Baystate Health Sciences LibraryBasic Library Techniques in ReferenceApril 30, 2015

Margot Malachowski, MLS, AHIPCommunity Outreach LibrarianBaystate HealthSpringfield, MA

A little about me…

o Public libraries 1996-2008o Baystate Health Outreacho On-site at Chestnut & 3300o Off-site at a location near you!

Health Sciences Libraryo Director (MLS)o Reference Librarian (MLS)o Outreach Librarian (MLS)o Scholarly Communication Librarian (MLS) ?o Technical Serviceso Acquisitions (all BH book/ebook purchases)o Website Development o Document Delivery/ILLo Temp for desk coverage o Volunteers & student interns

The Health Sciences Library at Baystate Medical Center is a Resource Library for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). Our mission is to serve the health information needs of unaffiliated health care practitioners, librarians, educators and consumers in Western New England. We provide free instruction and assistance.

Consumer Health Libraryo 3300 Main Street satelliteo M-F afternoons, staffed by librariano Free pamphlets on general healtho Subscription databases o Reference texts, health newsletterso Free printouts on health informationo Phone, email, postal mail services

Provide reference services

Teach classes to the public

Coalition-building with partners

MedlinePlus: Service of the NIH & National Library of Medicineo No ads, no gimmicks (WebMD).o More targeted than “googling”;

keeping the simplicity.o Safe and reliable source to help

with understanding the situation and health care options.

Narrowing to most relevant

More than one source

Clarifying: correct info?

Quick-and-dirty searching

Plain Language principles

Mayo: Q’s for your doctor

“Find a Doctor” & Alternative Medicine websites: See LibGuidehttp://libraryinfo.bhs.org/patients_families

iTriage: Reviewed by Harvard Medical School

Public Library: Books“When the library visitors who took part in the interviews were asked about the most important resources the library provides in support of health information seeking, most said ‘books’.”

“I’m not sure if that’s what their job is”: Consumer health information and emerging “Healthwork” roles in the public library. Roma Harris, Flis Henwood, Audrey Marshall, and Amanda Burdett. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2010; 49(3): 239-252.

Weed those shelves!“[The librarian] suggested a few books but I’m not going to bother because everything I look at is too old.”

“What you get on the shelf is the stuff that people don’t want to borrow.”Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2010; 49(3): 239-252.

Weeding: Rule of Thumbo Toss most materials older than five years o Exceptions:• Anatomy books• Grief & emotional support• Medical & translation dictionaries• Classics (herbal)

Collection Development Lists

http://caphis.mlanet.org/

Best List: UConn Healthnethttp://library.uchc.edu/departm/hnet/pdf/corelist.pdf

Good Effort Matters!

“Bless her, [the librarian] didn’t have a clue what she was looking for really, but she found all the information that I needed.”Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2010; 49(3): 239-252.