UCMP and the Internet help hospital libraries share resources.

The Medical Library Center of New York (MLCNY), a medical library consortium founded in 1959, has specialized in supporting resource sharing and fostering technological advances. In 1961, MLCNY developed and continues to maintain the Union Catalog of Medical Periodicals (UCMP), a resource tool including detailed data about the collections of more than 720 medical library participants. UCMP was one of the first library tools to capitalize on the benefits of computer technology and, from the beginning, invited hospital libraries to play a substantial role in its development. UCMP, beginning with products in print and later in microfiche, helped to create a new resource sharing environment. Today, UCMP continues to capitalize on new technology by providing access via the Internet and an Oracle-based search system providing subscribers with the benefits of: a database that contains serial holdings information on an issue specific level, a database that can be updated in real time, a system that provides multi-type searching and allows users to define how the results will be sorted, and an ordering function that can more precisely target libraries that have a specific issue of a medical journal. Current development of a Web-based system will ensure that UCMP continues to provide cost effective and efficient resource sharing in future years.     

An evolution of experts: MEDLINE in the library school.

Question: What is the real value that medical librarians bring to the health care environment? How have library science educators, frequently former practitioners themselves, responded to the challenge of expert searching?Methods: In this paper, I give an historical introduction to the landscape of medical information retrieval through the development of MEDLINE. I then look at the evolution of training in online searching and its place in the context of library school education and particularly the effect of generalist education on future specialists. Finally, I acknowledge the new role of the informationist as another assertion of our professional expertise.Conclusions: The three interdependent subsystems of our professional machine—our schools, our association, and our professional peers— must all respond to this challenge by asserting our expertise in our curricula, in our continuing education, and in our dialogues with each other. Only by acknowledging the interaction of these subsystems will real and positive changes be effected to benefit our profession and our constituencies.     

Kicking the Tires: A Usability Study of the Primo Discovery Tool

Discovery tools offer users a powerful way of searching library holdings as well as external databases and indexes. They are becoming an increasingly common part of the library user experience, and research on the usability of such tools is expanding. In 2012, a mid-sized academic research library implemented Primo Discovery and Delivery by Ex Libris and conducted a diagnostic usability test to investigate how the tool is used without instruction, to discover patterns in searching behavior, and to uncover how compatible Primo is with user search behavior. This article will describe the design and implementation of the usability study. Despite some design flaws, users adapt to the tool over time and can perform effective searches. This article also provides recommendations for future usability studies in specific targeted areas where problems were detected.     

Evidence-based practice: extending the search to find material for the systematic review

BACKGROUND: Cochrane-style systematic reviews increasingly require the participation of librarians. Guidelines on the appropriate search strategy to use for systematic reviews have been proposed. However, research evidence supporting these recommendations is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effectiveness of various systematic search methods used to uncover randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for systematic reviews. Effectiveness is defined as the proportion of relevant material uncovered for the systematic review using extended systematic review search methods. The following extended systematic search methods are evaluated: searching subject-specific or specialized databases (including trial registries), hand searching, scanning reference lists, and communicating personally. METHODS: Two systematic review projects were prospectively monitored regarding the method used to identify items as well as the type of items retrieved. The proportion of RCTs identified by each systematic search method was calculated. RESULTS: The extended systematic search methods uncovered 29.2% of all items retrieved for the systematic reviews. The search of specialized databases was the most effective method, followed by scanning of reference lists, communicating personally, and hand searching. Although the number of items identified through hand searching was small, these unique items would otherwise have been missed. CONCLUSIONS: Extended systematic search methods are effective tools for uncovering material for the systematic review. The quality of the items uncovered has yet to be assessed and will be key in evaluating the value of the systematic search methods.     

移动图书馆WAP和APP用户检索行为比较分析

[目的/意义] 对比用户在使用WAP和APP这两种方式访问移动图书馆时的检索行为,为移动图书馆的服务创新提供参考。[方法/过程] 通过对某高校图书馆OPAC系统移动端日志数据进行统计分析,从搜索会话、查询式、高频关键词以及检索方式等方面展开研究。[结果/结论] 发现用户更多地是使用WAP访问移动图书馆,相比之下,在使用APP访问移动图书馆时,用户更倾向于在短时间内进行较少的查询来结束搜索会话;使用这两种方式查询的高频关键词所属领域有很大的相似性,中文检索多集中在数学、管理学、经济学、社会学等领域;简单检索是用户访问移动图书馆时使用的主要检索方式,通过WAP访问的用户选择其他检索方式的比率要大于通过APP访问的用户。     

Preparing Librarians for the Twenty-First Century - Assuring That They Will Measure Up

Schools of library/information science need to be restructured. One model would be to offer courses (and a Bachelor's degree) that would emphasize methods. Further education, with an emphasis on administration and scholarship, would be the place for graduate degrees. The vulnerabilities of schools of library/infomation studies are listed. Finally, an evaluation of these schools is outlined.     

Free or Fee Based Library in the Year 2000

ABSTRACT

With the rapid rise in distance education and online courses, the need to provide effective library services to the faculty and students involved in online courses is vitally important. Traditional services cannot always be transferred easily to the online environment and may need to be modified, or new services may need to be created to meet the needs of online users. This article examines the needs and wants of faculty involved in offering online courses. A Web-based survey was administered to faculty teaching an online course within the past 2 years at the authors’ organization. Faculty were asked a series of questions including their use of current library services, their emphasis on students using library services, and the services and resources they would like the library to provide in the future. Questions for the survey were inspired by LibQual comments received during our 2005 and 2007 surveys as well as comments received from both faculty and students while teaching and participating in online courses. Faculty who took the survey teach in a variety of disciplines and have different experience levels with teaching online courses. Results of the survey will be presented along with inferences from the current literature. The audience will be invited to share their innovative service ideas. Participants will gain ideas for updated or new services to faculty teaching online courses.     

Dynamic Pathfinders

Abstract

Library pathfinders are a time-tested method of leading library users to important resources. However, paper-based pathfinders suffer from space limitations, and both paper-based and Web-based pathfinders require frequent updates to keep up with new library acquisitions. This article details a step-by-step method to create an online dynamic pathfinder with a clean, intuitive interface that performs predetermined searches in online library catalogs. This tool leads users to resources much as a traditional pathfinder does, but it is always up-to-date, requires almost no maintenance, and familiarizes patrons with the library's catalog as they use it. This article requires a basic knowledge of HTML. PHP and JavaScript are also used. While knowledge of these languages is helpful, these parts of the dynamic pathfinder are described in enough detail that no prior knowledge is required.     

Library school education for medical librarianship.

This paper reviews the current situation in library school education for medical librarianship in the United States and Canada based on information from a questionnaire sent to teachers of courses in medical librarianship in accredited library schools. Since 1939, when the first course devoted entirely to medical librarianship was offered at Columbia University, courses have been introduced into the curricula of at least forty-seven of the ALA-accredited library schools. In 1978 there were seventy courses available through forty-seven library schools. Possibilities for specialization in medical librarianship are examined. Course content is reviewed. Implications of the MLA certification examination for library school courses are explored.     

Serving Community Faculty Through a Dedicated Liaison

Community-based medical schools rely heavily on volunteer faculty to provide medical education. Volunteer faculty consist of health care professionals, primarily physicians, who commit to educating medical students and residents. While these volunteer faculty are typically unpaid, many medical schools provide some benefits to them for volunteering their time. One such benefit, although rarely noted in library or medical education literature, is access to academic medical library resources and services. This article highlights a library services liaison model dedicated to the support of volunteer faculty at a community-based medical school.     

The education and training needs of health librarians - the generalist versus specialist dilemma

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to examine whether and how librarians with a generalist background can transfer to roles demanding more expert knowledge in the health sector. The objectives were (i) to compare the education and training needs of health librarians with science degrees with the education and training needs of health librarians with arts and humanities degrees; (ii) to compare the education and training needs of librarians working in the National Health Service (NHS) sector with the education and training needs of librarians working for the health sector but within higher education. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews with 16 librarians, a convenience sample of librarians working in the Thames Valley NHS region. RESULTS: The main findings confirmed that structured continuing professional development (CPD) is required to meet the rapidly changing needs in the health sector. The emphasis ought to be on teaching skills, outreach work, marketing and promotion, research skills and methods, subject knowledge and terminology, and management skills. Library school curricula do not appear to meet the demands of medical library posts. A first degree in scientific subjects is advantageous in the early stages of a career but diminishes with continuing training and experience. There is no evidence of a significant difference in training needs and provision between the librarians in NHS posts as opposed to those in higher education (HE) posts. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusions suggest that library schools need to update their programmes to include teaching skills, advanced search skills, project management skills, research methods, with more practical exercises. Particular attention should be given to librarians with a first degree in non-scientific subjects in terms of time allocated for CPD, quality of training and access to reliable mentorship.     

Exploring Library 2.0 on the Social Web

Library 2.0 literature has described many of the possibilities Web 2.0 technologies offer to libraries. Case studies have assessed local use, but no studies have measured the Library 2.0 phenomenon by searching public social networking sites. This study used library-specific terms to search public social networking sites, blog search engines, and social bookmarking sites for activity associated with librarians and library users. Blog search data about the recentness of activity or the popularity of a blog post indicate that Library 2.0 technology has many early adopters but provides less evidence of sustained use. The results follow a curve resembling the 80/20 rule and also resemble Chris Anderson's “long tail” effect, in which very few authors create the vast amount of content. These exploratory results can be used as a starting point for future studies. Librarians who use tags to describe Web-based content might use these findings to select more effective tags. Librarians implementing a blog or a social networking presence might use this study to balance the benefits with the amount of work required to maintain an up-to-date presence.     

数字图书馆的专业教育(英文)

数字图书馆的专业教育近几年来在美国及其他国家迅速发展。网络调查显示大学开设数字图书馆专业课程的数字4年内增加了3倍。目前不但专业信息管理及图书馆院系设置此课程,计算机、通信及工程学院也设置类似课程。从对40多所大学数字图书馆课程的教学大纲、学习重点、课题项目及选用教科书的研究分析中可以看出,多数院系重视学生的实际操作本领,一些注重数字图书馆学的系统教育,一些偏重网络及计算机软件技术的教育。虽然占领先地位的并非都是传统的图书馆院系,有些教授内容也未全部使用此领域的最新研究成果,但将数字图书馆作为一门新学科内容,训练学生掌握使用这门新技能,已成为信息学、信息与计算机技术和信息管理大学课程中的一个热点。数字图书馆专业教育的迅速发展反映了信息管理及图书馆学教育的一个新趋势。     

Internet‐based information‐seeking behaviour amongst doctors and nurses: a short review of the literature

Background: Reviews of how doctors and nurses search for online information are relatively rare, particularly where research examines how they decide whether to use Internet‐based resources. Original research into their online searching behaviour is also rare, particularly in real world clinical settings. as is original research into their online searching behaviour. This review collates some of the existing evidence, from 1995 to 2009. Objectives: To establish whether there are any significant differences in the ways and reasons why doctors and nurses seek out online information; to establish how nurses and doctors locate information online; to establish whether any conclusions can be drawn from the existing evidence that might assist health and medical libraries in supporting users. Methods: An initial scoping literature search was carried out on PubMed and CINAHL to identify existing reviews of the subject area and relevant original research between 1995 and 2009. Following refinement, further searches were carried out on Embase (Ovid), LISA and LISTA. Following the initial scoping search, two journals were identified as particularly relevant for further table of contents searching. Articles were exclused where the main focus was on patients searching for information or where the focus was the evaluation of online‐based educational software or tutorials. Articles were included if they were review or meta‐analysis articles, where they reported original research, and where the primary focus of the online search was for participants’ ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The relevant articles are outlined, with details of numbers of participants, response rates, and the user groups. Results: There appear to be no significant differences between the reasons why doctors and nurses seek online Internet‐based evidence, or the ways in which they locate that evidence. Reasons for searching for information online are broadly the same: primarily patient care and CPD (Continuing Professional Development). The perceived barriers to accessing online information are the same in both groups. There is a lack of awareness of the library as a potential online information enabler. Conclusions: Libraries need to examine their policy and practice to ensure that they facilitate access to online evidence‐based information, particularly where users are geographically remote or based in the community rather than in a hospital setting. Librarians also need to take into account the fact that medical professionals on duty may not be able to take advantage of the academic model of online information research. Further research is recommended into the difference between the idealised academic model of searching and real world practicalities; and how other user groups search, for example patients.     

Evaluation of methodological search filters--a review

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were: to provide an overview of approaches to methodological search filter development; to identify and critically review the stages of methodological search filter development; to devise a search filter appraisal checklist based on the review. METHODS: An iterative approach to searching was employed utilizing health and library databases, the world wide web and citation searching. Further systematic methods included hand searching of key journals in the field of search filter development, contacting known experts in the field and scanning reference lists of relevant papers to identify additional studies. Altogether, 51 potentially relevant papers were found, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Four stages of search filter development were identified from the literature (search term selection, identification of a gold standard, evaluation and validation). Variations in the methods used to approach these four stages were identified, most importantly in the extent to which search filters are tested and validated. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the process and limitations involved in search filter development is essential to make an informed decision on the applicability and validity of search filters. The findings of this review indicate a considerable agenda for future research, in particular, to improve the quality of reporting of search filters and to inform users on their use and application. Based on the review, guidance in the appraisal process of search filters is given in the form of a checklist.     

Survey of Web Developers in Academic Libraries

A survey was sent to library Web designers from randomly selected institutions to determine the background, tools, and methods used by those designers. Results, grouped by Carnegie classification type, indicated that larger schools were not necessarily working with more resources or more advanced levels of technology than other institutions.     

专业信息门户分析与利用

论文介绍了专业信息门户网站的搜索方法,提出可从研究组织机构及学、协会,专业图书馆的门户网站,综合门户网站搜索引擎,数据公司等入手,检索专业学科领域的网上信息资源和工具。