This document discusses how the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta manages the increasing demand for research consultations and systematic review searching. It outlines a management plan involving ensuring work is done at the appropriate level, building searcher capacity, lobbying for additional librarian positions, clarifying service policies, and educating users. The results of implementing this plan include freeing up librarian time for more consultations, training more people in systematic reviews, and increasing collaboration opportunities. However, demand may continue rising and the library must focus on its core missions of teaching and research support.

1. WHAT TO DO
WHEN
EVERYONE
WANTS TO BE
YOUR
PARTNER
Sandy Campbell* and
Marlene Dorgan
John W. Scott Health
Sciences Library
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Can
ada

2. http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/political_world_map3000.jpg

3. Aerial View of Health Sciences Buildings (North Campus)
http://campuslife.ualberta.ca/ourcampuses/northsouthcampus

4. Main Quad in Winter
http://campuslife.ualberta.ca/ourcampuses/northsouthcampus

5. POPULATION SERVED BY THE
JOHN W. SCOTT HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY

6. HOW ARE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS DIFFERENT
FROM OTHER REVIEWS?
High quality systematic reviews seek to:





Identify all relevant published and unpublished
evidence
Select studies or reports for inclusion
Assess the quality of each study or report
Synthesis the findings from individual studies or
reports in an unbiased way
Interpret the findings and present a balanced and
impartial summary of the findings with due
consideration of any flaws in the evidence.
Hemingway, Pippa and Nic Brereton. “What is a Systematic Review?” Evidence Based Medicine, 2nd Ed., 2009.
http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/painres/download/whatis/Syst-review.pdf. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012

7. http://www.ukdrn.org/lrn/images/research_cycle.gif

8. WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE
FACULTY/LIBRARIAN RELATIONSHIP?
Some granting agencies and journals in the health
sciences now require that a librarian be a part of the
research team.
Greater awareness of the skills that librarians bring to
expert searching and instruction.

9. 3. Synthesis Methods
iii. Identifying potentially eligible studies
“The next stage is to develop sensitive search
strategies to identify studies that potentially meet the
inclusion criteria. This is a highly technical task and
should rarely be undertaken without the support of a
trained information specialist (librarian).”
Grimshaw, Jeremy. A Guide to Knowledge Synthesis. Canadian Institutes of Health
Research. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/41382.html Accessed August 27, 2013

10. INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR RESEARCH
CONSULTATIONS
Consultations in the Health Sciences Library
2010
2013 (Jan – August)
210
354

11. MANAGEMENT PLAN
Strategic Actions:
1. Ensuring that work is done at the correct level
2. Building searcher capacity in the community
3.
Lobbying for additional librarian positions
4.
Redefining service policies for external users
5.
Better organizing search support resources
6.
Educating users

12. 1. ENSURING THAT WORK IS DONE AT THE
CORRECT LEVEL

Librarians no longer assigned desk hours, except in
remote (on-site) locations.
Most librarian level reference work is done by
appointment, by telephone or e-mail
 Basic instruction is done by senior non-academic staff

Review and revision of instructional materials
 In-class delivery of instruction
 Marking of basic assignments


13. 2. BUILDING SEARCHER CAPACITY IN THE
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY
Including non-University librarians in classes
 Include non-health sciences University librarians in
classes both as students and as
instructors/assistants
 Offer classes on systematic reviewing through the
local health libraries association (NAHLA)
 Scott Librarians taught SLIS 520 – Introduction to
Health Librarianship (7 graduates)


14. 3. LOBBYING FOR ADDITIONAL LIBRARIAN
POSITIONS
Ongoing encouragement of faculties with high
demand for searching to hire their own research
librarians.
 4 arrangements in place, where research librarian
is employed 80% by a department or institute and
20% at the Scott Library.


15. 4. REDEFINING AND CLARIFYING SERVICE
POLICIES FOR DIFFERENT USER GROUPS

External Users
In the past, the Library sold excess capacity to the
general public.
 Currently – no excess capacity

Non-Uof A clients are referred to freelance searchers.
 Health authority employees are referred to their own librarians


16. 5. BETTER ORGANIZING SEARCH SUPPORT
RESOURCES

Protocol form available for all searchers to e-mail to
searchers in advance of a consultation

Filters recorded in OVID for immediate use

Filters for all search platforms

Health Sciences Filters Page
http://guides.library.ualberta.ca/content.php?pid=448005&sid=36
71216

17. 6. EDUCATING USERS
 Introduction
to Systematic Review
Searching Class
 3 hour workshop
 hands-on computer lab
 January 2012 – August 2013
18 classes (258 researchers)
 Increased in-course Instruction

18. RESULTS


Moving librarians away from basic teaching and desk
duty has freed time for consultations and expert
searching
Increased demand
Painting targets on our backs
 More opportunities for librarians to collaborate and co-author



Teaching programs have been excellent publicity for the
Libraries
Many more people trained in the basics
Clientelle is more likely to have basic SR Knowledge
 More of the consults are shorter interactions


More attention in research administration to systematic
reviews as a research method.

19. RESULTS CONTINUED

More courses in Systematic Reviewing being
offered across the health-related Faculties







Public Health Sciences
Nursing
Orthodontics
Physical Education
Nutrition
Rehabilitation Medicine
Pharmacy
Instructors attend our SR Search class
Librarians are invited to teach in these
classes

20. CONCLUSIONS
The strong demand for our work is evidence that it
is highly valued, so we need to continue providing
the services.
 We do not know when, or if, we will reach peak
demand.
 Have to focus on the primary aspects of the
Libraries mission


support for teaching and research
Have to pick and choose on what projects we agree
to collaborate
 Shifting resources does help, but stopping doing
things to do something else is always difficult


22. Thank you for your
attention.
Questions?

23. CONTACT INFORMATION
Sandy Campbell
John W. Scott Health Sciences Library
2K3.28 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2J8
sandy.campbell@ualberta.ca
+01 780-492-7915