Foundations of Database Searching: Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine into the Medical Curriculum

Library integration into the medical school curriculum is a crucial aspect of meeting Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Accreditation Standards and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Medical School Objectives Project (MSOP) guidelines. To accomplish this, academic health sciences libraries seek to develop evidence-based medicine (EBM) literature searching classes within the medical school curriculum. Establishing a basic understanding of the fundamental concepts behind health sciences database searching among medical students is a prerequisite for a more demanding evidence-based literature searching curriculum. The George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library, Penn State College of Medicine, sought to incorporate an evidence-based medicine literature searching structure by working within the existing problem-based learning system during the preclinical years. Students in the clinical years will participate in evidence-based assignments during their rotations. A fourth-year EBM elective will be created to reinforce and round out students' exposure to these concepts.     

Health Sciences Librarians' Research on Medical Students' Use of Information for Their Studies at The Medical School,University of Queensland,Australia

This study reports the findings of research undertaken by health sciences librarians at the University of Queensland Library into how medical students use information for their studies, particularly resources and services provided by the Library. The methods utilized were an online survey and focus groups. Results indicated that students favor print resources over electronic, value accessing resources on a one-stop basis, and prefer training to be delivered flexibly. The implication of these results for future resource selection, service provision, and instructional design and delivery is discussed.     

Tanzanian health libraries in the 21st century: initiatives and challenges

This article is part of a series in this regular feature, which looks at new directions in health science libraries. It highlights the initiatives health science librarians in Tanzania are implementing to ensure that their service meets users’ needs. To succeed, libraries must take steps to ensure that staff have access to education, training and professional development. Partnerships and collaborations are also vital to make the best use of scarce resources and to identify sources of funding. This article highlights the various challenges facing the library service and the opportunity for librarians to be recognised for the new roles they are taking on. J.M.     

Medical and health informatics services during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic should be virtual,tailored, responsive and interactive: a case study in Belgium

This is part of a new series in this regular feature regarding trends in the provision of information by health science libraries. By sharing expertise and drawing together relevant trends the series intends to serve as a road map for both health science librarians and health informatics professionals. This article shows how a medical and biomedical research library changed practices, and reassessed user needs for the COVID‐19 emergency. Discusses changes to online education (and collaborative working) to provide user‐friendly services, researcher support tailored to need and re‐visioning library space. J.M.     

A 10-year follow-up survey of US academic libraries highlights the COVID-19 experience and greater interest in health information outreach

Background

As follow-up to their previous survey on health information outreach (HIO) in 2010, the authors became interested in the evolving nature of HIO activities at academic libraries within the past decade.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to understand how HIO activities at academic libraries have evolved since 2010, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

An online survey, designed to collect quantitative data on general HIO activities and qualitative data specifically on COVID-19 information outreach, was distributed to over 1700 librarians at US general academic and academic health science libraries.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-five respondents completed the survey. Quantitative findings generally paralleled the 2010 results, except in a few areas. Most notably, a greater percentage of librarians in 2020 were participating in HIO (44%) than in 2010 (37%). Qualitative findings revealed that librarians are leveraging traditional information services and implementing innovative partnerships to promote reputable health information resources on COVID-19.

Discussion

Evidence suggests that further engagement and campus partnerships can enhance libraries' supportive roles as trustworthy purveyors of quality health information.

Conclusion

US academic librarians are increasingly engaging in HIO to support the health information needs of campus communities and should consider aligning outreach activities with national health goals.     

从科学教育的目标、方法、过程看展览展品设计——科技馆教育活动实践与研究对展览展品设计的启示

近年来,科技馆教育活动的实践和研究,对展览展品的设计既提出了挑战,也带来了启示。展品如何实现体验式与探究式学习？展览如何提炼深层次科学内涵与主题？如何营造既有深层次科学内涵又能引导体验式与探究式学习的展览环境？本文从三个方面分析了当前展览展品设计面临的问题,探讨了各地科技馆教育活动的成功经验及其中蕴含的教育学理论和方法,以及上述理论与实践为展览展品设计带来的新思路、新方法。     

International collaborations in learning and teaching: perspectives from a visiting professorship

This article provides a reflection on the outcomes of an international collaboration between health librarians and academics at York St John University and Pacific University Oregon. In particular, it describes how a month‐long visiting professorship from an academic with a clinical librarian background at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences helped to develop and inform teaching practice in the areas of information literacy and evidence‐based health practice on health programmes at Pacific University. Perspectives are offered from both institutions on the rich exchange of knowledge and practice that took place during the visit and the ongoing impact it has had on teaching practices. H. S.     

The Common Gaze: Conversations with Cataloging Instructors about Teaching Online at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Past and present instructors from the Library Education Experimental Program (LEEP) online graduate education program at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois discuss their instructional experiences. Topics include: discussion of learning activities that work and those that do not, the differences in participation rates among online students, the challenge of instruction in an environment where visual or physical cues are absent, and the ways in which instructors measure learning outcomes and encourage students to work in groups.     

Engaging Students in Active Learning: Use of a Blog and Audience Response System

Librarians provide instruction to medical students as part of a core course in the medical school curriculum. Instruction was provided, in part, through didactic sessions covering professional-level medical information resources, PubMed search skills, psychosocial information, and evidence-based medicine. Librarians redesigned instructional sessions with the goals of increasing student engagement and minimizing the lecture format, maximizing the number of students receiving feedback on their search and evaluation skills, and permitting students to see a variety of possible responses as well as engage in peer- and self-evaluation. Librarians integrated the use of a blog and an audience response system (ARS) into the instruction to help accomplish these goals.     

Aspects of Diversity in ASEEES National Conferences as a Reflection of the Field of Slavic and Eurasian Studies in North America: Case Studies of Gender,Location, Discipline,and Institution

ABSTRACT

This article is a series of four case studies that investigate diversity in Slavic and Eurasian (S&E) studies viewed through the lens of participation in national conferences of the Association of Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). The case studies are based on data extracted from ASEEES convention programs, 1964–2014. Four categories are considered: gender diversity of conference participants, diversity of ASEEES conference locations, diversity of conference sessions by discipline, and diversity of institutions represented at ASEEES conventions. Over the past five decades, gender diversity of ASEEES conference session participants gradually advanced toward parity. Whereas in 1964 nearly 95 percent of the participants were men, in 2014 women comprised a slight majority (50.2%) of conference session participants. In contrast, diversity in the location of ASEEES national conventions has declined in recent years as the Association has evolved. Whereas the disciplines of history, political science, and language, literature, and linguistics continue to represent a combined majority (70%) of ASEEES sessions, in recent years anthropology and sociology have experienced the most growth, while library and information science has remained constant. ASEEES conference session participants come from a wider range of institutions than in the past, and institutions with Title VI National Resource Centers (NRCs) continue to have a strong presence at the ASEEES national conventions.