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Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library 2002-2003 Performance Metrics The Library Management Council developed the following performance metrics in accord with MCG strategic initiatives. Specifically these will support significant progress toward an enhanced infrastructure for the Medical College of Georgia and align institutional resources with its mission. Budget Need: As one of MCG’s top strategic priorities is to become a premiere health sciences institution (upper half of respective peers), significant growth in the Library’s total recurring dollars is needed to be in the corresponding percentage of medical school libraries. Current: As illustrated in the composite health sciences library published in the 24th edition of the Annual Statistics of Medical School Libraries in the U.S. and Canada, MCG is 27% below the mean. Ranking number 58 (n=118) amounts to $2,702,503.
Metric: To achieve the total recurring expenditures of the composite health sciences library (n=118) through an additional recurring amount of $605,124. Secure at least an additional recurring allocation of $445,992 to place library in upper half of peer group. Assessment: Through strategic funding, the Library achieved 1.5% of indirect research dollars ($108,000). Personnel The Library provides specialized knowledge by recruiting excellent faculty and professional personnel who are knowledgeable and productive in meeting the needs of Library users, and by hiring and training well qualified support staff. Need: Provide additional value and enhanced support to the clinical mission of MCG and family centered care of MCG Health Inc. Current: The Library services as liaison for information management component of JCAHO and provides full access to MCGHI to all resources and services. A Clinical Information Librarian was recruited and hired in July 2002. Metric: Develop and implement 2 new major clinical and/or consumer health initiatives. Assessment: Five new initiatives were implemented in support of clinical and consumer health. These include the Clinical Information Services Librarian attending rounds and morning report to provide clinical information research, providing librarian office hours in the CMC to assist real-time clinical and consumer health information needs, teaching evidence-based medicine instructional sessions for interns and residents, planning collaboratively in the Faculty Family Care program, and serving as consultant for the identification of consumer resources for several MCG Health, Inc. patient libraries. Collections The Library provides access to journals, books, and other resources both in print and electronic format to meet the clinical, research, and teaching needs of MCG and MCGHI. The Library uses its collective bargaining power within consortia and library organizations to provide the best value for access. Need: As the rapidly emerging trend of the digital library continues, library users expect rapid access to electronic resources directly from the desktop. The 2002 LibQUAL+ survey revealed that faculty most desire electronic resources, especially journal titles. Current: Based on latest available data (FY01) the library's number of unique journal titles (1727) falls 26% below the mean number of unique journal titles of AAHSL institutions (2327). Of the Library's unique titles, 60% are available online and 29% of them are uniquely electronic. Metric: Add high priority, mission relevant journal titles at the rate of 10% per year to exceed the mean of AAHSL libraries. Increase number of electronic journal titles by 10% (110 additional electronic titles). Increase the number of uniquely electronic titles by 10% (53 additional titles exclusively in electronic format). Assessment: The total number of mission relevant, unique journal titles increased by 10%. Whereas this reflects an increase of 101 titles from previous year, the AAHSL mean for serials holdings was 145 greater than previous year. More of our journal collection shifted to online only access with a 6% decrease of uniquely print titles. The number of electronic journal titles increased 47% and unique electronic journal titles increased 44% Services The Library provides services to make resources available, teach lifelong learning skills, and assist users meet their information needs. Need: Since 1995, the LInC (Library Information Center) has provided a single service point for customers to request all library services. Despite the increased complexity of resources, a decrease in reference statistics over several years indicates a changing pattern of how and why users seek assistance within the building. Current: The current configuration of the LInC desk is inefficient in terms of the best use of personnel, space, and equipment, reducing optimum customer service. Metric: Develop alternatives to the current LInC configuration (both physical and conceptual) to meet the needs of users throughout the building and use our resources more efficiently:
Assessment: The Library Information Center was redesigned to add collaborative learning space and improve reference and information services. The physical service desk was relocated and downsized and Physical Reserves collection, media hardware and supplies were moved to closet storage. This enabled the expansion of the increasingly popular open seating and meeting space. The reconfiguration enhances public service capabilities and increases efficiency of personnel resources. A small separate reference desk serves users on site while real-time electronic reference delivery is being studied by a faculty/staff committee. Self-checkouts increased by 66%. Reference stats declined less than in previous years. Need: MCG faculty are more frequently requesting customized instruction from the library which reflects the current emphasis on collaborative teaching, measurement of information literacy skills, finding clinical evidence and information resources specific to individual disciplines. This change in focus requires that the library move forward with a more customizable approach to instruction rather than pre-set classes with assigned topics. Current: The Greenblatt Library provides numerous scheduled instructional sessions open to all MCG faculty, students and staff. These open enrollment sessions are frequently attended by less than three people per session, even though the total enrollment per year reaches several hundred people. Metric: Shift resources to curriculum-based and customized instruction across all schools, offering two or more instructional opportunities per quarter while reducing open enrollment classes. Assessment: Instructional sessions focused more on searching and quality filtering. Open enrollment courses were reduced to by request only, except for one general session on health resources. Integration of library instruction was introduced into the first year dental curriculum. Customized sessions were provided to neurology and pediatric residents, nursing and allied health students, and the Georgia Prevention Center. Need: Feedback from the LibQUAL 2002 Survey, suggestion forms, and direct faculty and staff comments indicate the resources available from the Library are not apparent to the new or experienced user. Discipline-based internet and database resources should be more accessible, usable, and seamless for the user. Current: Some Library resources are positioned several layers deep in the Library's web site structure, and even the most persistent user may not exhaust all of the relevant resources. Web Portal software and initiatives (WebFeat, ENCompass, ZPORTAL) are becoming more common and easier to implement and provide a gateway and search tool to aggregate the results from multiple formats such as databases, library catalogs and web content, and will rank results by relevance and remove duplication. Metric: Utilize the Library Web Steering Committee to redesign library web pages and implement a search portal to consolidate resources to increase use of Library web content and subscribed databases by at least ten percent. Assessment: Pages were redesigned to adhere to new MCG web template. Several Library Web Committee members attended a web usability workshop to learn about best practices. Numerous portal products and virtual reference software were reviewed but need further exploration prior to implementation. Library web page hits increased by 24%. The E-resources page usage increased by 67% and the E-pubs page usage increased by 43%. Need: Library related CME/CE classes have been requested by MCG, MCGHI, and AHEC health professionals. Current: Health professionals need CME/CE credit in order to renew certification and licensure. They often inquire whether our library skills classes provide CME/CE credit. Metric: Create at least two CME/CE credit workshops per year, from either existing or new classes. Assessment: The AHEC Librarian provided an Ovid class with CME credit. Meetings were held with CE office to discuss procedures. A library component was added to a Dental Implant CE. Need: Due to the extra effort off campus users (distant ed, AHEC, clinical faculty, unaffiliated GA and CSRA community) face in finding and using our resources, more aggressive marketing and training are needed to promote our library services and resources to them. Current: A small percent of off campus users take advantage of services such as mediated searching, reference assistance, Loansome Doc, or document delivery. Metric: Increase growth in user accounts and activity (GIL, Loansome Doc, ILL/document delivery, LIBREF electronic reference, and mediated searching) by 5% among our off campus users. Assessment: Marketing efforts occurred through exhibits at health fairs, professional organizations, and MCGHI. While overall growth in usage occurred, a statistical breakdown is not available. Budget considerations may have affected fee-based services as interlibrary loan and mediated searching decreased Facilities The library provides comfortable, attractive, and useful facilities for research, study, and contemplation, in addition to providing the equipment and technology needed in a contemporary library. Need: Students have indicated in the 2002 LIBQUAL survey that they need more small, private study spaces for both individuals and groups on the 1st and 2nd floors. Current: Unassigned and unused space is currently vacated by Medical Illustration on the first floor. On the second floor, the library houses many older, less used items that take a large amount of space which could be compressed or relocated. Metric: Reengineer underutilized space to create 10 more private study areas. Assessment: The LinC reorganization expanded casual seating areas. The space vacated by Medical Illustration was assigned to ITD for Banner implementation. Office relocation of the AHEC librarian created an additional group study room. Need: The 2002 LibQual survey indicated that students want faster computers and workstations that can support multiple applications without compromising stability. Current: Several computers in the lab have reached the three year recycle phase and are at the low end of functionality. Newer computers will allow additional functionality and enable increased applications in demand. Metric: Load multiple applications on at least 50% of the lab computers by replacing/upgrading all computer lab workstations that are three yrs. old or consistently failing due to worn parts with Pentium4 systems or better. Assessment: In the spring and summer of 2003, new Dell replacements PCs were deployed to the computer labs with funding from the Mandatory Student Technology Fee for 100% replacement. Faster processors and more RAM and disk space laid the foundation for PCs throughout the lab that could support installation and operation of multiple applications. Need: Students need a more comfortable and inviting place to learn and study, as indicated by the 2002 LIBQUAL survey and through conversations with the SGA President. Current: According to the SGA President, the area near the 2nd floor front window area is a popular study area with students, but the lighting is poor for studying, especially after dusk. Current design and furniture is about 20 years old and much of it is worn and dated. Metric: Redesign the 2nd floor front window area as a contemporary and inviting place to learn with lighting appropriate for extensive studying and furniture that is attractive and comfortable. Assessment: An interdisciplinary student focus group was formed to gain more insights about student perspectives and preferences. Eighty-five new study chairs, four comfortable casual chairs and two settees were purchased and arranged for study and casual seating (seating for 117). Informal feedback shows that the students are appreciating and enjoying the aesthetics and functionality. A redesign plan was completed for 2nd floor window area as a contemporary and inviting place to learn with lighting appropriate for extensive studying and furniture that is attractive and comfortable. Funding was identified for implementation early in FY04. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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