2014 Contributed Posters
MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014 5:30-7:30pm
All Sciences Poster Session and Reception
The most attended single event at SLA, with literally hundreds of science librarians! DBIO joins with several other of SLA’s sci-tech-oriented divisions in an evening poster session featuring complimentary heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. See what your colleagues at libraries across the country and the world are up to, often far in advance of the appearance of any published articles or reports.
Moderator: Danielle Walker, Librarian, National Library of Medicine at National Institutes of Health
Presented by: Biomedical & Life Sciences Division, Chemistry Division, Science & Technology Division, Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Division, Engineering Division, Food, Agriculture, & Nutrition Division.
Sponsored by: Taylor & Francis
Poster Title: Thinking Beyond Borders: Unusual Pets As Library Ambassadors
Dorothy Barr
Harvard University, Ernst Mayr Library
dbarr@oeb.harvard.edu
It is now widely accepted that pet ownership is associated with health benefits (e.g., a 2011 review article in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, vol. 38[11]). The concept of having pets in a library (e.g., Dewey the Library Cat) is not new idea. Recently therapy dogs have been brought into libraries, and dogs are also being used in public libraries to calm children and encourage them to read. But humbler animals can also intrigue and engage patrons. At our library, the Official Pets are Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Patrons often become quite intrigued with them, making it easy to start conversations and give people a memorable experience. Some even go out of their way to bring friends and family to visit the cockroaches – and the library.
Poster Title: Beyond Borders: Partnering with Medical Therapeutic Devices & Apps Innovations
Tallie Casucci
University of Utah, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library
tallie.casucci@utah.edu
Objectives
To help shape the future, a health sciences library, working with its health system and innovation
center, houses students that develop medical therapeutic devices (MTD – gaming and products)
and health applications to build the inclusion of evidence-based knowledge into these devices.
Such MTDs are a fairly new, yet vital, source of financial income with health care reform.
Methods
A needs assessment was conducted to determine how to build a creative, yet functional space, to
enhance such MTD developments. Meetings with various stakeholders (students, faculty,
librarians, physical plant staff and architects) identified what types of space, equipment and
furniture were desired. A fundraising effort, working in partnership with Development, is raising
not only monetary support, but industry interest in the concept which has led to industry mentors
being identified for the students. A master plan is underway to create a workable and
collaborative space for the students, industry leaders, faculty, and library staff.
Results
Stakeholders have benefited from this new partnership. The university located a receptive home
for one of its newer departments, industry has a means of connecting with fresh ideas and student
ingenuity, students have a familiar center and are able to access the expertise of industry
mentors, faculty advisors, their fellow students and librarians, and the health system has been
able to benefit financially from the deliverables. Health Sciences librarians have pushed their
professional boundaries, through training and practice, to be relevant to an even broader
constituency of users and have learned new subject areas as a result.
Conclusions
Rebuilding a public library space proved to be a little challenging, especially considering the
original facility design. Transforming a public space into a public/private one required many
changes and funding. Librarians can expand their scope of influence through supporting
innovation and via inviting unique partners into their transformed physical space. MTD
innovation and information is a natural duo, and through such combinations, not only has the
health system benefited, but so have local industry and the community. Economic gains were
realized with the library being an integral part of this new business model for health systems.
Poster Title: Reaching Beyond Departmental Borders: A New Librarian’s Quest for Knowledge
Neyda Gilman
Syracuse University, Learning Commons, Bird Library
nvgilman@syr.edu
As a new librarian with an interest in the sciences I was determined to make the most out of my residency position in the Syracuse University Libraries Learning Commons. I took advantage of the flexibility of being new and being a resident by reaching out beyond the Learning Commons department. I contacted and built relationships with the science librarians in the Department of Research and Scholarship. By doing this I have found myself in the ideal situation where I gain important experience while providing valuable assistance to my colleagues. The experience earned by being a Resident Librarian in the Learning Commons is significant. Being able to reach beyond the department in order to focus that experience is invaluable. This poster will talk about my process of reaching out and building these relationships, and the consequences of looking beyond my department. Although my focus is as a resident, similar types of beneficial relationships can occur for almost anyone willing to reach out.
Poster Title: Postdoctoral Scholar Attendance in a Library’s Instructional Program: Steps to Breaking down Barriers
Christopher Stave
Stanford University, Lane Medical Library
cstave@stanford.edu
Background:
Until early 2004, the majority of attendees for Lane Medical Library’s quarterly training workshops were clinicians, administrative staff, nurses, and allied health personnel. Course content was typical of academic biomedical libraries at the time covering the usual topics of database searching, internet browsing, and reference management. Postdoctoral scholars were conspicuously absent from most of these workshops. Anecdotal reports suggested that attendance by postdocs in other academic library training programs was also quite low.
Objective:
Rebuild the library’s instructional program to more effectively appeal to postdoctoral scholars and other early career researchers.
Methods:
In 2004, the Lane Medical embarked on a new approach to providing instruction. Specific steps included, 1) integration of library instruction with other types of scholarly research training (e.g., writing, data analysis, data visualization, open access publishing, etc.), 2) ongoing needs assessment via focus groups and surveys, 3) assertive recruitment of non-library lecturers, 4) budgeting for instructor compensation/honoraria, 5) effective marketing and promotion, 6) regular course evaluation, and 6) inter-departmental collaboration and resource sharing.
Results:
The re-imagining of Lane’s instructional program profoundly changed the demographics of course attendees. As of 2012/2013, approximately 45% of the 1,353 attendees of Lane’s quarterly workshops were either clinical fellows or postdoctoral scholars. This poster will outline a series of steps designed to broaden the appeal of a library’s instructional program.
Poster Title: Beyond the (Standard) Male: Collaborating to Increase Faculty and Student Awareness of Sex and Gender Differences in Health Research
Michele Tennant
Unversity of Florida, Health Science Center Libraries
tennatm@ufl.edu
Objective:
Funded by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Research in Women’s Health (ORWH), this project partners with faculty in challenging traditional assumptions about the applicability of the “standard male” patient/subject by hosting networking events, presenting, and facilitating access to research in sex and gender differences in health.
Methods:
Collaborating with faculty in genetics, health disparities, and medicine, librarians planned and presented concepts of sex and gender differences in health and relevant resources in courses and professional development seminars in 2013. They will extend these collaborations to new groups in 2014, including 10th graders being introduced to scientific disciplines as possible career choices; graduate and professional students working with families on identifying major health concerns and potential solutions; and public health, obstetrics/gynecology, and neuroscience faculty and students. Librarians have held three “Collaborating with Strangers” sessions--with one more planned for fall--to encourage researchers from different disciplines to learn about others’ work. Also in the fall, the library will host a one-day workshop on Gender and Health for UF faculty, students, and staff as well as interested parties from the local community (e.g. public health workers, the local college).
Results: Forthcoming
Conclusions: Forthcoming
Selective “2014 All Science Posters” can be viewed at:
http://scitech.sla.org/all-sciences-2014-posters/.