Libraries & Cultural Resources Research & Publications

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Open Access
An assessment of the efficacy of searching in biomedical databases beyond MEDLINE in identifying studies for a systematic review on ward closures as an infection control intervention to control outbreaks
(BioMed Central, 2014-11-11) Kwon, Yoojin; Powelson, Susan; Wong, Holly; Ghali, William; Conly, John
Background The purpose of our study is to determine the value and efficacy of searching biomedical databases beyond MEDLINE for systematic reviews. Methods We analyzed the results from a systematic review conducted by the authors and others on ward closure as an infection control practice. Ovid MEDLINE including In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid Embase, CINAHL Plus, LILACS, and IndMED were systematically searched for articles of any study type discussing ward closure, as were bibliographies of selected articles and recent infection control conference abstracts. Search results were tracked, recorded, and analyzed using a relative recall method. The sensitivity of searching in each database was calculated. Results Two thousand ninety-five unique citations were identified and screened for inclusion in the systematic review: 2,060 from database searching and 35 from hand searching and other sources. Ninety-seven citations were included in the final review. MEDLINE and Embase searches each retrieved 80 of the 97 articles included, only 4 articles from each database were unique. The CINAHL search retrieved 35 included articles, and 4 were unique. The IndMED and LILACS searches did not retrieve any included articles, although 75 of the included articles were indexed in LILACS. The true value of using regional databases, particularly LILACS, may lie with the ability to search in the language spoken in the region. Eight articles were found only through hand searching. Conclusions Identifying studies for a systematic review where the research is observational is complex. The value each individual study contributes to the review cannot be accurately measured. Consequently, we could not determine the value of results found from searching beyond MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL with accuracy. However, hand searching for serendipitous retrieval remains an important aspect due to indexing and keyword challenges inherent in this literature.
Open Access
Determining User Needs for an Academic Health Sciences Library Renovation
(2011) Powelson, Susan; Vaska, Marcus
Open Access
Emily's Book Den: "Helping Children Learn While They Heal" Planning and Designing a Children's Library at the New Alberta Children's Hospital
(School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, 2007-03) Vaska, Marcus
This planning project discusses the layout of a proposed children's library at the new Alberta Children's Hospital, focusing on a number of issues and requirements appropriate to such a library design within an existing building, and justifying these planning decisions based on recommendations from a number of experienced children's facility planners. Case studies documenting hospitals that have successfully designed and implemented libraries for children will also be mentioned. Books and reading have long been considered a form of healing; this notion has emphasized the author's desire to create a library facility for children in a hospital environment.
Open Access
Evaluating effectiveness of small group literacy instruction for Undergraduate Medical Education students using a pre-post survey study design
(Wiley, 2015-06) McClurg, Caitlin; Powelson, Susan; Lang, Eddy; Aghajafari, Fariba; Edworthy, Steve
The purpose of our study was to determine if librarian-led small group information literacy instruction, closely integrated with course content and faculty participation, but without a hands on component, was an effective means to convey evidence based information literacy skills including clinical question formation, resource selection and online searching confidence. Five 15 minute evidence based information literacy sessions were delivered by three librarians to 12 practicing physician-led small groups of 15 students. Students were asked to complete an online survey before and after the lecture and seminar series. Data analysis was through simple descriptive statistics, reporting proportions for question responses. Instruction in a small group environment without a mandatory hands on component had a positive impact on student’s evidence based information literacy skills. Students were more likely to consult a librarian, and had increased confidence in their abilities to search and find relevant information.
Open Access
Free Licenses and Creative Commons: A Powerful Tool for Open Access Publishing in Grey Literature
(TextRelease, 2014) Vaska, Marcus; Pejsova, Petra
Introduction/Goal: In today’s increasingly technologically savvy information society, “using remote access and free content to open doors for science students”, a statement made by NANSLO lab director Daniel Branan (http://www.scoop.it/t/avaopeneducation), is yet another example of ongoing efforts to make information more openly and freely available and accessible. Although Branan focused his remarks on the scientific community, this applies to more than one specific subject field. Rather, scientists, teachers, artists, sociologists, programmers, as well as professionals from the arts industry and economics are increasingly becoming involved in sharing and reusing their work. Open content provides an opportunity to shorten the time for research to become available, not repeat research already conducted, have data to compare, collect background information for a project, and numerous other possibilities. Despite the well-intentioned mandate of a Creative Commons license, the free distribution of an author’s work is still “governed by applicable copyright law.” (Wikipedia, n.d.) Jack Andraka, an advocate for the Open Access Movement, laments the disappointment that can occur due to publication and distribution restrictions: “I’ve seen so many great ideas get killed in the lab when my peers are stopped by closed access [to research articles]” (http://teamopen.cc/jack). Open licensing is a strong instrument ensuring open access to research data. Research Method/Procedure: This project will uncover open licenses and describe how they are used, focusing on Creative Commons free licenses, the most widely known worldwide. The Open Access movement has begun gaining greater acceptance, with numerous institutions either strongly encouraging and/or requiring their faculty, students, and staff to deposit their scholarly work in the institutional repository. As a case in point, the University of Liege in Belgium established a mandate in 2008 whereby all publications must be deposited, including the full text of articles “as soon as the article is accepted by the editor” (http://www.openacessmap.org/list) . Despite the well-intentioned means of encouraging authors to deposit their works in the public domain via open-content licenses, controversy still remains that this act can alter the original author’s ownership, particularly since “all transfers or licenses of copyright interests by a work’s author are revocable” (Armstrong, 2010, p. 360). The University of Liege has countered this argument with their ORBi (Open Repository and Bibliography) open access repository; a clause has been added stating that access to an author’s full text articles “will only be granted with the author’s consent and according to the rules applicable to author’s rights and copyrights” (http://www.openacessmap.org/list). This increased visibility in publications and access to research has resulted in ORBi currently holding a ranking of 34 out of 1746 repositories worldwide, recording more than 2 million downloads since its inception (http://orbi.ulg.ac). Via a survey, international, national, subject, and institutional repositories will be selected, in order to determine if Creative Commons licenses are being used at these facilities and if so, how and in what way (i.e. which type of documents are being deposited?, what is the degree of usage? etc). The survey will focus on the different Creative Commons licenses available, and how these affect open access and copyright restrictions. Results: We believe that results obtained from the survey will not only provide us with a comparative environmental scan of the existence of Creative Commons licenses at various institutions, but will also reveal insufficiencies and recommend approaches on how to increase the use of these licenses in grey literature repositories. It is anticipated that this venture will generate renewed interest and awareness in creating a more seamless link between open access publishing and grey literature. It is in this research context that the technology and innovation triangles combine, “extending the scope beyond R & D [research and development]” (Pant and Hambly- Odame, 2010), to the grey literature community as a whole. While certain document types may never be deposited into an institutional repository, and some authors may voice concerns about feeling obligated to adhere to such a mandate, the benefits clearly outweigh any potential harms. Open Access publishing in the grey literature domain via the use of Creative Commons licenses creates the multiplier effect, “permitting the creation of new works which may never have come into existence” (Armstrong, 2010, p. 368).
Open Access
From Bach to Baseball Cards-Caring for America's Library: Visit to the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate/Preservation Lab
(2010-01-23T18:08:27Z) Vaska, Marcus
This presentation discusses experiences encountered while touring the Preservation Directorate and Preservation Lab at the Library of Congress
Open Access
Librarians as Knowledge Transfer Agents for Improved Health Outcomes
(2009-01-30) Robertson, Helen Lee; Ganshorn, Heather
Open Access
New Directions in Health Sciences Libraries in Canada: Research and Evidence based Practice Are Key
(Wiley, 2017-07) Ganshorn, Heather; Giustini, Dean
This article is the second in a new series in this regular feature. The intention of the series is to look at important global developments in health science libraries. These articles will serve as a road map, describing the key changes in the field and exploring factors driving these changes. The present article by two Canadian librarians identifies important national developments which are shaping the profession such as the centralisation of health care services, the challenge of providing consumer health information in the absence of a national strategy, government recognition of the need to recognise and respond to the health needs of indigenous peoples and the growing emphasis on managing research data. Although their profession is strong, health science librarians must find ways of providing enhanced services with fewer staff and demonstrate value to organisations.
Open Access
Open Access & Shades of Grey
(2009-12-18T19:42:29Z) Vaska, Marcus; Lin, Yongtao; Waller, Andrew; Reaume, Renee
Open Access (OA) is a trend that is undoubtedly on the rise. This poster presentation showcases the role that Open Access publishing plays in the realm of grey literature (GL). OA increases access, awareness, and visibility of previously hidden material, thereby acting as an essential complement to peer-reviewed findings. This poster also highlights how Open Access is supported in Libraries and Cultural Resources (LCR) at the University of Calgary (U of C). There is a $100,000 Open Access Authors Fund, which helps authors pay OA article processing fees. The University of Calgary institutional repository is over six years old and is the second largest university repository in Canada. The University of Calgary Press has a few OA journals and is investigating Open Monographs. LCR has digitized a large number of resources ranging from by-laws to historical photographs and made them freely available. LCR is a node in the Synergies project which is designed to bring Canadian humanities and social sciences journals more securely into the online environment; some of these journals will be Open Access initially and other journals may opt for OA in the future. Lastly, archivists, curators, and librarians in Libraries and Cultural Resources have established a mandate to deposit the results of their scholarly activities (e.g. articles, presentations, book chapters, etc.) in the U of C institutional repository. During the First International Open Access Week, which ran from October 19-23, 2009, LCR carried out a number of activities. For instance, there was a large staffed display on OA in the main (MacKimmie) library and smaller displays in the branch libraries. The campus media reported on LCR Open Access programs daily. The week culminated with a presentation by Bioline International founder Leslie Chan to a full house. The poster presentation is also an opportunity to broaden awareness and understanding of GL and OA to research and teaching as well as to raise questions for future discussions on how to facilitate better and more responsive access to digitally-created content.
Open Access
Personal Reflections from the Inaugural Bachelor of Health Sciences Librarian
(University of Alberta: Library and Information Studies Alumni Association, 2008-05) Vaska, Marcus
This article discusses personal reflections from the inaugural Bachelor of Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Calgary
Open Access
Raising Awareness of Grey Literature in an Academic Community Using the Cognitive Behavioral Theory
(TextRelease, 2009-12-14) Vaska, Marcus; Lin, Yongtao
Cognitive skill training, part of cognitive behavior management, is based on the cognitive behavioral theory. The principle that thinking controls behavior has been widely used by educators to develop methods to improve the performance of students, while clinicians provide multifaceted health promotion and psychological counseling programs. The plan of our educational project is to raise awareness among students, faculty members, and researchers of material not produced via standard commercial publishing channels, emphasizing the role that grey literature plays in teaching and research in our academic community. Pre-test surveys conducted prior to these ventures indicate that while both researchers, students, and faculty members may have used grey literature resources at some point during their research pursuits, more than one-third (36.7%) believe they haven't done so, a significant number expressing uncertainty in not knowing how to find, effectively use, and evaluate grey literature. In terms of specific grey literature resources, the majority (85.7%) of users have had rich experiences with association and government websites, but lack familiarity with other useful resources such as subject-based directories, databases, or well-established grey literature repositories. "When opportunity knocks, you should probably open the door!" (Schwann, Petermann, and Petz, 2008). This statement indicates the value and importance of theories in promoting new practices in health services. A theory can lay the foundation of a teaching or learning goal by describing the purpose, intervention, and assumed outcome of a proposed endeavor (Wayne State University). As health sciences librarians, the need to promote grey literature in terms of visibility and accessibility, thus raising awareness, forms the basis of our teaching goals and is thereby the focus of this paper. Undoubtedly, as the barrier between black and grey literature becomes narrower with the advent of technology that seeks to uncover the unrecoverable, challenges will inevitably arise, especially when deciding what exactly about grey literature needs to be promoted. The cognitive-behavioral theory helps describe various factors regarding lack of awareness and misguided conceptions about searching for elusive material, while also guiding the selection of sources of grey literature and the methodologies we have adopted in our promotion project. Three such educational initiatives that we have developed, based on the principle that change will occur only as you think differently, include the creation of a Grey Literature Speaker Series (http://glspeakers.wetpaint.com), where subject specialists/liaison librarians at the University of Calgary discuss their experiences and challenges with uncovering and using grey literature in their subject areas; a joint presentation to faculty members and students at the University of Calgary Faculty Technology Days showcasing the impact and role that technology, such as mobile computing, has played and continues to play when it comes to the grey literature; and library information sessions to cancer researchers based on user experiences, expectations, and needs when it comes to seeking non-traditional material. The One-Minute-Paper, distributed after a session to assess participant learning outcomes, reveals that knowledge of different sources and current trends in grey literature has significantly increased. We therefore advocate the use of the cognitive behavioral theory as a channel for developing education programs and promoting grey literature in our academic community.
Open Access
Results of a Usability Study to Test the Redesign of the Health Sciences Library Web Pag
(Canadian Health Libraries Association, 2014) Lemieux, Michelle; Powelson, Susan
Introduction In 2012 University of Calgary (U of C) Libraries and Cultural Resources implemented a new webpage, establishing new standards for design. Branch library webpage redesign followed. The new standards, as well as changing needs and usage created an opportunity for the Health Sciences Library (HSL) to significantly rework their webpage. To ensure that the new design was easy for users, a usability study was conducted. Methods Following a do-it-yourself usability protocol, eight participants (four faculty, four students) were asked to complete eight tasks using a mock-up of the redesigned webpage. A think-aloud protocol was used. The participant’s thoughts and pathways to complete these tasks were captured using Camtasia and then analyzed by two librarians. Results 1. Important information needs to be “above the fold” 2. Unified search, using article title, is the fastest way to find a known article compared with searching by journal title 3. Database is still “library jargon” 4. When looking at a list of recommended databases, users will scan for databases they’ve heard of. 5. 7/8 users had trouble navigating through the Research Guides Discussion The biggest challenge of the testing was participant recruitment. The redesigned page worked well, and only small design changes were needed. The testing revealed key information about how users search that will be useful for designing future instruction. It also highlighted that work needs to be done to improve our Research Guides.
Open Access
A Scoping Review of Mentoring Programs for Academic Librarians
(Elsevier, 2015-03) Lorenzetti, Diane; Powelson, Susan
Introduction The purpose of this study was to comprehensively review the best practices and current trends for mentoring programs in academic libraries. Methods The authors conducted a scoping review of the existing literature on academic library mentoring programs. The following sources were searched to identify relevant studies: ERIC, Education Research Complete (Ebsco) LISA, Library & Information Sciences Source (Ebsco), Scopus, the TRIP database, Web of Science and the grey literature. Results Among 802 unique abstracts, 42 studies reporting on 40 unique programs were selected for inclusion in this review. Of these, 28 programs were specifically designed to facilitate the development of junior or untenured librarians. Common program elements included participant input into mentor/mentee selection, written guidelines, mentor training, and senior administration support. Notably, only 18 authors (42.8 percent) reported on program evaluation methods and outcomes. Conclusions Despite the prevalence of the literature that exists on this topic, mentorship programs in academic libraries have been insufficiently explored. Rigorous and ongoing evaluation is required to determine the importance of mentoring programs to the career development of academic librarians, and identify design elements critical to their success.
Open Access
Tracking the Impact of Changes to a Provincial Library Service Model: The Results of Two Satisfaction Surveys
(Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association, 2015-07) Hurrell, Christie; Powelson, Susan; Jensen-Ross, Christine
Abstract: Introduction: Alberta Health Services (AHS) was created in 2009, merging 12 former health regions and three provincial health authorities. Library services that had previously operated independently across the province were amalgamated into a single provincial entity, Knowledge Resource Service (KRS). A survey of library services was conducted in 2011. Subsequent to that survey, the provincial library service underwent major changes, which culminated in the launch of a provincial library website in August 2013. Another survey was conducted in 2014 to determine the impact of these changes. Methods: AHS staff and physicians were surveyed in 2011 and 2014 using an electronic survey tool. The survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the results reported as percentages. Results: This paper addresses the questions that are comparable between the two surveys. There were 1195 responses to the 2011 survey and 721 to the 2014 survey. Respondents in 2014 had less difficulty accessing the library website. Additionally, more respondents reported that using library resources prevented the occurrence of adverse events, from 13% in 2011 to 36% in 2014. Discussion: The drop in respondents reporting difficulties accessing information via the library website suggests that the new service model is effective in removing access barriers, enhancing the effectiveness of information resources for AHS staff and that the easier to find resources are helping to prevent adverse events.
Open Access
The University of Calgary Library: The First 40 Years and Onwards: Focusing on the History of MacKimmie Library and Collection Development in the Special Collections Division
(2006-11) Vaska, Marcus
The goal of this study is to chronicle the history of the University of Calgary library system, from its beginnings as a sub-branch of the University of Alberta, its distinction as an independent academic body in 1966, and its continued expansion, growth, and “enlightened centre of higher learning we know today” (Li, 2001). In particular, focus will be on the history and collection development of MacKimmie Library’s Special Collections Department, drawing upon the expertise and first-hand testimony of librarians and specialists in the field. It is believed that this study will successfully promote the awareness of this academic institution’s library and provide the opportunity to “celebrate what we have achieved (in the first 40 years) and look forward to where we are going in the future” (Weingarten, 2005).
Open Access
Using the results of a satisfaction survey to demonstrate the impact of a new library service model.
(Wiley, 2012-09) Powelson, Susan; Reaume, Renee
Background In 2005, the University of Calgary entered into a contract to provide library services to the staff and physicians of Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone (AHS CZ), creating the Health Information Network Calgary (HINC). Objectives A user satisfaction survey was contractually required to determine if the new library service model created through the agreement with the University of Calgary was successful. Our additional objective was to determine if information and resources provided through the HINC were making an impact on patient care. Methods A user satisfaction survey of 18 questions was created in collaboration with AHS CZ contract partners and distributed using the snowball or convenience sample method. Results 694 surveys were returned. 75% of respondents use the HINC library services. More importantly, 71% of respondents indicated that search results provided by library staff had a direct impact on patient care decisions. Conclusions Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone staff are satisfied with the new service delivery model, they are taking advantage of the services offered and using library provided information to improve patient care.

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