Digital Libraries for Public Health (PHIA): An Enterprise Approach to Collaboration, Data Collection, and Resource Management. Karen H. Dahlen, MLS, Elaine Martin, Director. NN/LM, New England Region.
Introduction (Including Objective): State Public Health Departments (PHDs) continue to lose staff, budget, and libraries. Many remain disconnected to licensed, full-text information needed to improve knowledge and skills related to campaigns, research, and practice. The intent of this project is to identify core, useful resources to facilitate evidence-based practice yet comply with national public health initiatives and competencies. Collecting and managing information from each and all PHDs in the study is tantamount to an improved, sustainable business model.
Methods: Preliminary meetings are held to validate project interest, provide insight to the public heath culture, and identify core team. Digital Library templates are distributed, moved to the intranet and tested. Resources, accessible through IP authentication, reside on each intranet and are immediately accessible to the public health workforce. Training begins with an understanding of why evidence is important to practice, demonstrates relationship of resources to work initiative, and outlines alternative article delivery provided by library partners. Trainers include vendors, PHD experts, and experienced librarians representing their respective state and the NN/NLM library network. Data and Information, gathered from each and all PHDs, comprise the basis for evaluation.
Results: Eighteen (18) digital libraries now provide access to PubMed (via linkout) and to full-text licensed resources. Digital libraries provide resource content and functionality related to public health work initiatives: from infectious disease, lab, and legal decisions to specific health care interventions. More than 40 trainings have been held for 770 diversified public health professionals using expertise of 25 librarians. An enterprise approach to licensing, training, and resource management is cost efficient, reinforces core content and provides data related to interest and costs. E-books, full-text journals, and databases of primary interest to public health have been identified. IoM reports are searchable with e-texts through STAT!Ref; systematic reviews are available through Cochrane; and CLSI provides standards for laboratorians. High use e-journals include: Clinical Infectious Disease, Pediatrics, Maternal & Child Health, American Journal of Epidemiology, Foodborne Pathogens and Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Conclusion: Digital libraries reside on PHD intranets using existing technology and are designed to have the look and feel of existing pages promoting a feeling of ownership. On-site spokesperson and team provide coordination of activities related to the project. Cultural insight is being achieved related to work, resource need, and organizational change. Onsite training provides hands-on experience in search and save techniques and reinforces national and state public health priorities. Library partners support instruction and provide alternative article delivery. Data model includes minutes of “Introductory Meetings,” baseline data, resource metrics, pre-post training surveys, and results of year-end interviews/focus group sessions. Ongoing evaluation reveals that library resources are used to improve workforce initiatives, knowledge, and practice. Collaborations with two NN/LM regional programs provide additional project support.
