A Study of Consumer Health Monographs in Public Libraries using a tiered master checklist Jean...

A Study of Consumer Health Monographs in Public Libraries

using a tiered master checklist

Jean Williams BScN, MLIS McGill University Health Centre

My goals in presenting to-day:

To facilitate easier, smarter collection development of CHI monographs

To suggest improved weeding in CHI

To encourage collaborations that will assist us all to provide better service

References

Marshall, JG, Sewards, C, Dilworth, EL. Health information services in Ontario public libraries. Canadian Library Journal 1991;48(1):37-44.

Dennison, R.F. Quality assessment of collection development through tiered checklists: can you prove you are a good collection developer? Collection Building 2000 ; 19(1):24-6

Outline

Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist?

Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections Results Conclusions Collaboration

Research questions

Do experts agree on specific titles that meet the needs of reference librarians and the public?

Can recommended titles be validated for acquisition by Canadian public libraries?

Do consumer health monographs in local public libraries reflect the recommendations of subject specialists?

Background

Why study consumer health books in public libraries?

Note the trend as shown here…..

Kitchener Public Library Ontario, Canada

Toronto Reference Library Ontario, Canada Consumer Health Information Service

Background

Fifteen years ago Joanne Marshall found the 75 public librarians surveyed needed “additional resources to increase the size and currency of the health collection” and “assistance with collection development, including evaluation of the present collection and selection aids for new materials”.

Six years ago Lynda M. Baker surveyed over 350 Michigan public librarians. Problems involving the collection: “useful materials not owned by the library”, “source too difficult”, “material missing from the collection”.

Question for later discussion…

How are we doing now?

Background

- why study this? - why use checklisting?

it is the most widely used collection-focused assessment tool.

used by Marshall in 1991 survey of 75 Ontario public librarians

Method

Background - why study this? - why use this method?

Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist

Scope: chose 9 subject categories: women, men, children, heart health, mental health, seniors, AIDS-HIV, cancer, alternative health

Method (1) preparation of checklist

Found authoritative sources:

Chose 9 bibliographies of recommended titles:

7 online on the CAPHIS site and

2 print

7 expert bibliographies(online)

1. Consumer Health Bibliography for the Small Public Library compiled by Gail Hendler, MLS Librarian at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y.;. Annotated.


2. Consumer Health Library Collection Guide and

3. Alternative/Complementary Medicine – Selected Bibliography both from the Toronto Reference Library CHI Service presented by Susan Murray, MLS, AHIP.


4. Bibliography of Consumer Health Books from the Arkansas Consumer Health Information Network Resource Task Force;. Annotated.

5. Choices in Health Information: The New York Public Library Consumer Health Reference List. Annotated.


6. Recommended Books for a Consumer Health Reference Collection Healthnet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington CT. Annotated.


7. Pediatric Consumer Health Information by Brenda Pfannennsteil, MALS, MA. Coordinator of the Kreamer Family Resource Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City MO. Annotated.

2 expert bibliographies(print)

1. Consumer Health Information Source Book by Alan Rees (1998 and 2000) specifically chapter 2 (2000) “The Best Consumer Health Information Sources”

2. Planning and Managing the Consumer Health Library by Michele Spatz (from MLA CE course, 2000). The study was started with this list and when Ms Spatz published an update in the first issue of the Journal of Hospital Librarianship in February 2001, the more recent list was used.

Method (1) preparation of checklist

Found authoritative sources: Chose 9 bibliographies of recommended titles, 7 online and 2 print

Compiled a list of all titles that fell under the 9 subject categories (N = 82)

Limited the list to only those titles recommended by 2 or more experts (N = 56)

Method



Method (2) Validation of tiered checklist

Checked for the 56 titles (that had been on two or more expert lists) in the online OPACs of Ottawa and Vancouver Public Libraries

Found all but 4, eliminated them, leaving a validated master checklistlist of 52 titles

Method



Method (3)Assessment of local collections

Chose 2 suburban Montreal libraries with similar per capita funding: Library A and Library B

Met briefly with a librarian at each site asking- collection development policies ?- designated budget ?- selection tools for health monographs?

Method (3)Assessment of local collections

Searched the OPACs of the two local public libraries on site

1) for all 52 books

2) for comparable titles

3) for other consumer health titles to be considered for weeding

Weeding

How does weeding fit into this case study? Importance of weeding CHI:

- User confidence in the collection increases

- Circulation increases when a collection is freshly weeded.

- Out of date or misleading material (that can potentially cause damage) is discarded

Weeding

Importance of weeding CHI (continued):

- Improves the turnover rate (circulation divided by number of holdings)

- Ensures the collection is responsive to public demand and changing trends

- Increases the amount of shelf space for attractive new material

Results



ResultsMaster checklist and validation

There was consensus among the experts: 22 of the 52 titles were recommended by 3 or more subject specialists

Master list was validated for Canadian use: two of the larger Canadian public library systems held most of the recommended titles (52/56)

Top of the tiered checklist of experts’ titles Ordered by number of occurrences on CAPHIS and print lists. Appeared on this * number of experts’ lists (2001)

Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy: How Cancer is Diagnosed, Treated, and Managed Day to Day. 3rd ed. Malin Dollinger. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel $29.95. *******

American Cancer Society's Informed Decisions: The Complete Book of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery. Gerald P. Murphy, MD. New York: Viking $39.95. *****

Next of the tiered checklist of experts’ titles

Mayo Clinic Heart Book. New York: Harper Collins. *****

Caring for the Mind: the Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health. Dianne Hales and Robert E. Hales. New York: Bantam. $39.95. *****

The Guide to Living with HIV Infection. 4th ed. John G. Bartlett and Ann K. Finkbeiner. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. $15.95. *****

Titles held by local public libraries

Master List Library A Library B AIDS/HIV (3) 2 2 Alternative (8) 3 2 Cancer (8) 4 4 Children (10) 6 2 Heart health (4) 2 0 Men (6) 1 0 Mental health (4) 2 2 Seniors (2) 0 0 Women (7) 3 3 Total (52) 23 15

ResultsLocal public library holdings

Library A held almost 50% of the titles on the validated master checklist; Library B just over 25%

Library B had twice as many items ripe for weeding as Library A; almost inverse proportion to excellent titles

More Results Local public library holdings

Both public libraries’ OPACs showed earlier editions and publication dates (more than 50% < 3 years) than experts’ lists (33% < 3 years).

Both local libraries still held titles from the ’70s and early ‘80s of dubious value

Neither local library had written collection development policies for non-fiction and neither librarian mentioned using CAPHIS lists for collection development

Outline



Conclusions

Checklisting can be useful in analyzing, comparing, building and weeding consumer health collections

Without referring to CAPHIS lists, local librarians may acquire appropriate titles, but at what cost?

Conclusions

In maintaining consumer health collections, ongoing acquisition and deselection are vital. Attention is not being paid to items published prior to the last 5 years.

In providing health information we should be striving for excellence; it is attainable and affordable.

Conclusions

Collaboration between public librarians and health science librarians could improve the provision of current, authoritative health information to Canadians

Implications for practice

Using CAPHIS online lists and the authoritative print sources, collection developers will be more effective and efficient in assessing and building consumer health collections in public libraries.

Collaboration

…a few examples

Thank you !

Jean Williams BScN, MLISMcGill University Health Centre

[email protected]

A Study of Consumer Health Monographs in Public Libraries using a tiered master checklist Jean...

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