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Contributed Papers
Sunday, Sept. 21st, 10:30AM-11:30AM |
| Session 1: Using technology to enhance services to users |
Physicians, Posters and Plotters
Fran Kovach, MLIS, AHIP, Reference and Education Librarian
Rhona Kelley, MSLS, AHIP, Head, Reference and Education Librarian
Carol Thornton, MLS, Reference and Education Librarian
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Library, Springfield, Illinois
Poster presentations are a standard way of presenting research at scientific, medical and health profession meetings. Over the last decade, the software used to develop posters for presentation has undergone continuous improvements with each update. Due to this trend more physicians, residents, students and researchers are developing posters without the need to consult with professional graphic designers. In 2001, the library received a large plotter printer. This created the need for library and information resources staff to support the development of posters and the plotter. Since various software programs are used to create the posters, troubleshooting methods and guidelines were sought to insure the successful printing of the posters. Besides supporting the design and printing of posters, library staff provides the maintenance of paper and color toner cartridges. New training needs were created by the addition of the plotter. Librarians have taught fourth year medical students poster design and presentation as part of the E-Physician elective offered by the library, as well as to graduate students in the Medical Microbiology program. Design pointers are posted on the Division of Information Resources intranet page. The school's Information Technology Education subcommittee invited the reference librarians to present a noontime program to faculty on using PowerPoint to design and present presentations and posters. Plotters offer the opportunity for new services and educational programs. |
Creating Customization Tools for a SmartLibrary
Michelle Frisque, Head of Information Systems
Steve Hunt, Web Librarian
James Shedlock, Director
Linda Walton, Associate Director
Dr. Jon Handler, Associate Professor
Dr. Michael Gillam, Assistant Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine Division,
Department of Medicine
Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University Feinburg School of Medicine, Chicago
We have seen an explosion in electronic resources, resulting in sophisticated electronic libraries providing an overwhelming amount of information. The Health SmartLibrary (HSL) was created with the support of a National Library of Medicine Information Systems grant. (# 1 G08
LM07051-01A1) The purpose of this project was to develop a website that will assist our busy clinicians with selecting and managing electronic information in a way that is useful for them in making clinical decisions.
To assist our users in selecting and managing information, faculty and library staff collaborated to build tools that would make access to critical resources easy and efficient. The HSL is designed to intelligently customize itself by automatically selecting electronic information based on the user's specialty. A current awareness tool will push information to the user as soon as it becomes available. The HSL also contains a metasearch engine, a personal filing cabinet, and tools for designing an individual HSL.
The goal of this project was to build a 'smarter' library that delivers information before the user needs it. This was accomplished using tools such as ColdFusion, PERL, JavaScript, Access, SQL, and CSS. This paper will illustrate how we used these tools to create a customizable HSL including some of the challenges and successes we experienced during the development
of this project. It will also include our plans to improve the HSL to better meet the needs of our users in the future.
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Mobile Decision Support Systems for Nursing Clinicals
Arlis Dittmer, MA, MALS, Director of Library Services, Blessing Health Professions Library, Quincy, Illinois
Changing technology is creating new ways to approach nursing practice. Nursing students' use of technology to access and use data for clinical decision making poses an interdisciplinary challenge for library resources, clinical units and colleges.
Blessing Health Professions Library at Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing received a Technology Improvement Award from the National Network / Libraries of Medicine Greater Midwest Region. Under this award, library personnel and nursing clinical faculty has partnered to conduct a research project with senior nursing students using Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) at the bedside.
This project introduced PDAs as a clinical tool to the students, faculty and mentoring clinical staff of Blessing Hospital. Library staff trained and monitored the students' use of the PDA in their leadership clinical.
The control group prepared for clinical in their usual way while the project group was trained on PDA usage and given the handhelds for eight weeks. The devices were loaded with Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses, RNLabs (Nurse's Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests), and RNDiseases (Diseases and Disorders: A Nursing Therapeutics Manual).
Results from the first phase of the project and implications for electronic library resources will be discussed.
This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, under Contract No. NO1-LM-1-3513.
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| Session 2: eResources |
Electronic journals: at the crossroads of transforming print to electronic
Ann C. Weller (presenter), Curator of Special Collections, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
Julie M. Hurd, Science Librarian, University of Illinois at Chicago Science Library
Health sciences librarians are at the crossroads of the print to electronic transformation. Electronic journals (e-journals) possess a number of the characteristics identified by Clayton Christensen (1998) as "disruptive technology." E-journals have changed how health sciences librarians purchase, access, distribute, and preserve medical information.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics of e-journals, focusing on library management issues. This paper examines some early difficulties that appear resolved, discusses current issues ranging from library policy to practical use of e-journals, and highlights some unresolved challenges and their "disruptive" impact.
A number of important issues have been resolved to some degree albeit, differently by different libraries. These include: licensing (individual contracts or consortial) vs. subscription, maintaining e-journal lists (either in-house or outsourced) vs. cataloging, reference linking (e.g., SFX), policies of retention of print, and identifying "appropriate" copy. Some issues have been resolved technically, but remain disruptive management issues.
These changes have brought new challenges to the library ranging from, how do we "brand" titles paid for by our libraries, what is the impact of the changing nature of research, to issues connected with budgeting, bundling collections, divergent content across formats, archival concerns, users' need, and the library as "place."
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Saving On Subscriptions While Promoting Electronic Resources In a Departmental Library Environment
David F. Griggs BS, Kirsten P. Fredericks MLS, Jennifer L. Steele MS, Richard B. Gunderman MD, Kenneth B.Williamson PhD, Indiana University, Department of Radiology, Education Division, Indianapolis, Indiana
Indiana University Department of Radiology raised awareness of electronic information resources while addressing concerns about cost, duplication and under utilization of journal subscriptions held in multiple locations and formats. An inventory conducted in Summer, 2002 identified more than 90 journal subscriptions costing over $ 25,000 annually. Eighteen percent of hard copy subscriptions were duplicated; thirty four percent of hard copy titles were available electronically under existing arrangements. Eliminating journals already available online would yield $ 9,600 in annual savings; combining radiology libraries would save $ 8,200 more.
An electronic survey was distributed to 170 Radiology faculty, residents, fellows and staff to assess impact of several options. Users indicated preferred journal titles, professional reading habits, and attitudes toward electronic formats. Response rate was 40% with 59% of those posts occurring in the first 28 hours.
Respondents favored eliminating print titles available online and centralizing existing holdings. Twenty-nine of the top 40 journals read were available electronically through Indiana University Ruth Lilly Medical Library. About 60% of respondents spent less than one hour per week in departmental libraries and did more than half of their professional research online. Comments indicated two clear themes: online resources were underutilized and users would welcome instruction in accessing information.
Based on this survey, Department of Radiology began reducing print subscriptions in 2003. In Fall, 2002, Ruth Lilly Medical Library staff provided training sessions on electronic resources to Radiology faculty, residents and staff.
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Constructing New Partnerships: Adopt a Part of the State's Information Highway!
Sandra E. Swanson, MLS, MPA (presenter)
Chair, Michigan Health Sciences Library Association Resource Sharing Committee, Assistant Librarian, Saint Mary's Health Sciences Library
Authors:
Sandra E. Swanson, Saint Mary's Health Sciences Library, Grand Rapids, Michigan (presenter);
Harvey Brenneise, Michigan Public Health Institute, Michigan Community Health Electronic Library, Okemos, Michigan; Helen Look, University of Michigan, Public Health Information Services & Access, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michael E. Simmons, Sparrow Health Systems, Sparrow Medical Library, Lansing, Michigan
Using State infrastructure and Federal funding, the Michigan Health Sciences Library Association (MHSLA) and the Michigan Public Health Institute have filled health information gaps on Michigan's information superhighway. Through NLM grant funding, a team of MHSLA "construction workers" and "engineers" -- volunteers from academic, hospital and special medical libraries -- replenished the virtual shelves of Michigan eLibrary's NetLibrary collection with 750 new high-quality ebooks geared toward healthcare consumers, students and professionals. By partnering with Michigan eLibrary (MeL), MHSLA could provide to its constituents unlimited access with very few barriers, since MeL has built on-ramps for Michigan residents from their homes, schools, libraries and workplaces. MeL even provides free "drivers' training" for librarians helping to reroute information seekers onto the statewide resource network. The MHSLA project includes signposts for Michigan libraries (OCLC MARC records and holdings stateme
nts set in WorldCat) available on request at no charge to the libraries. A title list posted on the MHSLA website provides a map to the new territory. So, at information crossroads on Michigan's information superhighway, look for the signs that say, "Next 2 miles maintained by Michigan Health Sciences Library Association."
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| Session 3: New Frontiers |
Health Sciences Librarians at the Crossroads: New Directions, New Careers
Sara Anne Hook, Associate Dean of the Faculties and Professor of Informatics, IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana
Health sciences librarians are at a crossroads as new technologies and a global marketplace make those with skills in organizing, analyzing, disseminating and evaluating information a valuable and sought after commodity. New fields such as informatics are emerging that blend elements from traditional academic disciplines with cutting edge technology. Health sciences librarians who seek a new professional direction can cast a net broadly both within and outside their own institutions. This presentation will present compelling evidence of the wide range of careers that are available to those who have health sciences librarianship credentials and experience and the steps that need to be taken to position oneself for these careers. In addition to a survey of new and emerging roles for health sciences librarians, the presenter will describe her own experiences, first of moving into administration within a large academic institution, and then of becoming a faculty member responsible for the development and teaching of new courses in a brand new school. The presenter will offer tips on how she made the move to these new responsibilities and reflect on what additional credentials and experiences would have helped her make these transitions. This presentation is relevant to the conference theme because it addresses the changing and expanding nature of health sciences librarian careers at a time when the field is at a crossroads. In addition, the topic of new roles for librarians was listed on the call for papers. This presentation will be informative, practical and empowering. |
Forging new partnerships with medical faculty: integrating the teaching of library resources into the curriculum
Carol Scherrer, Assistant Professor and Information Services Librarian
Martin Brennan, Assistant Professor and Information Services Librarian
University of Illinois at Chicago
BACKGROUND: Classes taught by academic health science librarians have traditionally been library-based, stand-alone sessions that highlight the library's resources and services. While geared to support the curriculum, these sessions are often viewed by students as peripheral to their educational experience.
PURPOSE: This paper discusses how one university library made the leap from offering these isolated library-sponsored classes, to forging new partnerships with faculty outside the library and developing collaborative classes that integrated library instruction into the curriculum.
DESCRIPTION: As online instruction opportunities developed, librarians took advantage of the new playing field offered by new technology. By collaborating with faculty from the various health science departments to develop new online classes, librarians' expertise was integrated into several cross-discipline courses. In one, the librarians' known expertise in evidence-based medicine was used to develop a module in life-long learning techniques that included ways to access and appraise the literature. In another, librarians contributed to the development of a new class in informatics that integrated learning library skills into the broader curriculum. Both these experiences offered the opportunity to contribute to courses where library skills were integral to the learning experience of students.
CONCLUSION: Librarians enjoyed working with colleagues from the various health science departments, learned new teaching techniques and tools, and experienced a change in the perception of the health science faculty towards the librarian as teacher.
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Planting Seeds for Future Partnerships: Proactive Librarianship
La Ventra Ellis-Danquah, MLIS, Coordinator, Education and Community Services, Shiffman Medical Library, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Libraries cannot afford to sit idle awaiting opportunities for innovative services or for new partnerships. Ongoing economic constraints and institutional reorganizing should encourage libraries to consistently reaffirm their value to the institution and the communities in which they service. Identifying, forging, and nurturing partnerships are a primary means of creating service innovation and demonstrating a library's value; new or future partnerships can be an explicit objective of any program or service. With this approach, the library plants the seeds for the relationships needed to understand the needs and aspirations of current and future clients and partners, increases its visibility and librarians acquire professional involvement outside of traditional affiliations.
The presentation will explore the role and values of, and the strategies for partnership in the programs of Wayne State University's Shiffman Medical Library's Community Health Information Services including the development of an African American Health Disparities Web site, the Detroit Community AIDS Library, and the Urban Health (Information) Partners program. In addition, how librarians align themselves with organizational and community affiliates, which have led to increased visibility, new and ongoing partnerships, and funding opportunities will be described.
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Posters Session
Monday, Sept. 22nd, 9:00AM-10:00AM |
Medical Social Workers and the Library @ the Crossroads
Ann M. Combs, Clinical Library Coordinator; Michael Venner, Information Services; UW-Madison Health Sciences Libraries, Weston Clinical Library
From its establishment in 1907 by Ida M. Cannon to its role in the contemporary healthcare team, Medical Social Work has effectively acted upon the link between social conditions and health.
The role of the medical social worker has increased in importance due to overall greater life expectancy, extended survival in complex disease states, and ever shorter lengths of stay in the hospital. What are effective ways to support the vital work of such health care professionals who are outside the traditional "BI view" of most academic health sciences libraries?
This poster outlines steps libraries can take to gather input and take action. Librarians worked with University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics medical social workers in the areas of Instruction, Access and Collections. We developed a print and online user's guide to the physical and virtual library. We identified authoritative reference materials in the field and purchased additional books. We provided instructional sessions on library use and evidence-based practice. Instructional topics covered include: identifying and searching pertinent databases, searching for evidence, using online books and journals, and taking advantage of our online services to request books or articles from the Social Work Library and elsewhere on campus.
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Redesigning Reference: "Are You Being Served?"
Anne K. Gehringer, MA, Reference and Education Librarian; Denise H. Britigan, MA, Reference and Education Librarian; Catherine A. Reed Thureson, MA, Reference Assistant; Linda K. Roth, BA, Web Developer; Christopher J. Shaffer, MS, Assistant Director for Public Services; Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
The goal of this project was to evaluate the current reference services and practices at our library. We surveyed our patrons to identify the reference services that they want, expect, and need. We also analyzed trends in electronic reference requests using an archive of questions that the library has received since 1995. In summer 2003, we will conduct a focus group and plan to compare our current services to the results of the needs assessment and trend analysis. We will examine the strong influence of electronic information on the many facets of reference services. This includes areas such as electronic delivery methods, one-on-one instruction on the use of electronic reference tools and databases, and the use of electronic pathfinders. Due to the decreasing use of the print reference collection and increasing use of corresponding electronic resources, more of our patrons are becoming remote users. This shift has resulted in changes in the way we teach patrons to access these resources. The results of our research will be used to modify our existing services to better meet the needs of our patrons. |
Partners in Outreach
Beth Carlin, Education and Outreach Coordinator, NN/LM-GMR University of Illinois -Chicago Library of the Health Sciences; Barb Knight, RACEdu (Regional Area Council Education Committee NN/LM-GMR) Committee Chair, Reference and User Education Librarian, Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine cultivates community health partnerships with public health departments, public libraries and community organizations. One example is the Healthy People 2010 Library Initiative www.healthlit.org. This Initiative partnered with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and local public libraries to develop and distribute booklets explaining chronic illnesses of particular significance to minority groups. Partners in Outreach would promote further health literacy partnerships between Health Science Libraries and public health professionals. Health Science Libraries have a unique opportunity to provide resources to public health professionals for health promotion. The display will include a poster and a tool kit for librarians. The kit will contain resources such as posters, bookmarks, and a tabletop poster display to help promote consumer health information to public health workers in communities with diverse minority, cultural and ethnic groups in the Greater Midwest Region.
Goals for Partners in Outreach: Forging New Partnerships:
- Promote health resources from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) databases to public health professionals including physicians, nurses, counselors, rehabilitation workers and social workers for use in promoting healthy living in communities in the Greater Midwest Region.
- Partner with medical librarians from the 10 states in the Midwest Region to attend state and local health conferences and health fairs to promote NLM resources to the public and health care professionals.
- Provide opportunities for "on-the-spot" scheduling and commitment based on the librarian's location and local outreach programs.
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DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER! Ordering Journals Without the Subscription Agency
Carolyn Martin, Staff Librarian; Sheila Hofstetter, Head Librarian; Community Health Network, Library Network, Indianapolis, IN
In most libraries, printed and electronic journal resources consume the major portion of operating budgets and staff time. It is understandable why librarians turn to outsourcing for journal ordering and why the idea of direct journal ordering evokes such strong reactions. In 1996 our library was forced to operate with a capitated budget, which required greater budgetary control. In an effort to acquire this additional control, we made the decision to order journals direct from the publishers, bypassing the expense of a subscription agency. Very few have attempted this process or have even given it fair analysis. We believe it is time to present this option due to growing budget constraints and the recent bankruptcy of a major subscription agency leaving many libraries in a fiscal crisis.
The poster will present this alternative, perhaps not an easier one, but one which allows greater budgetary controls and appropriate and beneficial trade offs in spite of the staff time required. Included will be a bit of the history of how the idea originated as well as information regarding the original and present process. Our poster attempts to provide each library with the facts they need to make an informed decision about this timely and important topic.
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USING A PDA TO TRACK USAGE OF UNBOUND JOURNALS
Donald Nagolski, M.L.S., Coordinator, Access Services; Emily McElroy, M.L.I.S., Serials & Electronic Collections Librarian; Dianne Olson, M.A.L.S., Head, Technical Services; Loyola University Chicago, Health Sciences Library, Maywood, IL
Problem Statement
Journal prices have increased 11% each year while the serials budget has an average annual increase of 3-5% per year. A need was identified for a system to record usage of current, unbound print journal titles. As a result, collection development decision-making has improved.
Solution Implemented
A process was created that gathered statistics on usage of individual journal titles.
Components of the new system include:
- Creation of barcodes
- PDA utilized for scanning barcodes and downloading data
- Barcodes of unbound journals are scanned prior to reshelving
- Data is uploaded into Voyager system
- Usage reports are created
Results and Analysis
Data for 2002 unbound journal usage was recently compiled. As a result:
- Staff identified 22 journals for deselection in 2002.
- Decisions regarding electronic access were justified.
- During the next journal review, two years worth of data will provide a better overview of current journal usage.
Improvements noted
1. Ability to make better purchase decisions on a cost-per-use basis.
2. Staff awareness of the value of keeping accurate and timely data for analysis of tracking journal usage.
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Information for the cure
Josephine L. Dorsch, AHIP, health sciences librarian; Karen M. Heskett, academic resident librarian; and Peg Burnette, systems-reference LTA III; Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria, University of Illinois-Chicago, Peoria, IL.
Purpose: This poster traces the evolution of a library’s community partnerships to provide breast cancer information and instructional outreach through grants from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation-Memorial Affiliate.
Setting: The project library is an academic health sciences library that serves a community-based regional medical campus. A series of grants, funded by Race for the Cure proceeds, has allowed the library to build a premiere and unique breast cancer collection and introduce Web-based cancer information to the health care community.
Description: The first grant, awarded in 1993, funded professional materials to support breast cancer care and research. Subsequent grants have continued to build the collection and have included activities to promote the collection through instruction and publicity. Outreach to groups such as public health department, public library, and community health agency personnel focuses on finding and evaluating cancer related Web-based databases and resources. Publicity efforts have included media stories; brochures; direct mailings; and project notepads, pens, and bookmarks. The collection includes books, journals, audiovisuals, and models–many of which are the only copies in the state. The library’s Komen Website provides easy access to the collection and links to local and national breast cancer resources.
Results/Outcomes: This ongoing project has established the library as a unique breast cancer information center and has led to several community partnerships with local cancer support and education agencies. Future plans include a “traveling collection,” expansion of the collection to include consumer materials, further Website development, and continuing outreach efforts to additional cancer care providers, educators, patients, and families.
Evaluation: Circulation, interlibrary loan, and Web page statistics are used to quantify collection use. Class statistics and participant evaluation forms measure the impact of the outreach initiative. Continued success with annual grant proposals suggests that the “Information for the Cure” project contributions are valued in the community fight against breast cancer.
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Team Teaching
Cheryl Ewing , Director, Health Sciences Library, Alden Library, Ohio University, Athens, OH
Hearing and Speech Sciences (HSS 310 Language Development) is a required, undergraduate course on normal language development. In the summer of 2001 the Professor of this course and I got to together and wrote a proposal that involved the enrichment and redesign of the course to include training in information competency. We received a FLIC (Faculty/Librarian Information Competency) grant to do so.
Information competency is a vital component of student success and lifelong learning. Although it requires technology and computer skills, it implies a focus on content, communication, and analysis rather than mere dependence on technology.
Libraries are ready-made laboratories for student learning, equipped not only with information resources and tools to access them, but also with librarians experienced in teaching the skills necessary to be effective data retrievers and responsible consumers of information.
The enrichment of HSS 310 was viewed as a collaborative effort between a HSS faculty member and the Health Sciences Librarian working together as partners. Students learned how to: 1. Define an information need and identify and select appropriate information sources; 2. Develop and use search strategies to locate and retrieve relevant information; 3. Evaluate Information retrieved; 4. Organize and synthesize information; 5. Follow APA guidelines for writing a paper and citing references; and 6. Recognize the unique characteristics of the body of knowledge within speech-language and hearing disciplines.
Pre and Post tests were given and the post test scores were significantly higher.
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Information at the crossroads: diversity and medical resources
Dee Holliday, Multicultural Outreach Librarian, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Not only have librarians had to occupy a good deal of time with technological advances in libraries lately but they have also had to take action with a role that has been emerging for more than thirty years and that role is diversity within the libraries. What do we mean by diversity? Is it simply diversity in collections, in staffing, in the way we provide reference service? Or have we as a profession integrated such notions into our daily activities long ago and this new thing called diversity is just a trend? Information at the crossroads is a befitting place to express the many aspects of diversity including how diversity issues and challenges are viewed in the medical community. A disparity in healthcare has long been an issue especially in underrepresented communities that include the Latino, African, Asian, Native Americans and those living in rural areas. What challenges have these groups faced in getting access to basic affordable health care and services? The medical community must recognize that there are differences in culture, language, and the way people from these groups approach medical care and services. This poster session will illustrate and highlight medical resources dealing with discriminatory practices, biomedical research, affirmative action, racial and ethnic disparities in health care and other diversity information that may be at the crossroads. |
Be Prepared at the Crossroads
Ann Emmel, Educational Services Librarian; Eileen Severson, Electronic Resources Librarian;
Adolf L. Gundersen Health Sciences Library, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI
It all started with September 11, 2001 and an impending library relocation and intensified with the Nimda virus--the Adolf L. Gundersen Health Sciences Library was at the crossroads. We needed to revise our overall disaster plan.
As you all know, September 11th changed the way healthcare professionals think about emergency preparedness. In the library, it was at the back of our minds since we were relocating the library, but was brought to the forefront after September 11th and the Nimda virus in October of 2001. We forged ahead with revising our physical disaster plan and creating a network disaster plan.
First, we updated our 1992 physical disaster plan. We studied the relevant literature and cooperated with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Murphy Library who also recently renovated their library. We added sections on artwork, magnetic media, and revised web sites, floor plans, and consultants in our new disaster plan. Second, after the Nimda virus shutdown our hospital network for a day and half, we realized how dependent the library is on the Internet for searching and processing Interlibrary loans, and how unprepared we were to deal with the Internet being down. We needed to create a network disaster plan. Again, we studied the relevant literature, posted questions to medical library listservs, cooperated with our information systems and telecommunications departments, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Murphy Library who agreed to be our back up location in case of severe disaster. We completed our disaster plan by October 2002. We now have other hospital departments asking to use our disaster plan as a model.
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The Provision of Consumer Health Information in Rhode Island: A Comprehensive Multitype Library Survey
Jametoria Burton, Research and Information Services, Reference Librarian, University of Iowa Libraries,Iowa City,Iowa
This paper reports the results of a systematic survey of the provision of consumer health information (CHI) by Rhode Island’s hospital, academic health sciences, and public libraries. The first of its kind for the state, the purpose of the survey measured the following information: a) provision of consumer health information services to the general public b) comparison data by type of library type; c) level of accessibility of CHI to public patrons; and d) future CHI training needs of public librarians.
In Spring 2002, hospital, academic health sciences, and public libraries in Rhode Island were surveyed to collect this data. Out of 99 libraries 55 responded yielding a 57% response rate: 7 hospital libraries, 9 academic health science libraries, and 39 public libraries. The survey was based on a similar assessment tool developed and used by Sue Hollander in her study, “Providing health information to the general public: a survey of current practices in academic health sciences libraries”. Topics included level of access, reference services, online searching, collections, and information literacy.
The study revealed public libraries provided the highest level of access, followed by hospital libraries, and lastly, academic health science libraries. Clearly, public libraries serve on the forefront of this emerging issue. Results also reveal how participating libraries see their role in the larger scheme of service provision patron utilization, and staff training of CHI services, in comparison to other libraries within the state while serving as a benchmark as to role Rhode Island libraries play in the provision of consumer health information.
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Tribal College Libraries: An Opportunity to Forge New Partnerships
Judith L. Rieke, Assistant Director and Collection Management Librarian, Library of the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
This paper will describe a new partnership established between the staff at the University
of North Dakota Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences (HEFL) and the five
tribal college librarians on North Dakota’s Indian Reservations. This relationship began
as the result of an “Access to Electronic Health Information for the Public” subcontract
awarded in March 2002 to HEFL by the Greater Midwest Regional Medical Library. The
project had four major objectives:
1.Train Native American health care consumers and health professionals needing
consumer health information to find reliable electronic consumer health information through partnerships with tribal college library staff.
2.Develop a health information web page to prominently promote MEDLINEplus, PubMed, and ClinicalTrials.gov as well as other web resources applicable to Native American health consumers. See http://harley.med.und.nodak.edu/tcl/
3.Provide tribal college libraries with access to a full text health information database.
4.Place two computer workstations with Internet access dedicated to the Native American consumers and health professionals needing consumer health information in all five North Dakota tribal college libraries.
Details of the project, results, and evaluation will be presented. Lessons learned from this project will be highlighted and may be used as examples of what to expect when attempting to forge new partnerships with different types of librarians.
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e-Books: Guiding patrons to the crossroads
Lauren T. Rider, MLS, Staff Librarian, Community Health Network, Library Network, Indianapolis, IN
Although "build it and they will come" may apply to some new ventures, marketing new library services is usually necessary to ensure success. Patrons must know the service exists in order to use it. Available 24/7 from any computer station, creative ideas are needed to market e-books, steering patrons towards this modern and easily searchable text format. Using obvious and traditional marketing techniques, patrons are educated about new e-books through newsletters, mass e-mails, and training sessions. Computer-savvy patrons turn easily to web-based reference materials, while the less-computer-savvy patrons do not consider any other sources aside from the familiar printed texts housed on the library's shelves. Looking for a marketing vehicle to reach patrons not using e-books, we examined marketing efforts aimed at reaching the patron at the "point-of-need" . Visual cues, reminding the patron to try titles from the e-books collection were placed in the direct path of the patron using print reference materials. Several marketing possibilities arose after careful analysis of patron needs and preferences. Colorful posters, computer station displays, online tutorials, and styrofoam book "dummies," currently in use at a multi-site hospital library network, serve as effective "point-of-need" marketing tools for e-books. |
Kornhauser 101 OR Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Library
Where You Work But Were Afraid to Ask
Michel C. Atlas, Instruction and Education Services Team Leader and Coordinator of Education Services, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville,
Louisville, KY
All libraries endeavor to ensure good service to their patrons at all times. To accomplish this, a high level of staff awareness of how the library they work in functions, who is responsible for what and how the library fits into the larger institution in which it serves, must be established and maintained. While there is a wealth of library literature on staff orientation, training, and development, we at the University of Louisville’s Kornhauser Health Sciences Library undertook a very basic program of face-to-face informal communication with our fellow library workers that we called Kornhauser 101. To design our curriculum, we needed to know what each person wanted their colleagues to know about their job assignments and what they felt they considered necessary to know about what others did. Our solicitation of staff input found that this information fell into five categories: general library know-how; reference skills; library policies; technical services operations; and library administration. Three class sessions were held. All faculty and staff attended. All faculty and staff were given the opportunity to present the important facts about their jobs to their colleagues and clearly and publicly state the answers to the questions they repeatedly have to answer to individuals. |
Implementing and Maintaining PubMed’s LinkOut Feature: Issues and Solutions
Rich McGowan, Academic Resident Librarian, Library of the Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
BACKGROUND: Patrons are increasingly looking for information online including access to electronic journals. PubMed’s LinkOut Feature allows users to connect to material at the article level from a citation or abstract, decreasing search times and increasing patron satisfaction. Users want access to full-text material right away, they do not want to bother checking the catalog or a list of electronic journals. The system is convenient and straightforward but at the same time presents unique problems and limitations.
PROBLEM: PubMed’s LinkOut service provides one way for users to link directly from the database abstract to full-text material, but this system presents its own maintenance challenges. Some vendors do not allow access to material without logging in prior to searching. Other vendors do not yet fully participate in LinkOut, which can give the erroneous impression to patrons that some material is not available full-text at all.
SOLUTION: This poster will identify problems and limitations that make it easier to first configure the linking and then to establish an easy way to maintain the LinkOut system. Specific examples as well as general themes and issues will be addressed and discussed.
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Health Care at the Crossroads: Midwestern Hospital Postcards from the Early 1900s
Sara Anne Hook, Associate Dean of the Faculties and Professor of Informatics, IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana
Since the theme of the conference is information at the crossroads, it seems appropriate to look backwards as well as forwards in the poster session. One significant but often overlooked primary source for historical research is the picture postcard. When it was first proposed in the 1860s, the postcard was as radical and revolutionary a concept as our modern information technologies seemed to us just a few years ago. In the early 1900s, communities were proud of their public buildings, so even the smallest towns offered beautiful “hand drawn” postcards of their hospitals, churches, courthouses, schools and libraries. From these postcards, we not only get a sense of what these facilities looked like in the past, but postcards that were produced during that time tended to present very stylized, humane and bucolic views of hospitals, in contrast to the more forbidding and institutionalized depictions of hospitals today. The messages on these postcards also reveal details about the lives of ordinary citizens in the Midwest. The poster will give conference attendees a glimpse of what health care was like in the crossroads of America during the early 1900s and will feature postcards of hospitals in the Midwest from the presenter’s collection. |
Romance! Adventure! Mystery! Best Sellers in MY Library?!
Scott Loman, MLS, Saint John’s Health System, Anderson IN; Melinda Orebaugh, MLS, Director of Library Services, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse WI
You bet! For if you have them they will come! We will show you how!
Shake up your library’s image with the addition of best sellers to your collection. By utilizing a book leasing program, health sciences library customers might find Patricia Cornwell’s Portrait of a Killer next to Cecil’s Textbook of Medicine, Christopher Reeve’s Nothing Is Impossible along side Clinical Pathways in Therapeutic Intervention. When interest wanes for the latest Nicholas Sparks, send it back and get the new Nora Roberts. A minimal investment in time and money goes a long way in creatively promoting library services to all employees and staff of your institution. Pique the interest and curiosity of your customers by providing this unique health sciences library service and get them into and utilizing the library! Employees & staff that never knew the library existed will visit to borrow a best seller and quickly discover the true purposes of the health sciences library and its wealth of information.
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Librarians as Knowledge Managers How to be a Key Player on Project Teams
Susan M. Frey, Information Specialist, DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc, Warsaw, IN
What do librarians do when their users cry, “We are wasting time and money tracking and re-tracking the same information!” At DePuy Orthopaedics we teamed up with colleagues from other departments to devise a knowledge-based solution to the problem. Over the years individual departments within the company attempted to manage their information needs by tracking the information themselves, many without the benefit of information technology or a standardized methodology. This created information isolation within each department. To remedy the situation the Clinical Research Department approached the library and asked if we would be willing to apply our expertise in finding a solution to this problem. This was an opportunity for the librarians to contribute in the development of a key knowledge management project by collaborating with colleagues from other departments to devise a plan for locating the data and making it available to all employees on a web-based platform. Effective knowledge management builds not only on those with informational, behavioral, and technological expertise but also on people with valuable, often undocumented institutional knowledge. Because of this, interdepartmental teamwork is vital in developing and maintaining knowledge systems within an organization. This poster session describes the Product Article Database Project to date and reviews aspects of what we learned of the librarian’s role in the processing, preservation, and distillation of knowledge. |
Loansome Doc in the Midwest: Preliminary Results from a Survey of Libraries and End-users
Mary Congleton, MLS, AHIP, Medical Librarian, Southern KY AHEC Library, Berea, KY; Shelley Paden, MLS, AHIP, Information Services Librarian, University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Academic Information Technology & Libraries, Cincinnati, OH
Loansome Doc electronically connects libraries and their users to obtain material for users in an efficient and timely manner. This technology can not only help librarians connect to their users but promote library services and user support. For libraries considering whether to offer Loansome Doc services or for libraries who want to update their Loansome Doc services, we will offer data on the actual experiences of both libraries and their Loansome Doc end-users. Preliminary research results from a survey of Loansome Doc libraries in the Midwest and Loansome Doc end-users in Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan will be presented. The results will include both statistical data and subjective assessments of the problems and usefulness of Loansome Doc for both libraries and their users. We will explore how Loansome Doc services are being implemented and utilized by libraries. Specifically, we will report on the number of Loansome Doc users and the number of requests, type of Loansome Doc user, marketing strategies and Loansome Doc training. Also, we will explore the effect of Loansome Doc services on end-users, and their satisfaction with the service. In particular, we will compare how the Midwest survey results compare to a similar study conducted in the Southeast. |
Developing an Interactive PubMed Tutorial: One Library's Experience
Stephanie Kerns, Head, Learning Resources Center/Curriculum Librarian; Linda O'Dwyer, Reference/Education Librarian; Mark Berendsen, Education/Reference Librarian; Jim Brucker, Reference Assistant; Kurt Munson, Head, User Services; Michelle Frisque, Head,
Information Systems; Steve Hunt, Web Librarian; Linda Walton, Associate
Director; Galter Health Sciences Library, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
To achieve our goal of providing point of need education to library users, the Education Team at the Galter Health Sciences Library developed an online interactive tutorial for PubMed. Initially we did this as part of a project with the Northwestern University Office of Graduate Medical Education, but another goal for the library was to learn the technology and apply it to other databases and competencies for all library users.
The first step in the process of creating the tutorial was to discuss what functions of PubMed were relevant to a clinician. Based on that, we outlined each module and what should be contained in them using PowerPoint.
After investigating software options, we decided to use Macromedia Flash for the final product. A subcommittee was formed to create the actual tutorial. The tutorial was designed to be interactive, requiring the user to perform example searches as s/he moves through the learning modules. Important elements on the PubMed web pages are highlighted using interactive links. Feedback is provided as the user completes the tutorial.
We completed the tutorial and performed usability studies so the next group of incoming residents could use the tutorial this year.
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Introducing Resources on End-of-Life Care: A Collaborative Training Effort
Susan Byars, Librarian, Hospice of the Bluegrass, Lexington, KY; Winn Theirl, Outreach Coordinator, University of Kentucky, Chandler Medical Center Library, Lexington, KY
This poster presentation describes a collaborative venture between the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center Library and Hospice of the Bluegrass to provide training on information resources to improve care to patients at the end of life. The project was funded through a grant from NLM/GMR.
An exhibit and resource guide was developed and a 90 minute training program was designed to introduce the target audience to a variety of high quality information resources. Nurses and social workers attending the sessions received CEU’s and all those attending received a generous packet of information. During the year, 1300 people were reached by project activities and 175 attended one of 14 training sessions, some of which were held in relatively remote areas of Eastern Kentucky.
The poster presentation will include examples of the packet that was developed for participants in the project
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Bilingual Health Information Access for an Urban Minority Community
Theresa Arndt, Head of Outreach Services; Nancy Allee; Anthony Aguirre; Nancy Pulsipher; Patricia L. Bradley; Shelley Coe; Taubman Medical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI
A team from the University Health Sciences Libraries partnered with a coalition of local service organizations to establish an English Spanish digital consumer health library. An NLM Internet Access to Digital Libraries grant was received to build on a Detroit "Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010" (REACH) Initiative funded by the CDC. Funds enabled development of a "Health Links" section for the local REACH website. A review process was developed to select links to health and local community resources information based on nine quality criteria including linguistic accessibility for consumers and cultural relevance
to minority populations. The website is targeted at medically underserved Latino and African American populations with diabetes, hypertension and related conditions in low income areas of Detroit. To facilitate access, participating families were supplied with in home Internet terminals donated by the University. NLM grant funds provided Internet service for each family for one year. REACH employees received training from librarians on finding high quality health information on the Internet and provided home visits to participating families. Assessment included level of use and utility of the information delivered.
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PDA gives birth to electronic poster
Fran Kovach, MLIS, AHIP, Reference and Education Librarian; Rhona Kelley, MSLS, AHIP, Head, Reference and Education Librarian; Carol Thornton, MLS, Reference and Education Librarian;
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Library, Springfield, Illinois
Another aspect of discovery is the development of the electronic poster for viewing on or projecting from a personal digital assistant (PDA). During the fourth year, medical students taking the E-Physician, a WebCT based elective taught jointly by Medical Library, Family Practice, Medical Humanities, Statistics and Research, Public Health and Telemedicine faculty learn to design a poster and import the poster to a PDA connected to a liquid crystal digital projector (LCD). The students participate in a highly hands-on technology laboratory. In order for the electronic presentation to appear, the students take the necessary steps to load software, insert modules into the PDAs and attach the PDA to the LCD projector. Advanced PowerPoint multimedia techniques are taught in the elective covering the differences between electronic slide presentations from a computer or from a PDA. Using a Presenter-to-Go module, files and images compress from PowerPoint into a personal digital assistant through the Hot Sync process. The PDA connects to a digital projector and displays color presentations without a laptop computer. Students beam electronic posters using infrared technology to their own personal digital assistants. During the last session of the elective faculty and students discuss topics concerning the future of technological devices applicable to medicine. The pros and cons of replacing paper poster presentations with electronic poster presentations at scientific meetings create a lively discussion. |
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