More Handstory discussion/web pages

These postings from handheld librarian today:From: "Steven Grove"
To:
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 6:27 AM
Subject: Re: [handheldlibrarians] Handstory 2.0 as Avantgoreplacement--
comments
... This is good news. But won't they discover what we librarians are up
to and starting charging as did Avantgo?

Jake replies...

Hi Steve and all,
Hopefully that won't be the case -- it seems like Handstory and similar
firms have a different business model in mind anyway. I'm a real newbie at
this, but I think that when links are updated/downloaded using a program
like Handstory, you go right to the html pages/sources, (which may be
specially formatted or not) instead of to a special server. These pages are
then downloaded, converted, cached and at some point 'sync-ed' to your PDA.
The software on your PC (Handstory) does the work, which makes things a lot
faster. In this model, the user buy$ the software and that's how Handstory
makes money. With Avantgo's model, you connect to *their* servers which do
some work, download the processed pages to your PC where they are cached,
and sync-ed to your PDA. In this model, the *Info Provider* pays$ to have
their info featured on Avant Go's site and available through their servers.
Software for the user is free. That's how Avantgo makes money (and why they
don't make $$$ when lots of users go to a site via 'custom' channels, where
the Info Provider hasn't paid anything to Avantgo)

I'm torn between these two models -- As a Library kinda guy, I want the
most PDA *users* to be able to access our information, even those that can't
afford the $$$ for software. Avantgo is *free* for users -- great. As a
Info-user/organizer/consumer, I feel Handstory is a much better model (more
effiicient, more powerful and certainly permitting more diversity -- it
includes lots of smaller Info *providers* who can't afford the $$$ paid to
Avantgo). Two models, both valid for libraries. Great stuff for
discussion, so I'll leave it at that! take care, Jake

What is the best way to go about creating pages targeted for PDAs? I want
to use HTML. I am currently using Dreamweaver to manage our website. I do
know that our pages display reasonably well via synching through Compaq
IPAQs. Any suggestions?

Bill Drew

Also I have mentioned your blog to many other librarians from public to
law,
and are excited about it.

Barbara Fullerton

----Thanks, Barbara!

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland Baltimore (www.hshsl.umaryland.edu) has created a page for our handheld users using AvantGo channels.

M.J. Tooey

Thanks MJ!

Handheld Library web sites

Lincoln Trail Libraries System, located
in Champaign, Illinois, has created a PDA Connect web page so that their librarians
can "have library hours, contact information, directions, phone and fax numbers, upcoming
library event schedules, and more" at their fingertips when they need it. They are using
Avantgo to provide this service. This looks
like a great resource for their member libraries! Congratulations, LTLS!

The Charles
J. Keffer Library has created a pda edition of its website with information on hours,
location, staff directory, new books, and services. Their site also indicates they use
AvantGo.

Yale University Medical
School also has a pda page on the medical library via Avantgo for users.

If you know of other libraries that have created web pages in pda format, email them to me and
I can post them or you can post them to the group.

The Anytime, Anywhere Library

Sorry to post again, but there are limitations on the amount you can put in one
post. Thanks to Jake White from the University of Washington whose e-mail today
made my whole week! He also says, "We
are just starting discussions/visioning here about the "Anywhere
Library"
and I think handhelds (of whatever variety) can and eventually will
play a
large part in that scenario. I don't think we have even scratched the
surface of what's possible yet."

I think this exciting concept speaks for us all as we envision bringing
information to our users and non-users in the format in which they want it.
This also echoes the philosophy of
The Shifted Librarian. In a recent meeting at our hospital, this was illustrated
for me best when one of our doctors said what he really wanted was to have
access to information resources, and one in particular called Up To Date,
available to him when he is in a patient room so he could use a tablet pc with
wireless access to the network. This would enable him to confirm a diagnosis,
a treatment, or care plan right then and there at the point of care, where and when
he needed it. Handhelds/tablet pcs, wireless access, and the "shift of information" delivery
where, when, and how people want it is the anywhere, anytime library we would like
to be able to provide our users. What other things/services do you envision for
the anytime, anywhere library? Send them to the list or to me, and I will credit you and
post them to this list. I agree with Jake; we have not scratched the surface of what
handhelds can deliver; the future is upon us; and we need to be in the game.

Handstory/Avantgo

Hello! There were a number of interesting posts on the yahoogroup
for handheld librarians about the new product
Handstory which was mentioned here a couple of days ago as one of
many possible solutions for Avantgo. I asked the posters if they would
mind me reposting them to the blog so that those who do not subscribe
to the yahoo group could see them here on the web page. Thanks to all
who posted on this exciting new product! Those posters are credited below.

Hi All,
Handstory Suite's new version 2.0 (http://www.handstory.com) for Palm OS was released on February 23. After using it for a few days, I must say that I am absolutely overjoyed at the performance, features and ease-of use as an Avantgo replacement. Many of the limitations of Avantgo (slow response time from their servers, limted allowable channels and memory, inability to directly sync to cards, custom channel limits etc.) are blown away by Handstory.
In addition it has great high-res and color support, a good ebook/memo reader and even an image viewer. All documents/images are accessible from a common list
Joy of joys, this morning before work it automatically downloaded tons of fresh info from the web directly into my Clie's 128 Meg memory stick -- in a fraction of the time Avantgo used to take (if the servers were working at all). With 128 megs to play with, even color comics and images are not a memory problem... :)

Handstory now has its own growing library of preset channels (http://www.handstory.com/clip/index.html) or it is very easy to add unlimited custom ones which seem to work quite well. This weekend I will experiment with pages in Cyrillic, tables, and complicated web pages, but so far so good. Cost is $19.95 -- well worth it for me, and there is a free 30 day trial. I think this one is a keeper.

Anway, you might want to check it out if you're in the market for a powerful Avantgo replacement! -- Jake (I have no connection with the company, but am definitely a very happy camper!)
----------------------------------------------------
Jake White
Slavic & East European Acquisitions Specialist
Box 352900
University of Washington Libraries

p>PDAs set pace of wireless uptake

"The Australian Industry Standard"

On Handhelds

Legend to announce PDA partnerships

"China Online"

On Handhelds

Palm ordered to post GBP35m bond

"vnunet.com"

On Handhelds

News Toshiba XScale based PDA's?

On PDA Buzz

SFPUG reviews PalmSource with Astraware giveaways!

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Top PC maker in China to go mobile, possibly tap Handspring (Updated)

On PDA Buzz

Xerox, Palm patent dispute continues

"Xerox fails to halt Palm sales, Palm posts $50m bond against possible damages settlement"

On PMN News Centre

Major entertainment brands are mobilising

"BBC, Hasbro, Nelly, Cartoon Network join growing list of brands experimenting with mobile"

On PMN News Centre

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Seattle, WA 98195
USA

jfwhite@u.washington.edu

Here's a story on the first pocket wireless digital assistant by Jornada. It
was in today's CNET alert.

Barbara Fullerton
Electronic Resources Librarian
Pioneer Hi-Bred International
7300 NW 62nd Ave.
PO Box 1004
Johnston, IA 50131
telephone: 515-270-4345
fax: 515-253-2184
email: barbara.fullerton@pioneer.com

http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handhelds/0,39001703,39001200p,00.htm
<>

Jake and all:

I,too, tried Handstory and I agree! It's a great replacement.

But can it used like Avantgo to produce web page channels for libraries?

Steve Grove
Librarian
Harold H. Brittingham Memorial Library
2500 Metrohealth Drive
Cleveland, OHio 44109-1998
PHONE: 216.778.4706
FAX: 216.778.8242
EMAIL: sgrove@metrohealth.org
PDA: PALMVIIx
Hi Steve and fellow handheldlibs,
Yes, I think it must be able to produce web page channels since Handstory
does this essentially from the clip index web page -- they use an .hsc
(handstory channel/clip?) file type. They mention that they are still
working on the "Handstory Clip Editor" which should be out soon and should
be included in the suite. (their use of the term 'clip' sometimes seems
roughly to be the same as our 'channel' ) -- I think this capability will
allow us to tailor .hsc channels similar to the ones they use on their
index page. Will certainly be trying this out as soon as it appears and
will post what I find. (I did try to snoop out the structure of an .hsc
file but no luck! :)
Jake / UW Libraries, Seattle

Ovid@hand and other things

Hello! Since many of you on this list are medical librarians, I am going to
take The Shifted Librarian's advice
and publicize A
Medical Text That Heals Itself. This is from Wired and was mentioned on Jenny's blog.
The text can be downloaded on to a handheld and is a "work in progress." Jenny also says
"medical librarians rule!" Jenny, you've made our day!

Jenny also comments on Steve Coffman of LSSI's new virtual reference course being
offered at the University of Maryland. Guess what, Jenny and other Illinoisans? We are
going to discuss bringing Steve to Illinois to do this at the next ILA RTSF Technology
Users Group meeting. We have approached him about doing this very same thing in
Illinois and he is game! What a great workshop it looks to be! Many of the workshops
on virtual reference provide an overview, policies, publicity and all, but this one
promises to show you how to be a virtual reference librarian, how to handle the
virtual problem patrons (if only they were all virtual, huh?) It also promises to show
us how to avoid the mistakes and actual hands-on with the LSSI software.
Go here to read more
about this great workshop. Let's hope we can bring Steve and his crew to
Illinois!

Read this article
on e-books from Wired. The article states that 2001 was a disappointing year
for the e-book industry, as indeed it was for most industries.The article quotes top
executives and others involved in e-books about what the best news was, the wish list
for 2002, and what were the most over-rated issues and disappointments for 2001.
Palm's sales of e-books are on the rise; handhelds will definitely become the platform
of choice for e-books. A great deal of progress in e-books has also been made. The article
cites that the field of law does not use print much anymore; almost everything is an e-book
or online; and the number of e-books on the Internet for download has increased.

There have also been a number of exciting new initiatives in the world of e-books,
such as the ground-breaking CIC initiative
The Cooperative Library/University Press Initiative. Kudos to Tom Peters on
this exciting initiative!

Is anyone out there trying ovid@hand?
We are! This has to be one of the first interactive library programs available for handhelds. Although
it is in its infancy, the possibilities are exciting! Our library
subscribes to about 200 of Ovid's full text magazines. With ovid@hand, our physicians, residents,
and medical personnel can subscribe to receive their choice of these tables of contents on their
handheld, select abstracts for which they want to read the full text of an article, hot sync, and view
the full text of the article in their personal library. Some trying this new service would like the full
text on the handheld, but are pleased with being able to view the abstracts and after a hotsync
having the full text right there for their viewing pleasure. I think this is a beautiful beginning for
library applications on handhelds!

NSC has big plans for handhelds

"Taipei Times Online"

On Handhelds

Palm confirms Xerox appeal is ongoing

"Ananova"

On Handhelds

Palm to Xerox: Back off Graffiti

"CNET"

On Handhelds

Palm ordered to post bond in patent dispute

"CW360.com"

On Handhelds

PC giant Legend to announce PDA pact

"CNET"

On Handhelds

Microsofts vision: PDA for the common man

"Silicon.com"

On Handhelds

Handmark Takes Two Awards for SCRABBLE Game On PDA

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Handmark Takes Two Awards for SCRABBLE Game On PDA

On Palm Gear H.Q.

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ZDNet: Tech Update: Wireless / Wireless: What the doctors ordered - Not much in the way of a Library spin on this one, but if read between the lines, it's not hard to see the information 'science' going on behind the scenes.

AvantBlog This Avantgo Channel allows you to post to any of your Blogger sites from your handheld device. Follow the instructions provided at the above link.

Another alternative method of posting to your Blogger sites: wapblogger - A WAP interface to Blogger, LiveJournal and other smart weblog-style tools from cellpones.

Tell us how you did it!/Handheld device for disabled/Aladdino

Eric, tell us how you did it! How did you post to this via your Palm Pilot?
I am dying to know

Benetech
is working on Sonorus, a handheld device for the disabled. They think that within 5
years a cell phone will be the most important platform for people with disabilities.
This will be a talking IPAQ.

If you remember my post from a few days ago, wondering about how to handle
charges with Avantgo, I did hear from
a similar company Aladdino, a service
similar to Avantgo. What is interesting is that they want xml or textfeeds from
the page to turn it into a mobile channel. They say they prefer the xml feeds.
For more details on XML feeds please go to:
<"http://www.en.aladdino.com/en/btoc_specs_tech_xml.htm">here.
The Shifted Librarian is on
the ball and on top of technology! Fairly soon, it will not be enough just
to put your web page out there and hope google picks it up. You will have
to put your page into an xml newsfeed as Jenny says because that will
be how people are picking up their news instead of reading the paper, looking
in google, etc. Libraries will need to put their pages in feeds, for people
reading news, finding things on the net, and getting news in a handheld format.
I wonder if newsfeeds may become the new search engines on the Internet.
Well, I hope to learn more about this Wed. when Jenny talks at the ILA RTSF
meeting. I will take good notes and post them here as news feeds relate to
handhelds anyway! Jenny, do you have a magic crystal ball?

Eric, congratulations on all you are doing with radio!
Go to Eric's new Radio blogger.

Handheld Headlines

Largest dictionary collection: promo ends Feb, 28!

On Palm Gear H.Q.

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This post is coming from my Palm Pilot (III) via http://www.dentedreality.co.au/avantblog/ - AvantBlog

PDA Conference for Librarians/Everyone, post!

Hello! I had a question about whether everyone could post and what the difference
is between posting to the blog or just the list. If you want to post to the blog, you
have to go to the blogger website, sign in (after receiving an invitation which I would
gladly :) send), and post. This post would be on the web page and go to the whole
handheld librarian group. If you want to just post to everyone in the yahoo group,
send an email to the whole group and it will go to the group but not the web page.
This is a community blog/group-everyone join in! If you want to post to the blog,
email me and I will send you an invite!

PDA Conference for Librarians
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Library & Resource
Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago
Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria are pleased to
announce a PDA conference for librarians: “Point of
Care to Your Palm: PDAs Playing in Peoria!”

The conference will take place on Friday, June 7, at
the University of Illinois College of Medicine at
Peoria as the culmination of an LSTA grant project
funded by the Illinois State Library, a division of
the Office of the Secretary of State.

Keynote speaker for the conference is Mari Stoddard,
Head of Educational Services at the University of
Arizona’s Health Sciences Library in Tucson. Her
keynote speech will address current and future trends
of pdas in the library and health care professions.
Ms. Stoddard is widely known throughout the library
field for her expertise on handheld computing. Besides
creating and teaching a series of workshops on
palmtops at the health sciences library, she has
presented workshops and papers on palmtops and
information management to the American Medical
Informatics Association, Medical Library Association,
American Library Association, and the Alliance for
Innovation in Science and Technology Information.

The conference will start at 8:00 A.M. and end at 4:30
P.M. Topics to be covered include an introduction to
and basics of PDAs; an overview of medical
applications for the PDA; selecting and evaluating
medical content for the PDA; integrating PDAs into
library services and support; and vendor demos. The
day will also include a panel discussion of the grant
project, viewpoints on PDA use, and the library role
in PDAs from PDA users and clinicians.

Other speakers include: Carol Galganski, Manager,
Library & Resource Center, OSF Saint Francis Medical
Center; Jo Dorsch, Health Sciences Librarian,
University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the
Health Sciences-Peoria; Lori Bell, Medical Librarian,
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center; Peg Burnette,
Reference/Systems Librarian, University of Illinois at
Chicago Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria; and Tom
Peters, Director of the Center for Library
Initiatives, Committee on Institutional Cooperation.

The only cost of the conference is $25.00 to cover
lunch and refreshment costs. For more information and
a flyer on the conference, contact Lori Bell, OSF
Saint Francis Medical Center, Library & Resource
Center, 530 NE Glen Oak Ave., Peoria, IL 61637, (309)
655-2269, or lori.bell@osfhealthcare.org

Handheld Headlines
p>Hitachi shows CE .NET PDA

"infoSync"

On Handhelds

EarthLink puts e-mail on PDAs

"CNN"

On Handhelds

Mitsubishis Trium set to dump Microsofts PocketPC

"Silicon.com"

On Handhelds

RSA Protects New Palm OS

"Boston.Internet.com"

On Handhelds

Hitachi to market XScale PDAs with built-in wireless LAN

"NE Online"

On Handhelds

Interview: 10 Questions with Michael Mace of PalmSource

On PDA Buzz

Trium to opt for Sun's J2ME over Pocket PC?

On PDA Buzz

New PC cards that get you connected ... fast

On PDA Buzz

New Linux Device

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

Acer to Support XScale

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

SplashData Announces SplashShopper

On Palm Gear H.Q.

AppArtist re-launches service - now free!

On Palm Gear H.Q.

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Chance Encounters of the Opportune Kind

The Shifted Librarian mentions Mazingo
as a possible solution for avantgo's charging of fees. Unfortunately for many of us, Mazingo is
only for the Pocket pc at this time.

On PDA Libraries yahoogroup, Carol Leibiger from the University of South Dakota mentioned
a product for the handheld called Vindigo. Vindigo is
"your personal navigator", tells you where you are going, and find the best places to eat,
shop and play in major U.S. cities. What about libraries? Perhaps libraries could set up an
enticing channel advertising their services and attract visitors in that way.

Chance encounters of the opportune kind - Usually I do not prey upon unsuspecting medical
personnel when they come into the library. I try to be helpful and appear knowledgeable. However,
today, a chance encounter of an opportune kind which happened about a month ago really
made me think about how we approach people in the library. About a month ago, a poor
young unsuspecting doctor came in the library to do research. He went about his business,
but when I noticed he had a handheld, I enthusiastically accosted him and asked him how he used it,
what his favorite reference tool was, and how he used it with patients. How glad I am that I did this!
It turned out this doctor has become one of the most enthusiastic supporters of our library's pda
project! It turned out he had more knowledge resource tools on his pda than any other doctor I
had encountered! He spent several hours of his time talking to Peg, my pda partner and me
educating us about how he used his pda, how the library could benefit him, etc. and what
resources were most helpful. This doctor did a presentation in his department about our
project and how Peg and I had proposed working together with him, so that we could take
advantage of his expertise and we could be of help to his department. Just to think, if I hadn't
approached him, we would not have had this opportunity! Thanks to all the doctors and
medical personnel who have helped us and embraced our project! Thanks to Carol, Carol, Peg,
Tom, Jo, and Roy for putting up with what must be sometimes irritating enthusiasm for
all things handheld! (oops better qualify that with handheld computing!) Anyone else had
a great chance encounter like this? Share it!

Our group now has 93 members and the web page is getting hits. We will be listed
in Librarian's Index to the Internet within the next few weeks.

Has anyone tried a product called Inforetriever?

Handheld Headlines

Palm readies revved-up PDAs

"Silicon.com"

On Handhelds

Instant Diagnosis in Your Palm

"Wired News"

On Handhelds

Nokia to share mobile network technologies with rivals

"The Register"

On Handhelds

The perfect PDA for business types

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

An iPAQ case out of the ordinary

"infoSync"

On Handhelds

Palm prepares pair of color handhelds

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

Acer announces plans for XScale based handhelds

On PDA Buzz

Earthlink officially takes over Omnisky service

On PDA Buzz

Yet another Linux based PDA

On PDA Buzz

Symbian shows off OS 7.0

On PDA Buzz

Infowave Launches Self-Installiable Wireless E-mail Service For Corporate PocketPC - and Palm-Powered Device Users

On Handheldnews.com

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Where to get parts for your Palm

I was talking with a colleague today and realized that many don't know where to go to get parts when their Palm needs repairs. Besides the PDA manufacturers, Gethightech Inc has parts and a free visual guide on their web site to do the most common repairs.

Also, Shard at Swordmoon Productions makes custom PDA cases to supplement his other line of products (pouches and related products for Society of Creative Anacronism members).

AvantGo/BMJ/Handheld Headlines

After playing around with all of the other products last night, hoping to find
a miracle product, I think we will have to follow The Shifted
Librarian's wisdom, "AvantGo was such a great service that it may take some time for us to play with and evaluate anything else."
Hope that this will stimulate some competition. After trying the different products last night, although many
of them are good and will find a place in the handheld market, nothing at this point can do exactly
what Avantgo can do.

BMJ has compiled a list of medical resources
available for handheld devices.

Story of how libraries are important in decision support:
One of the departments at the medical school/hospital uses Avantgo to
put up call schedules, round schedules, phone numbers, etc. They heard
from the library that Avantgo was going to charge and called librarian
Peg Burnette at UIC Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria to see what
alternatives there were, or if there were any. Peg was able to give them
the information they needed to help them make their decision. They have
decided to stay with Avantgo, but this is thanks to the assistance of Peg!
All types of libraries offer important resources and tools for decision support for individuals, professionals
in all fields!

Handheld Headlines

Palm prepares pair of color handhelds

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

Combo PDA-cell phone selection grows

"CNN"

On Handhelds

EarthLink launches handheld Web service

"Interactive Week"

On Handhelds

This PDAs To-Do Lists Can Be a Lifeline

"Business Week"

On Handhelds

Suddenly, USB Doesnt Sync Your Palm Anymore

"osOpnion"

On Handhelds

Handsprings Visor Price Dropping

"Cosmiverse.com"

On Handhelds

Can Pocket PC beat Palm? Sure. Heres how

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

PalmGear Receives BEST WEBSITE Award!

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Free Nebula Prelim Nominees - Limited Time

On Palm Gear H.Q.

RadicalTek Bids Farewell to PalmOS

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Palm m515 and m130 on the horizon?

On PDA Buzz

Palm, Inc. in the News - 2/20/2002

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Silkyboard II has been reviewed by Geek.com

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Sydney Palm Meet Offical

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Palm prepares pair of color handhelds

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

Combo PDA-cell phone selection grows

"CNN"

On Handhelds

EarthLink launches handheld Web service

"Interactive Week"

On Handhelds

This PDAs To-Do Lists Can Be a Lifeline

"Business Week"

On Handhelds

Suddenly, USB Doesnt Sync Your Palm Anymore

"osOpnion"

On Handhelds

Handsprings Visor Price Dropping

"Cosmiverse.com"

On Handhelds

Can Pocket PC beat Palm? Sure. Heres how

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

PalmGear Receives BEST WEBSITE Award!

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Free Nebula Prelim Nominees - Limited Time

On Palm Gear H.Q.

RadicalTek Bids Farewell to PalmOS

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Palm m515 and m130 on the horizon?

On PDA Buzz

Palm, Inc. in the News - 2/20/2002

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Silkyboard II has been reviewed by Geek.com

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Sydney Palm Meet Offical

On Palm Gear H.Q.

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Read more about Avantgo/Aladdino

Go here to read others'
opinions on AvantGo.

Check out Aladdino, a European version of Avantgo. I signed up
for an account and downloaded it to the pda. Works like and looks amazingly like Avantgo. I also
requested information on creating a "free mobile service." Unlike Avantgo, I could find no way to
automatically create a custom channel. I'll let you know what I find out. If you try this, let us
know what you think. Enough about Avantgo.

All that blather about avantgo/anyone tried handstory?

Well, all that blather about avantgo. Has anyone tried Handstory?
There is a free trial and then it is 14.95. It claims to be a 4-in-1 browser with a memo pad, doc reader, image viewer,
and e-book reader all in one. "No more switching back and forth between applications to read Memos, Docs, Images, or eBooks!"
"Use HandStory Converter on Windows for easy and convenient conversion of texts and images from your PC or the Internet. Convert selected texts or images directly from Internet to your Palm and convert all your txt, bmp, gif, and jpg files from your hard drive to your Palm. You can also convert addresses found in Internet." Well, I think I am off to trial Handstory. I will let you know what I find
out. If it works, this could be the answer to the software problem! If anyone tries it, let us know what you think!

Avantgo/Handheld Headlines

Hello! The buzz today is that tomorrow Avantgo is making everyone who has a custom channel
re-register their channel and that they may not have over 8 subscribers. If they wish to have more
than that, there is a fee.Click here to read
page from Avantgo.

So, regretfully, I will take off the link from the Handheld Librarian page to Avantgo.

Some of the conversation on the lists I have seen has been--what software or service is
there out there which can replicate Avantgo without having to pay? From what I have seen,
the people we are trying to reach are going to have to pay, by buying the software to do
what avantgo does, either isilo, or documents to go, or some other specialized document
reader or web parser, or we are going to have to pay to get our information to the people
we want to have it. Isilo does a great job of reading web pages; however, you would download
it as a file and then to your handheld rather than the software going out and automatically
updating your selected web pages or channels as Avantgo does. For every software solution
out there, there is a limitation of some kind or another.

Has anyone used plucker? This was mentioned as a possible
solution by several people. I went to their site, and it is free. From my limited knowledge of it,
it appeared to be something each user would have to set up at their machine with some html
code regarding the channels they want to put on their handheld. It did not appear to be as easy
as Avantgo, but it would be good to hear from others. This would not make it easy at library
sites to have more than one person hotsyncing at a station.

A few people mentioned Mazingo offering the
same type of service as Avantgo; however, it appeared
they only support pocket pcs.

My concern is for libraries that wish to provide content in a handheld friendly format
to their users, but do not have enough handheld users or enough content to justify
paying for an avantgo channel. Avantgo has chosen to charge the information provider
rather than the information user. However, if libraries provide handheld friendly content
in other possible formats, the user has to pay to select the software/reader that can read
the selected format.

There are too many handheld reading software packages that are too limited in scope
for a library to have to decide how they are going to package their content for a handheld
until wireless becomes really widespread. This is too reminiscent of the e-book
device wars that seemed to end with a pda platform for e-book reading.
If anyone has further experiences/opinions on
applications out there, please share them!

Battle lines drawn over future phones

"BBC"

On Handhelds

Hitachis new PDA targets corporate users

"CW360.com"

On Handhelds

MS, Intel, TI and HP pitch PDA-phone combo blueprints

"The Register"

On Handhelds

Get in sync with the PDA boom

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

Mobile standard plans for computer firms

"Evening Standard"

On Handhelds

HP dials in Pocket PC for new handheld

"CNET"

On Handhelds

RealNetworks goes wireless, Pocket PC software planned

On PDA Buzz

Sony Ericsson to dump EPOC in favor of Smartphone 2002

On PDA Buzz

New Ricochet owner plans aggressive pricing

On PDA Buzz

Handspring and SFR to Launch Treo in France

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Microsoft makes a play to be your next phone

On PDA Buzz

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Thomas Jefferson University JEFFLINE Palm/Handheld Support Center

Thomas Jefferson University JEFFLINE Palm/Handheld Support Center
This from Bradley Long, Senior Information Services Librarian, Scott Memorial Library, Thomas Jefferson University,
Philadelphia, PA. Thanks, Bradley! It will be included as a link on this page.

Thanks also to Bill Drew and Tom Peters for their excellent posts!

Welcome to new members!/Handheld headlines/Avantgo news

Welcome to all new members of the handheld librarians news group! If you would like
to post to the blog as well as the newsgroup at the same time,
email me and I will send you an invitation to post to the blog. To post, you must follow
the link in the e-mail. For those of you who use handhelds in the library, and would like to
have your link posted on the right of handheld libraries, please send the link to me,
and I will add it. If you have news, and would like me to post it, ,
just send it to me.

For those of you new to blogging, I recommend Peter Scott's
Library Weblogs and his Complete Guide to Weblogs.
I did not know what a web log was until 3 months ago! This site is an attempt to combine a community
blog, newsfeed, and newsgroup and to create a portal of information about handhelds and libraries. We have
been up since February 1, 2002.

The Shifted Librarian is an excellent blog by Jenny
Levine which covers many library technology topics and witty commentary too! The address
has been changed to her own domain name, http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com

Please see this story on avantgo below. This is a concern as some of our hospital departments
depend on avantgo to publish schedules, and other information for residents for their handhelds.
It is also a concern because this was an easy way for libraries to publish information for their
users.

This from Barbara Fullerton, PDA Geek
Main Page - All kinds of news on PDAs, a PDA newsletter, news, reviews and more!

This from Wireless Medical Applications:
Adventures of a Handheld Junkie - power in the Palm of your hand

By: Randall L. Nord PA-C
Randall is a CVT Surgical Physician Assistant at the Asheville Cardiac and
Thoracic Surgeons, P.A. Asheville, North Caroline.

http://www.pdacortex.com/handheld_junkie.htm

Editors note: This article originally appeared in the January 2002 issue of
Surgical Physician Assistant Journal.

Congratulations to Lynn Eades, AHIP, Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina-
Chapel Hill on an article "Creating the Library Channel: If you Build It Will They Sync?"
in MLA News, February 2002. For more information, UNC Health Sciences Library PDA Channel


Handheld Headlines

Speeding up surfing iPAQs

"infoSync"

On Handhelds

One Lump or Two?

"Time"

On Handhelds

Handheld computers take focus from PCs

"USA Today"

On Handhelds

Bargain Handhelds Everywhere

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Computing Weekly EXTRA

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

AvantGo all but kills custom channels

On PDA Buzz

Palm rails against Microsoft in anti-trust filing

On PDA Buzz

Is 802.1x wireless networking inherently flawed?

On PDA Buzz

Sony offers refurbished CLIE PEG-S320's and N610C's

On PDA Buzz

This Week @ pocketanywhere.com

On Palm Gear H.Q.

Vancouver Palm User Group Meeting: Monday Feb. 25

On Palm Gear H.Q.

First Magnetic Card Reader Springboard Module

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

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Peterson on Handhelds in Hospital Libraries

Peterson, Mary. 2002. Using Wireless Technology—Where Does the Library Fit In? Free Pint no. 104 (January 24). Available on the Web at

This article appears to be based on a talk Peterson gave at the Online Information conference in London in December 2001. Peterson’s goal is to provide “a personal view of the advent of this technology [wireless PDA’s] on the practice of librarianship” and the working habits of library users. Peterson works in a library serving a large teaching hospital. The diverse user population includes clinicians, laboratory staff, academics, and researchers. The librarian’s task is to figure out what types of library-owned information is best suited for users working with handheld computing devices. Peterson notes that, particularly in the field of special librarianship, “…in order to be really effective, the librarian needs to have a real understanding of how the library users work, what other systems they use, what sort of information they need, when they need it and where they’ll be using it.” The librarian’s role has evolved from being primarily an evaluator, custodian, and organizer of information to increasing emphasis on disseminator and teacher. Wireless tablet PC’s were tested in early 2001 at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia. There was a high level of acceptance among the clinicians who used them. Peterson suggests that tablet PCs have not taken off as much as PDA’s in healthcare situations because of the aggressive marketing surrounding PDA’s. Peterson notes that, until all handheld devices are web-enabled, they will depend on access to downloadable products, and thus be limited by the amount of memory on the individual device. The trend in recent years toward evidence-based healthcare practice has resulted in a sharp increase in demand for current information. Peterson’s library has begun examining which library e-resources can assist clinical decision-making at the point of care. They began by categorizing their e-resources: drug databases, prescribing aids, dictionaries, textbooks, e-journals, etc. Peterson suggests that librarians work with publishers, vendors, and aggregators to develop web-based, PDA-compatible displays of information. The library’s own website also needs to be made PDA-compatible. No refs. (These reading notes were taken by Tom Peters (tpeters@cic.uiuc.edu) on Feb. 15, 2002.)

The Library and the Pocket PC
I went into this project with great expectations of being able to test the use of the Pocket PC in accessing various library provided resources such as our vast array of databases, e-books, library catalog and the Internet in general. Because of the decision by Raylink not to provide drivers for wireless access, I was unable to test use of these resources directly. I will now summarize what I was able to test and do with the IPAQ.

I found that by using the Avantgo Internet service, I was able to view and use many webpages effectively. Especially useful were those such as news and weather services that change frequently. I set up my laptop and the IPAQ to synchronize the webpages. I synchronized them frequently, which allowed me to access the web offline via the IPAQ.

I experimented with using the IPAQ to read e-books. The Microsoft E-book reader is easy to use and I found it quite satisfactory. I am sure such uses for textbooks and reference material via e-books will make the use of the IPAQ as a reading device ever more important.

The IPAQ has potential as a presentation tool because of new programs that allow you to display PowerPoint presentations on it. All that would be needed is the proper interface between the IPAQ and the projector. I successfully converted several of my presentations and they worked well on it including animations and sound.

The IPAQ has huge potential as a tool in the library. Combined with a barcode reader/scanner it could be used to do book inventory. Used with a wireless connection, it could provide a reference librarian with a tool to access the library catalog and other resources while helping patrons around the library. I have used my laptop with wireless in this way.

Personally, I used the IPAQ as a PIM (personal information manager) much in the way I use my laptop. I kept it docked to my laptop when I was in my office so I could keep -email, calendar, and tasks synchronized. I used it frequently to read and write e-mail, which was later, sent when I docked the IPAQ to my laptop.

Overall, my experience with the IPAQ was very positive. Wish I could keep it!

Bill Drew
Associate Librarian
SUNY Morrisville College Library

test post/what is the most common pda support question you get asked?

This is a test post because one of our members was having trouble posting. What is the
most common pda question you get asked? I am logging, (notice not blogging), but maybe
I should be blogging the questions we get asked. The most common support issue is how
to load Epocrates, a free drug information program
the doctors, students, and residents are using. It has an auto-update feature which makes
it a little trickier than most handheld programs to load up and get to work right.

PDA at the Point of Crime in "Collateral Damage"

Hi! Last night, a pda played a pivotal role in helping the criminal in "Collateral Damage."
The criminal was getting ready to ride a motorcycle under tunnels and buildings in
Washington DC and he had a pda poised right between the handles with the schemata
of the building and tunnels. Has anyone used a mapping tool or GPS on a pda?

Handheld Headlines

Handsprings Edge

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Fitness

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handspring Visor Prism

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handsprings New Direction

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handspring Beats Forecast

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Grocery Shopping

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Bargain Handhelds Everywhere

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Computing Weekly EXTRA

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld + Cell Phone = Wireless

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Comdex Struts Its Handheld Stuff

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handspring Launches the VisorPhone

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Two or More Handhelds, One Computer

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Sonys New Clie: Thinnest Handheld Ever?

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

New Wireless i705 and Treo Handhelds Imminent

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Media Group Launches New Publications

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handheld Computings Best Product of 2000 Awards

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handspring, Extended Systems Collaborate on Training

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

GoPilot Publishing Announces Name Change to Handheld Media Group

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Handspring will launch its initial public offering the week of June 19, according to documents filed today

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

PDA Secure

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

PDA Recharger

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

PDA Starter Kit

"Handheld Media Group"

On Handhelds

Microsoft Adds Telephony to Pocket PC

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

Asus Pocket PC Coming?

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

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Your stories/Handheld Headlines Feb. 16, 2002

Good morning! Do you remember what got you first interested in pdas? Do you remember the
moment you first spotted a pda in action? You're probably thinking, "does that woman have a life?"
Yes, I do, with a job I enjoy, husband, kids, and some hobbies besides blogging and pdas!
For some reason, I remember moments when I first meet someone or first become aware of something.
If you will share your story, I will share mine. I will give you a hint of a clue. The first pda I saw in action
was in 1998! If someone else will share a story, I will share mine! What first interested me in pdas was electronic books.
I recently worked on an electronic
book project using RCA REB 1100s and Franklin e-books in an English classroom. If you like you can read
the Final Report of the project. The Franklin
e-book had some pda capabilities to it, and the reaction of the students to these was one of the reasons I
became interested in pdas. Share your story. You can post it directly to the blog, or you can send it to me and
I will post it. Bill Drew, the wireless librarian, has promised he will share a story about his experiences with ipaqs!

What is special, fascinating, and addictive about reading blogs is not only the unique news that each brings with it,
but some of the witty commentary and insights the authors bring to the news. This is especially true of Jenny Levine's
The Shifted Librarian. Since this is a community blog, our blog may
develop a schizophrenic personality, but if I can quote Tom Peters' great idea about this blog,it is that we want to create a
sense of community, so if you read a great story about pdas or handhelds, include some commentary or description.
Everyone may not have time to read it, but your commentary would be greatly appreciated!

What makes a successful library pda project? The first ingredient is a supportive boss and staff to work with!
I work as a medical librarian at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Library & Resource Center. When we first started our project to loan out Handspring Visors with medical content on them and to provide
training for medical residents, attending physicians, and medical staff, it quickly mushroomed into a grant
application, grant funding, and a lot of new issues to consider including staffing, support, and services which impacted the
whole library! I have to say that our library manager, Carol Galganski, did a terrific job of balancing all this and working with
me and the rest of the staff to make sure everything worked together. I also have two great colleagues, Carol Webber, who has done a tremendous job of promoting the pda project to patrons when she works with them, and Roy Jones, who oftentimes finds himself having to give an on the fly orientation when someone comes in and wants to check one out. It is amazing to me how quickly a
tentative or experimental service can quickly become overwhelming and suddenly a core service of the library. Without the support
of fellow-workers, such a project can die on the vine before it even has an opportunity to become successful. Because of these
great people, our pda services have become core, even though things are changing so rapidly, that the support services of the pda themselves may change. Tom Peters is serving as our grant evaluator, and has also provided a great deal of valuable insight into
our new service and our grant project. In developing training, which I will address another day, I have had a great partner in Peg Burnette, of the University of Illinois Chicago Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria. Check out our website if you are interested:
PDA Grant website. Funding for the grant was provided from the Illinois State Library.
Please share what you think makes a pda project, or pda services successful in your library. I would like to hear as even though we started in May 2001, the project keeps evolving and is really still in its infancy now. What makes your service successful? What could make us all more successful?

Tomorrow, I will talk about the e-book life and content for the pda.

Now, what you have probably been waiting for: the pda headlines from the IT sources.

Handspring to lower Visors price

"Business 2.0"

On Handhelds

IBM cans Palm

"IT-Analysis.com"

On Handhelds

Handspring plans Visor price cuts

"Interactive Week"

On Handhelds

IBM WorkPad No More!

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

Handspring Wireless Dev Site

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

Palm Slips But Maintains Worldwide Lead

On PDARealm.com: Your PDA Realm

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Handheld Headlines, etc. for Feb. 15/Happy Birthday Handheld Librarians!

Instead of listing these on the right hand side of the page, I will post them each day so they will be archived and handy.

The Handheld Librarian has been up for 2 weeks today. Happy birthday? In 2 weeks, we have had 868 visitors,
and the highest day we had 118 hits. Not bad for a new blogger or whatever we are. Also, today, the Law Library Resource Exchange linked to us.

This information on Mobipocket from Barbara Fullerton, Pioneer Hi-Bred International:
"Mobipocket Publisher enables users to convert their
MS Word, RTF, plain text, HTML and PowerPoint files
into PDA-friendly output formats including LIT.
Files will need to be read using the free Mobipocket
Reader on any of the major PDA platforms, including
PalmOS, WindowsCE and Franklin eBookman. Find out
more or download a demo:
Standard
http://www.epublishstore.com/details.asp?ProdID=277&nl
Professional
http://www.epublishstore.com/details.asp?ProdID=278&nl"

Thanks! If you wish to post, send me an e-mail, and I will send you an invitation
to post right to the blog. If you wish to share information for me to post, please feel
free to send me email at lbell927@yahoo.com. If your library is using handhelds and you
want us to put a link on this page, send the url and the name of the library.

Again, welcome new moderators, Teri Ross Embrey from Chicago Library System and Tom
Peters from the Center for Library Initiatives, Committee on Institutional Cooperation. Teri has
spoken and written about handhelds and is an automation expert. Tom is an electronic publishing
and electronic book expert and has written and spoken widely on those topics as well as a number
of other library topics. Have a great weekend!

Handspring to lower Visors price

"ZDNet"

On Handhelds

Electric Pocket Forms Relationship for PDA Messenger 3G MMS Solution

"3G"

On Handhelds

Palm software for OS X a thumbs-up

"BayArea.com"

On Handhelds

This week's Handspring price drops, Neo and Pro

On PDA Buzz

Symbian CEO calls it quits

On PDA Buzz

Ericsson and Electric Pocket Form Relationship for PDA Messenger MMS Solution

On Handheldnews.com

Motorola unveils new handset portfolio

"Reveals smartphones and communicators with 3G, J2ME, GPRS and colour screen technology"

On PMN News Centre

2001 shipments rise, Palm share slips again

"Dataquest says handheld shipments up 18% in 2001 as Palm's market share declines again"

On PMN News Centre

Ericsson, Electric Pocket in messaging partnership

"Palm OS graphical messaging application will form part of Ericsson's MMS solution"

On PMN News Centre

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Handheld Headlines

For those of you who subscribe to this list, I apologize. For those of you who do and do not, would
you prefer handheld headlines from newsisfree.com to be posted to the blog all at once and as a mailing
or as it is now down on the right? I am thinking it might be better just to post it to this side of the blog
once a day rather than on the right hand side. If there are any preferences, let me know. Thanks, Lori

Misc.

Cheryl Litt writes "Palm OS users might be interested in this very informative magazine out of
the UK. The URL is www.palmtop.co.uk I ordered all the book issues and
found all of them very worthwhile."

From Barbara Fullerton at Pioneer Hi-Bred International: Here is a blog on
Pocket PC Ebooks Watch.

Handheld Apps Primer

The latest issue of Network Computing (vol.13,no.3) is dedicated to handheld applications. The issue has a primer on handheld apps, a review of applications that enable mobility, and a couple of other articles. The various handheld articles run from pages 36 to 53 in the print version.

Pocket PCs

Good morning! Here is some information on sites for pocket pcs from Sharon Jorski, St. Anthony Hospital,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For freeware, go to Greg's IPAQ and Pocket PC Software List. This site links to a great many freeware titles which can be sorted by category or browsed as a long list

Zippy's Pocket PC Software List is a list of Pocket pc
software in a variety of price ranges and includes freeware.

Medical Pocket PC contains news and reviews of medical software.

Pocket PC Thoughts is a daily news site in the form of a web log
(kind of like this one?)

Pocket PC Passionis another type of web log.

First Annual Best Pocket PC Software Awards Check this out for the
best pocket pc software

Article courtesy of Carol Galganski, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

This site is getting about 100 hits per day and the yahoo group now has 50 members.

Have a great day!

Handhelds in Schools

Technology & Learning magazine has an article in the February 2002 issue, entitled "A Report Card on Handheld Computing." In the print issue, the article runs from pages 24- 36. While this long article mentions numerous ways the devices have been integrated into the piloting schools' curriculum, it doesn't mention specific applications for libraries.

Handheld sales in 2001

Here's a synopsis of today's WSJ article on worldwide sales of handheld computing devices. I don't subscribe to the WSJ. If anyone knows where a more complete version of the report can be found on the web, let me know. Thanks! Tom Peters (tpeters@cic.uiuc.edu)

HANDHELD SALES GROWTH SLOWS
The worldwide growth rate for the handheld device market slowed to 18% in
2001, and is likely to grow by only another 18% this year. Palm still leads
the market, with 57% of all devices sold in 2001 based on its operating
software, according to Gartner Dataquest. That percentage represents a
decline from 2000, however, when Palm boasted a 66% market share. In
contrast, Microsoft's PocketPC software gained market share, with about 21%
of all devices sold last year based on its platform, projected to rise to
25% this year. On the hardware side, competitors are making inroads into
Palm's dominant position as well. Handspring, Compaq and Hewlett-Packard
were among the companies that eroded Palm's market share in the past year.
(Wall Street Journal 13 Feb 2002)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB101355847714415440.djm,00.html (sub req'd)

The smallest full functioning pc available/pda friendly web pages discussion on web4lib

This courtesy of Wireless Medical Applications on the smallest pc available:
Announcing the Smallest Full Functioning PC available today!

The EMRtrac is the first Notebook computer that can be used as a
tablet as well.

You can now use your notebook computer while walking around, standing
or sitting conveniently
in a relaxed chair.

Handwriting recognition and Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech
recognition is used for input on-the-go.

The Tablet option of the EMRtrac makes it the ultimate productivity
tool for a large number of professionals including Health Care, EMT,
Law Enforcement, Real Estate, Manufacturing and a variety of other
applications.

For more information click here: http://www.talktoyourcomputer.com

Web4lib

Web4lib is a great mailing list where librarians discuss technology applications. Today there
was a discussion on pda friendly web pages. Check out the
archive to see this discussion!

Hope you are having a great week! I just see more and more gadgets I want to try and can't afford. :)

Good day!
A panel of librarians are speaking about gadgets at various associations and seminars this year. Brian Neale, Susan Skyzinski, and I will be speaking at Texas Library Association on April 24th, 2002 on New Gadgets for Librarians. And in the summer, along with Brian Roberts and Roger Skalbeck, we will also be at the American Association of Law Libraries. Our seminar "And you Thought Gadgets Were Only for the Kitchen: Part II" will be presented on Tuesday, July 23rd. If you would like to see what was presented last year, please view http://www.llrx.com/extras/gadgets.htm. We also have another presentation at http://www.infotoday.com/il2001/presentations/default.htm.

We usually present a few handhelds and attachments. We are looking for new ideas for the July meeting. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!

Barbara Fullerton
Electronic Resources Librarian
Pioneer Hi-Bred International
515-270-4345
barbara.fullerton@pioneer.com

Handspring Treo now available

Courtesy of Wireless Medical applications: Handspring
has begun selling its new Treo
compact communicators at Handspring.com. Treo combines a mobile phone,
wireless applications like email, messaging and Internet browsing, and a
Palm OS organizer in one device. U.S. customers can now order the first two
editions of Treo - the Treo 180 with a built-in QWERTY keyboard, and the
Treo 180g with Graffiti handwriting software, at Handspring.com for $399
when purchased with a GSM service plan from Cingular Wireless or
VoiceStream.

Handhelds in the Classroom/handheld coming out next month (a mix of laptop and handheld)

Cheryl Litt from Bloomfield Hills Schools in Michigan writes:
"I am a media specialist in a public middle school
and I am interested in this forum because we are going to be piloting the
use of handhelds this year with our sixth grade students. The devices
will be used as electronic looseleafs and students will be able to compose word
documents, create spreadsheets, print, etc. with their handhelds. I
was wondering if any of your other subscribers are involved in the use of handhelds in this way and
what advice they could offer

I know that Palm is supporting a number of educational initiatives which they have posted on their
web site, but if anyone else knows of any, you are welcome to post here or send them to me and I will post them.

The new Quick Pad Pro is due out next month. It is 1.5 pounds, 1.5 inches
thick and the size of a sheet of paper. It is a cross between a handheld and a laptop. It has a full size keyboard
which is part of it instead of an attachment, a larger screen than a typical handheld, has expandable memory,
MS Word compatible word processor, Excel compatible spreadsheet, mail program, calculator and personal
organizer all for $329. With four AA batteries, you are supposed to have up to 100 hours of power and it
can be synched to a pc or a mac. Sounds too good to be true, but has anyone tried it?

If you wish to get these postings without coming to the website, subscribe to the yahoogroup Handheld Librarians.
You can subscribe right from the page or you can send a message to me and I will add you. Thanks!

Handhelds in the Classroon/Handheld coming out next month (a mix of laptop and handheld)

Handhelds are among top ten Infoworld Technologies of the year

Courtesy of the Shifted Librarian, check out this article Infoworld's
2001 Technologies of the Year (top ten). Check out this article on handhelds which was named number 10.
Of course you can read about the other 9, but this blog concentrates on handhelds, so....
Thanks to the Shifted Librarian and congratulations! Jenny's blog has hit the big time, making 1900+ hits per day!

John Scott Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta handheld activities/UMass-Boston handheld activities/posting

John Scott Health Sciences Library, University of Alberta
"I am heading up a PDA project here at the John W. Scott Health Sciences
Library, University of Alberta. Up to this point we have been
providing sessions on "Making the Most of your PDA" (about one per month), and
consultations, along with hosting a website:
PDA Website
We are planning to
offer more PDA services in the near future, but are waiting for budget
approval. "

This from Denise Koufogiannakis, Reference Coordinator


UMass - Boston
"Here at UMass Boston we have just started letting our
patrons synch certain library webpages with their PDA. So far we have
concentrated on the Palm devices, but hope to move onto to Ipaq and the
Jornandas. Click here for the website.

Page for hotsynching directions.

This from Apurva Mehta, Head Library Systems

Posting: The Handheld Librarian is a community blog. If you would like to post to it,
please send me a message (lbell927@yahoo.com) and I will send you an invitation to
post. Your posts will go directly on to this site and to the yahoogroup of Handheld Librarians.

Thanks for these wonderful contributions and updates!

Report from Bill Drew, "The Wireless Librarian" on the Library and the Pocket PC

Bill Drew, the "Wireless Librarian" sent in this report on The Library and the Pocket PC. Thanks, Bill!
"The Library and the Pocket PC

I went into this project with great expectations of being able to test
the
use of the Pocket PC in accessing various library provided resources
such as
our vast array of databases, e-books, library catalog and the Internet
in
general. Because of the decision by Raylink not to provide drivers for
wireless access, I was unable to test use of these resources directly.
I
will now summarize what I was able to test and do with the IPAQ.

I found that by using the Avantgo Internet service, I was able to view
and
use many webpages effectively. Especially useful were those such as
news
and weather services that change frequently. I set up my laptop and
the
IPAQ to synchronize the webpages. I synchronized them frequently,
which
allowed me to access the web offline via the IPAQ.

I experimented with using the IPAQ to read e-books. The Microsoft
E-book
reader is easy to use and I found it quite satisfactory. I am sure
such
uses for textbooks and reference material via e-books will make the use
of
the IPAQ as a reading device ever more important.

The IPAQ has potential as a presentation tool because of new programs
that
allow you to display PowerPoint presentations on it. All that would be
needed is the proper interface between the IPAQ and the projector. I
successfully converted several of my presentations and they worked well
on
it including animations and sound.

The IPAQ has huge potential as a tool in the library. Combined with a
barcode reader/scanner it could be used to do book inventory. Used
with a
wireless connection, it could provide a reference librarian with a tool
to
access the library catalog and other resources while helping patrons
around
the library. I have used my laptop with wireless in this way.

Personally, I used the IPAQ as a PIM (personal information manager)
much in
the way I use my laptop. I kept it docked to my laptop when I was in
my
office so I could keep -email, calendar, and tasks synchronized. I
used it
frequently to read and write e-mail, which was later, sent when I
docked the
IPAQ to my laptop.

Overall, my experience with the IPAQ was very positive. Wish I could
keep
it! Bill's email address is:drewwe@morrisville.edu, and click here to go to
Wireless Librarian
Bill also has a great yahoo groups going on this topic! Thanks again, Bill!

Handhelds and Libraries

Courtesy of Matthew Eberle, Library Techlog, Handhelds and Libraries is a great article by Stephen Arnold which he wrote for the November issue of the journal Serials. The article does an excellent job of discussing handheld technology, libraries and some ideas for libraries to consider. Thanks Matthew!

Handheld computing applications in libraries

Hello! Are you a library that is offering services, training, information, or implementing applications regarding handheld computing? I would like to post links to handheld libraries on this page! If you are interested, send me your web address! You can email to:
handheldlibrarian@yahoo.com or lbell927@yahoo.com! Thanks!

I have had several questions about Avantgo beginning to charge for users setting up websites and sharing information via an Avantgo channel.. This is a concern for many libraries because it is
such a great application to transfer your website information to handheld users. When I set up this channel, it was free, but
the site said it was free only for 1-8 subscribers and if you had more, there would be a fee. As many libraries start to think about
providing content for the handheld user, a way to transfer it from the web to the handheld using a tool like Avantgo becomes a critical
piece. What are others doing? Thanks, and have a great weekend!

XHTML and Basic PDA Web Pages

E. Lynne Beades, Web Development Librarian, at the Health Sciences Library at the University
of North Carolina Chapel Hill, has developed a pdf document on XHTML and Basic web pages
which she is generously sharing with this group. You can follow the link above, or go to http://geocities.com/handheldlibrarian/xhtml-basic.pdf. Thanks and kudos to Lynne for developing and sharing this great document!
If you are interested in more, she will be conducting a class at the MLA Conference in May. You can email Lynne Beades by clicking her name if you like. Thanks again, Lynne!