Creating a library system that's easy to use
July 1, 1999
Creating a library system that's easy to use
Variety of media provides array of info
At Egleston Family Library in Atlanta, staff lead visitors to relevant topics and conduct electronic searches when asked. The book collection covers 93 topics and is shelved alphabetically from adolescents to women's health. A computer station provides access to the Internet and to two subscription databases that charge a fee: the Health Reference Center from Foster City, CA-based InfoTrac and the New Fairfield, CT-based National Organiza tion of Rare Disord ers. (For information on research tools mentioned, see source box, p. 83.)
CD-ROMs provide teaching material. For example, "Pediatric Cardiology," produced by Atlanta-based Pritchett & Hull Associates, provides information on several different anomalies, such as Hypoplastic Aortic Arch. It has drawings that graphically show the defect, how the repair looks when completed, and how blood flow is improved after the surgery. Copies of the graphics are printed out for families.
"When people come into the library, I do what is called a reference interview. I help them tell me what their needs are, and I try to identify for myself the primary question and if there are other questions," says Arlen Gray, MA, the family library coordinator. Often, there are three different levels of questions. For example, the family may want information on how the body works, what caused a particular condition, and the definition of the condition.
Visitors can check out as many medical books as they want; however, Gray encourages people not to take more books than they will be able to read in a timely manner, especially in one topic. Visitors often need books on different topics. For example, they may want books on cancer, coping with a disability, and radiation, so they would need to check out quite a few.
They usually keep the books for one week, unless they are in a situation where they will not be returning to the hospital for several weeks. In that case, they are permitted to keep the materials until their next appointment. "I don't want to have materials sitting on the shelf; I want people to use them," says Gray.
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