Using Mobile Technologies to Connect Face-To-Face SLA 2013
1. Using Mobile Technologies to
Connect Face-to-Face
Louisa Verma, MLIS
Electronic Content & Reference Librarian
Health Sciences Library
Huntington Memorial Hospital
Pasadena, CA
SLA 2013
7. Re-Thinking Visibility
Getting back to a piece of the PIE
PIE
FIE
DIE
PIE = Platform + Internet Era
Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
18. Future Plans?
Seek out more clinical presenters
Broaden audience base
Explore ways to make it more relevant
Explore ways for facilitating online discussions
19. References
Boone, T. 2011. Ensuring the visibility of librarians.
Information Outlook 15 (1) (January/February): 10-
12.
Jarvis, J. 2009. What would google do?. 1st ed. New
York, NY: Collins Business.
Knowles, S. 1999. 2001, a space odyssey: a library
for the millenium. Bulletin of the Medical Library
Association 87(2) (April):219-221.
Hinweis der Redaktion
Good afternoon“Using mobile technologies to connect face to face”a program the library started at the hospitalevolved into a platform for exchanging expertise and knowledge focused on mobile technologies.
Started about a year agoWell used Mobile Medicine guide since 2009Still wondered:How many using mobile during work practicesWhat were people using?May 2012 hospital wide surveyAsked if people would be interested in a discussion group for mobileOver past year has evolved into a platform for depts across the hospital to share knowledge on topics surrounding mobile technologiesCreating this platform has increased library visibilityHow we got startedBenefitsChallenges
About Huntington hospitala not-for-profit 625-bed hospital located in Pasadena, California. Only trauma center and neonatal intensive care in the regionProvide cancer care, neurosciences & cardiovascular services1,000 affiliatedphysicians 1,200 nurses staffing departments within the hospital. The Library houses a collection of print and electronic resources for cliniciansA small Consumer Health Library collection in both print & electronic3 FT Library staff + volunteers and occasionally interns
In the Pre-Internet Era, people seeking answers didn’t have a lot of choiceEither they got information from people they knew and trusted orThe went to the library to find the answer
Then came the Internet. Or rather, the First Internet Era (or FIE). More choices: can now search the Internet, join a mailing list and post to many people with the same interestGo to the libraryUsers still depended on the library for organized, authoritative AND free information. Still many depended on librarians for advice on where to go online and for training on how to use online resources.
Now entering the Device + Internet Era (or DIE)Authoritative and organized information is readily available, much of it is relatively inexpensive, and some of it is free.Social channels have exploded, now not only limited to those you know or select email lists, you can post on FB to your 600 BFFs or download an app. I recently downloaded an app called HealthTap where you can ask a health question to 38,000 doctors for free.Sandra Knowles, in a 1999 article, noted that early medical schools did not have libraries physicians had their own personal librariesonly as information grew did medical libraries become commonplacePhysicians couldn’t keep up with the amount and cost of information With a mobile device and wi-fi access to “the cloud” space is no longer an issuePrice is becoming less of an issue - the price of most online apps doesn’t exceed their perceived value in terms of efficiency,productivity and ease of use. Space, cost and training are becoming less and less issues which necessitate people coming to the library.These factors could have major consequences for the use and visibility of hospital and other libraries in the near future.
How do we move from DIE back to “a piece of the PIE” or Platform + Internet Era?
One way is by creating platforms for users to share information and knowledge (David Weinberger @ Harvard; Jeff Jarvis What would google do?; David Lankes @ Syracuse U).Some libraries have been doing this for years. NASA Jet Propulsion Library - “JPL Stories” (2000)Makerspaces in public librariesEscondido Public Library - “Library You” - community shares knowledge through videos and podcasts.If we position the library as a platform and provide the opportunity for users to create and share knowledge on topics that are of value to them, then, they are more likely to think of the library when other information needs arise.Whether this kind of knowledge sharing and engagement comes from internet or a mobile device or the library doesn’t matter to the user. The user is looking for value, doesn’t matter where they find it
Here is the process we went through to get started:IDEA: We came up with the idea for the group because we noticed increased interest in mobile devices.ASK: We asked different departments in the organization (IT and Physician Informatics) to see what they knew or were doing. We did a survey to ask our users. Also ask, is anyone else filling the need? Can the library collaborate with another department/Organization. Is the library the “right” place for the platform?EXPERIMENT: Experiment (don’t be afraid to change from your original idea/thoughts). Our first meetings were set up more like training sessions and less like knowledge sharing platforms and weren’t very popular. TWEAK: Tweak as necessary – listen to what your users are saying/doing or not saying/not doing! We are still in tweaking mode, although there has been some successes, a lot more could be done.
This is a chartof our past meetings and some upcoming meetings. Meetings are held every other month (roughly 6x per year) at lunch time 12-1.First two focused on a particular library resource which was mostly of interest to physicians. - more like a training session than knowledge sharingIS dept approached us and asked if they could present, we said “yes”It was a hit because it appealed to both clinicians and non-cliniciansWe invited others (or had them offer) – more successful, less burden on the library, produced more visibility and goodwill than if we had constructed all the sessions ourselves
From Brett Leary at CIL, “The average person doesn’t have any more attention to give… 86% of people are skipping TV ads and 91% are unsubscribing from email lists.”The good news is that the average person still needs to eat lunch – so we provide lunch along with the meetings. I don’t think the success entirely revolves around the food but it helps those competing interests (do I get lunch or go to this meeting?)
The best way to capture people’s attention is to hand them the reigns. What do they want to present on? What do they want to listen to?The library provides the platform for others to “be the expert” on their particular topic regarding mobile. This also relieves the librarians from having to be the expert on all aspects of mobile technologies.
Even if you don’t have the technology now, start it anyway.Our first presentations were given with mobile screenshots inserted into a power point presentation. Now the library has 3 iPad2s, and a projector with HDMI connector for projecting iPad screens. – the program has proved that we have a need for it
New means for cross departmental interactionAttendees gain a better understanding of each other’s work and work issues. Provides another opportunity for the library to reach out to its users to show value and to rediscover the library and librarians as a resource.
Ned Potter Marketing Libraries is like Marketing Mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellman’s Mayonnaise ads which are everywhere: in magazines, on the subway, television, even on race cars. When it is time to go buy some mayo you automatically think Best Foods or Hellman’s because they market consistentlyover a long period of time.Provides the opportunity 6x/year to market the library as a resource and place to learn about mobile devices and apps
Providing a forum for others sends goodwill towards the library. It gives the chance for employees to be recognized and appreciated for what they do and care about by their colleagues and peers.
We may know a person’s title within the organization but do we really know what they do on a day to day level? The group provides the focus and structure to promote cross departmental information exchange and a pathway for further discussions.
Seek out more clinical presenters“The Technology of Self-Publishing,” presented by a physician self-published his book using iUniverse (Surviving American Medicine). He spoke of his experience with the writing and publishing process and really engaged the group.Getting more physicians, nurses and allied health professionals to present will keep the meetings from getting stale and will further expand those interested in participating in the clinical areas. Broaden audience base Allow support staff in private practices - practice managers, physicians assistants to come in physicians stead and relay information back to their officesExplore ways to make it more relevant (e.g. top apps that people are using at the hospital, app recommendations, patient app recommendations) this year’s survey showed people are interested in app recommendations and training on appsExplore ways for facilitating online discussions and creating an online communitymay work better for those on night shifts or who are unable to make lunch time meetings.
