Award Report- CHECK THE PULSE OF YOUR LIBRARY-LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE REPORT
Our goal for the Library Open House was to bring medical staff into the library and show them what the library has to offer. We wanted to promote library resources, services and create awareness for the redesigned library web page.
The event featured two book exhibits: Alternative and Complementary Medicine (courtesy of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and Swedish Institute, College of Health Sciences) and new medical books from our collection.
We created a display of pamphlets and educational materials about the National Library of Medicine resources and services. The Library was decorated with paintings from a private art collection of our staff member. Refreshments were served during the day.
In the preparation for the event we updated the library web page, created a Library Brochure and a Power Point Presentation about library resources and services. We redesigned the library space and created a Group Study Area where our patrons can study together and not disturb others in the library.
The External Affairs Department helped us to promote the event in the online newsletter and electronic bulletin board. E-mail was sent to the hospital staff, and posters were placed in the Lobby one week before the Library Open House.
Library tours were conducted every hour, PubMed Training session and library electronic resources demonstrations were also conducted on demand. Medical trivia and PubMed quizzes were offered to the visitors. Winners received prizes and gifts. A Small Project Award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine allowed us to purchase Barnes & Nobles Gift Certificates, Medical Books, and Gift Certificates to the Coffee Shop and office supplies for the Open House.
The event was a huge success, and over 150 people attended the Open House, 37 participants subscribed for my NCBI account. After the event we started getting more Literature Searches requests, more patrons are using the library web page, and the nursing and medical staff is utilizing the library resources more frequently.
The Library Staff is grateful to the National Network of the Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region for the Small Project Award, which allowed us to promote the library, its resources and services.
Irina Meyman- Lutheran HealthCare, Health Sciences Library. Brooklyn, NY
