Information Takeout & Delivery and the iTrain: Different Outreach Methods to

Garner More Users

Mark Aaron Polger, City University of New YorkAbdul Pullattayil, Humber River Regional Hospital

February 25, 20102010 Ontario Library Association Superconference

• Founded in 1997, after the merger of 3 hospitals (Northwestern General, York-Finch, and Humber Memorial)

• Partial teaching hospital with 625 beds and 500 physicians

• 3 sites with 2 Health Sciences Libraries, and 3 Consumer Health Libraries

• 1 manager, 1 professional librarian, and 3 library technicians

Why is it important?

• We want to promote our services• We want to garner more users• We want to provide the highest quality

information to support patient care• We want to raise the profile of the library

What is “Information Takeout and Delivery”?

• Marketing and outreach strategy aimed to generate more library users

• A different model of delivering library services to users in their work spaces (offices, clinical floors)

• Pro-active way to raise the library profile• Makes library staff more visible• Pro-active model of delivering services

Library Instruction• As part of “Information Takeout & Delivery”,

the model of delivery for library instruction changed– Pre-scheduled classes on the Corporate Education

Calendar. – Changed to flexible “on call” one-on-one library

instruction classes in their work spaces• This positive change increased the number of

classes and the number of participants• Challenges for library staff; customization of

each class

New Leader Orientation• Health Sciences Librarian met with new

leaders (managers, directors, clinical practice leaders) and discussed their information needs how the library can support them.

Survey

• Short anonymous questionnaire was given in April 2009 to “active library users”

• Active library users – identified users who access the library once per month or more

• Asked 75 “active users”, garnered 50 responses• Asked how “Information Takeout and Delivery

service” impacted their work

Survey Results

Survey Results

Survey Results

Survey Results

Survey Results

Usage Statistics

Fiscal Year Total Number of Information Requests

April 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 1034

April 1, 2006- March 31, 2007 1605

April 1, 2007- March 31, 2008 2035

Fiscal Year Email Phone In person Other

April 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 30% 22% 44% 4%

April 1, 2006- March 31, 2007 32% 22% 40% 4%

April 1, 2007- March 31, 2008 82% 7% 10% 1%

% of users, by communication method

Number of Information Requests, by fiscal year

Fiscal Year ILL Lending ILL Borrowing

April 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 695 632

April 1, 2006- March 31, 2007 823 641

April 1, 2007- March 31, 2008 806 932

Fiscal Year Number of Participants Number of Classes

April 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 31 11 classes

April 1, 2006- March 31, 2007 100 34 classes

April 1, 2007- March 31, 2008 147 50 classes

Number of participants and classes in Library Instruction

ILL Lending and Borrowing- by fiscal year

Apr 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 Apr. 1, 2006-

March 31, 2007

Apr 1, 2007-

March 31,2008

Nurse 13.2% 17% 7%

Nurse Educator 10.5% 7% 6%

Physician 43% 42% 49%

Administrative 11.7% 9% 9%

Allied Health 16% 21% 18%

Other 5.6% 4% 11%

Fiscal Year Number of Mediated Literature Searches

April 1, 2005- March 31, 2006 309

April 1, 2006- March 31, 2007 215

April 1, 2007- March 31, 2008 250

Number of Mediated Literature Searches

% of Library Users, by fiscal year

Organizational Impact

• Library staff provided more pro-active library services

• Impact: more dynamic, more visible, more appreciated, and higher usage.

What is the ?

• Model of information service delivery and education tool

• A mobile cart equipped with a laptop and wireless internet connection

Why the ?

• Reduce staff time to be away from their units• Nursing workstations are shared and busy• Supports flexible learning styles• Expands library services to clinical units• iTrain can be used for patient education at

their bedside.

Benefits

–Convenient, Fast and cost effective–Delivering information at point of care–Promote library resources and services–Lending Service–Marketing tool

Equipment

• 2 mobile units• Laptop computer and

software• Wireless network• Basket to carry instructional

materials

Implementation• Team Effort• Literature review• Needs assessment• Project plan• Timelines• Budget• Launch

Teaching & Assessment • List of courses offered • Lesson plans• Feedback and Course

evaluation forms– Survey monkey printed

forms

• Other materials– Bookmarks– Promotional materials

Marketing & Communications• Manager-Director meeting• New staff orientation• Mass Emails• Humber Monthly• Promotional Poster,

bookmarks, and business cards

• Screen savers on workstations

• Corporate Education Calendar

• iTrain itself

Launch and Usage

Launched June 2009

Group SessionHSL 20EDU 8HRC 5Infection Prevention and Control 10General Staff Use 15

Feedback and Evaluation

• Was iTrain effective ? – 40 % Strongly Agree– 60 % Agree– Neutral– Disagree– Strongly disagree

• I would take another iTrain session– 70 %Strongly Agree– 30 % Agree– Neutral– Disagree

Shared Booking System

Lessons Learned• iTrain is a sustainable model and is well

received by its users• This service model helps raise the library’s

profile• This service helps market library services and

resources• Flexible learning and tailored instruction

hospital-wide

Conclusions

• Libraries should always be experimenting with developing new service models

• Hospital libraries should support flexible learning within the greater organization

• Hospital libraries should collaborate with other units within the hospital to raise its profile