PubMed HealthSearch

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Library Surveys”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Hospital library surveys for management and planning: past and future directions.

Since the survey of health sciences libraries by the American Medical Association in 1969, a number of other hospital library surveys have been conducted. Twelve hospital/health sciences library surveys published since the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act are reviewed. The use of data from these surveys for management and planning is discussed and directions for future library survey development are suggested.

Libraries, Hospital

Survey of libraries in veterinary practice.

Responses were received to a survey of practice libraries, from 537 practices. The average practice library contained between 11 and 30 books and one or two journals. Between 50 pounds and 100 pounds was spent on books each year. Practitioners wished they had more time to read and that the literature was orientated towards practice.

Books

Imperatives for continuing research education: results of a Medical Library Association survey.

This paper reports the results of a survey assessing the interest of Medical Library Association (MLA) members in acquiring or improving research skills through continuing education (CE). It describes respondents' educational preparation for research and selected research activities, reviews MLA's experiences with offering CE courses on research topics, and discusses MLA's role in providing education to prepare members for research. The paper includes recommendations for improving research skills through CE and other professional activities. Topics of greatest interest to MLA members were survey development, problem identification, evaluation and cost studies, survey methodology, and methods of data collection. Many respondents preferred local courses. Academic health sciences librarians, as a group, were found to be more productive publishers than hospital librarians. Many respondents reported the availability of free or subsidized research-support services, but more than half did not. More than 90% of respondents indicated that MLA should actively encourage, require, or offer research education. A comprehensive plan for obtaining research skills through CE, along with individual self-assessment and counseling, is recommended.

Education, Continuing

Steps towards a computer-based library network: a survey of three medical libraries.

The introduction of a computerized biomedical network in three medical libraries in the State University of New York demanded a study of the various bibliographic records held by the libraries. The investigation produced figures relating to the total number of monographs held by each library and the number of unique titles owned by the network as a whole. These were broken down to identify the amount of works dating from 1962 or later, and estimates were made of the mean length of the normal bibliographic record, as well as of its traditional subareas. Thought was given to the implication of applying depth-indexing to monographs with reference to the length of the record.

Computers

End-user programs in medical school libraries: a survey.

A questionnaire was sent to all medical school libraries listed in the Annual Statistics of Medical School Libraries in the United States and Canada (1983-1984) asking librarians to describe their end-user programs. Of the 113 responding libraries, 78 had an end-user program. All provided some kind of formal instruction, 39 made equipment available to end users, and 22 provided and administered passwords. The reasons most cited for starting a program were staff interest and patron requests. The two most frequently taught systems were NLM/MEDLINE and BRS/Colleague. In general, respondents felt positive about the programs and planned to continue them. The most frequently mentioned problem was need for more equipment.

Computer User Training

Survey of audiovisual standards and practices in health sciences libraries.

A survey of audiovisual (AV) practices in health sciences libraries was conducted by the Audiovisual Standards and Practices Committee of the Medical Library Association. The objective was to determine the variety and extent of AV practices currently in use in health sciences libraries, as a preliminary step toward developing AV standards.

Audiovisual Aids

Survey of the card catalog in medical libraries.

A survey of present uses and arrangement of medical library card catalogs was made in order to determine current practices and trends. Attention was focused on the influences of MeSH on the card catalog. The results indicate that the prevalent type of card catalog found in medical libraries is the divided catalog. In addition, it appears that this catalog arrangement is gaining acceptance, and the trend is toward division. MeSH has an effect on the organization of the card catalog; libraries indicate that it is an influential factor in the decision to divide the catalog.

Catalogs, Library

Introduction to statistical surveys of health science libraries.

The series of studies by the Committee on Surveys and Statistics of MLA presents the first comprehensive statistical picture of American health science libraries. These studies fill a serious information gap, and constitute a solid base for both present planning and historical record.

Canada

Analysis of one year's circulation at the Downstate Medical Center Library.

A survey of the circulation of books and journals at the Downstate Medical Center Library was conducted, based on cancelled circulation cards accumulated during a one-year period. Analysis of the results shows the frequency of use of various materials by several groups of borrowers and brings out important differences between circulation of books and that of journals. One of the results was the compilation of a list of most frequently used journals. The findings are graphically represented by several tables and charts.

Libraries, Medical

Postdoctoral training in medical informatics: a survey of National Library of Medicine-supported fellows.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) funds training programs in medical informatics and plans to significantly increase the number of program sites in the future. The authors surveyed all NLM-funded trainees at the nine sites supported in the spring of 1988 to determine their backgrounds, current research interests, and career plans. Forty-three fellows were identified, of whom 39 returned a mailed questionnaire. All but four were physicians (89.7%), 82.1% had at least one year of postdoctoral clinical training, and 61.5% had completed a residency. Seventy-one percent of those completing residency had done so in internal medicine. The most common areas of current research were decision support/decision analysis, knowledge representation, and artificial intelligence. The overwhelming majority of the fellows planned to seek positions in a medical school on completion of their fellowships, and most preferred affiliation with a department of medical informatics or medicine.

Education, Continuing

Fungi in libraries: an aerometric survey.

The possible role of fungi as allergic contaminants in book collections has been investigated in eleven University of Michigan Libraries. Air in the stacks of each of the eleven libraries was sampled on three occasions (2 or 4--10 minute samples on each occasion) with Andersen Volumetric viable particle samplers. Books were handled during sampling in half the samples each day. In addition on each sampling day a location in the same building away from book storage and an outdoor location were sampled. Library spore levels were generally low. Outdoor levels consistently exceeded indoor levels. Air conditioned (AC) libraries had lower spore levels and indoor/outdoor ratios than conventionally ventilated (CV) libraries. Handling books during sampling increased spore counts in all libraries, but strikingly in CV libraries. Fungus taxa recovered were similar to those encountered in domestic interiors and outside locations in our area. The overall low spore levels and lack of a distinctive library mycoflora suggest that other sources should be sought for library-based respiratory symptoms.

Air Microbiology

Subject cataloging practices in North American medical school libraries.

A survey of North American medical school libraries was made to determine current trends in subject cataloging practices. First, responses from 114 of these libraries are recorded and analyzed in the following areas: subject heading authority lists employed; use of the divided versus the dictionary catalog; and the form in which local subject authority files are kept. Then, focusing on 78 libraries that use MeSH in combination with a divided catalog, a further analysis of responses is made concerning issues relating to subject cataloging practices: updating the subject catalog to conform to annual MeSH changes; use of guide cards in the catalog; use of MeSH subheadings; filing conventions; and related issues. An attempt is made to analyze the extent to which these libraries vary from NLM practices. Suggestions are offered for formulating subject cataloging practices for an individual library. Finally, while it is concluded that MeSH and the Current Catalog are useful tools, a more detailed explication of the use of MeSH and NLM cataloging practices would be beneficial.

Cataloging

Impact of changing health care economics on Michigan hospital libraries: report of a survey.

In an attempt to determine how efforts to contain the soaring cost of U.S. health care in the 1980s have affected the size and stature of Michigan hospital libraries, a survey was sent out in April 1988 to 156 hospitals across the state. Fifteen of the 97 responding institutions did not maintain libraries during the survey period and were subsequently excluded from the study. Total FTEs in the 82 responding libraries decreased by 6.1%. In the 69 libraries reporting budget data, materials budgets increased, but by less than 7% a year. Eighteen of the 82 libraries had positions reclassified, with 12 (14.6%) assigned downgrades. The trend toward reduced size and perceived value of hospital libraries that emerged from the survey points to the need for regular collection of comprehensive hospital library statistics to assist hospital librarians in effective direction of their profession's course.

Data Collection