Kristen L. Young

Librarian Integration in a Four-Year Medical School Curriculum: A Timeline

The Taubman Health Sciences Library (THL) is integrated in all four years of the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) curriculum. Information resources are introduced at strategic points throughout the curriculum so that students receive training at times when they are most likely to need the resource. Most of the core instruction sessions are taught in teams that consist of librarians and UMMS faculty, which provides unique learning opportunities for students. This article describes each THL instruction activity in the four-year undergraduate UMMS curriculum and provides commentary on the overall effectiveness of this integrated approach to instruction.

Perceptions from Library School Faculty on Meaningful Matters to Academic Librarians: Additional Degrees, Sabbaticals, Evaluation, and Governance

Objective – To survey the faculty members of American Library Association (ALA)-accredited library schools to gain insight into their perceptions on academic librarians obtaining faculty status and how the library school curricula prepare academic librarians for faculty roles. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – An e-survey was distributed online to 57 ALA-accredited library schools during April 2007, using Zoomerang. Subjects – The population consisted of 906 tenure-track or tenured faculty members. Methods – The 24 item survey was designed to answer eight specific research questions and evoke responses scored on a five-point Likert scale that corresponded to (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Neutral, (4) Agree, and (5) Strongly Agree. For the analysis of data in questions 1 and 3 through 8, the perceptions of faculty members of ALA-accredited library schools were determined by calculating the mean and standard deviation. For the analysis of question 2 a t test was used to determine differences in faculty members’ perceptions based on gender and tenure. A one-way analysis of variance, or ANOVA, was used to determine library school faculty members’ perceptions based on academic rank. Main Results – A total of 906 individuals were sent the link to the survey, and 187 individuals completed the survey, making the response rate 20.6%. Of the respondents, 38.5% were professors, 25.7% were associate professors, 33.7% were assistant professors, and 2.1% were lecturers. The majority of respondents were female (60.0%) and tenured (65.0%). Faculty members of the ALA-accredited library schools agreed that courses in statistical concepts, procedures, and research (both experimental and non-experimental) should be required of those seeking a master’s or doctoral degree. They agreed that the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree is insufficient in preparing librarians for faculty status, and that additional graduate degrees improve performance of academic librarians in discipline-specific positions. Conclusion – It is clear that library school faculty have a strong interest in the curriculum and the future directions of librarianship. It is also clear that faculty status for academic librarians, equivalent to that of teaching faculty, will remain a contentious issue for some time. The author had five recommendations for practice: Librarians who want a faculty-status position should earn another graduate degree, in addition to the MLS; ALA-accredited library schools should require that PhD and masters students have courses in experimental and non-experimental research; ALA-accredited library schools should require that PhD and masters students have courses introducing statistics; Librarians with faculty status should be involved in university governance as well as library governance; and, Librarians with faculty status should be eligible for the same sabbatical and research leaves as other faculty. There are three recommendations for further study identified by the author. First is a qualitative study to identify the reasons behind the perceptions that faculty members have of the issues that surround faculty status for academic librarians. Second is a qualitative study to assess how faculty status affects the lives of academic librarians, both personally and professionally. Lastly, additional research should be conducted to gain a greater understanding of how faculty status impacts academic librarians within the institutions they are a part of.

A Review of “Internet Cool Tools for Physicians”

The title, Internet Cool Tools for Physicians, is enough to generate tachyarrythmia (an excessively rapid heartbeat of more than 100 beats per minute) in the heart of a medically educated techie. In spite of the title, the authors issue a disclaimer and state that no single resource can turn someone into an Internet expert. This guide will have readers with a keen interest and a stout heart using the Internet and searching seamlessly in no time, well beyond the general purposes of everyday practicality. Written by a physician and two librarians, this resource teaches readers how to use the Internet, “the most powerful information tool in history,” more efficiently and effectively. In a mere 153 pages, the authors explain which tools will assist readers in locating information and which ones can be customized to create a more specialized and personalized Internet experience. The book contains an abundance of invaluable information, such as the best tools for managing information, personalized Web pages, RSS feeds, social networking, social bookmaking, and note-taking tools. It stresses collaborating through podcasts, videocasts, blogs, and wikis and gathering information using MEDLINE. Put simply, the tools that are identified and discussed in this resource, applied with intelligence and reasonable effort, can save time, money, and emotional stress. Readers will not be disappointed in this book—there is something here for everyone—physicians, nurses, teachers, and students on all different levels. Those who are faint of heart should read slowly.

Obtaining an Outreach Express Award

The third installment of the ReachOut Through Outreach Column gives a brief history of outreach and an introduction to Outreach Express Awards. It features two projects that recently received the award through their respective Regional Medical Libraries. The article also makes reference to additional outreach groups that are a part of the Medical Library Association, specifically the Outreach Special Interest Group, the Librarians Without Borders® program, and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit.

Learning Through Reflective Writing: A Teaching Strategy

Objective – To explore student thought on both reflection and reflective writing as a process, and to analyze the writing by the application of clearly defined and identifiable outcomes. Design – Mixed method approach consisting of a qualitative analysis of 116 written reflections from master’s level students as well as a quantitative statistical analysis. Setting –The University of Sheffield masters-level librarianship program’s course INF6005, “Management for LIS.” Subjects – Of the 31 students registered the course during the 2007-2008 academic year, 22 (71%), allowed their reflections to be used for the purposes of research. Of these, 7 students identified themselves as male, and 15 were female. All students included were over 21 years of age and had previous library experience, with varying degrees of management experience in supervisory roles. Not all supervisory experience was gathered within the library domain. Methods –A total of 116 reflective journal entries were submitted by the participating students during the eight month period from October 2008 to May 2009. In order to identify themes, qualitative analysis was applied to the reflective writing responses. Descriptive statistics were also applied to test the hypothesis, illustrate the relationships between reflective writing and outcomes, and locate identifiable outcomes. Main Results – Practising reflection demonstrated benefits for individuals and groups both in and outside of the workplace. On the whole, individuals gained the most from reflection and saw it in the most positive light when it was practised as a daily activity. Quantitatively, when students began to master the practice of reflection, they demonstrated an increase in their ability to learn and an overall improvement of self-development and critical thinking skills, and gained a defined awareness of personal mental function. When decision making became easier, students understood they had begun to master the art of reflective practice and analytical reflective writing. Qualitatively, when the students’ reflections were assessed, ten different themes emerged: (1) Nature of reflection (2) Reflection seen as useful in providing support for a career and professional development (3) Reflective writing – benefits (4) Reflective writing – potential in future employment and workplace (5) Encouraging others to use reflective practice (6) Reflecting positively (7) Reflection applicable to both individuals and groups (8) Reflection in support of personal awareness (9) Exploration of different methods of reflection (10) Difficulties in focusing enough to be able to reflect deeply Conclusion – Reflection is a skill that can be practised and developed. Initially, not all students enrolled in the class and participating in the study knew what reflective writing was or what it entailed. Students were given support to educate them in this area. Support included academic reading, lectures, reflective writing workshops and an overall opportunity to develop their skills further. Reflective writing was demonstrated to have a very positive relationship with several key outcomes. The areas impacted include academic learning, self-development, and critical review, with key outcomes including an increased awareness of personal mental function and increased support for decision making, as well as empowerment and emancipation. The clearest benefit was represented when students wrote about their analytical reflections.

A Review of “The Internet Imaginaire”

the field. Additional features include a carefully chosen collection of model plans, a glossary of technical terms, an appendix of links to state laws on cyber/computer crime, an appendix of referenced vendor and software Web sites, and a thorough index to aid users in locating specific topics. The authors are both involved in the library profession. Paul Earp is the user support technician for Summit College at the University of Akron. He recently worked as network manager at the Jernigan Library at Texas A&M University–Kingsville before moving to Ohio. Adam Wright is the executive director for the North Texas Regional Library System. He has been a librarian for eleven years, working in both public and special library environments. He is an active member of the Texas Library Association’s Automation Technology Round Table and is a regular contributor to the Texas Regional Library System Web site and blog. This manual is recommended for its sound practical guidance in an easy-to-use source that is well within the budget of most libraries.