We are pleased to announce NN/LM MAR funding has been posted for the 2012-2013 contract year.  This funding is for projects beginning May 1, 2012.  Application deadline is April 1, 2012.

Receiving funding is a great way to provide outreach, create new or expand existing services, and get recognized within your institution or community.  We encourage all Network members to review these opportunities and consider applying!

Details are available at:  http://nnlm.gov/mar/funding/

National Network of Libraries of Medicine
Middle Atlantic Region

Health Sciences Library System
University of Pittsburgh
200 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
nnlmmar@pitt.edu

Advancing the progress of medicine and improving the public health
through access to health information:  http://nnlm.gov/mar/

The St. John’s Riverside Hospital/Cochran School of Nursing Medical Library serves close to 200 associate degree nursing students and nursing faculty, as well as over 1,000 physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals that make up the Riverside Health Care System. Our library, in recent years, had gone through great effort to develop a strong collection and establish a comprehensive electronic catalog using Surpass software. Although our catalog was excellent, our patrons had no direct way to access it. In their search for books, they had to rely on random, visual inspection of the shelves or elicit the aid of our limited library staff every time they required a resource. This was an ineffective process for both staff and patron alike.

An NN/LM MAR Technology Improvement Award enabled us to purchase the computer server that was required to install Surpass Safari and, thereby, set up an OPAC that enabled our patrons to manage their own accounts and search our library catalog independently, as well as remotely.

Upon completion of the project, we administered a survey to a variety of students, faculty, and clinicians among our patrons. The level of interest and excitement generated exceeded our expectations. One hundred percent of the respondents expressed that the new resource would be “highly useful” and they would “recommend it to other colleagues/students.” We plan to schedule training sessions for our nursing students and organize library staff visits to various locations and departments that make up our institution in order to demonstrate use of the new system to the hospital employees. I believe that MAR has not only given us the ability to improve our level of library service, but allowed us a unique opportunity to become a central, unifying force within our organization.

Paul Hersh, Director of Libraries
St. John’s Riverside Hospital/Cochran School of Nursing Medical Library

The Southeastern New York Library Resources Council (SENYLRC) received a Technology Immersion Award from NN/LM MAR to develop and provide web-discovery portals and enhanced catalog systems to health sciences libraries in the Hudson Valley region in New York. By incorporating two-open source solutions (Koha Integrated Library System and the Drupal Content Management System) and successfully implementing both for two pilot libraries, SENYLRC is positioned to offer these same, centrally hosted and much improved services to the remaining health science libraries in the region. SENYLRC can also serve as a model for the delivery of low-cost, high-tech solutions to other consortia and multi-site institutions.   Through the improved platforms developed with the help of this award, SENYLRC member libraries will be better able to meet hospital user needs and have a new web-based discovery service which libraries could not achieve on their own.  Librarians, health-care professionals, staff, and patients will have a much improved searching and retrieval capability and therefore enhanced access to licensed, library-developed, and librarian-identified, free internet medical information resources.

Librarians from the Nathan Kline Institute Health Science Library and Vassar Brothers Medical Center Medical Library worked closely with SENYLRC staff and contracted programmers to develop additional functionality, test and evaluate the Koha integrated library system software, and to create new Drupal-based library website templates. The project resulted in two separate instances of a discovery platform, allowing each of the pilot libraries to better target the needs of their unique and very different user communities. The templates can be adapted and customized, and will allow librarians to generate their own content with a limited amount of training.

Through this pilot project, SENYLRC staff acquired the necessary experience with open source software to continue expanding the project implementations to additional hospital and special libraries in the region and perhaps beyond. The administrative module maintained by SENYLRC staff was not migrated to Drupal open-source as initially envisioned. Contracted web developers and SENYLRC staff lacked time, resources, and the needed experience to recreate the existing PHP based software within the framework of this project; thus, they decided to continue to use, but improve upon, the existing customized software module, rather than replace it.

Overall the process of technical development was far more time-consuming and challenging than anticipated.  With the addition of a three-month extension to the project, we accomplished the initial project goals, supplemented TIG funds with LSTA funds through IMLS and the New York State Library to engage a professional cataloger’s assistance, and, throughout the project, gained experience with the process and some of the problems with open source development.   SENYLRC staff continues to acquire expertise with both open-source systems. SENYLRC will create training materials for participating librarians as well as migrate all member hospital libraries to the new platforms in 2011. The project and the work, as well as evaluation, continue.

These applications of open source software and the documentation will be made freely available to the medical library community. The code modifications to Koha will be announced to the Koha community and posted on the SENYLRC website. One of the pilot libraries, Nathan Kline Institute, plans to utilize Koha’s circulation module. While this was not fully accomplished during the award period, it is in process and scheduled for 2011, while other modules may also be implemented in the future.

Patricia Carroll-Mathes
Hospital Library Program Manager
Southeastern New York Library Resources Council

When looking at tablet use across our patron populations, and with experience from our iPad patron circulation program, it became apparent that the Apple iPads would be highly beneficial for our liaison and outreach librarians. Out in the field, many opportunities for instruction are lost due to technology issues. This is especially true for embedded librarians who spend much of their working day outside of the library with their respective health sciences schools or in a clinical setting.

Through a MAR Technology Improvement award, 12 librarians at the Health Sciences Library System of the University of Pittsburgh recieved:

• Apple iPad (8 GB wi-fi)
• Apple iPad case
• keyboard dock
• charging cables and adapter

Software (app)-wise, HelvetiNote (a note-taking app) and GoodReader (a PDF and MS Office file reader) were provided to each librarian.  Both our university campus and the medical center have robust wi-fi access.

Through the use of the iPads we asked librarians to create a virtual “office” to enhance off-site or on-the-fly consultations and educational or clinical support opportunities. The anticipated outcome of the project was the ability for librarians to provide information support wherever they might be.

Librarians quickly adapted to the new technology. Online surveys were given to gauge usage and impressions of the tablets. Comments included:

• “fills a need for portable computing that is not filled by laptop computers, PDAs, or smart phones”
• “easy to use”
• “LOVE”

Challenges included:

• not enough time to locate or learn about the apps
• iPad keyboard is hard to use
• no Flash or USB
• if no wi-fi network isavailable, there is no connectivity
• no out-of-box MS Office products

Overall, 91 percent of the group utilized iPad for off-site work, including:

• consultations
• morning report
• meetings
• on the hospital floor
• School of Health Sciences journal club

Based on this project, we recommend that libraries begin to investigate tablet computers as librarian-centered productivity and outreach tools.

Fran Yarger
Assistant Director for Computing and Metadata Services
Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh/UPMC

CLIC-on-Health, created by the Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC), is a gateway to quality healthcare information geared to target audiences such as teens, seniors, and health professionals–particularly those unaffiliated with hospitals and universities, and therefore unlikely to have access to licensed electronic resources. CLIC-on-Health is a collaboration of medical, public, and school librarians, and healthcare agencies in the Greater Rochester Region. Its purpose is to provide the people of the greater Rochester, New York, area with the high-quality healthcare information and resources they need to make wise lifestyle and healthcare choices.

The purpose of this Technology Improvement Award was:

• To create a “meta-search” of health websites selected by librarians, allowing users to have a one-stop shopping experience when seeking health information.
• To create a mobile version of CLIC-on-Health.

In late summer 2010, as work on the project began, the CoH Steering Committee determined the “meta-search” was not needed; MedlinePlus already provided a very similar feature. The Committee noted, however, that mobile computing was becoming more important as a method for people to access the Internet. The Project changed focus to that aspect.  As the project progressed, reports from The Pew Research Center validated our decision to focus on mobile computing.  A March 2011 report stated that 47% of adults get at least some of their news and information on a mobile device.

This project enabled the RRLC to create a mobile application and mobile website for CLIC-on-Health.  Working with a vendor (ITX), we created an “app” for the iPhone (available on iTunes, app name: ClicOnHealth) and Android phones, and a mobile version of the website.

The mobile version of CLIC-on-Health will be particularly useful for nurses and other healthcare professionals that are part of our NN/LM funded Outreach Award “Extending the Reach:  Health Information Resources for Unaffiliated Health Professionals.”

Kathy Miller
Executive Director
Rochester Regional Library Council

Jersey Shore University Medical Center offers residency training in categorical medicine, general dentistry, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and preliminary medicine, as well as an integrated residency in general surgery and fellowships in infectious disease, sports medicine, and geriatric medicine, for a total complement of 85 house staff. As part of their training program, house staff are required to work on-call time duty hours–time beyond the normal work day hours during which they are required to be immediately available–or to work night float hours.

Under the auspices of a MAR Technology Improvement award, the Booker Health Sciences Library purchased eight iPads with peripherals to create a lending library of iPads. Program faculty identified Kindle books for download.  (We discovered that the library could not set up a corporate account with Amazon to purchase Kindle books for download to the iPad.)  The identified Kindle books were purchased in e-book format specific for the internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology residency programs with on-call duty hours or night float hours. Lending policies and evaluation criteria are being developed.  Once these policies have been approved by the Graduate Medical Education Committee, the iPads will be loaned to house staff for on-call duty hours or night float hours. The library staff will offer training for every house staff member participating in the project and will serve as technical support during the project.  The library staff will evaluate the house staff’s reaction to and use of the iPads for independent learning or for direct patient care while on call. The library staff will ask each faculty preceptor for these respective house staff to also evaluate the effectiveness of the iPads as a teaching/study modality.

Catherine Boss
Booker Health Sciences Library
Jersey Shore University Medical Center

The University Libraries (UL) of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) were awarded a Technology Improvement Award by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) Middle Atlantic Region in 2010-2011.  UMDNJ is made up of four campuses throughout the state of New Jersey.

The funding was used to purchase mobile devices, accessories, apps and ebooks so that staff could learn how they work and better support the University community.  UL staff purchased three iPod Touch devices (the Stratford site already had one), four iPads, and four Archos 7 Internet Tablets which use the Android operating system.  These devices supported UL staff education in mobile technology.  The devices were useful as well in the creation of mobile optimized web pages by allowing staff to test new products.  A mobile subcommittee, made up of UL staff, created a plan to better integrate mobile devices and resources into library services.

After reviewing open source software and vendor-created mobile applications the UL staff decided to purchase LibraryAnywhere from LibraryThing for Libraries for the next year.  This will allow UL staff to provide immediate access to the library’s catalog for mobile devices, allowed each campus to set up library information, such as hours, and will give users the ability to contact a librarian from a mobile device.  UL staff also discovered there was very little written on how to choose a mobile app.  Because of this UL staff created an evaluation form for apps that could be used across campuses.

Promoting mobile device resources at UMDNJ using LibraryAnywhere

Moving forward, UL staff will use what they have learned with the devices to better educate the University community.  We hope to show University faculty and Administration that the UL can provide leadership and support in the use of mobile resources for health care education and patient care.

Jenny Pierce, MS
Public Services Librarian
UMDNJ – Health Science Library

On September 15, 2010, Hunter-Rice Health Sciences Library was granted funds from the Middle Atlantic Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine to purchase six Apple iPads, two Amazon Kindle DX book readers, and a 24-inch Samsung monitor.  The project lasted from  November 1, 2010, until April 30, 2011.   The devices were used by staff and patrons from all the institutions served by the library, which includes eight hospitals in a very rural areas of northern New York State near the Canadian border.  iPads  were distributed to staff and patrons starting on November 4, 2010.  The circuit rider librarian to whom the iPad was assigned wrote in her report,  “The iPad is lighter and smaller than most books I have to carry and is easy to connect to a wireless Internet network.  That makes it possible to check for articles in PubMed and check the Worldcat catalog for book availability, while talking to the patron wherever they happen to be.”

Circuit Librarian Leslie Beale using an iPad to perform a literature search for a patron.

The iPads generated quite a bit of buzz about the Hunter-Rice Library/Hospital Library Program.  We circulated (or put on a waiting list) iPads to 11 staff physicians, including two medical directors, one senior resident, two residents, and one medical student.  In addition, we circulated iPads to 19 nurses of all specialties and 13 various allied health positions including speech pathologist, medical transcriptionist, and management information systems technicians.  Patrons were from four hospitals (Samaritan Medical Center, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, and River Hospital).  We still have over 20 people on our waiting list to check out an iPad.

Michael K. Chartrand, M.A.
Library Technician
Hunter-Rice Health Sciences Library

The University of Rochester Medical Center Libraries in Rochester, NY, was awarded a Technology Improvement Award by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) Middle Atlantic Region in 2010-2011.  The award was used to implement a laptop lending program in the Edward G. Miner Library, with the goal of improving access to digital resources by expanding availability and access to public computers for library customers.

Five laptop computers (three PC’s and two Macs) were purchased and configured for checkout through the integrated library system.  A team at Rochester developed policies and a borrowing contract to ensure the ongoing security of the systems.  In addition, the devices are configured with LoJack for Laptops™ to facilitate recovery in the event of loss or theft.

The program was implemented at the beginning of 2011.  Usage and satisfaction data were collected before, during, and after a two-month evaluation period.   One of the data collection tools was a desktop pop-up survey. The survey was configured to ask a question about the laptop service, thereby both advertising the service and collecting data about user awareness of the service.

Findings suggest that advertising was successful in making users aware of the service, and that people who used the service were satisfied with it.  In general, people chose laptops instead of desktops because of the setting/location of use, portability, and comfort.

The initial role of the service will enhance and complement the access afforded by public desktops. The library will continue to operate the service and re-evaluate its role and scope as user awareness, experience, interest, and usage patterns evolve.

Michael Bell
Assistant Dean for Information Technology–River Campus Libraries
Assistant Director, Information Technology–Medical Libraries
University of Rochester

The Talbot Research Library of the Fox Chase Cancer Center serves the clinicians, researchers, and staff of Fox Chase; the medical staff of an adjacent community hospital; rotating medical students; and residents, patients, patients’ families, volunteers, and members of the community. The aging public computers were no longer adequate to meet the needs of our clientele to access information from the almost entirely electronic collection, databases, and website. Financial constraints did not allow us to replace our public computers in the summer of 2010.  Thus, we applied for a MAR Technology Improvement award to replace them.  We had also hoped to improve library traffic and visibility through this upgrade.

Last fall, we were able to purchase one iMac and four PCs for the library, enabling us to replace half of our existing PCs and our only Mac.  Shortly after installation, we publicized the upgrade through emails, blog postings, and announcements in our employee newsletter. We hosted an open house in early December during our traditional “tea time.”

Upgraded PCs at the Talbot Research Library, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Survey results indicate satisfaction with the new computers and that these machines have improved users’ experiences. A majority (81%) of respondents indicated that they would use the library more often to use the new computers.

There were some pleasant unexpected successes of the project, too. These include establishing a great working relationship with other departments and increasing my personal visibility in the institution. We also donated our old computers to a shelter so that residents could learn computer skills. As you can see, there were many benefits in doing this project. Thanks, MAR!

Beth A. Lewis, MLS
Talbot Library, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Philadelphia, PA