Library Role in Library Role in Global Health Global Health

SurveySurveyGlobal Health Vision Task Force

April 2009

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Background

• Environmental Scan– How are peer libraries involved in global health?

• Questions were drafted by Carol Jenkins, with input of the task force members

• Survey was sent to 125 AAHSL library directors• 44 Responses Total

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Survey Questions• 1. Has your Institution increased its involvement in global health in the past three

years?• 2. If yes, which factors indicate this increased involvement in your institution in the past

three years? • 3. Has your Library increased its involvement in global health in the past three years? • 4. If yes, which factors indicate this increased involvement by the Library in the past

three years? • 5. Has the Library’s budget increased in the past three years specifically to support its

expanded role in global health? • 6. How do you see your Library’s role in global health changing over the next five years?• 7. What do you see as the biggest challenges to meeting global health goals for your

Library over the next five years?• 8. Other comments about the Library’s global health role.• 9. If you provide your name and institution, we may want to contact you for more

information.

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1. Has your institution increased its involvement in global health in the past three years?

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2. If yes, which of the factors below indicate this increased involvement in your institution

in the past three years?

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Other Factors

Additional responses:• International relationships

throughout university as whole, not just med school

• Community service • Offered assistance, but low

usage likely due to basic access issues

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Highlights from Institutional Involvement

• Partnerships with Foreign Institutions (28)• Institutional Priorities (24)• Students Involved Overseas (22)• Research Dollars to Global Health (17)• Research Sites Overseas (16)• New Degree/Curriculum (14)

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3. Has your library increased its involvement in global health in the past three years?

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Institution vs. Library Involvement

77% 61%

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•Institution increased involvement at higher rate than library

4. Which of the factors below indicate this increased involvement by the library in

the past three years?

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Other Factors

Additional responses:• Curriculum planning• Participating in an externally-funded

global health initiative (Gates Foundation)

• Identifying relevant resources• Creating specific web pages• Global health exhibit• Community service day

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Highlights from Library Involvement

• Purchasing Global Health Resources (20)• Curriculum/Program Planning (14)• Remote Access (9)• Affiliate Library Outside the US (9)• Librarians Obtained/Written Into Grants (8)• Global Outreach Projects (8)

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5. Has the library’s budget increased in the past three years specifically to support its expanded

role in global health?

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Library Involvement vs. Budget Increase

Majority increased involvementMajority budget did not increase

14•Involvement increased, even if budget did not

6. How do you see your library’s role in global health changing over the next five years?

Additional responses:• More remote services• Global health digital objects repository• ILL support is dropping because of

increasing access• Use website to expose resources • Strategic planning• Support of curriculum• Role will be more interdisciplinary – focus

on knowledge resources and technology increases

• Library staff inclusion in grant proposals• Involvement in global health informatics

programs• Hold information sessions on global

programs, promoting global health issues on campus

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7. What do you see as the biggest challenges to meeting global health goals for your library

over the next five years?

Additional Responses:• Extent to which university sees this

as a priority• Sustaining the commitment

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8. Other comments about the library’s global health role

• Plan to meet regularly with global health leadership (7)• Need to find funding to provide access to technology (15)• Regular liaison to global health institute (18)• Growth is inevitable (due to institutional profile and being a border

state) (19)• Good way to network (20)• Professionally fulfilling, professional development (26)• Institutional priority (27)• More? Have already been very involved in global health for over 20

years (33)• Will likely not establish programs (36)• Still unsure of how we will be proceeding (37)• Opportunity to push open access to information (40)

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Buzz Words

• Budget• Partnerships• Resources• Communication• Access

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/774206/Global_health

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What we could have asked

• With unlimited financial resources, what kind of projects would you undertake?

– Since budget was clearly a concern for so many of the responders

– Would have provided a snapshot of the latest and greatest in an ideal setting

• What nontraditional library services do you offer or would you like to offer?

• How did you go about securing institutional support?

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Conclusions/Golden Nuggets

• Libraries have increased global health involvement in correlation with their institutions, even if their budget did not increase

• Library efforts have concentrated around collection development, curriculum planning, remote access, liaison services, and outreach

• Largest concerns center around staff time, communication difficulties, and budget

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