Journal of the Medical Library Association最新文献

A librarian used a large language model (LLM) to revise a dentistry subject LibGuide. Prompts were used to identify methods for optimizing navigational structure for usability, highlight library-specific information students need additional help with, and write summaries of page content. Post-revision, LibGuide access increased, and students provided anecdotal feedback that they perceive the changes positively. LLMs may enhance LibGuide discoverability and usability without adding significant time and resource burdens for librarians.

Amy Blevins served as the Medical Library Association president from 2023-2024. In this presidential biography, the authors outline a history of Blevins' recruitment to the career, career development, and impact on the association and the profession.

Objective: To evaluate the appropriateness of indexing of algorithmically-indexed MEDLINE records.

Methods: We assessed the conceptual appropriateness of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) used to index a sample of MEDLINE records from February and March 2023. Indexing was performed by the Medical Text Indexer-Auto (MTIA) algorithm. The primary outcome measure is the number of records for which the MTIA algorithm assigned subject headings that represented the main concepts of the publication.

Results: Fifty-three percent of screened records had indexing that represented the main concepts discussed in the article; 47% had inadequacies in the indexing which could impact their retrieval. Three main issues with algorithmically-indexed records were identified: 1) inappropriate MeSH assigned due to acronyms, evocative language, exclusions of populations, or related records; 2) concepts represented by more general MeSH while a more precise MeSH is available; and 3) a significant concept not represented in the indexing at all. We also noted records with inappropriate combinations of headings and subheadings, even when the headings and subheadings on their own were appropriate.

Conclusions: The indexing performed by the February-March 2023 calibration of the MTIA algorithm, as well as older calibrations, frequently applied irrelevant or imprecise terms to publications while neglecting to apply relevant terms. As a consequence, relevant publications may be omitted from search results and irrelevant ones may be retrieved. Evaluations and revisions of indexing algorithms should strive to ensure that relevant, accurate and precise MeSH terms are applied to MEDLINE records.

Background: Graduate Medical Education programs have implemented holistic review to improve the selection process for new residents. Holistic review will have a profound effect on Health Information Professionals (HIPs) with the arrival of medical residents with different backgrounds and needs. The unique experiences and skills of HIPs will position them well for the new realities in medical residency programs. This article traces the historic roots of holistic review.

Methods: The authors employed a scoping review to track the historical traces of holistic review in Graduate Medical Education over the formative period of 1999-2019.

Results: Medical residency programs over a 20-year period piloted holistic review in the screening, interview, and multiple time periods in the selection process. These ventures reflected a diversity of approaches and creative adaptations from other disciplines such as personnel management, organizational psychology, and active learning forms of education.

Conclusion: Health information professionals and medical educators will better engage with the newer cohorts of residents when equipped with a history of holistic review.

Background: Librarians have relied on resource lists for developing nursing collections, but these lists are usually in static or subscription-based formats. An example of this is the 26th edition of the Essential Nursing Resources last published in 2012. The Nursing and Allied Health Resources and Services (NAHRS) Caucus Nursing Essential Resources List (NNERL) Task Force has been working on a new list since Fall 2020. The goal of the Task Force is to create a nursing resource list that represents current materials and formats, uses a selection process that is transparent and reproducible, and will be available to a broad audience.

Case presentation: Working from the Essential Nursing Resources 26th edition, the NNERL Task Force updated the purpose statement then began reviewing the resources on the list. Two working groups were formed: 1) an evaluation rubric working group developed a tool to evaluate the resources and 2) a tagging work group developed guidelines for creating metadata and "tags." Volunteers were recruited from the NAHRS Caucus to tag the resources. Lastly, the Task Force finalized the list of resources in the NNERL then cleaned and reconciled the data.

Conclusions: The final version of the NNERL will be published in Airtable, a cloud-based project management product, that will include metadata for every item on the list. The NNERL will be copyrighted to the NAHRS NNERL Task Force and made available through the Open Science Framework (OSF) under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Creative Commons License.

Background: The volume of online health information available makes it difficult to navigate and check its validity and reliability. A community-based MedlinePlus training program was developed to improve participants' ability to access credible online health information.

Case presentation: The program was a public-private partnership between a managed care organization and four local public libraries. A total of eight programs were held between October and November 2017. Each program had a 30-minute cooking demonstration followed by a 30-minute training on access to and navigation of the MedlinePlus website. Program participants were Medicaid beneficiaries, dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and community members from a Pennsylvania county (n=39). A pre-and post-training questionnaire was administered to assess participants' knowledge and practice, and their ability to access health information on the MedlinePlus website. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the data collected during the MedlinePlus trainings. Results from the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indicated no statistically significant change in participants' ability to access information (Z= -1.41, p=0.16) after attending the program.

Conclusion: Although the median pre- to post-program responses improved from 'incorrect' to 'correct,' the number of programs held, and low attendance might be the reason for non-significant results. Participants reported that the program was informative, the website was comprehensive and user-friendly, and they were impressed by the healthy and inexpensive meal preparation from discount store-bought food. Holding MedlinePlus training programs in conjunction with a cooking program and collaborating with local public libraries might be a promising format that needs additional research.

Objective: The article reports on an assessment of the effectiveness of the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) for the years 2018 and 2019. The RTI is a year-long continuing education research methods training and support program for health sciences librarians. The study focuses on assessing RTI participants' research confidence after program completion and compares these results with their perceptions of workshop/program performance and learning outcomes. In addition, the authors discuss how the findings were applied to inform and improve the program.

Methods: The study used a 26-item questionnaire, RTI Research Confidence Questionnaire, to gather information on participants' self-reported research confidence before the workshop, immediately after the workshop, and one year after the workshop to determine statistically significant differences. Differences in research confidence were identified by using three nonparametric statistical tests. Additional workshop and program surveys were used to corroborate the research confidence findings.

Results: Post-workshop and one-year-after-workshop research confidence ratings were significantly higher than pre-workshop levels for years 1 and 2. A comparison of median ratings between years 1 and 2 showed significant increases in research confidence for nine items in year 2. Participants' positive perceptions of workshop/program effectiveness and learning outcomes corroborated these findings.

Conclusion: Overall assessment findings indicated that RTI training helped participants understand, use, and apply research skills to conduct research. Findings also revealed that participants' heightened research confidence persisted at least 12 months postintervention. The RTI Research Confidence Questionnaire proved effective for rigorously assessing and improving the RTI program. This study enhances the currently limited evidence on evidence-based approaches for assessing and improving research instruction for librarians.

Objective: This study assesses the prevalence, usage, and impact of remote/hybrid work in academic health science libraries in 2022 and 2023. Due to differences in survey distribution, we focus primarily on the results of the second survey.

Methods: Researchers surveyed administrators at Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) member libraries in the United States in March 2022 and library staff at academic health sciences libraries in March 2023.

Results: The first survey received 71 responses that met inclusion criteria. Ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that remote/hybrid work was allowed in their libraries. Majorities indicated that remote/hybrid work had a positive impact on morale (86%), recruitment (53%) and retention (67%). The second survey received 383 responses that met inclusion criteria. 78% of respondents indicated they were allowed to work remotely, and majorities indicated remote/hybrid work positively impacted work/life balance (75%), morale/job satisfaction (69%), likelihood of staying at their current institution (64%), and productivity/overall effectiveness (58%). Respondents were less likely to accept a fully onsite (45% unlikely) or fully remote (20% unlikely) position than a hybrid one (1% unlikely). In a list of 9 factors associated with recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction, only salary and benefits ranked higher than remote/hybrid work.

Conclusions: Remote/hybrid work is common in academic health science libraries and highly valued by employees. While not without challenges, remote/hybrid work appears to be a valuable tool to support recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction of workers in academic health sciences libraries. The findings of this study can inform library decision makers about future use of remote/hybrid work.

Background: Students regularly state a strong preference for increased library operational hours to accommodate learning needs. While many academic libraries provide extended hours, academic health sciences libraries appear to adopt such models less frequently. This is not due to lower levels of student demand for extended hours.

Case presentation: In response to student preferences for increased hours, our institution shifted its budget to provide an additional 10 weekend hours (Friday-Sunday). This study is a post-hoc assessment of temporal changes in physical library use over weekend days pre- and post-implementation of extended hours. This study used (non-exam) weekend physical library usage data one year before and after implementing extended hours (January 2018-January 2020). We ran descriptive statistics to assess the hourly use pattern changes in physical library usage.

Conclusion: For the regular academic year, students arrived earlier and stayed later, with less severe hourly peaks in opening and closing times physical use patterns seen in the pre-implementation period. Overall, we saw increases in all three areas of physical usage data studied. The data provides evidence of the true need for extended hours among users, along with hourly patterns reflecting a better match of hours with patron study patterns.

Objective: This qualitative research project was undertaken to discover how students perceive the embedded librarian in their nursing class. The researchers determined how a required group research meeting was valued by students and whether that value warranted the necessary time and energy by an embedded librarian.

Methods: Researchers conducted focus groups with twenty-three students from two different sections of the same nursing research methods undergraduate course. Students' responses to a series of five questions were recorded within Zoom and supplemented by handwritten notes. Data was coded by hand and patterns that emerged from the five focus groups were analyzed.

Results: Participants reported overall satisfaction with the embedded librarian and students felt they benefitted from the required research meeting with the librarian, which was part of the searching assignment rubric and closely tied to the assignment itself.

Conclusion: Based on the data, a required research meeting with an embedded librarian, who is familiar with the course assignments, reinforces classroom instruction, point-of-need assistance with search strategies, and the opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the librarian for future research needs.