title: The PDA as a reference tool: libraries' role in enhancing nursing education.
abstract: "The PDA as a Reference Tool: The Libraries' Role in Enhancing Nursing Education" is a pilot project funded by the University of Massachusetts President's Office Information Technology Council through their Professional Development Grant program in 2004. The project's goal is to offer faculty and students in nursing programs at two University of Massachusetts campuses access to an array of medical reference information, such as handbooks, dictionaries, calculators, and diagnostic tools, on small handheld computers called personal digital assistants. Through exposure to the variety of information resources in this digital format, participants can discover and explore these resources at no personal financial cost. Participants borrow handhelds from the University Library's circulation desks. The libraries provide support in routine resynchronizing of handhelds to update information. This report will discuss how the projects were administered, what we learned about what did and did not work, the problems and solutions, and where we hope to go from here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Sustainability, School of Health and Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 01854, USA. Patrick_Scollin@uml.edu
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scollin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.forename: Apurva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003200:Computer User Training; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D034201:Computers, Handheld / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004014:Dictionaries as Topic; D004346:Drug Information Services; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000458:organization & administration; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007994:Libraries, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008001:Library Technical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008404:Massachusetts; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012013:Reference Books; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology