How has the RML made a difference to you or your organization?

• Funding opportunities, support from the staff, a contact point for the region, and professional standards.
• Our clinic has received several staff trainings over the years which have benefited our medical providers with knowledge of where to obtain trusted, true medical information. We have brochures and other pamphlets to give to our patients to also show them where to obtain this information.
• Has helped to make us aware of health information resources and support available for libraries.
• It is great to have DOCLINE coordinated by the RML.
• provided funds to promote health information and services. provided funds so we can travel to train health care providers in how to effectively use various health resources (PubMed, MedlinePlus, Public Health resources, etc.). provided funds so we could educate public librarians about the value and availability of health resources (such as MedlinePlus, Household Products, etc). assisted us in more effectively using NLM resources, such as Docline, PubMed, and Loansome Doc. answered technology questions (blogs). answered marketing questions (equipment they use) and supplying brochures for exhibits, etc. wonderful staff that answer reference and other types of questions. technology forums sponsored as part of our Chapter meetings
• We have received grant support for outreach about our web-based information and referral service.
• I learn lots from some of their classes.
• Gail & Linda, joined by Ellen [Howard], presented training for all of the ...Public Service Assistants and Reference staff this month. I know that the staff learned a lot that they will be able to share with our patrons.
• Staff training, materials for health fairs, support for programming ideas, and willingness to collaborate on programs.
• The bookmarks and other publicity materials that have been provided for our small district libraries are excellent. They have helped us to spread the word among our community members about the consumer health resources that are available free of charge.
• Encouraged and supported outreach activities with underserved populations. Maintained an awareness of library and health information related activities within the region and brought attention to major NLM activities and changes. Presented info on new technologies useful in library related work. Served as a role model in the use of technology for improved communication.
• The RML provides networking and support in so many areas of our library. For example, assistance with LinkOut questions is always forthcoming. I also appreciate the lending library of topical items, and the breaking news emails that allow us to keep up with important developments in the field.
• The RML has helped us in a variety of ways: 1. We received money to do outreach in Oregon, including travelling to various rural regions and exhibiting at a number of relevant meetings. We would have not have had the money in our budget to do this otherwise. 2. Provided access to information by arranging web conferences on various topics. 3. Provided access to RML/NNLM software to teach others in the region via the web.
• We can better serve our nursing faculty and students because of the information and training provided by them.
• We rely on the RML to help us with MEDLINE problems, searches and issues.
• Local contact to national organization -- making what the NLM provides relevant and meaningful to my work and my patron base
• The training and support they provide us on NLM resources are exemplary and essential to the function of my library.
• The RML has supported our library endeavors to support our hospital administration, physicians, patients and their family members. We have received funding awards, collaboration of ideas, and instructional information. It has also helped us with collaboration among other community entities within our area. The networking alone has been priceless.
• We're a brand new university. They helped with activating our new Docline account. In the past, they have also helped me by providing materials for a PubMed class I was teaching, including obtaining CMEs for our physicians.
• Efforts in our region in matters of Web 2.0. This is a really important development in librarianship and Alison is proving a real leader on such matters for the northwest.
• Provided support for WMLA activities, provided a regional venue for collaborating with other librarians in health sciences, helped me keep current on news by posting items to the listserv
• Wonderful alerts to changes in resources and training or awareness-raising of important new issues
• Information, advice & assistance, grants, coordination and networking, exposure to new ideas
• The webcast programs have allowed me to keep up with current trends and service ideas without having to travel. The contacts I have in the RML have answered questions for me and helped me with programming for our State Medical Library Association. The RML has been a resource for ideas, information and materials like interlibrary loans.
• As a solo librarian I appreciate the networking opportunities, professional support, and continuing education 2) Visitors, especially co-workers, notice the National Network certificate on display at my desk. They are impressed that our small library's holdings are significant enough to be included in a national cooperative. 3. Since we are a small library, we borrow quite a bit through our State Library's interlibrary loan service--it's "fair play" and rewarding to share *our* resources through DOCLINE.
• The RML has provided monetary support to help us provide information services outreach to several other public health facilities in Western Washington State. They have also provided handouts on a number of NLM programs and services of interest to public health. They are always willing to provide a brain to pick, shoulder to cry on, or surface to bounce things off of.
• The RML has been helpful to me by answering questions to problems with PubMed and Docline. Their response has always been helpful and timely.
• The RML is our regional repository for older and esoteric journals. The staff is a great resource for continuing education and advocacy.

What RML projects or activities are particularly effective or important?

• The site trainings for medical staff and community members is very effective. We always receive wonderful comments back from staff and clients on how much they learn at these classes.
• I'm most familiar with community outreach grants-this quick-turnaround and easy process helps excellent ideas for projects get off the ground quickly!
• Supporting hospital librarians ...
• ... I appreciate that Gail & Linda encouraged us as public library staff to reach out to our local hospital librarians as well. We also receive copies of the NLM magazine and have it available for anyone to pick up and take.
• I appreciate receiving the News Shorts and find them to be a valuable source of information to share with library staff and patrons.
• It depends on which hat I'm wearing as to how I would answer this. I think the most important thing they may do is keep libraries and librarians connected to each other and the groups they serve. Additionally they encourage and support those that want to reach out to provide health information to new groups or to established groups in new ways.
• Outreach; professional development opportunities; centralized assistance for LinkOut, PubMed questions, etc.
• Online webcasts, creating awareness about what peer institutions are doing, facilitating communication and alerting us to trends in health information for consumers and clinicians
• Their guidance on matters like resource sharing and expert PubMed use are critical. Their sponsorship of continuing education and networking events for our community of librarians is enormously important to the success of our network of libraries.
• The communication between the RML and our hospital administrators has been especially effective in supporting the positive reputation regarding the value of library services to our medical staff. Other RML activities especially important have been the funding awards, DOCLINE support, training support, and the discussions regarding library value and disaster planning. I'm also going to appreciate the Technology Tuesdays that's debuting this month.
• The blog, postings on H-Lib, sponsoring MLA teleconferences, your involvement in PNC and regional conferences, providing the monthly web-forums (I forget their proper name), as well as your overall enthusiasm and support for medical librarians in the NW.
• I would say that the awards program is the program I have found to be of especial importance. The amounts of money are relatively small ($500, $2,000, $5,000). But the three awards I have received from the RML have made a huge difference in the visibility of our library within our health network, in our community and for me professionally. ... As a result of the awards I received from the RML, I was able to work with my local public library in leading workshops, see them advertised prominently in our local paper and to meet with many people at our hospital I had never worked with before: marketing, foundation director, the head of our center for research, etc. ... The other service I have found most valuable is the listserv, HLIB-NW. ... HLIB-NW is a fountain of useful information. For instance, I have followed up on many of the items in it and will present a paper at a conference I saw a notice about it in HLIB-NW.
• Networking opportunities, sponsorship of continuing education, activity of keeping the Dragonfly current so that I feel connected to the people in my region!
• Continued support by supplying MedlinePlus book marks!! We're inserting them in all of the patient handbooks.
• Small grants for new technology, for new services, making national-level info applicable for local and regional libraries
• I attended a Pub/Med training session in Seattle shortly after beginning my job in the Medical Library. I found it to be very, very helpful and informative. I have participated in the Rendezvous online classes and found them helpful as well.

How has the RML solicited your feedback and input about the RML's program?

• Directly through meetings and indirectly through communication about other issues.
• Personal contact
• Through this survey.
• It has not.
• We were encouraged to complete this survey and informally, we are asked for feedback through email correspondence.
• The RML conducts surveys and also solicits feedback via email, phone, and in person.
• - One-on-one phone calls and email - surveys - usually asked as part of subcontracts
• We are a new partner and have not provided any feedback or input to date.
• I receive emails, the best method for reaching me.
• Surveys, face to face meetings
• We have an ongoing conversation.
• They have had surveys out after specific programs or activities, and are always willing to talk to us about questions or problems we may have.
• Regional Advisory Committee (RAC), emails, surveys, Dragonfly blog, PNC/MLA meetings, HLIB-NW email discussion list
• The RML routinely offers my library the opportunity to provide feedback by sponsoring various events and through online surveys, email and so on. Most especially, our RML's personnel make a tremendous effort to get to know the librarians in their community, so that communication amongst us is routine and useful to all.
• Surveys, listservs, and conversations, both formally and informally. I have been fortunate to be able to visit the RML a few times for meetings and have been able to participate with dialogues in person, as well as over the telephone and via email. I also very much appreciate the RML Rendezvous platform too. A great tool for soliciting input from other PNR participants! That tool has been a boon in allowing our library to be closely aligned and supported by the RML.
• They do so diligently and via many routes. I have had ample opportunity to comment on their performance--which has been superb in every respect.
• This survey. I also talked with some RML members at conferences and events face-to-face.
• Survey's and when in the area always open to input, as well as supportive via phone or email.
• Ongoing online surveys. Opportunities to contribute to the Dragonfly blog. Informal emails and contacts with RML staff.
• I don't recall any recent solicitation for feedback/input.

What needs in the Pacific Northwest Region are not being met and what could the RML do to meet them?

• This is a difficult question as some of my needs are not within their scope. Their scope is often dictated by the NLM and is geared for a national program. Some of my needs are specific to the size and type of library I have and is not included in the larger scope. Sometimes their hands are tied and they are unable to meet my needs.
• More info on website development.
• Consumer education on issues in the media, such as Medical Home, chronic disease mgt, that would direct people to easily accessible, reliable and "plain-speak" resources, such as Medline Plus, for more in-depth information.
• Most hospital libraries are very lightly staffed and so backup is often an issue.
• Positioning medical librarians (esp. hospital librarians) so they are seen as essential members of the organization. This is such a huge issue, that while the RML and NLM and MLA have attempted to address the challenge, concentrated efforts are still needed.
• Getting training into the hands of librarians -- many who do not get funding or release time to attend meetings
• Additional library staff training on how to provide mental health information to the public, effective techniques for library staff on how to conduct a mental health reference interview, education how librarians bias towards those seeking mental health information has a negative effect on the delivery of services.
• Rural health information needs. Fewer hospitals have libraries, so there is little access to current health information. The RML could continue to do training themselves, and also to continue to fund places like OHSU to do the outreach as well.
• I don't know if this is a RML issue or some other issue, our nursing faculty would like access to the online databases that OHSU has for their nursing faculty because we are in a rural area.
• The most pressing need in Idaho is to provide online information resources to all healthcare providers. Few medical libraries exist anymore. Healthcare institutions are less and less willing to provide resources for healthcare providers who they view as competitors in many cases. Healthcare providers want low-cost access to online resources, which is difficult. Our library's current opinion is the RML could only provide moral support and advice.
• ... The RML cannot be everything to everyone and with the health information environment getting more and more specialized it would be impossible for them to do everything at an effective level.
• I believe our RML has been great in coming up with ideas to meet our needs - they've come up with ideas before I knew there was a need. The only other thing I can think of are some libraries may need more support than others. This may be at the fault of the library staff not stepping forward to accept our RML's outreach to support them. Personally, I need help with designing a new library. ...
• Continue to focus on helping hospital libraries confirm and publicize their value; continue to develop info sources to improve community/public health
• My library specializes in occupational health, a branch of public health. I would love to see more networking opportunities/outreach for public health librarians and practitioners, especially in the specialty of occupational medicine/industrial hygiene/toxicology.
• Any additional outreach, either directly or indirectly, via ongoing funding, training, etc to public health would be wonderful. The HEAL-WA program will meet the needs of many in public health, but currently overlooks epidemiologists, health educators, and nutritionist, who will continue to need information services support.
• I think the RML does a great job with medical librarians. However, I was able to observe Gail K.'s important input to a regional health advisory group (the Puget Sound Health Alliance) and I believe that the RML's offerings can be of great use to other kinds of organizations (community-based orgs or public libraries, for instance).
• We need more education resources in Oregon

What suggestions do you have for RML programs and services?

• Development of "plug and play" promotions/tools that can be used immediately. Funding specifically for promotion of the medical information services. (PR campaigns - not only for promotion, but for needs assessment). More promotional material for health fairs, skills day, etc. (both within and outside of the hospital). Shared technology tools: Communication tools - can you get a license so we can develop information classes and webcasts? Consortiums for databases, and possible licenses for databases that include our region Information about tools that will work with the EMR system
• I have developed a close relationship with our RML team in Seattle and would love to be able to keep in better touch somehow ... I also appreciated the RML staff teaching me about the software they were currently using such as Camtasia for creating educational videos. Any items the RML staff can share with our facility to improve our ability to communicate and educate our staff.
• Since travel to meetings is becoming more restricted and the cost of travel will only increase - I would like to see the RML and NLM lead the effort to provide videoconferencing or other methods for librarians to "attend ' meetings and CE from their workplace. New librarians are not as grounded in expert searching - continue the training OHSU has done
• I would appreciate having someone from RML provide training for our library staff. Several are recent hires and have limited knowledge of the consumer health resources that are available.
• Continue to have the informative web sessions and continue outreach.
• Could the searching workshops be offered in Portland, OR every 2-3 years so we don't have to go all the way to Seattle & it costs less?
• Please continue to consider the dwindling size and staffing of NN/LM members as you plan programs and services.
• More communication from our Resource Libraries - perhaps a quarterly or yearly update on what is going on with them, what are their challenges (eg. subscriptions, collections, education); what are they working on with their med students and residents. It is vitally important for hospital librarians to know what is being taught at academic institutions (eg. EBM?), and how information access is being facilitated, as we eventually get these grads in our hospitals and need to know how to maintain their expectations for information services - or, fill in the gaps where many of them don't know how to use information.
• Keep up the means of connecting all of us entities scattered throughout the region by the use of technology similar to RML Rendezvous … Another idea would be a possible incentive for those trying to be net lenders within our state or region. (Similar to the Montana State Library's ILL Reimbursement program, which is being phased out to provide funding support for databases or OCLC subscription among participants.)
• Greater number of technology improvement awards and larger amounts. Specific awards for document delivery, upgrades for greater access for the disabled in matters of technology, etc.
• I would love to see some regional full text databases available for all patrons, not just the free bibliographic database like PubMed.
• If there could be meetings and classes held in other region states such as Oregon it would be helpful. Cost of transportation etc. is prohibiting travel to Washington.

What suggestions do you have for NLM programs and services?

• Better promotion aimed toward other healthcare professionals such as physical therapists and nurses
• On-line presentations
• The interlibrary loan service is excellent.
• The RML contract seems to be tweaked to always look for new groups for training and outreach. There are still many "traditional" healthcare providers who need training. Please don't limit the subcontracts to just the latest "hot group". Continue to fund travel to do training in face-to-face workshops.
• Recognizing that health is impacted by a range of issues not always considered (food, housing, etc), explore ways to broaden connections with the full spectrum of human need.
• Communicate new programs that are being considered and developed, e.g., access to multilingual patient information. Consider overlap with other federal programs, collaborate with them to avoid unnecessary redundancies, and work out and explain focus and scope of each to the users of the products.
• More emphasis on health information for rural health practitioners, working the RMLs and others in the region.
• Keep improving the PubMed web site ... it is a great resource. The new changes are welcome.
• Any support in licensing online resources for ILL, preservation, and emergency/disaster usage is appreciated. Anything you can do to help journal publishers realize they are killing us with inflation (9% - 100% or more for 2009) also would be appreciated; we are facing a possible 35% journal cut in 2010. DOCLINE and the consumer health information you create and maintain (MedlinePlus, etc.) is great!
• Put more money into the LinkOut program - more staff, more programmers, whatever will ease the issues with linking to our electronic collections. Don't get me wrong - the service right now is great - but as we all move towards more electronic we need to be more confident in our systems to deliver this. PubMed LinkOut has revolutionized article access - it is the cornerstone of well-functioning and effective library services.
• To continue providing support for the RML entities. Keep the ILL prices down; don't change the fees if possible. Keep going with the enhancements to DOCLINE and Loansome Doc.
• Continue to improve PubMed and continue to offer PubMed training (classroom).
• An ever greater focus on technology and grants for technology--these are good investments because they foster creativity and networking among library leaders in the Web 2.0 movement.
• Continue your great networking and helping multitype libraries. I really appreciate what the RML has done with the Idaho Library Association and the Idaho Commission on Libraries. Health information is needed by everyone and hospital librarians just don't have much time or the resources to really reach out, but we are willing to share.
• Become as ubiquitous as Google!

Have you participated in any programs and activities offered by the RML?

• Yes (41)

If No, what has prevented you from participating?

• I'm really just learning about their services AND I'm relatively new to this position.
• Time constraints and location.
• When I miss out, it is generally because as a one-person library I am only able to stretch my time so far.
• Nothing that has caught my interest yet...
• Often they are off topic for our organization.
• Distance

Additional comments

• I wish that I had more constructive feedback at this point, but I'm fairly new working with RLM. I will say that the staff is fantastic-flexible, responsive, and very easy to work with. This makes for a great partnership!
• The staff is friendly and innovative.
• The NN/LM program is envied by medical librarians in other countries ... and rightly so. Please continue this incredibly valuable outreach activity.
• The RML is a "safety net" for our rural public libraries in terms of the support and resources that are offered. I have previously worked with RML staff on a consumer health project in NE Oregon, and am grateful for the difference it made to people in our county. Libraries located in rural communities often struggle to provide current information. Budgets are limited, and subscriptions to electronic resources can be too expensive for many of us to afford. hanks to RML, we have access to much more than we would otherwise be able to provide.
• I think the NLM and NNLM services and programs are awesome.
• The RML staff is uniformly excellent. It is obvious that they work together well as a team and new hires seem to fit right into that milieu.
• The PNRML has been fantastic and very supportive of the regions' libraries and library staffs. The PNRML staff works closely with librarians in the region to support local health information needs.
• Just a big thank you for being there by phone or email when I have a question. It's a huge benefit being a part of this network.
• The Pacific Northwest Region RML is terrific!
• I just want to say again that the RLM staff is composed of dedicated, capable and pleasant people. I hope they will continue to serve in their present roles. We are blessed to have them in our region.
• Although Andrea Ryce has moved on to another job, I'd like to mention how encouraging she was while I entered my holdings and set up my DOCLINE account. She even took the time to do an online meeting so she could demonstrate a point I was stuck on.

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