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Thursday, January 29 - Session I
Thursday, January 29 - Session II
Friday, January 30 - Session III
Friday, January 30 - Session IV

Update on Inflation of Journal Prices:  Brandon-Hill List Journals

Joan B. Schlimgen, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona; Michael R. Kronenfeld, Learning Resource Center

A.T. Still University of the Health Sciences.

This presentation updates the study of journal price increases based on the "Brandon-Hill Selected List of Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library" that was first published in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association in 1980 and last updated in 1996.  Subscription prices were gathered for the 113 journal titles that have appeared in each of the Brandon/Hill Selected Lists and were compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The results show that the average journal price continues to rise significantly and is independent of the CPI.  The study found that prices have jumped 51.9% from 1996 to 1999 and 32% from 1999 to 2002.  At the same time, many libraries have received budget increases based on the CPI, which has resulted in the significant loss of purchasing power over time.  To provide a context for this unprecedented rise in journal prices, the authors will also briefly examine the current economic and technological pressures on the science, technology and medical (STM) journals market that are contributing to high prices. *The research in this paper was supported by a grant from the Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA).

The Collaborative Role of Medical Librarians in Facilitating The EBCAM Faculty Development Workshop.

Linda Suk-Ling Murphy, Science Library, University of California, Irvine; Desiree Lie, MD, MSEd, Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Irvine

The Science Library and the College of Medicine Educational Affairs at the University of California, Irvine hosted "Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine: Educational Approaches -- A Collaborative Faculty Development Workshop."  The goal of the workshop was to provide faculty with skills to integrate CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) instruction into a variety of teaching programs and clinical settings.  The program was presented using an innovative approach which included hands-on computer instruction that was held in a Science Library conference room and at the Interactive Learning Center (ILC).  Instructors offered hands-on support to enhance participants' searching and critical appraisal skills.  Participants were asked to complete several assessment tools including a "pre- and post- program survey," a "Survey of Health Care use and Practice," and an interactive "EBCAM case exam," to assess their teaching skills, knowledge and attitude toward EBM and CAM.  The author will address the collaborative role that medical librarians can play in developing, planning, implementing, and facilitating an EBCAM faculty workshop.  

Integrating MEDLINE Search Skills with Medical School Curriculum: Is There an Objective Scale for Student Evaluation?

Russell Smith, USC Norris Medical Library; Janet Nelson, USC Norris Medical Library.

In the fall of 2001, the medical school implemented a new curriculum that emphasized case-based, self-directed learning.  The faculty, recognizing that students needed to demonstrate competency in literature searching, asked the library to create a grading scale for evaluating student searches. As part of their orientation, all Year I students were given a one-hour hands on Ovid MEDLINE class.  During the year the students were required to complete three literature search assignments.  Assignments  required students to demonstrate the use of each of the following:  MeSH, the AND operator, explode, subheadings, focus, and limit.  Those students receiving a failing grade on any phase of the assignment were given remediation. 

During the first year 22 (13%) of the 168 students required remediation.  The average score was 85.4.  Significant improvement was seen in the second year, with 6 (3.5%) of 170 students requiring remediation.

Skills in database searching can be evaluated using a numerical scale.  Program evaluation and revision based on student performance data can enhance student competency in Medline searching.

Providing Access to Data Sets for Public Health Professionals: Service Development, Outreach, and Use Patterns.

Min-Lin Fang, The Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); Peggy Tahir, The Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

This paper will describe the library's data sets service to campus public health professionals. Public health professionals in the Center for Health and Community require access to data sets for their investigations, publications and teaching. A team of professional staff from the library's Reference Department, Data Management Services, IT and Technical Services conducted a needs assessment and developed and marketed a data sets service for the campus. Public health professionals are a large user group of health sciences data sets. The library received senior management approval to purchase a membership in the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). However, the initial membership required users to pay a fee and did not allow direct end-user access. Because the fee and mediated access were perceived as barriers to access, the library changed its membership to ICPSRDirect, which allows end users to access the data sets on their own without the fee structure previously imposed. Data sets use rose dramatically. The project has provided an excellent venue for working with campus public health professionals and providing a new service for their constituency and built  a successful collaborative project between the various library departments involved.

Mining for Gold, Exploring New Veins of Influence:  The Rewards and Realities of Developing Successful Collaborations with Diverse Partners in Your Institution and Beyond. 

Jeanette C. McCray, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona; Gary Freiburger, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona.

Most health sciences libraries recognize the strategic value of developing collaborations with non-library partners within their institution and throughout their community and in some cases their region or state.  Within their service area, the library's visibility is increased, the range of expertise they offer is recognized, and their value to the organization improved.  New responsibilities and opportunities may come their way, some of which may stretch their thinking and resources or services.   Successful grant-funded projects likewise can improve visibility in a community and create new partnerships with unexpected parties and results.  This paper will explore how one health sciences library has used a variety of project and partnership opportunities to generate new funding, which in turn, provides an increasing array of services to a wider audience.  Lessons learned will be a key feature of the presentation.

The ArcticHealth website: evaluated health information on the Arctic environment and Northern peoples.

Kathy Murray, University of Alaska Anchorage.

The people and communities of the Arctic cope daily with challenges to their health and well-being from changing climatic and environmental conditions, pollution, and emerging infectious disease trends.  As a result, it is critical that residents of the Arctic have access to credible information specific to their needs.  The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) developed the ArcticHealth website, <www.arctichealth.org> to meet this need.  The website provides an easy-to-use portal to information on diverse aspects of the Arctic environment and the health of Northern peoples.  It includes links to selected health information from a wide range of local, state, national, and international agencies as well as universities and professional societies.  ArcticHealth is organized around themes such as health topics relevant to inhabitants of the circumpolar north, traditional healing, telehealth / telemedicine, environmental health, and "Health in the News." ArcticHealth website users can retrieve journal articles from the NLM's PubMed database and link to NLM's MEDLINEplus to retrieve even more health information. This paper will discuss the collaboration between various individuals, departments, and institutions required to make this a successful project. 

Patient Education: The First Step Toward Health Information Literacy.

Marsha Kmec, Olive View/UCLA Medical Center.

As literature searches and document delivery requests have declined over the years, many librarians have focused on other value-added services to provide within their departments. Through my involvement with the Patient Education Committee and the Patient Education Council over the past twelve years, I have become a big proponent of patient education and its relation to health information literacy. In fact, a recent teleconference sponsored through the Medical Library Association also stressed the critical importance of our need to promote patient education.  My presentation will outline the strategy and tactics that we have employed at my institution, as well as how our committee has elevated patient education as a key component of our role as information specialists.  I will provide information on what we've accomplished, how we did it, what the future holds and the vital importance of creating networks and partnerships within the community and with other librarians, both public and private. By being proactive and focusing on patient education, we are indeed furthering the goals of our profession.

Hospital Librarians Exploring New Frontiers in Community Outreach.

Sally A. Harvey, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ; Lora Robbins, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ.

The Librarians of Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center Health Sciences Library in Phoenix were granted a small award from the Pacific Southwest Regional Medical Library to provide a community outreach project with a local HIV/AIDS service organization.  This paper will explore the process of providing outreach services by hospital librarians who have comparatively few resources. Choosing one organization that is physically close to the hospital and providing services to a specified group make the project manageable and well within the reach of hospital libraries. The benefits to such projects are many.  This project has expanded in ways that were not anticipated but are very exciting and are opening new opportunities. They also assist the community organization and benefit the Librarian's institution by fostering a positive image within community.

Effective Consumer Health Information Outreach to Rural Areas.

Patrick Newell, Henry Madden Library, CSU Fresno.

This paper will discuss the methods employed by a successful outreach program for developing consumer health information classes to rural nonprofit organizations and public librarians that serve as information intermediaries.  A discussion of the role of health information intermediaries, the consumer health information course content, the methods of contacting and involving nonprofit organization staff, and the needs of rural communities (particularly nonprofit healthcare organizations) will be included in the description of methodologies employed in delivering, evaluating, and marketing the courses.  The presenter will offer conclusions regarding the information needs of rural communities and the best methods of targeting information intermediaries in rural communities through focused outreach marketing efforts.  This paper is relevant to any medical library considering consumer health outreach programs or rural health information outreach.

Adopting Streaming Video Technology for Library Instruction "Any Time, Any Place".

Janet G. Schnall, University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries; Terry Ann Jankowski, University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries.

This paper reports on the use of streaming video for annotating web instruction pages and tutorials.  With more students taking distance learning classes and using the emerging digital library, librarians began investigating methods for offering informatics instruction in ways other than the traditional lecture or hands-on in the computer lab format.  Using Camtasia, inexpensive, easy-to-use software that captures screen activity and sounds from a computer's desktop and produces streaming video, library liaisons created short videos demonstrating how to search databases.  These videos and instructions on downloading software to view them from home were linked to the instructors' websites and could be viewed using free RealOne Player software. Based on the positive reaction by students and faculty to the use of Camtasia, library web instruction pages and tutorials are now being "annotated" with voice and video, thus enabling "any time, any place" instruction.  This paper discusses the evolution of teaching technologies, evaluation of the videos and practical tips for using streaming video for web instruction 'any time, any place."

Consumer Health Outreach Programs:  A Tool for Public Libraries and Community Partners.

Catherine Burroughs, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region; Gail Kouame, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region; Heidi Sandstrom, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region.

In 2002, a task force of medical and public librarians was convened to recommend ways that the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) can assist public libraries in providing health information to the public.  Several objectives were identified, including "to encourage relationships between public libraries and community health partners."  The task force suggested that the NN/LM work with public librarians to create a resource about ways to partner and develop health information outreach with community organizations.  A small subgroup from NN/LM and the NLM are developing the resource scope, concept and content, seeking public library input in the interim and final phases. The final product will be a web-based action tool for public libraries interested in planning community-public library partnerships, including tips for writing proposals and obtaining funding. 

A logic model developed by the task force identifies key outputs and short term outcomes to evaluate.  Data to collect will include:  numbers and types of activities and channels that promote the resource; and descriptive information about public libraries that join the NN/LM and submit proposals for outreach funding in their communities.  

And Here's to You, Mrs. Grieve: Thyme to Revisit Those Old Herbal Books.

David J. Owen,  Kalmanovitz Library and The Center for Knowledge Management (CKM), University of California, San Francisco.

The resurgence of interest in medicinal herbs presents problems for the librarian seeking information on their use and safety, for there is still a paucity of clinical evidence. Many herbalists though still rely on classic herbal texts, often dismissed as being out-of-date and inaccurate by mainstream physicians. These works often contain information that cannot be found elsewhere. Several classic herbal texts from the 19th and early twentieth century are even being reprinted and made available on the Internet. For example, Maud Grieve's A Modern Herbal, first published in the 1930's, is still widely used and is available online. Even Nicholas Culpepper's 1649 The Complete Herbal, combining herbalism with astrology, remains an important reference tool. This paper surveys and comments on some of these classic herbal texts that are now enjoying renewed attention as a source of information about herbs and herbal therapies.

Turning Point - Building a Public Health Infrastructure.

Patricia A. Auflick, Arizona Health Sciences Library; Paul Bracke, Arizona Health Sciences Library; Jeanette McCray, Arizona Health Sciences Library; Susan Trombley, Arizona Health Sciences Library.

Only 1% of federal health dollars are spent on public health efforts that would improve our overall health. To address this problem, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation established the national Turning Point Project with a goal of transforming and strengthening the public health infrastructure in the United States so that states, local communities, and their public health agencies could respond to the challenge to protect and improve the public's health in the 21st century. Arizona is one of twenty-one states receiving funding to further this goal.  The Arizona project has targeted building community leadership through training and information dissemination. The Public Health Information Centers subcommittee is charged with developing a web site, offering training, and assisting in the development of public health information centers in public and tribal libraries. This paper will look at the role of the Arizona Health Sciences Library in furthering the national and statewide Turning Point goals through training and information dissemination.

Bringing the Classroom to the Beach and Beyond: the Use of Blackboard^TM to Deliver a Distance Education Course in Nursing Informatics.

Doug Varner, California Pacific Medical Center / University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Health Sciences Library.

Using the BlackboardTM Learning System a distance education course in Nursing Informatics was developed for students enrolled in an online MSN program from across the country. The course content incorporated lectures on core concepts in health information management, including: computer workstation design and networking concepts; information systems design and content retrieval; description of knowledge-based information resources; JCAHO standards for information management and mock JCAHO site visit;  the practical application of EBM methodology in clinical settings; web site usability and content evaluation; organization of web-based information using web taxonomy methodology; in-depth study of web search engines and a comparative analysis of retrieval results; mastery of bibliographic search interfaces using search strategy development parameters followed by comparative analysis of the functionality and ease-of-use of the interfaces. Each module was composed of lecture material, readings and assignments.  Students were evaluated based on completion of assignments for each module, learning assessment essays on a variety of topics in informatics, a course project and participation in course discussion boards. 

School Nurses and the Internet.

Dolores Zegar Judkins, Oregon Health & Sciences University Library.

School nurses often work alone and split their week among a number of schools.  Not only do they spend their time with students, they also need to verify health records, and often do some teaching as well.  They have very little time left to find quality health information for themselves, teachers, students, and the students' parents.  For a number of them, the Internet is still an unknown quantity.  Through a grant from the National Library of Medicine, a training course was developed for the school nurses at the educational service district.  An initial survey was sent out to find out what information the nurses felt was most needed and the course was developed using these results as a guideline.  The course consisted of basic training in using the Internet, MEDLINE and PubMed searching, and information about numerous other websites useful to school nurses.  A web page was designed for quick and easy access to the information presented in the class.  The course was taught to all the school nurses in the district and received rave reviews.  The web page continues to one of the most highly used web pages on the Library's site. 

Increasing Information Literacy Skills in Pre-Nursing Students.

Hannah M. Fisher, Arizona Health Sciences Library, University of Arizona.

This paper focuses on an information literacy project to teach pre-nursing students the skills to search, evaluate and select information in preparation for a writing assignment on a nursing topic.  Working closely with instructors, a plan was developed that included a library tour and orientation and a detailed tutorial that could be accessed through the library's website.  The tutorial was created in PowerPoint and covered a description of how to acquire peer-review journals, step-by-step instructions for performing a search in CINAHL and how to select and find the full-text articles in the library's electronic or print collections  Reaction has been positive, both on the part of the students and the instructors.  Other nursing instructors have inquired into having similar information literacy tools developed specifically for their classes.  Follow-up with instructors at the end of the semester will be done to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach and to identify areas for improvement.