Neil Rambo

E-science and biomedical libraries

For a few years now, segments of the research library community have been carefully tracking the emergence of e-science and exploring its implications for the future of research libraries. During 2007–2008, I had the opportunity to work with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and a task force looking at issues in e-science and library support for research in the sciences. I also had the opportunity to reflect on how these phenomena are the same or different in the health sciences arena. I will explore some of those ideas here. First, what is e-science, how is it likely to affect libraries, and how are libraries positioned to respond to it? What are the major e-science initiatives in the sciences and engineering and in biomedicine? And finally, how does it translate to the health sciences library context?

An extensible and successful method of identifying collaborators for National Library of Medicine informationist projects.

QUESTION/PURPOSE The New York University (NYU) Health Sciences Library used a new method to arrange in-depth discussions with basic science researchers. The objective was to identify collaborators for a new National Library of Medicine administrative supplement. SETTING The research took place at the NYU Health Sciences Library. METHODS Using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RePORTER, forty-four researchers were identified and later contacted through individualized emails. RESULTS Nine researchers responded to the email followed by six in-person or phone discussions. At the conclusion of this process, two researchers submitted applications for supplemental funding, and both of these applications were successful. CONCLUSIONS This method confirmed these users could benefit from the skills and knowledge of health sciences librarians, but they are largely unaware of this.

Providing access to licensed content for care providers statewide: lessons learned

In difficult economic times, institutions must make decisions about their core values and where they should concentrate their limited resources. Survival of vital programs can take precedence over other programs that are recognized as valuable, but not essential. Funding for immediate needs can, and often does, preclude funding for future needs. Such was the issue facing the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) regarding its Academic Resident Librarian Program. Initiated in 1981 as a postgraduate appointment for librarians who were new to the profession and lacking librarianship experience, the program was suspended in 2007 for reevaluation and study. UIC has estimated that it costs the university approximately

Program Management and Policy Issues in Information Outreach

14,000 per resident for recruiting and training, in addition to their salaries. This study was designed to determine what the value of the program is to the former residents, whether the goals of the participants in the UIC Library of the Health Sciences (LHS) residency program matched or reflected those of UIC, and if UIC should continue investing in the program. A survey was designed to probe the initial motivation for those entering the residency, their satisfaction with the program, their greatest challenges, their biggest rewards, new skills they developed, their retention rate in health sciences librarianship, and the most and least valuable aspects of the program. The results provide insight for institutions considering establishing a similar residency or in evaluating current programs. The responses also provide a view of the issues that new health sciences librarians face during the beginning years of their careers.

It's the end of the world and we feel fine.

Abstract With the advent of the Internet, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in the Pacific Northwest have new opportunities to access high quality and relevant health information. The Pacific Northwest Regional Medical Library (PNRML), regional headquarters of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, a program sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, sought to facilitate that access and worked with a selected group of sixteen tribes and native village consortia. The steps were: (1) work with AI/AN communities to arrive at mutually-agreeable health information connectivity objectives and long-term solutions, (2) provide funding to AI/AN communities to ensure Internet connectivity and the presence of Internet workstations for health workers and for the public, and (3) train in effective health information seeking. Community-based approaches helped the PNRML adjust policies and practice for improved information outreach to AI/AN communities in the region. The project participants, collaborating with our staff, successfully carried out many of the community goals and, at the same time, we gained insight about the variables that were barriers or facilitators of success. While we are coming at outreach from a library perspective, the policy and method lessons we learned could apply to a broad variety of outreach endeavors.

A Web Portal Providing Statewide Access to Licensed Content: Implications for Hospital Librarians

In October of 2012, the New York University (NYU) Health Sciences Library was advancing on many fronts. Library staff members were in the middle of conducting strategic planning, developing a new liaison program, planning new knowledge and data management services, and starting to think about a much-needed renovation of our main facility. As expected for any academic health sciences library, we were deliberate and systematic in these efforts, confident that our tried-and-true methodical and careful work would deliver a steady stream of manageable and comforting progress and change.

Public health information support

A bill designed to improve health care access and quality for all citizens of Washington State was passed and signed into law in May 2007 (1). Many of the bill’s provisions stemmed directly from recommendations made by the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Costs and Access. One of the Commission’s recommendations was that health care providers follow evidence-based standards of practice where available. This recommendation was incorporated into the law by mandating that the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Library (HSL) develop a Web portal where eligible licensed providers across the state, particularly those in underserved areas or in professions that normally do not have access to a library service, could access evidence-based information to support patient care. To fund this, the law requires the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to impose a maximum

Understanding the information needs of public health practitioners: A literature review to inform design of an interactive digital knowledge management system

25 per year add-on to the license fees of health care providers in 14 different professions. (The professions included in the legislation are acupuncturist, chiropractor, massage practitioner, mental health counselor, naturopathic physician, optometrist, osteopathic physician and surgeon, osteopathic physician assistant, physician and surgeon, physician assistant, podiatric physician and surgeon, psychologist, registered nurse, and independent clinical social worker.) A contract was negotiated between DOH and HSL in 2008 covering the development and maintenance of the Web portal and the transfer of fees

Tribal connections health information outreach: results, evaluation, and challenges

Purpose – This case study describes the assignment of an academic health sciences librarian to another academic unit for a period of two years. This arrangement enabled the librarian to focus on work with an interdisciplinary team to assess the information needs and uses of public health workers in Washington State and to develop online resources to address those needs.Design/methodology/approach – The assessment process employed semi‐structured discussions and interviews with segments of the workforce. “Information toolkits” – practitioner‐oriented and highly focused web pages that provided an overview of select notifiable diseases – were developed based on what was learned from the assessment.Findings – This experience would not have been possible within the normal work environment and provided the librarian with knowledge, contacts, and opportunities not available otherwise.Originality/value – An outcome of the assignment was increased knowledge of public health information needs among the community of...