Customers for Hospital Libraries?
Carolynne Fletcher
trying to improve the library services available at our Hospital. Several
years ago (before my time), a decision was made to cut the budget for books
and journals SEVERELY. The medical staff library committee stopped meeting
and the volunteer support for the library dried up. Responsibility for
keeping current was "decentralized". Now, we have formed a
multi-disciplinary library committee to develop a proposal for library
services. I chair this committee.
I have now hit a roadblock. I have a physician on the committee who is
quite vocal and believes that a "health sciences" library should only serve
those who have a clinical component to their job. He claims that the
library should not serve Administration. Can someone help me? I would like
to know how Health Sciences libraries in hospitals define their 'customers'.
Do you include administration? Are there stats available on which customer
groupings use what proportion of the services? Perhaps people could share
their library mission statements, statements of purpose, etc.
We are very early in the process, and it is essential that we resolve this
issue soon, so we can move ahead. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Carolynne Fletcher
Coordinator of Educational Services
Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital
327 Reynolds Street
Oakville, Ontario
L6J 3L7
voice (905)338-4690 ext 6811
fax (905)338-4137
e-mail flet...@the-wire.com
Webster Library
airways. I do not have the time to read your whole message, so I am
responding to but a portion. One cannot argue with opinionated
physicians, or do much to change a situation single handedly. One good
trick that Administrators know well is to hire a consultant to come and
survey the library, or to conduct a survey among other similar hospital
libraries to see what the library reality is. THe McGill univ. Medical
Library might be able to help you. Fran Gruen might be able to make
suggestions (she is among other accomplishemnts an ex-presidnet of MLA
and rather high up at the Library world at McGill).. If you contact Fran,
say hello from me. And good luck.
Dalia Kleinmuntz
Webster Library, Evanston Hospital
web...@nslsilus.org (708) 570-2665
(708) 570-2926 FAX
Anne Tomlin, Auburn Memorial Hospital
I can't address the specifics of Canadian healthcare organizations but
does your institution's accrediting body speak to this issue?
In the states the JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations) is quite clear about this. In section IM.9.2 of the
standards for accreditation, under Knowledge-Based Information, they say:
"The extent of knowledge-based information services, resources and
systems (for example, professional library and health information ser-
vices) is related not only to the organizational services provided, but
also to the needs of the medical and nursing staffs, administrators and
managers, other health professional staff, other organization staff,
students, patients and their families, and researchers." p.62 v.1 1995
ACCREDITATION MANUAL FOR HOSPITALS.
Further on down, they add (in IM 9.4 and IM 9.4.1):
"Accessible knowledge-based information resources include clinical and
management literature (in appropriate formats, including paper or electronic
journals, books, technical reports, and audiovisuals); externally produced
databases; practice guidelines; and information in multiple formats for
patient education (brochures, articles, pamphlets, audiovisual materials,
and models.
"The organization's knowledge-based information resources are authori-
tative and up-to-date."
The JCAHO is very interested in expanding health information outside
the institutional walls as well. We were re-accredited last year, and
during our survey the administrator who did the site visit to the library
asked specifically about provding information to community members (but
noted our 'staffing' problem - I was then only part-time, our hospital
having undergone downsizing a couple of years earlier.) Whether it was
a nudge from JCAHO or other forces, my hours increased a couple of months
later, and I'm now back to full-time.
Check with your QA person to see what the Canadian standards are, and
don't be intimidated by one vocal doc (who sounds like he/she's protecting
turf). The bigger your client base, the better.
Anne Tomlin
Auburn Memorial Hospital
1-19 Lansing Street
Auburn, NY 13021
315/255-7231 : phone
315/255-7012 : fax
tom...@shrsys.hslc.org
ROTHBAUM, Ellen
affiliates. That goes from the Housekeeping staff to the Attending
Physicians to the top administrators. Our institution's BUSINESS is
health care and we provide information support to that end.
ADMINISTRATION pays our bills, including salary. They also provide the
physical space in which the library is housed. Will the physician who is
insistent on serving only those whose jobs have a clinical component
provide that? Doesn't every one who works for the institution ultimately
work for patient, even indirectly. That physician is way behind the times.
Ellen Rothbaum
North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset, New York
roth...@life.jsc.nasa.gov
STEMMER, KATHERINE R.
Carolynne,
Why are you letting one person dictate what your policy should be?
What does the rest of your committee have to say? What does your
administrator have to say?
My library services everyone on the hospital staff, no matter who they
are and what they do. The operative words here are "health science",
not medical, not doctors only, etc. That physician needs a reality check.
Katherine Stemmer Frumento
Bridgeport Hospital
Bridgeport, Ct
KSte...@life.jsc.nasa.gov
Lisa Traditi
All employees of the hospital corporation are our customers. I report to
the Hospital's Medical Director, who is a member of administration. The
budget for the library is approved by senior administration. The
only way the clinical staff could restrict access to the library
would be if they were the ones providing the money! If you are funded by
the hospital at large, then you can't very well bite some of the hands
feeding you!
Now, as to how to explain this to the committee member....hopefully this
committee is advisory and not governing.... My anecdotal evidence says
that most of our patrons are physicians, followed by nurses, then
researchers, the general public, and then administrators. I have
absolutely no statistics or research to back this up!
Good luck!
Lisa
Lisa Traditi, MLS li...@swedmc.com
Director, Medical Library
and Audio Visual Services
Swedish Medical Center
501 E. Hampden Ave. 303/788-6840 fax
Englewood CO 80110 303/788-6616 voice
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Webster Library
persons, and the librarian that originated the question is in a tough
position since the Administration does not seem to be interested or to
want to foot much. My suggestion is to convice the committee to get a
consultant, and a tough (hard nosed) one at that. Administration
responds to "outside experts" better than to in-house or other free
advise. An "expensive" consultant makes a much bigger point, too. Do I
sound cinical? I am, and I have a friend who does a very good jjob at
this kind of task. I'd be glad to pass the name on to interested parties.
Dalia Kleinmuntz
Webster Library, Evanston Hospital
web...@nslsilus.org (708) 570-2665
(708) 570-2926 FAX
On Wed, 24 May 1995, ROTHBAUM, Ellen wrote:
> Our library serves ANYONE who is on the staff of our institution or its
> affiliates. That goes from the Housekeeping staff to the Attending
> Physicians to the top administrators..... That physician is way behind
Carolynne Fletcher
> is quite vocal and believes that a "health sciences" library should
> only serve those who have a clinical component to their job. He
> claims that the library should not serve Administration.
What springs to mind immediately is "Who pays the bills?" I can see
serving only physicians if they're paying for everything (I wouldn't
like it but I could see it); if it's Administration I'd say it's their
call. In my case they've left the call in my court. My second
"snap" answer is, "What does the rest of the committee say?"
> I would like to know how Health Sciences libraries in hospitals
> define their 'customers'. Do you include administration?
Here I have a more considered response, as we're currently working on
a strategic plan for education, including the Library, dedicated to
the proposition that we have four customer groups: physicians,
patients, employees (including Administration), and community. As
part of the process, I have the task of stating what I'm doing for
each group now and proposing what I should be doing for each five
years from now. You might want to take this approach.
Another approach I've tried, which was met with deafening silence, was
to poll the administrators and department managers on priorities for
different present and potential services between the groups.
Unfortunately, the only responses I received were from three
department heads who put the highest priority on every service for
employees but didn't say a word about anybody else. If I had it to do
over again (which I just might next year) I'd use the survey published
in the November, 1994 _National Network_, limit the trans-customer
group component to the Administrators, and recruit my own V.P. to
stress the importance of this and get the others to respond.
I know from my own experience that prioritizing the customer groups
is a struggle, but it must be done. AS much as I'd like to be all
things to all people, I just don't have the time.
> Are there
> stats available on which customer groupings use what proportion of
> the services?
You wrote at a good time, at least for some quick and dirty stats. As
of this moment, exactly 100 people have used the Library in May (that
I know of): 35 physicians, 45 employees (including at least one
administrator - he e-mailed me a request this morning), 10 students, 7
"ordinary" community members, 1 drug rep, and 2 inpatients.
> Perhaps people could share their library mission statements,
> statements of purpose, etc.
While I don't have a mission statement, per se, I'll send you a copy
of the Library Use policy (composed by myself and ratified by the
higher ups) under separate cover.
Good luck!
Jerry Carlson E-Mail: g...@gemini.pvh.org
Medical Librarian Phone: (303) 495-7323
Poudre Valley Hospital Fax: (303) 495-7625
1024 Lemay Ave _ )
Fort Collins CO 80524 nVmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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