Characteristics of project management at institutions sponsoring National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus Go Local

Objectives:

Through interviews with the National Library of Medicine''s MedlinePlus Go Local collaborators, an evaluation team sought to identify process characteristics that are critical for long-term sustainability of Go Local projects and to describe the impact that Go Local projects have on sponsoring institutions.

Methods:

Go Local project coordinators (n = 44) at 31 sponsor institutions participated in semi-structured interviews about their experiences developing and maintaining Go Local sites. Interviews were summarized, checked for accuracy by the participating librarians, and analyzed using a general inductive methodology.

Results:

Institutional factors that support Go Local projects were identified through the interviews, as well as strategies for staffing and partnerships with external organizations. Positive outcomes for sponsoring institutions also were identified.

Conclusions:

The findings may influence the National Library of Medicine team''s decisions about improvements to its Go Local system and the support it provides to sponsoring institutions. The findings may benefit current sponsoring institutions as well as those considering or planning a Go Local project.

Highlights

• Many project coordinators said they underestimated the level of work their National Library of Medicine (NLM) MedlinePlus Go Local projects would require, but most expressed dedication to the project and optimism about project sustainability.
• An institutional record of community service or outreach and a director who was supportive of the project were important factors in the progress and sustainability of Go Local projects.
• Go Local projects brought recognition to some sponsoring institutions from their parent institutions or their communities and provided opportunities to establish better relations with other libraries and institutions.
• Go Local projects ran more smoothly when a person, even a temporary hire, with dedicated time for the project was in charge during the initial building phase. Volunteer assistance has been difficult to motivate and sustain.

Implications

• NLM''s Go Local proposal guidelines accurately identify the factors that institutions should pay close attention to when planning a Go Local project.
• NLM should emphasize continuity plans to address project coordinator turnover.
• NLM should develop a more formal orientation plan for new project coordinators to assist program continuity at the sponsoring institutions.

     

Technology column: public libraries as civic technology hubs

Civic technology is used to improve how citizens, businesses, and other groups engage and conduct business with governments. Libraries across the United States are uniquely positioned to be key players in the civic technology movement. Libraries offer community spaces where everyone is welcome and where people can come together, learn about new technologies, access information, and solve shared problems. By bringing our unique attributes and resources to bear, libraries can play a part in developing applications and services that power our communities.     

Due diligence: Recognizing the role of patent research in the start-up life cycle

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role that business librarians can play in conveying the importance of thorough patent research in the start-up life cycle. It provides a summary of the components of the start-up life cycle and due diligence research as it pertains to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. An overview of patent research resources and locations is provided, with particular focus on PatentsView, a web-based patent data visualization and analysis tool.     

Adventures in Licensing! How Librarians are Embracing and Affecting Change in Electronic Resources Licensing

ABSTRACT

This article describes a program session about licensing electronic resources. The speakers discussed a range of licenses in the current electronic resources landscape and described current trends in the negotiation and management of licenses. They also explored the impact of workflow design on the accessibility of electronic resources at any institution.     

Cinematic Rendering in Anatomy: A Crossover Study Comparing a Novel 3D Reconstruction Technique to Conventional Computed Tomography

Integration of medical imaging into preclinical anatomy courses is already underway in many medical schools. However, interpretation of two-dimensional grayscale images is difficult and conventional volume rendering techniques provide only images of limited quality. In this regard, a more photorealistic visualization provided by Cinematic Rendering (CR) may be more suitable for anatomical education. A randomized, two-period crossover study was conducted from July to December 2018, at the University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany to compare CR and conventional computed tomography (CT) imaging for speed and comprehension of anatomy. Sixteen students were randomized into two assessment sequences. During each assessment period, participants had to answer 15 anatomy-related questions that were divided into three categories: parenchymal, musculoskeletal, and vascular anatomy. After a washout period of 14 days, assessments were crossed over to the respective second reconstruction technique. The mean interperiod differences for the time to answer differed significantly between the CR–CT sequence (−204.21 ± 156.0 seconds) and the CT–CR sequence (243.33 ± 113.83 seconds; P < 0.001). Overall time reduction by CR was 65.56%. Cinematic Rendering visualization of musculoskeletal and vascular anatomy was higher rated compared to CT visualization (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003), whereas CT visualization of parenchymal anatomy received a higher scoring than CR visualization (P < 0.001). No carryover effects were observed. A questionnaire revealed that students consider CR to be beneficial for medical education. These results suggest that CR has a potential to enhance knowledge acquisition and transfer from medical imaging data in medical education.     

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How students conceptualize grade‐based acceleration in inclusive settings

Despite extensive research supporting educational acceleration for students with high academic ability, some psychologists, counselors, and educators express concerns about accelerative interventions. Such concerns often hinge on uncertainty about social acceptance, even in inclusive education settings. Research on acceleration has consistently shown benefits for students with high ability; however, there is a lack of research about grade‐based acceleration in inclusive schools. This study engaged two groups of students in group concept mapping processes to examine how they conceptualized beliefs about grade‐based acceleration in inclusive schools. First, 26 students in inclusive classes generated beliefs about grade‐based acceleration. Then they, and a group of 14 students with high ability, structured the data by sorting and rating a synthesized list of the generated beliefs. We analyzed the sorted data using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. The resultant cluster maps revealed some differences and some similarities in the ways that the two groups of students conceptualized beliefs about educational acceleration. Practical implications are discussed.     

Ties that Bond and Bridge: Exploring Social Capital Among College Students with Foster Care Histories Using a Novel Social Network Instrument (FC-Connects)

Innovative Higher Education - College students with foster care backgrounds have demonstrably lower graduation rates than peers, and resources obtained through their social networks are vital to...     

Lessons Our BSW Students Taught Us About Teaching Social Work in a Reservation Community

ABSTRACT

American Indians and Alaska Natives are underrepresented as social work students, social work educators, and within the profession in general. In addition, many historical and socioeconomic factors have contributed to disproportionality in higher education attainment between these students and those within other ethnic groups. Compounding the challenges, many students in reservation communities lack access to programs that provide social work degrees. Faculty based in a small university in the upper Midwest delivered a BSW program to students in a tribal community over a 3-year period and share pedagogical lessons learned from their students and the literature.