Abstracts for MLA Liberty Chapter Annual Meeting (11/1/2022, New Brunswick, NJ)

Author: Matthew Bridgeman, Rutgers University

Title: Integrating the Library into the Physician Assistant Evidence Based Medicine Curriculum

Abstract:

This lightening talk will discuss a successful integration a librarian into the Evidence-Based Medicine component of a Physician Assistant program. Evidence-based medicine has become a critical component of an accredited Physician Assistant Program, and the number of programs is rapidly growing with 47 added in the past 3 years. This talk will provide an overview of techniques and tools used to build and effective instruction series to meet the needs of the students and faculty.

Author: Elaine Wells, SUNY College of Optometry

Title: Post Pandemic Puzzles:  Hedging our Bets

Abstract:

Objective:

To examine changes in student behavior with the goal of modifying our practices for the “post-pandemic patron.”

The pandemic upended library policies and practices.  The Kohn Vision Science Library is a welcoming physical environment that provides many virtual access options. In 2020, library staff quickly moved to prioritize remote service delivery. 

Since the return to in-person operations, we note that patron behavior patterns have changed. In order to move to a new service paradigm that accommodates our “post-pandemic patron” we have some puzzles to solve and decisions to make about moving forward. 

This lightening talk will highlight:

• Examples of patron behavior change in follow-up to the pandemic; notably in the areas of resource utilization, attendance patterns, and staff/patron communication.
• Potential impact of these behavioral changes on future service delivery and resource allocation.

Methods:

In order to make sound decisions regarding the potential modification of our services in response to evolving patron behavior, we will examine the following:

Utilization of Resources:  What happened to Circulation Rush Hour?

Before:  Our highly specialized reserve collection volumes were the bedrock of our circulation activities.  Checkout could be chaotic, requiring multiple circulation desk staff to handle the crowd of students. Since the pandemic, it appears that the reserve collection is rarely used.

The puzzles:  Are the students…

• using e-books instead? 
• skipping the reading assignments?

Attendance patterns:  Did Absence NOT make the heart grow fonder?

Before: Although we no longer use a “people counter” it is clear that since the pandemic student census in the library has dropped considerably.  Group study rooms now accommodate single students and the study carrels are empty.  

The puzzles:

• Has physical distancing transformed study habits?
• Since students no longer share reserve books, do they not form study groups?

Staff/patron communication:  Is the “virtual librarian” the wave of our future?

Before: Although the library website featured “ask a librarian” forms, technical issue reporting mechanisms, and “suggest a book” boxes, they were rarely used.  The pandemic fostered a more robust development of online patron assistance tools, including “how to” documents and LibAnswers. These platforms facilitated the provision of how-to information, answers to basic library questions, solutions to online access problems, etc.

The puzzles:

• Should we continue to develop and enhance online communication tools?
• Will patrons be more interactive with our online tools than they were in the past?

Results: 

In response to these observed changes, our next steps will involve the following: 

• Examination of pre and post-pandemic print reserve circulation numbers;
• Analysis of usage statistics for corresponding electronic books;
• Documentation of changes in reading requirements on course web sites.
• Monitoring of changes in study room reservation statistics;
• Other statistics as relevant

Conclusions:

We are “hedging our bets” that the changes we have seen will be permanent.  Unless research contradicts our observations, our budget request will reflect plans for the acquisition and promotion of electronic resources such as online e-books, online communication platforms, remote delivery service delivery options and possibly different staffing patterns.

Authors: Stacy Posillico, Northwell Health Libraries; Jaclyn Morales, North Shore University Hospital; Saori Wendy Herman, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Title: Consolidating and Delivering Comprehensive Library Services Following a Health Care System Merger or Acquisition: A Delphi Study

Abstract:

Objectives: When healthcare system mergers occur, full financial and cultural integration provides the most benefit. While there are well-researched standards for healthcare executives to follow during a merger, little empirical research is available for librarians to use in these situations. As a result, librarians are often left to develop their own methods of providing access and services in the newly merged system. Our objective is to present an update on the progress of an e-Delphi study intended to achieve expert consensus from library professionals in the development of research-based recommendations for delivering library services through one comprehensive, geographically distributed system following a merger or acquisition.

Methods: An e-Delphi research method is being used over a period of three rounds. Expert panelists for the study were solicited through email campaigns to library professionals from each of the seven NNLM regions. Active involvement in a U.S. hospital or healthcare merger in the last 10 years was the primary requirement for selection. The study was approved by the Northwell Health IRB with "Exempt" status. The research team created a validated qualitative questionnaire that was based on existing literature. Once empaneled, the survey was sent to expert panelists, who were asked to identify key tasks to be addressed during a merger. Thematic analysis was performed and serves as the foundation for the quantitative Round 2 and 3 questionnaires.

Results: This study is currently underway, and the results are anticipated to be finalized in 2023. This presentation is intended to update and inform the Liberty Chapter about the how the 2021 Liberty Chapter Research Grant supported the research team, with particular emphasis on the qualitative analysis conducted for Round 1.

Conclusions: Healthcare system mergers are the present and the future of hospital patient care. The expert panel will identify action-oriented priorities for librarian professionals to address before, during, and after a hospital or healthcare system merger. The results of this e-Delphi study will fill an existing gap in the literature on research-based recommendations for providing library services as healthcare systems transformatively expand. Hospital librarians, who are often unrepresented at merger negotiations, will be able to use this guidance to address library assimilation after a merger occurs.

Author: Helen-Ann Brown Epstein

Title: Personally Navigating the Changing Tide

Abstract:                                            

Being a health information professional is a demanding, challenging, ecstatically, rewarding job. It's a service profession that requires smarts, time management and flexibility. What can the librarian personally do for his/herself to navigate the changing tides that come with all of this? This lightning talk will suggest the value of yoga, exercise, mindful meditation, aromatherapy, pets, diet, books to read, getting away and colleagues for personal enrichment to handle whatever crosses your desk or is anticipated.

Authors Laurel Scheinfeld, Stony Brook University; Sunny Chung, Stony Brook University

Title: Citation On Demand Tools: Are They Helpful or Hurtful?

Abstract:

Many database platforms include a ‘citation on demand’ feature that provides a formatted reference list entry in a selected style which can be copied and pasted into a reference list.  These automatically-generated references are appealing for saving time and effort but librarians often caution patrons about relying on these tools because of inaccuracies.  We were interested to know if there is research evidence about the accuracy of these tools on which to base our guidance to our health sciences students. Van Ullen and Kessler found an unacceptably high error rate in the citation help found in several humanities and social sciences databases in an initial study in 2006 and a follow-up study in 2012.  One would assume there would be advances in citation software since that time, but recently Laing and James (2022) found high error rates when analyzing EBSCO and Summon citation generators. This suggests there may not be much improvement.  Citation managers such as EndNote and Zotero have also been studied and their accuracy tends to be disappointing as well (Homol, 2014; Kratochvil, 2017). We are not aware of any recent study of the ‘citation on demand’ feature in health sciences databases. This investigation will look at the accuracy of 30 APA Style citations generated for articles in the Medline database from both the PubMed and Ovid platforms. We will look at the accuracy of: author names, date of publication, appropriate case and capitalization of article title and journal title, volume and issue numbers, page numbers, and the DOI.

Author: Michelle B. Bass, Penn Medicine

Title: Clinical Information Librarian

Abstract:

On August 1, 2022, I jumped ship from academic health science libraries to take on a new voyage, that of a clinical hospital librarian.  In this lightning talk, I will share my insights from the first few months navigating this new tide.  I will talk about the importance of networking with colleagues from the Medical Library Association, including the Hospital Library and Clinical Librarians and Evidence-Based Health Care Caucuses, as well as reflecting on the translation of skills I gained as a manager in my previous position being used in my new non-managerial role.