Francesca Allegri | Search PubMed

PubMed2006

Lessons learned from single service point implementations.

Interest in consolidating service points within health sciences libraries continues. This article proposes a definition of a library single service point and mentions some notable examples in academic health sciences libraries. The experiences of two of these libraries are summarized and compared, and the advice culled from those experiences is shared. The advice is in the form of sharing lessons learned, answering six frequently asked questions about combining services and staff under a single service umbrella. The article offers insights for other library staff considering this type of service reorganization.

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PubMed2005

A study of personal digital assistants to enhance undergraduate clinical nursing education.

This study reports on personal digital assistants (PDAs) as a means to prepare nurse professionals who value and seek current information. An interdisciplinary team of nursing and library faculty, information technology and bookstore staff, students, and educational consultants developed this project. A pre-post and comparative group design of second-degree students in the accelerated and traditional baccalaureate nursing degree (BSN) options was used to examine students' information-seeking behaviors, and the effectiveness and cost of innovation strategies associated with incorporation of PDAs into students' clinical practice. Results of this study support PDAs as an effective student learning resource, especially for reference materials. The student group with PDAs had increasing numbers of questions associated with clinical situations and a greater recognition of the need to use current resources. Students made substantial use of their PDAs and health team members, while decreasing reliance on textbooks and clinical faculty. Students' use of and satisfaction with this technology is linked to access speed and readability. Providing faculty with PDAs is recommended to enhance their comfort with and incorporation of PDAs into clinical teaching.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗