Collection development and outsourcing in academic health sciences libraries: a survey of current practices.
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Academic health sciences libraries in the United States and Canada were surveyed regarding collection development trends, including their effect on approval plan and blanket order use, and use of outsourcing over the past four years. Results of the survey indicate that serials market forces, budgetary constraints, and growth in electronic resources purchasing have resulted in a decline in the acquisition of print items. As a result, approval plan use is being curtailed in many academic health sciences libraries. Although use of blanket orders is more stable, fewer than one-third of academic health sciences libraries report using them currently. The decline of print collections suggests that libraries should explore cooperative collection development of print materials to ensure access and preservation. The decline of approval plan use and the need for cooperative collection development may require additional effort for sound collection development. Libraries were also surveyed about their use of outsourcing. Some libraries reported outsourcing cataloging and shelf preparation of books, but none reported using outsourcing for resource selection. The reason given most often for outsourcing was that it resulted in cost savings. As expected, economic factors are driving both collection development and outsourcing practices. (+info)
Health science libraries in the United States: a five-year perspective.
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Two surveys of the universe of health science libraries in the United States have been completed by the Medical Library Association's Committee on Surveys and Statistics over a five-year period. This paper compares, for 1969 and 1973, summary data on the universe, and the distribution of libraries, resources, personnel, and salaries. (+info)
User needs: the key to changing library services and policies.
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A user survey and a series of faculty interviews are discussed as methods that can be used by a public relations librarian to change library policies and services in the direction of patrons' needs. (+info)
Activities for a Regional Medical Library: a view of priorities by users and librarians.
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Priorities are given for five major categories of regional medical library activities, with further ordering of some fifty specific activities, as determined through discussion with, and a questionnaire survey of, the advisory committee of the Midcontinental Regional Medical Library. These activity priorities are considered a working tool for formulation of objectives and development of plans, and do not include a consideration of methodologies for implementation. User and librarian responses are noted and some interpretive comments are made. (+info)
Ensuring quality Website redesign: the University of Maryland's experience.
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The Web Redesign Committee at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) of the University of Maryland was formed to evaluate its site and oversee the site's redesign. The committee's goal was to design a site that would be functional, be usable, and provide the library with a more current image. Based on a literature review and discussions with colleagues, a usability study was conducted to gain a better understanding of how the Website was used. Volunteers from across the campus participated in the study. A Web-based survey was also used to gather feedback. To complement user input, library staff were asked to review the existing site. A prototype site was developed incorporating suggestions obtained from the evaluation mechanisms. The usability study was particularly useful because it identified problem areas, including terminology, which would have been overlooked by library staff. A second usability study was conducted to refine the prototype. The new site was launched in the spring of 2000. The usability studies were valuable mechanisms in designing the site. Users felt invested in the project, and the committee received valuable feedback. This process led to an improved Website and higher visibility for the library on campus. (+info)
Online journals: impact on print journal usage.
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PURPOSE: The research sought to determine the impact of online journals on the use of print journals and interlibrary loan (ILL). SETTING: The Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria is a regional site of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library with a print journal collection of approximately 400 titles. Since 1999, UIC site licenses have given students and faculty affiliated with UIC-Peoria access to more than 4,000 online full-text journal titles through the Internet. METHODOLOGY: The Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria has conducted a journal-use study over an extended period of time. The information collected from this study was used to assess the impact of 104 online journals, added to the collection in January 1999, on the use of print journals. RESULTS: Results of the statistical analysis showed print journal usage decreased significantly since the introduction of online journals (F(1,147) = 12.10, P < 0.001). This decrease occurred regardless of whether a journal was available only in print or both online and in print. Interlibrary loan requests have also significantly decreased since the introduction of online journals (F(2,30) = 4.46, P < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in use of the print collection suggests that many patrons prefer to access journals online. The negative impact the online journals have had on the use of the journal titles available only in print suggests users may be compromising quality for convenience when selecting journal articles. Possible implications for collection development are discussed. (+info)
The status of women in the administration of health science libraries.
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Results of a survey of large health science libraries in the United States demonstrate that the relative position of men and women in administration is comparable to that prevalent in other types of libraries. Medical school and the largest libraries are the most likely to be administered by men. The percentage of women who are directors of large biomedical libraries has declined radically since 1950. The statistics presented here will serve as a base for assessing future change. (+info)
Medical school libraries in the United States and Canada built between 1961 and 1971.
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Twenty-four medical school libraries in the United States and Canada built between 1961 and 1971 were surveyed by means of questionnaires and visits. Results indicated that half of these libraries will have reached maximum functional capacity approximately six years after they moved into their new quarters. Space for technical processing is generally much less than required. Special features and examples of effective planning are described, and problems in arrangement, traffic patterns for people and materials, and the lack of logical expansion space are discussed. Comparisons are made with a similar survey of twenty medical school libraries made in 1961. (+info)