Book Reviews 505 New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2011. 345p. alk. paper, $250 (ISBN 9781555707019). LC2011-000445. Compiled by three academic librarians, Digital Collections Worldwide provides an exhaustive and valuable annotated listing of the world’s most authoritative and comprehensive digital collections. The authors describe over 1,400 digital collections and include an extensive subject index. The Internet is full of digi- tal collections that allow users to easily access information quickly, but it can be challenging and time consuming to sift through multiple links generated by a search engine such as Google. Digital Collections Worldwide is designed to help the user identify which digital collections are best for their needs. The authors ac- complish this by organizing the book in a logical and succinct way. For example, the directory only includes digital collections from the following established organiza- tions: governmental body, library, ar- chives, educational institution, museum, corporation, or a scholar’s personal Web site. In addition, the book will never be outdated because the authors maintain a companion Web site that updates broken links and incorporates new collections. The book is organized into eight chap- ters, each accompanied by annotations. These annotations provide information regarding what has been digitized (in- cluding photographs, documents, maps, illustrations, artifacts, audiovisual items, and so on), as well as the name of the host institution and its most current URL for the collection. The purpose of each anno- tation is to document why a collection is online, what the collection includes, who is responsible for the collection (both the physical and digital), and tips on the best way to explore the collection online. The annotations also include excellent infor- mation about topics such as copyright. One of the more valuable aspects of this directory is that non-English sites are included. The authors carefully selected foreign language sites that include digital collections that are easy to translate using one of the many free online translating resources, and they state in the annota- tions if there are any language restrictions for collections. Chapter 1, “World Initiatives,” intro- duces the audience to collections on Web sites that represent broad subjects and geographical contexts that encompass the entire globe or multiple countries. The remaining seven chapters are arranged al- phabetically by the seven continents and, within each chapter, alphabetically by country. Each chapter helpfully includes an introduction to the continent by pro- viding useful facts and figures, as well as information about digitization practices and available technology resources. Even though the primary audience for Digital Collections Worldwide is skilled researchers, a layperson can benefit from this directory. The book is described as “an unprecedented advancement in scholarship and research, enabling a high school student in Kenya to view the Dead Sea Scrolls in the exact same detail as a full professor at Oxford.” Those who work in a library, archive, museum, cultural or educational institution, etc. will benefit greatly from this directory by expanding their knowledge about digital collections but also will be able to provide inquisitive customers with an invaluable resource to begin their exploration of digital col- lections around the world.—Katie Nash, Elon University. S. David Mash. Decision-Making in the Absence of Certainty: A Study in the Context of Technology and the Construc- tion of the 21st Century Academic Library. Chicago: ACRL (ACRL Publications in Librarianship, no. 63), 2010. 160p. alk. paper, $38 (ISBN 9780838985717). LC2010-049544. Decision-Making in the Absence of Certainty explores the interplay of dynamic vari- ables involved in the decision-making process of five American universities that constructed new multimillion-dollar library facilities between 2006 and 2007. The aim of the work is to provide a de- 506 College & Research Libraries September 2011 scription of the “variegated terrain of high consequence decision making in complex institutional settings” by fram- ing the discussion around an “organized anarchy” decision-making framework called the Garbage Can Decision-Making Model (GCDMM). This model stipulates that a decision “emerges from random interactions of problems, solutions, choice situations, and participants, rather than from intentions, plans, and consistent decisions.” Additional topics discussed include an abbreviated history of the practice of technology forecasting and an analysis of the explicit or implicit influence of forecasting on the decision- making process for construction of new library spaces. The book consists of a short introduc- tion followed by six chapters and a con- clusion section. Supplemental materials are an addendum, bibliography, and index. The first chapter describes the history of technology within libraries and provides examples of technology fore- casts of libraries from 1877 to the present. Numerous examples are shown where the technology of the day was integrated into library staff workflows and the user environment. Past and contemporary examples of technology forecasts are highlighted as poor predictors of future outcomes. Chapter 2 describes various decision-making models as applied to the academic environment. The anarchi- cal decision model GCDMM is presented as a framework for understanding the institutional decision-making process of this study. The third chapter examines criticisms of technology forecasting from various perspectives, including psychological influences, methodologi- cal concerns, and within higher educa- tion settings such as academic libraries. The fourth chapter defines the research methods and variables that embody the participants in decision-making category. Variables examined include “asym- metrical influence,” or the fluidity of influential power of individuals within a group decision-making process. Chapter five examines the flow and interaction of problems and solutions on decision- making participants, as well as the traits of each. The sixth chapter describes the evolution of decisions regarding library construction projects within the structure of the GCDMM. The conclusion section highlights variables of the GCDMM and also makes some general recommenda- tions for best practices when involved in a decision-making body. In addition, an al- ternative framework called the ecological model is proposed as an improved meta- phor for describing decision making. The addendum section discusses the research design of the study and includes subsec- tions describing the method, research questions, data analysis, data quality, and limitations of the study. This work offers some fascinating theoretical analysis and observations of the group decision-making process in the domain of contemporary university library construction projects. Examination of the history, flaws, and influence of tech- nology forecasting in library construction projects will benefit most readers, espe- cially decision makers. However, while the author goes to great lengths to explain the complexity of group dynamics in decision making, his concluding remarks are parsimonious in regard to practical application of his results. Those seeking overtly constructive recommendations or guidance through the often complex and exhaustive decision-making process of library construction projects may be disappointed. Though the mention of strategies and best practices is sparse, this work is recommended to individuals who are curious about the theoretical dynam- ics that influence decision making and to deans or directors of libraries who hope or plan to build a new library facility in the 21st century.—Anders Selhorst, Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, North Carolina.