Academic Medical Libraries have written reams about ... "now that resources are online...fewer users are coming into the library". NLM has presented loads of dialogue about why they are building a new structure in this day of online resources. I'm looking to start a discussion about hospital libraries...what's our take on it...?
I have only about 10% of my attendings using the library regularly. I can come up with endless reasons why they are not using the library. I'd like to hear about what is working in your library to bring those attendings in?...no food stories please!
Thanks...
I have only about 10% of my attendings using the library regularly. I can come up with endless reasons why they are not using the library. I'd like to hear about what is working in your library to bring those attendings in?...no food stories please!
Thanks...
There have been many interesting responses to this question. Our very own Theresa Ardnt wrote:
Should we really care if they physically come into the library? If they are using the online resources to which the library subscribes,
using email reference, calling on the phone, aren't they "coming in" to
the library in a sense?
using email reference, calling on the phone, aren't they "coming in" to
the library in a sense?
T Scott Plutchak sees this as an opportunity.
This is why librarians need to develop new and creative strategies for getting OUT of the library and building stronger relationships with the members of the communities they serve. When the users no longer need to
come to us to get access to materials, we have to figure out ways to bring our expertise to them.
come to us to get access to materials, we have to figure out ways to bring our expertise to them.
Dalia Kleinmuntz countered:
"Getting out" is important, but still, it does get too quiet in the Library, and it "looks like" nobody uses the facility... Administrators
sometimes get the wrong impression, my reports and statistics notwithstanding. Answering telephone requests and email and fax requests is fine, but we do miss the person to person interaction, and the ability to put a FACE to the name.
sometimes get the wrong impression, my reports and statistics notwithstanding. Answering telephone requests and email and fax requests is fine, but we do miss the person to person interaction, and the ability to put a FACE to the name.
Patti Reynolds discussed the need for one central "virtual library door" so to speak, conceeding that if we are to cater to our virtual users we need to make the process an easy one and suggests that can be accomplished by a central internal web site, catalog and authentication system. Paul Blobaum suggests teaching as a way to increase traffic into the library.
All the posts can be read at the MEDLIB-L archives.
This topic flows well with our December MDMLG program on library advocacy. I see the thread on MEDLIB-L as a way to virtually continue our discussion. What trends are you seeing in your library? Do you count virtual patrons, and if so how? Have you done anything to increase patron counts in the library proper? Let's start the comments rolling!
2 Comments:
I'll start the comments rolling.
This is a timely topic here at Providence. Just last week we were discussing this very issue. Our physical count is going down yet we are as busy as ever. It occurred to us that many of our patrons not only use our online resources without going through us but they contact us without ever coming in the library. We have literature search and ILL forms available on the library's intranet page, and many times they also will phone their request in. We are looking into ways to capture those users.
Even if some patrons don't come to the library to use the library they are using us. In order to do that we have to create and maintain our intranet page, and offer and maintain access to relevant online resources. That takes personnel. We are doing this in addition to the traditional medical/hospital library services.
Hospital administrators should know better than anyone that in order to remain viable services must evolve as technology evolves. As librarians we must evolve too, but we must do so in such a way that our administration understands we are just as important, if not moreso, than we were before electronic resources.
One thought is that they may be coming to the library, but not necessarily for the same reasons as before. I've noticed that some are using the library as a meeting place for group study. I'll see two to three residents crowded around one computer, or group discussions in the journal room. We've talked about redesigning the library space to allow for more collaboration.
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