The effectiveness of project-specific information competence instruction

A faculty member and a librarian collaborated on an information competence workshop designed to enhance the skills necessary to complete a specific class project. Twenty-five students participated in the workshop and reported their skill level and comfort with researching for information at three times: before the workshop, the class session after the workshop, and at the end of the semester when the project was due. Further aspects of information competence instruction and project-specific performance are discussed.     

The value and impact of information provided through library services for patient care: developing guidance for best practice

Introduction: Previous impact tool‐kits for UK health libraries required updating to reflect recent evidence and changes in library services. The National Knowledge Service funded development of updated guidance. Methods: Survey tools were developed based on previous impact studies and a systematic review. The resulting draft questionnaire survey was tested at four sites, and the interview schedule was investigated in a fifth area. A literature search in assia , Google Scholar, intute , lisa , lista , scirus , Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Knowledge), and the major UK University and National Libraries Catalogue (copac ), identified ways to improve response rates. Other expert advice contributed to the guidance. Results: The resulting guidance contains evidence‐based advice and a planning pathway for conducting an impact survey as a service audit. The survey tools (critical incident questionnaire and interview schedule) are available online. The evidence‐based advice recommends personalizing the request, assuring confidentiality, and using follow‐up reminders. Questionnaires should be brief, and small incentives, such as a lottery draw should be considered. Bias is minimized if the survey is conducted and analysed by independent researchers. Conclusion: The guidance is a starting point for a pragmatic survey to assess the impact of health library services.     

图书馆在开发潜在信息资源中的作用

文章认为潜在信息资源是未来信息资源开发的重点和难点 ,因此应该在充分认识潜在信息资源的含义和特性的前提下寻找开发潜在信息资源的途径。数字图书馆的很多特性可以满足潜在信息资源开发的要求 ,因此应该充分发挥数字图书馆在未来潜在信息资源开发中的先天优势和重要作用     

论政府信息资源增值服务

本文在分析政府信息资源增值服务的重要意义的基础上，提出了开展我国政府信息资源增值服务存在的问题和发展策略。     

The information needs of health care professionals and consumers in developing countries

The health information needs of health care professionals and consumers in less-developed countries, although somewhat similar to those of their U.S. counterparts, have a number of unique differences. Health care professionals in developing countries are more diverse in their backgrounds, training, experience, and work settings. These differences, combined with cultural variables, a lack of resources and trained information professionals, contribute to the complexity of health information delivery. Consumers in developing countries, due to a lower literacy rate and a higher rate of commercial health information, face different problems when attempting to make health-related decisions.     

The value of alphabetically-sorted browse displays in information discovery

Browse displays are information retrieval displays that alphabetically sort individual metadata elements such as author, title, and subject and lead searchers to desired information in a database or in a library. Browse displays are becoming a less common means of displaying search results in favor of relevancy-ranked displays. But browse displays have many benefits and add great value to information retrieval. Before libraries and repositories abandon browse displays, they should consider the value and benefits these displays offer, including structured search results, cross references, and simplicity.     

Health librarians: developing professional competence through a 'legitimate peripheral participation' model

This feature considers the legitimate peripheral participation model in developing professional competencies in health librarianship. It is described how this model was used in the development of a framework for mapping and recognising the competencies gained by new health librarians at the Royal Free Hospital Medical Library. HS.     

The value of structured abstracts in information retrieval from MEDLINE

Objective: To determine whether information retrieval might be enhanced by making each component of a structured abstract a separately searchable field. Design: Parallel searches on records arranged so that each abstract could either be searched in its entirety or as a collection of structured fields. Subjects: Records about cardiovascular disease downloaded from MEDLINE and tested against clinical questions derived from a concurrent survey of CD-ROM use in three health science libraries. Intervention: The investigators identified terms used to structure abstracts on MEDLINE and imported the abstracts into an Idealist database prior to searching using keywords from clinical questions. Measurements and main results: recall and precision rates are given for each question in the ‘structured’ and the ‘unstructured’ set of records. Conclusions: Use of structured, rather than unstructured, abstracts improves precision at the ex-pense of recall and places heavier demands upon the searcher’s skill in choosing the correct fields within the abstract to search. Further investigation requires more accurate simulation of MEDLINE software that utilizes features such as MeSH terms, explode, facilities and delimiters.     

The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study

Objective:

The research conducted a large-scale, multisite study on the value and impact of library and information services on patient care.

Methods:

The study used: (1) 2 initial focus groups of librarians; (2) a web-based survey of physicians, residents, and nurses at 56 library sites serving 118 hospitals; and (3) 24 follow-up telephone interviews. Survey respondents were asked to base their responses on a recent incident in which they had sought information for patient care.

Results:

Of the 16,122 survey respondents, 3/4 said that they had definitely or probably handled aspects of the patient care situation differently as a result of the information. Among the reported changes were advice given to the patient (48%), diagnosis (25%), and choice of drugs (33%), other treatment (31%), and tests (23%). Almost all of the respondents (95%) said the information resulted in a better informed clinical decision. Respondents reported that the information allowed them to avoid the following adverse events: patient misunderstanding of the disease (23%), additional tests (19%), misdiagnosis (13%), adverse drug reactions (13%), medication errors (12%), and patient mortality (6%).

Conclusions:

Library and information resources were perceived as valuable, and the information obtained was seen as having an impact on patient care.

Highlights

• Library and information resources were perceived as valuable, and the information obtained was seen as having an impact on patient care.
• Electronic access to information resources from multiple locations has increased the ability of health professionals to use these resources for improved patient care.
• The roles of librarians are diversifying to include management of electronic resources, user instruction and support, specialized research and clinical information search services, and involvement in institution-level quality improvement.
• It is possible to conduct a large-scale, multisite study on the value and impact of library services on patient care.

Implications

• Ongoing studies of the value and impact of library and information resources will be important for advocacy and quality improvement.
• Community-Based Participative Research methods hold promise as a way of ensuring the relevance of future research.

     

期刊信息化的现状、问题与发展战略

分析了期刊信息化的发展现状，提出了图书馆期刊信息化面临的主要问题，探讨了发展期刊信息化的几项策略与措施。     

The application and value of information sources in clinical practice: an examination of the perspective of naturopaths

Background: The approach of evidence‐based medicine (EBM), providing a paradigm to validate information sources and a process for critiquing their value, is an important platform for guiding practice. Researchers have explored the application and value of information sources in clinical practice with regard to a range of health professions; however, naturopathic practice has been overlooked. Objectives: An exploratory study of naturopaths’ perspectives of the application and value of information sources has been undertaken. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews with 12 naturopaths in current clinical practice, concerning the information sources used in clinical practice and their perceptions of these sources. Results: Thematic analysis identified differences in the application of the variety of information sources used, depending upon the perceived validity. Internet databases were viewed as highly valid. Textbooks, formal education and interpersonal interactions were judged based upon a variety of factors, whilst validation of general internet sites and manufacturers information was required prior to use. Conclusions: The findings of this study will provide preliminary aid to those responsible for supporting naturopaths’ information use and access. In particular, it may assist publishers, medical librarians and professional associations in developing strategies to expand the clinically useful information sources available to naturopaths.     

Health information professionals: delivering core services and value in extraordinary times

The 2020 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is published to link to the CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference which was to take place in Scotland 22–25th July. Whilst the conference was postponed in light of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic, its themes of (i) Working in Partnership; (ii) Resilience and Well‐being; (iii) Public and Patient involvement; (iv) Quality Impact and Metrics; and (v) Improvement and Innovation have nevertheless provided the basis on which to compile this virtual issue. Overarching these themes is a core value of the HIL profession, to provide relevant, timely and sustainable information services, and the articles selected from HILJ (2018 through to March 2020) contribute to the aim of meeting and going beyond these goals under the conference banner of ‘not your average day in the office’. The virtual issue mirrors the format of a regular issue of HILJ, a review article, four original articles and three from our regular features: ‘Dissertations into Practice’, ‘International Perspectives and Initiatives’ and ‘Teaching and Learning in Action’. The authors come from Canada, China, Croatia, Sweden and the UK. All articles included in this issue are available online.     

An information behaviour investigation of the community pharmacists in Greece for developing library and information services

Background and objectives: Community pharmacists require a constant provision of high quality information for updating their knowledge and improving their practices and skills. The development of library and information services for the pharmacists in a meaningful way should take into consideration their information behaviour and needs. This study is an investigation of the information behaviour of community pharmacists in Greece, as well as their perceptions regarding the contribution of library and information services in their future professional development. This is the only empirical investigation which has been made available regarding the information behaviour of the community pharmacists in Greece. Methods: An empirical investigation has been conducted between March and April of 2008 through the development and the distribution of a semi‐structured questionnaire. The sample of the respondents consists of 92 community pharmacists from 22 pharmacy associations in Greece. Results: The community pharmacists have access to the Internet, with limited access to specialized information resources, and they are increasingly utilizing information services in their everyday practices. The pharmaceutical associations (national and local) could play a significant role as information providers and specialized hybrid libraries and information services are required in order to satisfy the current information needs of the community pharmacists. Conclusions: Meaningful library and information services depend on setting specifications relevant to the community pharmacists’ information behaviour. Indeed, in the near future, structured information services may come to rescue the role of the community pharmacists and empower their irreplaceable position in serving the local communities.     

Web strategies for professional publishers: developing an information services portal

This paper examines how the free distribution of electronic information on the internet is rapidly changing the commercial environment for small to medium‐sized print publishers, and suggests some recommendations for publishers in the process of establishing their own web strategies. It begins by addressing the concept of the ‘network economy’ and the way in which electronic networks have changed the fundamental economics of many businesses. It then suggests seven recommendations for learned and professional society publishers adapting their own business models to the web, highlighting the need to differentiate print from electronic products by building an electronic information services portal for current members and subscribers.