Contact the OERC

U.S. Mail Address:
Outreach Evaluation Resource Center (OERC)
Health Sciences Libraries and Information Center
NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region Box 357155
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7155

Express Mail Address (Fed Ex, UPS, etc.):
Outreach Evaluation Resource Center (OERC)
Health Sciences Libraries and Information Center
NN/LM Pacific Northwest Region
1959 NE Pacific St., Room T334
Seattle, WA 98195-7155

Phone: (206) 221-7425
Fax: (206) 543-2469
Email: sjbarnes@u.washington.edu
URL: http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/

States Served: All U.S. and territories

Staff

Susan Barnes, Assistant Director, sjbarnes@u.washington.edu, 206-221-7425

Cynthia Olney, Evaluation Specialist, olneyc@coevaluation.com, 678-293-5121

Center Purpose and Goals

The OERC builds capacity for health information outreach evaluation in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). When evaluation is an integral part of an outreach project, participants can identify approaches that work well, learn from experiences, make mid-course corrections, and recognize accomplishments. Through evaluation, members of the NN/LM and staff of the Regional Medical Libraries can demonstrate to partners and stakeholders that efforts have made a difference.

With funding from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), NN/LM outreach projects strengthen participants' abilities to find, evaluate, and use health information. The OERC encourages outcomes-based approaches so that project planners can describe changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior. “Although improved quality of health is the ultimate goal, NLM recognizes that this lofty goal is long range and not easy to measure. More realistic measures are short term or proximate indicators related to changes in individual health information seeking behavior and changes in community participation and support for health information literacy.” (Burroughs, C. “Outcomes Assessment in Community-Based Health Information Outreach.” Paper presented at Evaluation 2004, the annual conference of the American Evaluation Association, November 5, 2004. Atlanta, Georgia. p3)

The OERC provides consultation, education, and training to NN/LM members and Regional Medical Library staff; compiles techniques for outreach evaluation and program planning; works closely with RML staff who hold the newly-created regional evaluation liaison positions; and communicates about evaluation approaches and results. These activities are conducted in order to achieve five overarching goals:

1. Develop awareness, skill, and capacity in use of participatory evaluation methods.
   The OERC will provide training and educational opportunities for NN/LM staff and network members to build awareness and skills regarding program planning and evaluation through providing or arranging for training and continuing education opportunities for NLM, RML and network staff with regard to planning and evaluation of outreach and basic network services.
   
2. Develop mechanisms to disseminate and use evaluation findings to help NLM and the NN/LM document and demonstrate their accomplishments.
   The OERC will provide communication of fundamental concepts and best practices by promoting and continuing to develop a web site for information dissemination on these topics. The OERC web site will provide documentation of best practices, lessons learned and other evaluation findings. The OERC will also obtain services for the development of presentation-quality maps of NLM’s outreach projects and NN/LM’s outreach activities with data retrieved from existing web-based applications.
   
3. Strengthen and build an evaluation culture throughout NN/LM.
   The OERC will encourage collegiality and communication among NN/LM staff and network members who are involved in program planning and evaluation by promoting information sharing among network members and other RML staff who have related responsibilities. OERC will facilitate communication among the RML staff identified as regional evaluation liaisons. This communication will include, but not be limited to, an e-mail discussion list. The OERC will also assist and coordinate the evaluation-related activities of RML evaluation liaisons.
   
4. Provide consultation and direction in implementing evaluation systems, structures, and resources to help the NN/LM’s efficacy and efficiency.
   The OERC will consult with network members on specific outreach evaluation projects, involving the regional evaluation liaisons in this consultation. The OERC will provide consultation and develop capacity for program planning and evaluation at the regional level, serving as a leader and a resource in developing regional capabilities to consult with network members on evaluation projects through assisting with implementation of evaluation methodologies and approaches. The OERC will also assist as needed with the evaluation efforts undertaken by other NN/LM centers.
   
5. Enhance and refine use of community-based approaches to planning and evaluation.
   The OERC will assist in identifying priority areas and with the analysis, synthesis, and reporting of evaluation results for these priorities, including those of cross-regional efforts.

Reports to NLM

1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Annual Reports
May - July, 2006	August - October, 2006	November - January, 2007	February - April, 2007	Year 1: 2006 - 2007
May - July, 2007	August - October, 2007	November - January, 2008	February - April, 2008	Year 2: 2007 - 2008
May - July, 2008	August - October, 2008	November - January, 2009	February - April, 2009	Year 3: 2008 - 2009
May - July, 2009	August - October, 2009	November - January, 2010	February - April, 2010	Year 4: 2009 - 2010
May - July, 2010	August - October, 2010	November - January, 2011	February - April, 2011	Year 5: 2010 - 2011

OERC History