ICML 2009: Meeting Room 4 Session 8

Theme: Professional Development

Time: 10.45-12.15
Date: Wednesday 2nd September 2009
Chair: Rowena Cullen

Information Literacy Program at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences: Is it worth the effort?
Kinengyere Alison Annet, MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, Uganda

Alison Kinengyere (MSc. Inf. Sc, Makerere University, BLIS, Makerere University) works as a Serials Librarian at the Albert Cook Medical Library, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University since 2003. She is a Doctoral student at the School of Library and Information Studies at the same University. She is also in charge of electronic resources as well as Information Literacy programs in both the Albert Cook Medical Library, and also at the Makerere University Main Library. She is part of the training team of the Information Competence and Management course (ICM) recently introduced by the Library. Alison is on the PERI (Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information) Coordinating team for Makerere University. She has published a few papers and presented at conferences.

Abstract:
The College of Health Sciences at Makerere University is participating in an initiative to achieve the institution’s mission by introducing and sustaining information literacy programs. This paper examines the on-going initiative and how it is positively changing the way teaching, learning and research are done. The paper is based on an on-going doctoral study on utilisation of electronic information in selected medical schools in Uganda. Preliminary findings show that training both staff and library users is a crucial step that will facilitate improved library services delivery, learning, teaching, research and ultimately informed health care service delivery. The continuous evaluation indicates improved usage of information resources after training was introduced, as publishers’ usage statistics indicate. The various courses and workshops such as the Information Competency and Management (ICM), the Lunch Time Sessions and the Research Management Workshops, all piloted in 2005 will be highlighted. Training is conducted for staff, students and researchers to enable them to use the available resources, such as e-journal databases, the Electronic Library Information Navigator (ELIN) and the Uganda Scholarly Digital Library (USDL). The paper concludes by highlighting the main outcomes of the training programs and the challenges that the College is encountering during the implementation of these programs.

Library Futures: A Decade On: From Cybrarian to Clinical Librarian
Dr Jane Simon, QEII Hospital, Queensland Health, Australia

Jane Simon has been employed within the QEII Hospital Library for 19 years. During this time she completed her Masters and later PhD in the area of women's studies. In 2005 Jane completed a Graduate Diploma in Health Studies. Jane is now in her second (2008) year of a formation program to become a spiritual director. She is married with 3 daughters and 4 grandsons.

Abstract:
It is now a decade on since I first researched women’s status within Australian libraries for my PhD (Simon, 1997). The last chapter of my dissertation was entitled ‘Librarianship: from a ‘female calling ‘ to ‘information management’ (1997) and sought to redefine the image of the librarian from ‘hand maiden’ to ‘cybrarian’. My interest now is to explore women’s status within libraries in the 21st century. Librarianship remains a female-dominated profession and in Australia women librarians represent some 83.5 per cent of the library profession – a profession with an aging workforce and one in which there is still a shortage of male librarians. My research in the 1990s showed that women had moved into senior management positions within the library sector yet they still remain disadvantaged in terms of salaries and placements in comparison to their male colleagues. Recent overseas research tells a similar story with the average salary for male directors being higher than of their female counterparts. And in all other library job categories the salaries for men in most cases still surpass those of women (ARL Annual Salary Survey 2007). While there is a paucity of Australian research in the area of salary differentials I think it is still timely to approach women’s status within libraries from a perspective that looks at the professional image of the librarian in the 21st century.

Simon, Jane (1997), Women in Queensland Libraries: the persistence of gender inequality.

Training Capsule for Health Science Library Professionals- A Case Study
Salek Chand, National Documentation Centre, India

Salek Chand holds B. Com, and M. Com. from Meerut University during 1982 and 84; B. Lib. Inf. Sc. and M. Lib. Info. Sc. From University of Delhi during 1985 and 86 and Computer Course from INSDOC, New Delhi during 1991, is currently working as Sr. Documentation Officer, Deptt. of National Documentation Centre, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi. Prior to that he has served in Ministry of Water Resources Delhi and as Documentation Officer in Central Road Research Institute, Delhi from 1986-19997. He has 20 years experience at different capacity in the field of Library and Information Science. Mr. Salek Chand has contributed 16 papers and published at national and international level. He has a credit of publishing two books reviews published in University News. During his academic carrier, he conducted various training courses, seminars and projects. He visited abroad in Philippines and Thailand. Mr Salek Chand is actively associated with various professional bodies such as Indian Library Association; Medical Library Association of India; Ranganathan Research Circle, etc. He is an expert in Application of Modern Information Technologies in Library, Library automation, Digitization, DTP, Networking, Web site, etc.

Abstract:
The explosion of knowledge emphasizes on the ability to continue need to learn throughout life. The Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals are in dire need to acquire the relevant skills and expertise to track the world of information and become competent enough to provide best services to health professionals for better health care delivery. The growth of information resources and access technologies has created new roles for health librarians in dealing with the heterogeneous needs of information consumers and in filtering out irrelevancies. In the age of E-environment, the health librarians also realize to develop and provide up-to-date information services to meet the requirements of the health professionals. The medical colleges and health science universities in India are coming up with latest teaching technology that need better library support. To address the dearth of medical librarians, the National Documentation Centre of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, INDIA has been conducting a training course on “IT Application in Heath Science Libraries and Information Management” since last eight years for health science Librarians. The course is designed on the basis of current and burning issues support to the Health Science Library Professionals for providing need base services to the users and updated according to the feed back received from the participants. This paper describes the need of such courses, objectives, utility of the course in future and roadmap in INDIA.

The Journey of a Knowledge Management Fellow
Rachel J Cooke, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, United Kingdom

Since gaining my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science 20 years ago I have worked in the NHS, in a range of library related posts. These posts have included managing front line services and 12 years as a deputy director of a library regional team providing strategic direction and advice to local library services and healthcare organisations. Six years ago I went back to running a library service. As Head of Library Services and Knowledge Management this post had the added attraction of being responsible for developing the Trust’s knowledge management agenda outside of the library service. From November 2007 to November 2008, I have been on secondment as Knowledge Management Fellow to the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (England). This has led me to be involved in supporting the role and network development for Chief Knowledge Officers in NHS (England) organisations. My secondment has been extended to allow me to further this work. For about the past 11 years I have been involved in a partnership with the Albert Cook Medical School Library, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

Abstract:
In November 2007 I took up the year long secondment as Knowledge Management Fellow, at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (England). This was the first time that there had been a fellowship specifically for knowledge management. The National Library for Health which is part of the NHS Institute (until end of March 2009) was the driving force behind creating a KM Fellowship. I will outline the journey I undertook during this practical rather than research based fellowship. What led me to apply for the scheme was my interest in organisation behaviour in relation to the use of knowledge: in support of strategic, operational and clinical activity; the sharing of knowledge, sound evidence, experience and data. All of which can be used both strategically and operationally to improve patient care whilst saving staff time and effort. I will describe the main highlights of the year: Undertaking the nine month long Improvement Adviser Programme, with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, USA. The timely linking of my Fellowship with the publication of the “Report of a National Review of NHS Health Library Services in England: From knowledge to health in 21 Century” (Hill Review). Specifically working with others to support the emerging Chief Knowledge Officers (CKO) in NHS England organisations. I will describe in more detail the development of the CKO role in NHS organisations. This became the main focus of my year, leading to an extension of my secondment to continue this work.