhere to those with internet connections.
• Advance training of library staff and volunteers was key to the success of the trial.
• The iPAQs were modified for ease-of-use by customizing buttons to provide
  shortcuts and masking non-e-book applications.
• Librarians, not patrons, were responsible for downloading e-books to the PDAs.
• A questionnaire was used to gauge readers' reactions, while a group discussion
  gathered feedback from staff.

User perceptions:

• Twenty-three readers completed questionnaires. Half of them were sixty years or
  older; two-thirds were retired. Most read at least one book per week. The
  majority used a computer at home or work.
• Respondents read a variety of genres on the PDAs, with crime fiction, science
  fiction and autobiographies among the most popular.
• Most respondents found the PDAs easy to use.
• They liked especially the convenience of the PDAs - their small size, portability,
  and the ability to store several books on one device. They also reacted positively
  to the backlighting of the screen, which facilitated reading in dimly lit areas.
• They had negative reactions to the short battery life and small screen of the PDAs.
  In addition, they missed the tactile pleasures of reading a print book.
• They found reading on a PDA to be quite different from reading print - in the
  researchers' words, "a lack of immersion in the reading experience" due to the
  distractions of the technology.

Staff perceptions:

• The strengths of the PDA e-books were perceived as portability, the positive
  impact of delivering a new technology, and the ease of integrating PDAs into the
  bookmobile service.
• The weaknesses were largely technological. For example, short battery-life led
  to the need to reformat the devices, and some users loaded third-party
  applications onto the PDAs.
• Librarians observed that e-books on PDAs provided greater privacy for people
  who felt embarrassed by publicly reading books on personal or mental health
  issues.

Conclusions:

• While participants were open to trying e-books on PDAs, they were not
  enamored of them.
• To serve for leisure reading, portable reading devices must be comfortable and
  usable for long periods of time, which the iPAQs were not.
• E-book collections should be promoted as supplementing, not replacing, print
  collections.
• Readers have emotional bonds to printed books and to their local libraries, which
  are barriers to adopting e-books.
• E-book collections should be large enough to allow readers sufficient choice
  among titles.
• "E-book formats useable on PDAs are best left to individuals who own their own
  devices and are comfortable using them… [M]aking the reading experience
  uncomfortable or awkward serves no useful purpose."
• The complete final report of the project is available from the British Library:
  http://www.bl.uk/about/cooperation/pdf/laserfinal3.pdf

7. Redesigning Library Services for PDA Applications

McCullough, John. "Redesigning Library Applications for PDAs: ILS Vendor
Perspective." Library Hi Tech v.21 no.4 (2003): 393-399.

The author, formerly with Innovative Interfaces, explains how PDAs can enhance
integrated library systems (ILS).

Background:

• ILS vendors are venturing beyond their traditional products - cataloging,
  authority control, circulation, acquisitions, serials control, and online catalogs - to
  provide new information access tools.
• Increasingly, these new products are marketed to libraries beyond the core group
  of customers of the vendor's ILS, and are competing with third-party products.

Patrons and PDAs:

• Rather than offer radically new services, PDA services offered by ILS vendors
  generally supplement or extend existing library services, e.g. by providing
  wireless access to the online catalog.
• The standard features of PDAs suggest opportunities to transmit information to
  patrons, such as a reminder inserted into a personal calendar about the due date of
  a book.
• PDAs can import not just metadata, but content such as online course reserve
  readings.
• Kiosks within libraries can beam news and announcements to patrons' PDAs.
• Infra-red beaming raises issues of data security, especially in regard to
  confidential circulation records, so ILS vendors are focusing more on wireless
  Internet access which is device-independent.

Staff applications and PDAs:

• While proprietary software is undesirable for public access, the specialized tasks
  in which staff members engage may justify it.
• An ILS circulation module designed for PDAs is useful when the main system is
  down and on bookmobiles.
• PDAs are used to inventory physical collections; wireless networks and RFID
  (radio frequency identification) can extend their capability.

Wireless online catalogs:

• PDA-accessible OPACs allow users to search the library's holdings anywhere,
  any time.
• Users can interact with the OPAC to place holds or renew items.
• Librarians can carry the OPAC on a PDA along with them into the stacks or
  elsewhere to assist a user.
• OPACs must be designed to work with the varied PDA and cell phone software.

Conclusion: Until there is a critical mass of PDA users demanding library services, ILS
vendors will treat development of PDA products as a supplementary rather than primary

8. Additional Information and Resources

For Further Inspiration

http://web.simmons.edu/~fox/pda/
"PDAs, Handhelds and Mobile Technologies in Libraries."

This site, maintained by Megan Fox of Simmons College Libraries, offers links to
information about and examples of:

• PDA implementations in libraries
• Resources for purchasing or using PDAs
• PDA-friendly library web pages
• Books and reference materials for PDAs
• Electronic journals and traditional databases for PDAs
• Integrated library systems software for PDAs
• Training and user groups
• Hardware: Lending devices and peripherals
• Providing connectivity stations: Syncing and printing
• Statistical collection and inventory

In addition, Fox lists blogs, listservs, and other tools for keeping up-to-date; provides an
annotated directory of libraries that offer PDA services; offers a brief bibliography; and
includes links to her own presentations about PDAs and libraries.

http://www.handheldlib.blogspot.com
"The Handheld Librarian."

This blog features the latest "handheld computer news, ideas, and opinions from
librarians and others interested in libraries," with archives going back to early 2002.