| Abstract: | Objectives:The purpose of the study was to assess the impact that funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region (GMR), has on member institutions'' ability to conduct outreach on behalf of NN/LM.Methods:The study employed both content analysis and survey methodologies. The final reports from select GMR-funded outreach projects (n?=?20) were analyzed based on a set of evaluation criteria. Project principal investigators (n?=?13) were then surveyed using the same evaluation criteria.Results:Results indicated that outreach projects supported by GMR funding improved access to biomedical information for professionals and the general public. Barriers to conducting outreach projects included time constraints or commitments, staffing, scheduling and absenteeism, inadequate space, and issues associated with technology (e.g., hardware and software, Internet connectivity and firewall issues, and creation and use of new technologies).Conclusions:The majority of project principal investigators indicated that their attempts to conduct outreach were successful. Moreover, most noted that outreach had a positive impact on professionals as well as the general public. In general, it seems that negative outcomes, as with most barriers to conducting outreach, can be mitigated by more thorough planning.Highlights- The provision of funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region (GMR), had a positive impact on an institution''s ability to conduct outreach.
- The provision of GMR funding to conduct health information outreach yielded positive outcomes.
Implications- Regional offices should make efforts to accurately capture and record the impact that funding has on member institutions'' ability to conduct outreach.
- Many barriers to conducting outreach can be mitigated by more thorough planning.
The mission of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all US health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving the public''s access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health 1]. The National Library of Medicine''s (NLM''s) vision statement emphasizes the elimination of health disparities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NLM both attempt to understand and eliminate health disparities between minority and majority populations 2]. One of NLM''s goals in trying to achieve elimination of health disparities is to improve access to affordable and easy-to-use health-related information 3]. It is thought that such a dissemination of knowledge will help solve health disparities 4]. Ultimately, NLM believes that improved access to health information will result in higher quality health care. This effort is served through research and community outreach. NLM supports some outreach directly through the NLM Division of Specialized Information Services (SIS), Office of Health Information Program Development (OHIPD), and extramural programs. In addition, NN/LM, which NLM administers, provides and supports outreach as part of NLM''s overall mission 5]. NN/LM places a primary emphasis on rural, minority, and other underserved populations 6].NLM was interested in evaluating NN/LM programs, and one of the key programs of the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) is its funding to support outreach in the region. NLM was also interested in promoting awareness among library school students about NLM and NN/LM and about the value of libraries doing outreach to underserved populations with the community. In September 2009, NN/LM GMR announced the availability of funds for a subcontract to a library school located in the region to assist with evaluating network programs. The GMR operates under a contract from NLM, providing network services to approximately 1,100 libraries and information centers in a 10-state region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). One of 8 regions in the NN/LM, the GMR conducts much of its outreach by offering subcontracts and awards to network members.Funding was offered to engage a group of students, under faculty guidance, to plan and implement a study that would determine the impact that GMR funding has on the ability of network members to perform outreach on behalf of NN/LM. The study was intended to be conducted in two phases: a planning phase, in which students were to develop an impact study proposal, and an implementation phase, in which students were to implement the study outlined in the proposal. The desired outcomes of the impact study included:- What did the institutions accomplish with the NN/LM funding?
- What outcomes did the institutions report from their NN/LM-funded outreach projects?
- What changes have been made in their institutional programs as a result of the funding they received?
- What lessons did the institutions learn through implementation of their NN/LM-funded outreach projects
- What changes would the institutions recommend to NN/LM about their funding programs?
The School of Library and Information Science (LIS) at the University of Kentucky received an outreach impact study award from NN/LM GMR in the fall of 2009 for its project, “Learning By Doing: Engaging LIS Students in an Outreach Impact Study.” Project funds were used to provide scholarships to support student participation. |
