"Expert guides to library systems and services."

"LTR v.48 no.3. After the publication of "Gadgets and Gizmos: Personal Electronics and the Library" back in 2010, it became obvious that there was a lot to say about the use of personal electronics in libraries from both a patron-support standpoint and the perspective of internal library management of the devices for patron and staff use. Personal electronics like the iPad, Kindle, Nook, and other gadgets that are becoming windows into all of our informational needs are designed for individuals and not for institutions. Making these sorts of devices work within the systems we have for managing objects is nontrivial because these devices are more than just objects-they are the center of an information ecosystem that almost, but not quite, doesn't play well with libraries. This issue of Library Technology Reports will attempt to give basic information about tablets, e-readers, and other personal electronic devices and, more important, will discuss their management and how they can fit in libraries. It also takes a look at some emergent technologies, such as 3D printing and printers, that libraries should be watching and may have interesting effects on the world around us. If you are looking for a primer on the management of personal electronics in the library, as well as a glimpse into the near future of technology and how libraries might use these new tools with patrons,this issue is for you."