Medical librarians' knowledge and practices in locating clinical trials for systematic reviews

Objective:In regard to locating clinical trials for a systematic review, limited information is available about how librarians locate clinical trials in biomedical databases, including (1) how much information researchers provide librarians to assist with the development of a comprehensive search strategy, (2) which tools librarians turn to for information about study design methodology, and (3) librarians'' confidence levels in their knowledge of study design methodology. A survey was developed to explore these aspects of how a medical librarian locates clinical trials when facilitating systematic reviews for researchers.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a 21-question survey was sent to medical librarians via several email listservs during April 2020. Respondents were limited to librarians who make the decisions on search terms for systematic reviews.Results:Responses (n=120) indicated that librarians were often asked to search for various types of clinical trials. However, there was not a consistent method for creating search strategies that locate diverse types of clinical trials. Multiple methods were used for search strategy development, with hedges being the most popular method. In general, these librarians considered themselves to be confident in locating trials. Different resources were used to inform study types, including textbooks, articles, library guides and websites.Discussion:Medical librarians indicated that while they felt confident in their searching skills, they did not have a definitive source of information about the various types of clinical trials, and their responses demonstrated a clear need and desire for more information on study design methodology.     

The Subject Specialist Librarian's Role in Providing Distance Learning Services

ABSTRACT

Subject specialist librarians play a role in providing resources and services to distance students. The authors surveyed subject librarians and distance librarians, examining how and to what extent subject librarians provide service to distance learners.     

Distance Learning Librarianship Research Over Time

Abstract

This paper informally presents the results of a study using a combined survey/interview technique that asked experienced extended, distance and/or distributed library services librarians for their advice to novice librarians in the field. The primary recommendation is to build relationships. Other strategies are offered in the areas of marketing, gathering information, evaluating policies, remaining flexible, keeping up with technology, and using the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Library Services.     

Selling the Library from the Reference Desk

Abstract

Many library directors and administrators spend a significant portion of their time attempting to market the library and its services. Getting patrons into the library and keeping their business is an integral part of the day-to-day management of the library. This mission, however, is not always effectively passed on to the front lines to the one group of people who face the patrons on a daily basis -the reference librarians.

This article will show how the library's service points can be used as marketing tools; outline what librarians and public service staff should know about their library; and discuss ways in which reference service librarians can help further the library's marketing and public relations goals.     

A Study on Using Rubrics and Citation Analysis to Measure the Quality of Doctoral Dissertation Reference Lists from Traditional and Nontraditional Institutions

Abstract

As distance education programs continue to grow, so do the services offered by libraries to the communities created by such programs. However, for these programs to be successful, the people that they are intended to serve need to be aware of the support and services available to them. Without such awareness, the services will go unused. Through a survey, the librarians at Emporia State University learned that making distant students aware of services was essential to the success of distance learning library services. Librarians discovered that creating a marketing plan to guide the marketing process was essential. This tool serves as a road map to visually illustrate the path from the conception of ideas to the realization of the marketing goals and objectives. This paper examines the process of writing a marketing plan and intends to illustrate how it can assist the library in marketing its services to a distant population.     

Perceptions of Work–Life Balance for Urban Academic Librarians: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The topic of work–life balance (WLB) has gotten a lot of attention in popular literature, but there has been little library scholarship on the issue. This exploratory study presents the perceptions of 329 academic librarians on what they believe an ideal WLB looks like, and how it impacts their personal and professional responsibilities. The authors asked about strategies for a successful WLB, about overall job satisfaction, coping strategies, and more. The study is intended to prompt discussions of the topic, and lead to an exploration of how to continue to grow and support a strong workforce.     

The Role of Cooperation in Creating a Library Online Tutorial

SUMMARY

Reference librarians at St. Charles Community College discovered the benefits of cooperation when they began the process of creating an online library tutorial. In the fall of 1999, librarians realized that their walk-in library sessions were becoming ineffective due to poor attendance by students. The tours didn't fit into on-campus students' busy schedules, and failed to serve distance students at all. Two reference librarians decided to work together to create a web-based tutorial introducing students to library online resources. It was an informal process that started with information gathering on what tutorials exist, how they were developed and what type of software was used. After the librarians decided on the format and appropriate software, they brought together their creative and technical strengths to design an appealing and functional tutorial. To create a “virtual tour” of the library's physical layout, the librarians also collaborated with the Instructional Support Center, a group of educational technology specialists who are part of SCC's community college consortium. The tutorial was completed in only a year, partly because working in a small library allows for constant contact between the librarians, but also due to the efficiency of using cooperation. This successful collaborative project eventually won the Missouri Community College Association's 2001 Technology Innovation Award.     

Data Collection System for Tracking Hospital Librarians’ Productivity

Abstract

Librarians gather data on multiple aspects of their work. Much of the data collection revolves around the library’s resources, but what may be passed over during this data collection is information on how librarians are expending their time and effort. A group of librarians from a community hospital system designed a Microsoft Access database to collect such data and has been recording librarians’ efforts for more than three years. The librarians use the data in annual reports and can track trends to evaluate service priorities and maximize effective use of the librarians’ time.     

Library Support for Distance Learners

Abstract

In 2001, Texas Tech University Library surveyed faculty who taught distance learning courses. This article reports the findings of the survey. Implicit in the article is the belief that a clear understanding of the needs and expectations of faculty serves as a foundation on which librarians can build a solid program of support for distance learners. This clear understanding may also serve as the basis for better strategies to educate faculty on how librarians can help improve distance learning courses. Unfortunately, what faculty think about library support for distance learning courses is not always clearly understood. To a significant extent, this limited understanding is due to the dearth of information in the professional literature on the subject. More surveys need to be completed and the results published so that distance learning librarians can better understand faculty and better inform them, optimizing support for distance learners.     

Knowing your users and what they want

Abstract

In order to have a successful library program for offcampus students, librarians must understand who their students are and what they want. This paper will address the issues involved in conducting a user survey for off-campus students. The paper will cover details on developing a survey; it will discuss the logistics of sending and receiving; and it will examine one method of evaluation. This work is based on a student survey conducted by the University of Iowa Libraries during November 1998 and March 1999.     

Promoting Discovery: Creating an In-Depth Library Marketing Campaign

ABSTRACT

This case study aims to describe how librarians at Indiana University Kokomo designed a marketing campaign to promote its discovery tool to undergraduate students during the fall 2012 semester. The authors illustrate how, through the use of a coordinated marketing plan, librarians applied marketing principles to select a target audience, create promotional designs, organize events, and assess campaign effectiveness. The authors express how libraries can construct cost-effective yet comprehensive marketing campaigns, as well as learn from both unexpected successes and shortcomings of such projects. Ultimately, these takeaways can inform a library's future marketing endeavors.     

Library Marketing on a Small Liberal Arts Campus: Assessing Communication Preferences

As part of a newly created library marketing plan, librarians at the College of Wooster undertook a study of the communication preferences of students, faculty, and staff in early 2015. The results of the survey helped to develop a comprehensive picture of what library resources and services these constituencies are interested in learning about, as well as when, where, and how they prefer to learn about them. This article describes the development, distribution, results, and analysis of the survey, and highlights the importance of campus-specific library marketing practices.     

Marketing Electronic Resources and Services

Summary

In an effort to provide desktop access to information at Texas A&M University, an increasingly greater portion of the University Libraries' budget is being spent on electronic resources and services. This study, a survey of a random sample of the faculty and teaching staff, was designed to determine if these resources and services are being used by the targeted population and, if not, why. The results of the study indicate that a lack of information is the greatest obstacle to the use of electronic resources/services, and they suggest that the Libraries should place greater emphasis on outreach to the faculty and improved marketing strategies.     

We Care—Virtually and in Person: A User-Centered Approach to Assessment,Implementation and Promotion of Library Resources and Services to a Remote Graduate Campus

ABSTRACT

The article relates how the Brooklyn Campus Library of Long Island University, despite limitations of physical distance and the varying conditions of the remote graduate campus at Westchester, makes every effort to face each challenge creatively with practical solutions for implementation. We share our findings and experiences—what worked and what did not—and what remains to be done in terms of supporting the curricula and bringing library resources and services to a mixture of remote site users. The authors recount how the gap between reality and the ideal is reduced and unique issues relevant to remote users are resolved by the Brooklyn Campus Library, in collaboration with other units of Long Island University. We relate how we combine library instruction with our marketing efforts to promote library resources and services. We also analyze survey data and interlibrary loan statistics to assess our success. The article contributes to the ongoing discussion of improving and promoting library resources and services to remote sites.     

The Enhanced and Changing Role of the Specialist Librarian

Summary

Much like the role of other academic librarians, the education librarian's responsibilities are in a constant state of transition. Major factors contributing to these changes are demands being placed on teacher training programs in colleges of education, demands placed on teachers and administrators in the nation's schools, demographic shifts, globalization, declining accessibility of resources along with the digital divide, and, most of all, greater demands for accountability of student achievement at all levels of education.

The work of the education librarian has become more integrated in the creation and access of knowledge both in the library profession, and education itself. Education librarians not only have close ties to school curriculum being taught but also with the preparation of preservice teachers, students enrolled in advanced graduate studies, and the education researcher. This article will review the literature on the role of the education subject specialist in librarianship, and how that role has been changed due to a variety of reasons. Findings will be discussed from an informal survey on how education librarians perceive their roles in their institutions.     

A pilot study of the effects of faculty status for medical librarians in the United States

Objectives:Within many institutions, there are debates over whether medical librarians should be classified as faculty or professional staff, a distinction that may have considerable effect on the perception of librarians within their local institutions. This study is a pilot exploration of how faculty status may affect the professional experiences of academic medical librarians within their local institutions.Methods:Surveys were sent to 209 medical librarians listed as having some instructional function at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical institutions in the United States. Survey responses were captured using Qualtrics survey tool and analyzed for frequencies and associations using SPSS version 27.Results:Sixty-four medical librarians at academic medical institutions completed the survey developed for this study. Of the respondents, 60.9% indicated that librarians at their institution have faculty status, while 71.9% believe that librarians at their institution should have faculty status. Ninety percent of librarians with faculty status reported that they are expected to generate scholarly materials, compared to 28% of those without faculty status.Conclusions:Many medical libraries offer faculty status to librarians. While many medical librarians are active in instruction, research, and other activities normally associated with faculty status, it is not clear if faculty status impacts how librarians are perceived by other health care workers within their institutions.     

You can't Get There from Here,or How Do I Become a Slavic Studies Librarian?

ABSTRACT

New librarians looking to enter the field of Slavic librarianship soon discover there is no clear template for how to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in this field. This article attempts first to define those skills and knowledge, and then to map out the opportunities for acquiring them in North American institutions. Toward this goal, it summarizes and analyzes the results from a survey of the educational and experiential background and current responsibilities of 128 working Slavic librarians. It then details the North American academic institutions offering specialized training or degree programs for Slavic librarians and those institutions where the component parts are all available to be assembled by the proactive student.     

Assessing the Library Needs and Preferences of Off-Campus Students

Abstract

In order to have a successful library program for distance education students, librarians must understand who their students are, as well as what their students want and need. Of course, the best way to get this information is to ask the students. The ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services emphasize this point, encouraging librarians to regularly survey students involved in distance education and off-campus programs. This paper is based on two student surveys, one conducted by the Coordinator of Library Services for Distance Education at the University of Iowa and the other conducted by the Distance Librarian at University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. The paper focuses on the issues that librarians confront when they conduct a survey of distance education students. In addition, it covers details on writing and developing a survey instrument, including the need to ask the right questions in a proper manner and the need to arrange the questions and information in a user-friendly format. The results of the two surveys are presented, including a comparison of some data between the two programs.     

Law Library Tours in an Information Age

Summary

The virtual library poses challenges for law librarians in developing effective library orientation programs. Survey results from law librarians in academia and in law firms reveal how basic library orientation is conducted in light of the proliferation of electronic resources. The types of additional instruction being required, such as training in computer-assisted legal research and web searching, are examined along with the perceived effectiveness of the initial library tours.