The effect of hospital proximity and numbers of students on reference service in medical school libraries.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Canada↗
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Results for “Library Services”
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Children in hospital: II. Reading therapy and children in hospital.
Following the survey of book and library services described in the first of these two articles (Health Libraries Review, 8, 210-219), a research project funded by BNB Research Fund in 1991 investigated the theory and practice of reading therapy with children in hospital. Hospital play staff had been identified as the therapists most commonly involved and a number of them were interviewed using advance notice questionnaires and structured discussion. The following aspects were investigated: definitions of reading therapy, children in hospital, the reading therapy process, materials used, evaluation, services to facilitate and promote reading therapy, training and the role of libraries and librarians. Recommendations relate to practice, to provision and listing of materials, to evaluation procedures and to training. The final conclusions relate to the role of librarians in the processes and development of reading therapy with children in hospital.
Bibliotherapy↗
The way we were: health library life seen through the pages of the Medical Library Bulletin of the Thames Regions, 1974-94.
The Medical Library Bulletin of the Thames Regions reflected the development of health-service libraries over the 20 years it existed. Originally begun as a practical aid to improving services by encouraging co-operation, improving communication and giving instructive advice, it charted the work of health-service librarians and the growth of their services. The articles contained in it covered professional developments and wider political issues as they occurred, and illustrated the extension of the librarians' knowledge and skills. Leslie Morton, Library Adviser to the British Postgraduate Medical Federation, edited almost every issue, starting at a time when there was little guidance or professional literature available for health-service librarians.
History, 20th Century↗
The midcontinental regional medical library: a decentralized service.
The Midcontinental Regional Medical Library area is described geographically as to medical population and as to library resources. Borrowing patterns in the region are analyzed. The first project of the Region was a Union List of Serials, whose history is given. Advantages and disadvantages of a decentralized system are discussed.
Books↗
Next-generation applications in healthcare digital libraries using semantic service composition and coordination.
Healthcare digital libraries (DLs) increasingly make use of dedicated services to access functionality and/or data. Semantic (web) services enhance single services and facilitate compound services, thereby supporting advanced applications on top of a DL. The traditional process management approach tends to focus on process definition at build time rather than on actual service events in run time, and to anticipate failures in order to define appropriate strategies. This paper presents a novel approach where service coordination is distributed among a set of agents. A dedicated component plans compound semantic services on demand for a particular application. In failure, the planner is reinvoked to define contin- gency strategies. Finally, matchmaking is effected at runtime by choosing the appropriate service provider. These combined technologies will provide key support for highly flexible next-generation DL applications. Such technologies are under development within CASCOM.
Information Storage and Retrieval↗
Implementation and evaluation of information desk services provided by library technical assistants.
Changes in the role of information services librarians and in the health care environment have required a rethinking of the provision of reference services at the University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health Sciences. This is a report of a new service offered after that analysis. An information desk staffed by twenty-five library technical assistants was established. Details of staff training, scheduling, and data gathering for this new service are provided. After eight months of operation, an evaluation of services provided by the Information Desk was conducted. A combination of evaluation methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, has been used to determine overall staff performance. Results from analysis of service statistics, structured observations of real-time services operations, and questionnaires distributed to information services librarians and to patrons are presented. The findings from this study are discussed in terms of comparison with similar studies in other libraries and identification of future research studies. The results confirm the value of the Information Desk and support the decision to continue this service model.
Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
Hospital patient libraries and information services in Australia.
In order to find out how many and what kind of Hospital Patient Libraries exist in Australia I placed a "Request for Information" on our national electronic discussion list entitled 'aliaHealth'. This discussion list has presently nearly 300 subscribers. Most of them are located in Australia, but they also come from Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The e-mail address for 'aliaHealth' is: aliaHealth@alianet.alia.org.au. The result of my enquiry was rather poor: there are three Hospital Patient Libraries in Western Australia, one in Queensland and two in Victoria. The criterion was that the Library or Patient Information Service had to be located within the Hospital grounds. The six Libraries or Information Services are described in detail.
Australia↗
Nurses' access to library and information services.
The author reports on the impact of recent changes in the funding and organisation of library and information services which support the education of nurses. In order that nurses might better contribute to evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness initiatives, the author calls for greater communication and co-operation between library and health services.
Communication↗
The information needs of doctors-in-training: case study from the Cairns Library, University of Oxford.
The objective of this study was to find out more about the information needs of doctors-in-training and to identify their preferred sources of information. The methodology included interviews with consultants and administrators, a focus group discussion with library staff and a postal questionnaire sent to 347 doctors-in-training (there was a 43% return). The shortcomings of a questionnaire primarily composed of closed questions were addressed by the inclusion of one-to-one interviews which offered the opportunity for more in-depth commentary on specific issues highlighted in the questionnaire. Results indicated the frequency with which various types of information sources were consulted and how this related to the 'ease of access' of each information source. There was also the opportunity to comment on future information needs. It was clear from the interviews as well as comments made on the questionnaire that the two most important requirements for doctors-in-training were 'more time to find and obtain information' and 'better access to information sources when and where they are needed'. The results, although not surprising, included specific suggestions that have been used for the strategic planning of the library service to deliver the best possible support to users within the current framework of evidence-based medicine.
Education, Medical↗
Marketing the hospital library.
Many librarians do not see themselves as marketers, but marketing is an essential role for hospital librarians. Library work involves education, and there are parallels between marketing and education as described in this article. It is incumbent upon hospital librarians actively to pursue ways of reminding their customers about library services. This article reinforces the idea that marketing is an element in many of the things that librarians already do, and includes a list of suggested marketing strategies intended to remind administrators, physicians, and other customers that they have libraries in their organizations.
Humans↗
The CHIPS project: a health information network to serve the consumer.
CHIPS (Consumer Health Information Program and Services/Salud y Bienestar) is a Library Services and Construction Act Title I-funded project that has as its major goal the formation of a health information network to serve the consumer, the public library client, and the hospital patient. Funded for two years, 1976-1978, this bilingual project coordinates efforts of the Los Angeles County Harbor General Hospital Regional Medical Library and the Los Angeles County Carson Regional Public Library to provide health information resources and services to the public. The target population is over two million people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. This paper discusses the project's objectives and encourages an active role for all libraries in the consumer health education movement.
California↗
The MERMLS leadership institute for hospital librarians: a new concept in extension service.
This paper describes a pilot Leadership Institute conducted by the Mid-Eastern Regional Medical Library Service (MERMLS) and a consultant group from Temple University. The purpose of the institute was to instill some basic group leadership techniques in a selected group of geographically dispersed hospital librarians. The institute was conducted in two sessions totalling three days, with two months separating the two sessions. Extensive evaluations by participants at the end of both sessions resulted in general endorsement that the institute's objectives had been attained and that more institutes of this type should be provided.
Academies and Institutes↗
The consequences of offering fee-based services in a medical library.
Fee-based services may influence, both subtly and dramatically, the operation of a medical library. Fears that have been raised about the consequences of fee-based services are recalled and applied to the context of medical librarianship. Specifically covered are the effects of fee-based services on service to traditional user groups, collection development, interlibrary cooperation, and management style. The discussion includes references to the program of fee-based services offered by the New York Academy of Medicine Library.
Fees and Charges↗
Database search services as a basic service in academic health sciences libraries.
Mediated search services, usually offered for a fee, are commonplace in academic health sciences libraries. At the same time, users of these services have numerous self-service options available to them; for example, CD-ROMs and locally mounted databases. In keeping with its philosophy of access to rather than ownership of information, the University of Washington Health Sciences Library and Information Center (HSLIC) changed its policy from charging clients for mediated searching to offering mediated searches as an essential service of the library. By taking this step, HSLIC moved closer to becoming a true "library without walls." This paper describes HSLIC's experience with changing its policy and examines the issues surrounding use of the collection budget to subsidize access to online information in academic health sciences libraries.
CD-ROM↗
Document delivery capabilities of major biomedical libraries in 1968: results of a national survey employing standardized tests.
The standardized Document Delivery Tests (DDT's) developed earlier (Bulletin 56: 241-267, July 1968) were employed to assess the capability of ninety-two medical school libraries for meeting the document needs of biomedical researchers, and the capability of fifteen major resource libraries for filling I-L requests from biomedical libraries. The primary test data are summarized as statistics on the observed availability status of the 300 plus documents in the test samples, and as measures expressing capability as a function of the mean time that would be required for users to obtain test sample documents. A mathematical model is developed in which the virtual capability of a library, as seen by its users, equals the algebraic sum of the basic capability afforded by its holdings; the combined losses attributable to use of its collection, processing, relative inacessibility, and housekeeping problems; and the gain realized by coupling with other resources (I-L borrowing). For a particular library, or group of libraries, empirical values for each of these variables can be calculated easily from the capability measures and the status statistics. Regression equations are derived that provide useful predictions of basic capability from collection size. The most important result of this work is that cost-effectiveness analyses can now be used as practical decision aids in managing a basic library service. A program of periodic surveys and further development of DDT's is recommended as appropriate for the Medical Library Association.
Costs and Cost Analysis↗
A Delphi survey of research priorities and identified areas for collaborative research in health sector library and information services UK.
The survey aims were to determine research priorities in the Health Library and Information Services sector in the United Kingdom as to their perceived value for the professional and impact on user needs and to identify areas suitable for collaborative research. A 34-member panel consisting of the Chairs of professional groups, journal editors, educationalists, key organizations and representatives from the Health Libraries Group, Libraries for Nursing and University Health Science Libraries professional groups, participated in a three-round postal questionnaire survey using the Delphi Technique. Consensus was achieved for a final set of 20 research priorities. The priorities and their category groups are discussed in the context of (i) the current R&D scene, and (ii) the health information environment. Six developmental recommendations are provided.
Cooperative Behavior↗
Going beyond information management: using the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals to promote knowledge-based information services.
In 1987, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) initiated the Agenda for Change, a major revision in the evaluation process for hospitals. An essential component of that change was to shift the emphasis away from standards for individual departments to standards for hospital-wide functions. In recent years, hospital librarians have focused their energy and attention on complying with the standards for the "Management of Information" chapter, specifically the IM.9 section on knowledge-based information. However, the JCAHO has listed the health sciences librarian and library services as having responsibilities in six other chapters within the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. These chapters can have a major impact on the services of the hospital library for two reasons: (1) they are being read by hospital leaders and other professionals in the organization, and (2) they articulate specific ways to apply knowledge-based information services to the major functions within the hospital. These chapters are "Education"; "Improving Organizational Performance"; "Leadership"; "Management of Human Resources"; "Management of the Environment of Care"; and "Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection." The standards that these chapters promote present specific opportunities for hospital librarians to apply knowledge-based information resources and service to hospital-wide functions. This article reviews these chapters and discusses the standards that relate to knowledge-based information.
Health Promotion↗
From vision to reality--managing change in the provision of library and information services to nurses, midwives, health visitors and PAMs: (professions allied to medicine) a case study of the North Thames experience with the Inner London Consortium.
One of the North Thames' pioneering consortia, the Inner London Consortium (ILC) is a complex body which includes NHS Trusts with teaching hospital university connections, community-based Trusts and general hospital acute Trusts. Within the consortium there are 12,000 trained nurses, midwives, health visitors and other professional staff working in the professions allied to medicine (PAMs), all of whom require access to and provision of appropriate library information services. In 1994, taking into account experiences elsewhere in the Region and nationally, it became clear that library issues were complex and would become acute with the move of nursing libraries from ILC Trust sites over a very short timescale. A report on the issues commissioned by the Consortium recommended that a library project, which built on existing NHS Trust PGMDE funded library resources and moved these to a multidisciplinary base to serve the consortium membership, be implemented. The objective of providing access to library information services for nurses and PAMs was achieved. Successes that emerged from the implementation included: The registration in Trust libraries of almost 12 000 new members within the initial 6-month monitoring period. The development of service level agreements and standards for the delivery of services to these new user groups. This paper describes the processes behind these significant and complex changes.
Allied Health Personnel↗