NN/LM-NER’s marketing showcase was held on April 9, 2008 via Adobe Connect teleconferencing. We would like to share five best in show projects shared at the showcase. Connecticut came through strong with 4 out of the 5 projects highlighted from our Nutmeg State medical librarians! Though we had a small turnout for the program, we were very impressed with the breadth, diversity and creativity our members displayed in advocating for their libraries.

Here are the best in show from the Marketing Showcase:

Waterbury Hospital - Linda Spadacinni
Waterbury, CT

Project: Physician grand rounds

Service: The librarians participate in physician grand rounds presenting how to do research on PubMed and other library resources and services.

Result: The library participating in grand rounds generated more service requests and increased awareness of the librarians as expert searchers. Also, Linda was asked to serve on the Nursing Committee which led to Nursing Department asking her to attend their grand rounds. Linda shared at the showcase, “Once they see you, they know who you are.”

Hartford Hospital - Arlene Freed
Hartford, CT

Project: Health Administration Daily News Current Awareness Service

Service: Provides a daily current awareness service to over 400 administrators/employees at Hartford Hospital which is distributed via Groupwise email. Topics focus on; finances, quality, management, risk, insurance, safety, and ethics.
Links to full text are always provided. The librarians use the Google RSS reader to locate hot topics to send their administrators from resources such at JAMA, Harvard Business Review Idea Cast, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and healthcare management blogs. Daily mailings are archived on a searchable blog available on the hospital’s Intranet.

Result: Enhanced visibility for the library.

Hartford Hospital - Kelly Taylor
Hartford, CT

Project: Use of an internet based WIKI as a MICU syllabus/repository for references of key articles relevant to critical care
Service: Accessibility to evidence-based knowledge within a medical intensive care unit is a critical element of good patient care and safety. A yearly updated printed syllabus with articles relevant to critical care was provided for house staff as part of their MICU rotation. An internet based solution was sought with the help of our librarian with the following goals: 1. easy accessibility to the articles from any workstation in the hospital 2. optimal ease of use. 3. copyright compliance. 4.cost savings. Options considered were data base citations through EndNote; creating a page on the hospital intranet; creating a database using the library’s online catalogue system or an internet WIKI, which we choose to use. A WIKI is a collaborative website which can be directly edited by anyone with access to it. It is a server software that allows users to create, edit and collaborate on a web page using any web browser and encourages open communication. We used PB (peanut butter) WIKI for its free wiki space and point/click editor. By using the article citations through the library’s database licenses, copyright laws were respected. Limitations are that: a. access is limited to within the hospital (i.e. access is solely via the hospital’s IP internet domain) b. access to the complete article is through the web citation and c. unlike a true WIKI, the database can only be modified by the MICU director or the librarian.

Results: Immediate access on each computer in the hospital to a wide variety of recent, key articles (www.micuwiki.pbwiki.com) as well as articles frequently referred. The library saved the cost and time of printing 300 books with 139 pages each and updating the site can be done frequently instead of annually. More specific results include: 1. Use of an internet-based WIKI provides a more accessible source of key articles at the bedside in the MICU. 2. Copyright laws can be respected 3. Significant cost savings can be achieved 4. The ability to edit a WIKI can provide a more up to date resource than printed syllabus. Also, the MICUwiki homepage has a link to the Health Science Libraries homepage, directing users of the wiki to additional library services.

Lawrence and Memorial Hospital - Anne Marie Kaminsky
New London, CT

Project: Events for National Library Week and National Medical Librarians’ Month

Service: We wanted to liven up our traditional library Open House and to extend a welcome to all staff to learn more about the Library.

In May 2007, the ALA’s theme for National Library Week was “Communities Come Together @ Your Library”. Our Library built on this theme and challenged staff to complete a jig saw puzzle of the Apollo Moon landing in a week. The puzzle was a hit! For National Medical Librarians’ Month in October 2007, we used the theme “A World of Information at Your Fingertips” to promote our online resources. We hosted a week-long daily geography challenge called “Where in the World is Your Librarian?” roughly based on NBC’s“Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” There was also a global jigsaw puzzle. The challenge and the puzzle proved to be very popular.

During both week-long events, the staff was invited to take a tour and learn more about the Library’s online resources, collections and services. The handouts that we created to promote library resources and services tied into the themes of each event (“putting the Library puzzle pieces together” and “bringing a world of information to your desktop”). Attendance for each event was over 100.

Result: The Library is now known as a place where all staff can come together to work, study, or relax, and of course, to find a “world of information”.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital - Sheila Hayes
Portsmouth, NH

Project: Librarians become actors for nurses
Service: The play written by Jean Slepian that many of us saw premiered by the NN/LM-NER Hospital Library Subcommittee at NAHSL in VT has taken on a life of its own.
It is now being adapted for various audiences to advocate getting nurses to apply evidence based nursing to their practices. A new version of the play focusing on MRSA will be premiering soon.

Result: The library gained visibility as a contributing educator in the importance of evidence based nursing.