A Study of Consumer Health Monographs in Public Libraries using a tiered master checklist

1. A Study of Consumer Health Monographs in Public Librariesusing a tiered master checklist Jean Williams BScN, MLIS McGill University Health Centre

2. My goals in presenting to-day: • To facilitate easier, smarter collection development of CHI monographs • To suggest improved weeding in CHI • To encourage collaborations that will assist us all to provide better service

3. References • Marshall, JG, Sewards, C, Dilworth, EL. Health information services in Ontario public libraries. Canadian Library Journal1991;48(1):37-44. • Dennison, R.F. Quality assessment of collection development through tiered checklists: can you prove you are a good collection developer? Collection Building 2000 ; 19(1):24-6

4. Outline • Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections • Results • Conclusions • Collaboration

5. Research questions • Do experts agree on specific titles that meet the needs of reference librarians and the public? • Can recommended titles be validated for acquisition by Canadian public libraries? • Do consumer health monographs in local public libraries reflect the recommendations of subject specialists?

7. Background Why study consumer health books in public libraries? Note the trend as shown here…..

10. Kitchener Public LibraryOntario,Canada

11. Toronto Reference Library Ontario, CanadaConsumer Health Information Service

12. Background Fifteen years ago Joanne Marshall found the 75 public librarians surveyed needed “additional resources to increase the size and currency of the health collection” and “assistance with collection development, including evaluation of the present collection and selection aids for new materials”. Six years ago Lynda M. Baker surveyed over 350 Michigan public librarians. Problems involving the collection: “useful materials not owned by the library”, “source too difficult”, “material missing from the collection”.

13. Question for later discussion… • How are we doing now?

14. Background - why study this? - why use checklisting? • it is the most widely used collection-focused assessment tool. • used by Marshall in 1991 survey of 75 Ontario public librarians

15. Method • Background - why study this? - why use this method? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist Scope: chose 9 subject categories: women, men,children, heart health, mental health, seniors, AIDS-HIV, cancer, alternative health

16. Method (1) preparation of checklist • Found authoritative sources: Chose 9 bibliographies of recommended titles: 7 online on the CAPHIS site and 2 print

18. 7 expert bibliographies(online) • Consumer Health Bibliography for the Small Public Library compiled by Gail Hendler, MLS Librarian at the MemorialSloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, N.Y.;. Annotated.

19. 7 expert bibliographies(online) 2.Consumer Health Library Collection Guide and 3. Alternative/Complementary Medicine – Selected Bibliography both from the Toronto Reference Library CHI Service presented by Susan Murray, MLS, AHIP.

20. 7 expert bibliographies(online) 4. Bibliography of Consumer Health Books from the Arkansas Consumer Health Information Network Resource Task Force;. Annotated. 5. Choices in Health Information: The New York Public Library Consumer Health Reference List. Annotated.

21. 7 expert bibliographies(online) 6. Recommended Books for a Consumer Health Reference Collection Healthnet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington CT. Annotated.

22. 7 expert bibliographies(online) 7. Pediatric Consumer Health Information by Brenda Pfannennsteil, MALS, MA. Coordinator of the Kreamer Family Resource Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics, Kansas City MO. Annotated.

23. 2 expert bibliographies(print) 1. Consumer Health Information Source Book by Alan Rees (1998 and 2000) specifically chapter 2 (2000) “The Best Consumer Health Information Sources” 2.Planning and Managing the Consumer Health Library by Michele Spatz (from MLA CE course, 2000). The study was started with this list and when Ms Spatz published an update in the first issue of the Journal of Hospital Librarianship in February 2001, the more recent list was used.

24. Method (1) preparation of checklist • Found authoritative sources: Chose 9 bibliographies of recommended titles, 7 online and 2 print • Compiled a list of all titles that fell under the 9 subject categories (N = 82) • Limited the list to only those titles recommended by 2 or more experts (N = 56)

25. Method • Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections • Results • Conclusions • Collaboration

26. Method (2) Validation of tiered checklist • Checked for the 56 titles (that had been on two or more expert lists) in the online OPACs of Ottawa and Vancouver Public Libraries • Found all but 4, eliminated them, leaving a validated master checklistlist of 52 titles

27. Method • Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections • Results • Conclusions • Collaboration

28. Method (3) Assessment of local collections • Chose 2 suburban Montreal libraries with similar per capita funding: Library A and Library B • Met briefly with a librarian at each site asking - collection development policies ? - designated budget ? - selection tools for health monographs?

29. Method (3) Assessment of local collections • Searched the OPACs of the two local public libraries on site 1) for all 52 books 2) for comparable titles 3) for other consumer health titles to be considered for weeding

30. Weeding • How does weeding fit into this case study? • Importance of weeding CHI: - User confidence in the collection increases - Circulation increases when a collection is freshly weeded. - Out of date or misleading material (that can potentially cause damage) is discarded

31. Weeding • Importance of weeding CHI (continued): - Improves the turnover rate (circulation divided by number of holdings) - Ensures the collection is responsive to public demand and changing trends - Increases the amount of shelf space for attractive new material

32. Results • Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections • Results • Conclusions • Collaboration

33. ResultsMaster checklist and validation • There was consensus among the experts: 22 of the 52 titles were recommended by 3 or more subject specialists • Master list was validated for Canadian use: two of the larger Canadian public library systems held most of the recommended titles (52/56)

34. Top of the tiered checklist of experts’ titles Ordered by number of occurrences on CAPHIS and print lists. Appeared on this * number of experts’ lists (2001) • Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy: How Cancer is Diagnosed, Treated, and Managed Day to Day. 3rd ed. Malin Dollinger. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel $29.95. ******* • American Cancer Society's Informed Decisions: The Complete Book of Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery. Gerald P. Murphy, MD. New York: Viking $39.95. *****

35. Next of the tiered checklist of experts’ titles • Mayo Clinic Heart Book. New York: Harper Collins. ***** • Caring for the Mind: the Comprehensive Guide to Mental Health. Dianne Hales and Robert E. Hales. New York: Bantam. $39.95. ***** • The Guide to Living with HIV Infection. 4th ed. John G. Bartlett and Ann K. Finkbeiner. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. $15.95. *****

36. Titles held by local public libraries Master ListLibrary ALibrary B • AIDS/HIV (3) 2 2 • Alternative (8) 3 2 • Cancer (8) 4 4 • Children (10) 6 2 • Heart health (4) 2 0 • Men (6) 1 0 • Mental health (4) 2 2 • Seniors (2) 0 0 • Women (7) 3 3 Total (52) 2315

37. ResultsLocal public library holdings • Library A held almost 50% of the titles on the validated master checklist; Library B just over 25% • Library B had twice as many items ripe for weeding as Library A; almost inverse proportion to excellent titles

38. More ResultsLocal public library holdings • Both public libraries’ OPACs showed earlier editions and publication dates (more than 50% < 3 years) than experts’ lists (33% < 3 years). • Both local libraries still held titles from the ’70s and early ‘80s of dubious value • Neither local library had written collection development policies for non-fiction and neither librarian mentioned using CAPHIS lists for collection development

39. Outline • Background - why study this topic? - why use a checklist? • Method (1) preparation of tiered checklist (2) validation of tiered checklist (3) assessment of local collections • Results • Conclusions • Collaboration

40. Conclusions • Checklisting can be useful in analyzing, comparing, building and weeding consumer health collections • Without referring to CAPHIS lists, local librarians may acquire appropriate titles, but at what cost?

41. Conclusions • In maintaining consumer health collections, ongoing acquisition and deselection are vital. Attention is not being paid to items published prior to the last 5 years. • In providing health information we should be striving for excellence; it is attainable and affordable.

42. Conclusions • Collaboration between public librarians and health science librarians could improve the provision of current, authoritative health information to Canadians

43. Implications for practice • Using CAPHIS online lists and the authoritative print sources, collection developers will be more effective and efficient in assessing and building consumer health collections in public libraries.

44. Collaboration …a few examples

50. Thank you ! Jean Williams BScN, MLIS McGill University Health Centre jean.williams@mail.mcgill.ca