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A description of the origin of the Regional Medical Program is given and of regional service activities. Among the topics discussed are interlibrary loans, MEDLARS searches, orientation of librarians and library users, including workshops and the library Core collection, and the evaluation of needs for biomedical information in the regions.
The Dahlgren Memorial Library, Georgetown University Medical Center, will demonstrate Medical Facts File, a newly developed in-house database of general medical information. The file content emerged from the library's experience with commonly asked reference questions and the need to develop a database as an online source for users seeking quick answers to medical queries. Medical Facts File joins a growing family of over 18 databases which comprise Georgetown's IAIMS Knowledge Network. Use scenarios will demonstrate how an online search is initiated, either directly or as a prompt from one of the other online databases. The design of Medical Facts File at the Dahlgren Memorial Library began in late 1989 with a publishing section on instructions for authors planning to submit manuscripts to a variety of prominent medical journals. Since then, seven sections have been identified for the database. Three sections are highlighted for presentation, although work on the project is on-going. Medical Facts File is an easy-to-use, time saving system that facilitates tedious searching through a multitude of library sources. It provides users with a self-service, information look-up system.
Chat reference refers to the use of instant messaging and call center software to support interactive text or voice communication with library patrons. Instant messaging has been integrated into many e-commerce environments, and into the social lives of many teenagers and young adults, affording a level of immediacy and intimacy not possible with e-mail applications. The convergence and interoperability of new and emerging technologies can be used to develop new communities of users that view libraries as being essential to their education, patient care, and research activities.
The Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan Regional Medical Library (KOMRML) consists of ten academic libraries, the first of the RML's to be decentralized.This paper considers early conceptions of RML's, their relationship with the National Library of Medicine, their hierarchical structure, and their function as a social agency.
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From the beginning of the association, technology and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) have been intertwined. Technology was the focus of one of the first committees. Innovative applications of technology have been employed in the operations of the association. Early applications of mini-computers were used in preparing the Annual Statistics. The association's use of network communications was among the first in the country and later applications of the Web have enhanced association services. For its members, technology has transformed libraries. The association's support of the early development of Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) and of its recent reconceptualization has contributed to the intellectual foundation for this revolution.
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The studies described herein represent some of the most sophisticated social and technical experiments ever attempted in education and health care delivery. It is hoped that the lessons learned from them will bring us much closer to the goal of providing good quality health care and education in areas that are away from metropolitan centers.
The two decades since the introduction of MEDLARS and the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act have been especially eventful in the history of the National Library of Medicine. The library's collections and services have grown to keep pace with the expanding health sciences literature and the needs of health professionals. Networking has emerged as an invaluable method for disseminating biomedical information. NLM has assumed new responsibilities for information services in toxicology, pharmacology, and environmental health, and for research and development in biomedical communications. Research now being carried out by NLM has the potential for enhancing the library's archival programs and for improving information dissemination in support of health sciences research, education, and practice.
The full impact of twentieth century technology upon medical libraries was first felt in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the introduction of electronic automation into library methodology. During those years, often the aura of technology for the sake of technology prevailed, and medical librarians did little to inform themselves of capabilities, potentialities, and limitations in relation to cost-effective library usage of automation. Likewise, currently microforms and audiovisuals are frequently acquired for their own sake instead of for their capacity to transmit messages in the most effective and comprehensive way possible. Controversy has raged and still rages over the pros and cons of applying modern technology to library procedures and over the coexistence of the printed page with electronic media. New systems and methodologies, machine or manual, must realistically be evaluated in terms of increased service output by the library to its clientele. Regardless of technological sophistication, any machine that does not significantly contribute to that specific aim has no place in a library. The tradition of the medical librarian has always been to collect, organize, store, and disseminate information in the most efficient manner that the media of the times have had to offer.
Traditional library instruction programs teach scientists how to find and manage information, but not how to report their research findings effectively. Since 1990, the William H. Welch Medical Library has sponsored classes on scientific writing and, since 1991, has offered a fee-based editing service for affiliates of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. These programs were designed to fill an educational gap: Although formal instruction was offered to support other phases of the scientific communication process, the medical institutions had no central resource designed to help scientists develop and improve their writing skills. The establishment of such a resource at Welch has been well received by the community. Attendance at classes has grown steadily, and in 1993 a credit course on biomedical writing was added to the curriculum. The editing service, introduced in late 1991, has generated more requests for assistance than can be handled by the library's editor. This service not only extends the library's educational outreach but also generates a revenue stream. The Welch program in scientific writing and editing, or elements of it, could provide a model for other academic medical libraries interested in moving in this new direction.
OBJECTIVES: This paper describes a survey-based evaluation of the five-year old Liaison Librarian Program at the University of Florida. METHODS: Liaison librarians, faculty, students, staff, residents, and post-doctoral associates were queried via Web-based surveys. Questions addressed client and liaison perspectives on a variety of issues, including program and service awareness and usage, client-library relations and communication, client support for the program, and liaison workload. RESULTS: Approximately 43% of the 323 client respondents were aware of liaison services; 72% (n = 163) of these clients had had contact with their liaison. Ninety-five percent (n = 101) of faculty and students who reported contact with their liaison supported the continuation of the program. Liaison services were used by a greater percentage of faculty than students, although they had similar patterns of usage and reported the same "traditional" services to be most important. Liaisons indicated that communications with clients had increased, the reputation of the library was enhanced, and their workloads had increased as a result of the Liaison Librarian Program. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Survey results suggest that the Liaison Librarian Program has a core set of clients who use and highly value the services provided by liaisons. Recommendations addressing workload, training, marketing, and administrative support are provided.
The Woman to Woman: Community Health Information Project facilitates information access at selected community-based women's health agencies in Houston, Texas. The community partners were selected based on objectives outlined in Healthy People 2010. A variety of institutions and disciplines contributed to the planning and implementation of the project. Internet-connected workstations were placed at each participating agency site for staff use. A comprehensive compendium of local health resources for women was developed and posted on a dedicated Website. In addition, training in accessing electronic health information resources was provided for staff at each participating site. Trainees provided evaluative data at the end of the training session as well as one month later so that project members could determine the need for additional training. Site visits and structured interviews were also conducted at each participating agency to monitor progress and further evaluate the program. A final focus group was conducted with representatives from each participating agency to assess the project's success. Evaluative findings indicate that academic and community-based organizations can collaborate effectively to increase women's access to electronic health information.
Medical librarians typically contribute to patient care from the confines of the library in response to practitioners' requests for literature searches, information pearls, and evidence-based information. While this model has long served the needs of active clinicians, the learning environment of residency programs is ripe for innovative librarian involvement. This paper illustrates how the librarian can become part of a clinical team outside of the library and provide real-time reference services while teaching by example. Benefits of the alliance include the integration of disciplines to provide enhanced resident learning and improved patient care.
The introduction of a manual selective dissemination of information system with a computer-based personal index service into a Medical School Library is described. An account is given of the selection of participants, the development and maintenance of search profiles, the daily procedures, the forms and outputs of the system, and the computer index maintenance system. The costs of both the manual citation selection system and the computer index maintenance system are reported.
The twentieth anniversary of circuit librarianship is a fitting occasion to reflect on its history and success. The tradition of circuit riders is traced and the hallmarks and achievements of circuit librarian programs are described. Providing information services to remote health professionals has been a longstanding concern of medical librarianship, and it is presently a major focus of the National Library of Medicine. It is suggested that widespread adoption of circuit librarianship would not only satisfy the information needs of unserved health professionals but could enhance the image of the profession given the centrality of the librarian, not the library, in this model.
BACKGROUND: This paper introduces the new National Library for Health Skin Conditions Specialist Library http://www.library.nhs.uk/skin. DESCRIPTION: The aims, scope and audience of the new NLH Skin Conditions Specialist Library, and the composition and functions of its core Project Team, Editorial Team and Stakeholders Group are described. The Library's collection building strategy, resource and information types, editorial policies, quality checklist, taxonomy for content indexing, organisation and navigation, and user interface are all presented in detail. The paper also explores the expected impact and utility of the new Library, as well as some possible future directions for further development. CONCLUSION: The Skin Conditions Specialist Library is not just another new Web site that dermatologists might want to add to their Internet favourites then forget about it. It is intended to be a practical, "one-stop shop" dermatology information service for everyday practical use, offering high quality, up-to-date resources, and adopting robust evidence-based and knowledge management approaches.