Developing a generic tool to routinely measure the impact of health libraries
Ayre, Stephen Brettle, Alison Gilroy, Dominic Knock, Douglas Mitchelmore, Rebecca Pattison, Sophie Smith, Susan Turner, Jenny
Ayre, Stephen
Brettle, Alison
Gilroy, Dominic
Knock, Douglas
Mitchelmore, Rebecca
Pattison, Sophie
Smith, Susan
Turner, Jenny
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Affiliation
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust; University of Salford; Health Education England; Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Isle of Wight NHS Trust; UCL, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
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Publication date
2018-09
Subject
Collections
Research Projects
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Abstract
Background: Health libraries contribute to many activities of a health care organisation. Impact assessment needs to capture that range of contributions.
Objectives: To develop and pilot a generic impact questionnaire that: (1) could be used routinely across all English NHS libraries; (2) built on previous impact surveys; and (3) was reliable and robust.
Methods: This collaborative project involved: (1) literature search; (2) analysis of current best practice and baseline survey of use of current tools and requirements; (3) drafting and piloting the questionnaire; and (4) analysis of the results, revision and plans for roll out.
Findings: The framework selected was the International Standard Methods And Procedures For Assessing The Impact Of Libraries (ISO 16439). The baseline survey (n = 136 library managers) showed that existing tools were not used, and impact assessment was variable. The generic questionnaire developed used a Critical Incident Technique. Analysis of the findings (n = 214 health staff and students), plus comparisons with previous impact studies indicated that the questionnaire should capture the impact for all types of health libraries.
Conclusions: The collaborative project successfully piloted a generic impact questionnaire that, subject to further validation, should apply to many types of health library and information services.
Citation
Ayre S, Brettle A, Gilroy D, Knock D, Mitchelmore R, Pattison S, Smith S, Turner J. Developing a generic tool to routinely measure the impact of health libraries. Health Info Libr J. 2018 Sep;35(3):227-245. doi: 10.1111/hir.12223. Epub 2018 Jul 18.
Type
Article