IW = Interactive
Workshop
IW1. Practical Guidance to Finding the Best
Evidence During Public Health Emergencies
Mark Mueller1, Nicole Askin2
& Stacy Brody3
Saskatchewan Health
Authority1, University of Manitoba2 &
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health
Sciences
This workshop will provide health science
librarians and information professionals at any level/context
with an overview of the best practices in finding and
identifying the best scientific evidence during novel public
health emergencies. Attendees will be presented with an overview
of a best practices statement developed by the Librarian Reserve
Corps. Attendees will then apply the recommendations from the
best practices statement in designing a plan to respond to
real-life case study/information request during a public health
emergency. A discussion period will follow on how to apply the
best practices in other contexts, environments, and cultures.
Attendees will also be invited to share their own experiences
and best practices during the discussion session. Through
hands-on learning and discussion, librarians and information
professionals at any level/context will develop strategies to
find and critically appraise the best evidence in any novel
public health emergency situation.
CP= Contributed
Papers
CP1. The Right Tool, at the Right Time, for the
Right Task: Information Management Platforms Used During the
COVID-19 Pandemic
Minakshi Sharma1,
Jeff Maus1, Taiqi Ran1, Kelly Sabaliauskas1,
Jielan Xu2 Sabrena Yang1, Michael Young3
& Toronto Public Health Web Services Team1
Toronto Public Health1,
City of Toronto2 & Toronto Paramedic Services3
Introduction: During
the
pandemic, public health organizations required agile information
systems. Keeping staff up to date, monitoring the health of
the larger community and ensuring adherence to changing
regulations required the use of nimble platforms while addressing
concerns around access, privacy, and information security.
Description: Information management was made possible by
using LibGuides, intranet sites, online survey tools, Moodle,
and email blasts. We will outline the features of each
platform and its suitability to the required task. First, the
LibGuides platform was used to collate early evidence that emerged
on SARS-CoV-2 and offer the city a space to gather information on
municipal recovery plans. Second, as provincial or national
guidelines changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, information
management tools were set up to help the COVID-19 case and contact
management teams manage the flow of information, generate
thousands of case and contact letters and emails, and stay abreast
of constantly changing circumstances. Third, survey tools
were utilized to collect information from the public and various
Health Inspectors in the field. Fourth, the Moodle learning
management platform enabled the mass immunization clinics to share
information with both internal and external staff recruited for
the city's nine vaccination clinics. Finally, a COVID-19
weekly digest highlighted the latest published or grey literature.
Outcomes: Available technology or content management
platforms were used in novel ways during the pandemic. We will
share advantages, limitations, user feedback, and lessons learned.
Discussion: By reflecting on the pandemic, we share insights on
how information can be appropriately collected, packaged or
presented.
CP2. From Silos to Synergy: Engaging in
Interprofessional Collaboration during the COVID-19 Pandemic
to Co-Create Information Dissemination Portals
Minakshi Sharma1, Jill Cheyne2,
Ashley Corallo1, Tracey Dal Bianco1, Julia
Dearing-Vollett1, Ann Liddy1, Chloe Pacht1,
Taiqi Ran1, Marisa Seto1, Toronto Public
Health Web Services Team1 & Michael Young3
Toronto Public Health1, City of Toronto2
& Toronto Paramedic Services3
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic compelled public health
organizations to undergo significant transformation and rethink
key elements of their business processes. Remote work meant
heavier reliance on technical skills and information management
(IM) platforms to support COVID-19 Community Case and Contact
Management (CC&CM), Mass Immunization Clinics (MICs) or Lab
Liaison (LL) work. Description: Toronto Public Health
(TPH) Library Staff engaged in three IM initiatives. First,
library staff collaborated with Web Services Staff and Knowledge
Translation (KT) leads to design, develop and maintain the
CC&CM Intranet Site with real-time updates communicating
changes to processes, FAQs, workflows, “How To” documents and
guidelines. Next, library staff collaborated with Paramedic
Services Staff and Health Policy Specialists to launch the MICs
Staff Information Portal which provided internal and external
staff with the resources required across 9 clinics. Finally, lab
redactions were undertaken in collaboration with Lab Liaisons to
streamline access to lab related resources required by public
health staff. Outcomes: Public health staff were
breaking down silos, leveraging technology and engaging in
interprofessional collaboration (IPC). IPC year has enabled KT
and successful implementation of IM projects. Effective use of
technology ensured frontline staff saved time and accessed the
most up to date resources such as guidelines, protocols or
directives. Based on staff feedback and team requirements, the
information portals have undergone changes over the last year. Discussion:
What information is needed by frontline staff for effective and
efficient professional practice and how can library, KT, and IM
skills be implemented in future pandemics?
CP3. Experiences of Public Health Library Staff
During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stepping Up to Support Our
Organizations and Reflecting on Lessons Learned
Amy Faulkner1, Minakshi Sharma2,Maria
Aulicino3 & Tanya Harron4
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit1,
Toronto Public Health2, The Regional Municipality of
York3 & Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
Public Health
Introduction: The Government of Ontario declared its
first provincial emergency in response to COVID-19 in March
2020. All health organizations, especially public health
units, were at the forefront of the pandemic response. Almost
two years later, the public health professionals at Ontario's
Public Health Units (PHUs) continue to adjust and adapt to the
ever changing municipal, provincial, and federal guidelines,
protocols, and orders. Public health information professionals
supported the work of their respective PHUs in various ways. Description: Using programs,
projects and activities from across the province we provide a
snapshot of pandemic related library and information supports.
Library staff were aggregating research resources, fielding
queries about various aspects of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19
(transmission, epidemiology, vaccine hesitancy, etc.),
providing copyright support, engaging in knowledge translation
activities and collaborating across organizations. Outcomes: Personal and
collective reflections will be shared on how to improve
pandemic-related information products or supports. We plan to
share usage statistics (e.g. LibGuides or website statistics).
We will share lessons learned across PHUs with respect to
information products and services. Discussion: What role did library
staff play? What lessons were learned about information access
and transferability of library skills to pandemic-related
activities?
CP4. Urgent, Important, and
Due ASAP: Providing Public Health Library Services in a Global
Pandemic
Beata Pach, Allison McArthur, Domna Kapetanos,
Hannah Skinner, Lindsay Harker & Susan Massarella
Public Health Ontario
Introduction: Our library is situated within a provincial
public health agency with a mandate to generate and share
public health evidence and technical advice. The Library
Services (LS) team is embedded in the process of developing
knowledge products and plays an active role supporting the
COVID-19 pandemic response. Description: Building on lessons
learned from H1N1, LS began proactively disseminating
information on COVID-19 even before the pandemic was
officially declared, delivering daily summaries of
peer-reviewed literature and preprints on COVID-19 to staff. A
second daily scan of news and guidelines from public health
organizations was also shared internally and on the website.
As the body of scientific evidence grew, LS implemented search
alerts, topic collections, and ad-hoc searches on hot topics
related to COVID-19. Outcomes: LS conducted ~1400
literature searches in support of most of the COVID-19
knowledge products delivered. Since new rapid review-style
publications were established to keep up with the
proliferation of COVID-19 evidence, LS is tasked with
reviewing them to ensure the correct, complete, and consistent
citation of scientific sources. We also extended library
support to stakeholders such as the COVID-19 science advisory
groups. Discussion: To meet the increased demand for and urgency of
library requests during the pandemic, LS created a triage and
task sharing protocol to ensure that the quality and
comprehensiveness of the literature searches was maintained. We
also partnered with librarian colleagues at the local level.
LS's collaboration with health units increased public health
system efficiency by avoiding duplication of effort among
stakeholders.
CP5. Reduce, Reuse, Repository: Creating a
Hospital Poster Repository to Mitigate Research Waste,
Mobilize and Preserve Institutional Knowledge
Zack Osborne, Michael Myers, Teruko Kishibe
Unity Health Toronto
Introduction: Posters are a
popular format to present and share research. However, research
output in poster formats in the biomedical and health sciences
(e.g. in medical education, healthcare quality improvement
initiatives, etc.) are commonly lost or forgotten because they
are not preserved, catalogued, indexed, or discoverable in many
storage and retrieval databases. This loss represents a
significant waste of time, labour, resources, applied research,
and new knowledge. Description:
Identifying this gap, the Unity Health Toronto Library Services
and Archives team undertook a project to establish a repository
system to preserve, describe, and make accessible the valuable
local research output by hospital staff, students, researchers,
and physicians. Further, this initiative aligns with new
opportunities to capture poster research created in the
pandemic-era during a time when conference poster presentations
pivoted exclusively to online. Building a hospital institutional
repository for academic, scholarly, education, and scientific
posters standardizes description, enables access and discovery
of past project outcomes and research initiatives, and supports
poster authors to share and mobilize the knowledge research
teams have created. Outcomes:
This presentation will outline the motivations, approach,
systems and tools, and considerations applied to build a
research poster repository. The repository is planned to launch
its initial phase in the spring of 2022. Discussion: An
overview and discussion of its successes, challenges, and next
steps will be shared at the time this presentation is delivered.
CP6. Novel Coronavirus, Novel Ideas:
Collaborative Creation of a Mandatory Information Literacy
Module for First-Year Health Sciences Students
Lydia Thorne
Ontario Tech University
Introduction: As
post-secondary institutions continue to offer more online and
hybrid courses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing
virtual learners’ information literacy needs has become more
important than ever before. When the university abruptly moved
all classes online in March 2020, our team was able to quickly
pivot and create a Canvas module to replace face-to-face
instruction in a core undergraduate course. Description:
All first-year health sciences students are required to take a
common subject, namely Information Literacy and Written
Communication. Content for the module was developed in
collaboration with instructors in order to meet course and
assignment requirements. The combination of text, videos, and
activities introduce students to key topics, from choosing an
appropriate topic to critically evaluating sources. Students
complete quizzes throughout the module that contribute to a
percentage of their final course grade. Outcomes: Since
the module was first launched in Fall 2020, it has been used in
all 14 sections of this course and completed by over 1,100
students. Feedback collected from user satisfaction surveys has
been very positive to date. Students reported that the module
was challenging but engaging and that its self-paced,
interactive nature enhanced their learning. Discussion:
An online module has allowed us to provide consistent, baseline
information literacy instruction to all first-year students in
the Faculty of Health Sciences. We will highlight some best
practices, lessons learned, and future plans for this project in
light of the pandemic.
CP7. Information Seeking in the Time
of COVID: How Do Young Adults Find COVID Related Information?
Joan C. Bartlett, Aaron
Bowen-Ziecheck & Sofie Tsatas
McGill University
Introduction: Past research indicates that young adults rely
heavily on information obtained from the web and social
networks, but also that they may not be able to judge the
authenticity, validity, and reliability of the digital
information, and may share misinformation among themselves. Our
prior work found inconsistencies between the resources judged
most credible for health information, and the resources used
most frequently. Credible resources were reported to be
inaccessible, with reliance instead on Internet (including
social media) and personal sources. Librarians were not
generally considered as “experts” with respect to health
information. As part of this ongoing program of research into
young adults’ information behaviour and information literacy,
the current study investigates health related information
seeking and use, specifically in the context of the COVID-19
pandemic. Methods: Data collection uses semi-structured
interviews with McGill University undergraduate students. Questions include
which resources are used most frequently to find COVID-19
related health information, how and why credibility is judged,
and how and why information resources are selected. The
interviews also discuss navigating fake news and misinformation.
We anticipate reaching data saturation with 15-25 participants.
Results: Data collection and analysis are in progress;
preliminary results will be presented. Discussion: We
will discuss the implications of the results for libraries,
librarians, and other information service providers, with
attention to information literacy, consumer health information
services, and the challenges of mitigating fake news and
misinformation.
CP8. Searches as Data: Using an
Institutional Data Repository to Archive and Share Knowledge
Synthesis Searches
Jill T. Boruff & Alisa B. Rod
McGill University
Introduction: With the introduction of PRISMA-S, librarians need
a way to archive and share detailed search histories that does
not rely exclusively on journal publishers and allows librarians
to remain in control of this important research output. By
defining search strategies and related database exports as code
or scripts and data, we can expand the mandate of the data
management infrastructure to include this work. The objective of
this project was to create a space in our institutional data
repository for our librarians to deposit and share their search
strategies for knowledge syntheses (KS). Description: A
health sciences librarian and the research data management
specialist created a “KS Search Materials Repository” in McGill
University's Dataverse. They hosted a half-day "data-thon" where
they worked with the health sciences librarians to develop a
standardized KS data management plan, search reporting
documentation, and how-to guidance for the repository. Outcomes:
Six librarians are now trained to deposit KS searches and seven
sub-repositories were created. We will use Dataverse to track
the number of searches conducted and the impact of the deposited
search strategies (via download numbers and citations). We
published the documentation under a CC-BY license to encourage
broader implementation of this search sharing workflow. Discussion:
In addition to better documentation and tracking of KS searches
at our institution, the Dataverse enables sharing of searches
among colleagues with discoverable metadata fields for searching
within and across deposited searches. Since customizable
instances of Scholars Portal Dataverse are available to most
Canadian institutions, this model could be adopted by librarians
across Canada.
CP9. Successes and Challenges of a 3
Year-Long Research Project: How We Did It and You Can Too
Glyneva Bradley-Ridout, Erica
Nekolaichuk & Elena Springall
University of Toronto
Introduction: In July 2021, we published a research study titled
"UpToDate versus DynaMed: a cross-sectional study comparing the
speed and accuracy of two point-of-care information tools",
marking the end of a multi-year journey. A single publication
belies the years of work that goes into planning and conducting
a research project. In this presentation, we will share a
“behind-the-scenes" glimpse into our experiences executing our
research project, including our challenges, successes, and
lessons learned. Description: Health Sciences Libraries
are often faced with difficult budget decisions regarding which
clinical tools to purchase, while keeping in mind user
preferences and needs. Our research study was designed to inform
evidence-based decision making around this issue through
comparing the speed and accuracy of two popular point-of-care
information tools. We designed and executed a cross-sectional
research project which included the following phases: design,
ethics approval, recruitment, experiment implementation, data
analysis, and dissemination. Outcomes: We were
ultimately successful in answering our research questions and
publishing our study. Along the way, we faced challenges
including recruitment of participants, bandwidth of study
collaborators, and learning how to be effective researchers.
Undertaking this work also led to many opportunities and lessons
learned. Discussion: For most librarians, finding the
time to conduct research projects can be intimidating,
difficult, and often frustrating. Despite these challenges,
research studies can help solve real problems in our profession.
By sharing our experience, we hope to encourage attendees to
take on these challenges. Let’s work together to build a more
robust evidence base for making decisions in medical libraries.
If we did it, you can too!
CP10.
CADTH Grey Matters, Search Filters, and PRESS Checklist
Searching Tools: Modernizing Online Access
Monika Mierzwinski-Urban, David Kaunelis
& Caitlyn Ford
Canadian
Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
Introduction: With the objective of continual improvement, CADTH
Research Information Services has committed to revitalizing
their shared searching tools Grey Matters, Strings Attached
Search Filters, and the Peer Review of Electronic Search
Strategies (PRESS) Checklist. Description: Three CADTH
tools: (1) Grey Matters checklist is a tool for finding
health-related grey literature that is not commercially
published. The checklist has been available online as a Word
document for several years, both in English and French language.
(2) CADTH creates pragmatically or systematically validated
database search filters for use in evidence-based research,
including those for retrieval of RCTs, systematic reviews,
guidelines, and economic evaluations. Select CADTH filters have
been available on our website for several years. However, the
full range of our search filters has never been publicly
accessible. (3) PRESS Checklist. Outcomes: A new online
database is being developed for the CADTH Grey Matters
checklist, via the ANDORNOT platform. This database will allow
for regular checklist updates. It will also provide users with
advanced search and browse options, record selection, and the
ability to save or print selected results. A new database under
development will house all CADTH filters, also using the
ANDORNOT platform. In addition to the search strategy, detailed
information on each filter will be searchable. The PRESS
checklist will be modernized by the addition of an online
version, which will include a fillable web form for all
established PRESS checklist questions, with the ability to
comment on the strategy. Discussion: These modernized
CADTH search tools will aid evidence-based information
retrieval.
CP11.
Reflecting and Adapting: Lessons Learned from Comparing Three
Models of Program Delivery at a Distributed Medical School
Jackie
Phinney & Robin Parker
Dalhousie
University
Introduction: Since 2013, undergraduate medical (UGME) students
at Dalhousie University's distributed medical program have
participated in the Research in Medicine (RIM) program,
requiring all students to complete research projects supervised
by mentors. Library support for RIM has been present from its
inception, most notably in the form of a yearly tutorial session
on literature searching skills delivered to all first-year
students across campuses, supplemented by an online asynchronous
module and librarian consultations on demand. Description:
The tutorial traditionally took place using the in-person model,
but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session shifted
to online, synchronous delivery. Although we returned to the
in-person format in 2021, changes in allotted curriculum time
required us to revise our session again to fit into a shorter
timeslot. Outcomes: After reviewing the respective
quantitative and qualitative feedback from 2019, 2020, and 2021,
we present the changes to content, mode of delivery, timing, and
length of session that impacted students’ receptiveness and
satisfaction. We have continued to adjust the session to meet
the changing needs of students and the UGME curriculum. Discussion:
Student feedback from the past three years has provided valuable
insight into what works in a literature searching skills
tutorial within a mandatory research curriculum, what doesn’t,
and what factors are outside of our control as instructors. This
program description will explore differences and similarities
between the three delivery models and will encourage attendees
to reflect on their own attempts to “try it again” in the
classroom.
CP12.
Literature Searching for Ethics Reviews: State of the Search
Melissa
Walter, Jennifer Horton, Amanda Hodgson
Canadian
Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
Introduction: Systematic reviews with ethical analysis
components are increasing in number, both as stand-alone reviews
and as a component of health technology assessments. However,
there is almost no guidance or information on how literature
searches are performed for these reviews. We will analyze a
large set of published systematic reviews with ethical analysis
components in order to provide an overview of current literature
searching practices in this field. Methods: As part of a
larger project on literature searching methods for ethics
reviews, we conducted a thorough search in six databases for a
combination of the following three concepts: systematic reviews
or HTAs, ethics, and literature searching or information
retrieval. During our screening, we then compiled a set of
roughly 350 published systematic reviews with ethical analysis
components. We will extract data from these reviews on their
literature search methods, such as: databases searched, grey
literature sources searched, and search terms or search
strategies used. Results/Discussion: Results and
discussion forthcoming. Conclusion: Using the data from
these reviews, we will be able to draw conclusions about the
literature searching methods generally used in systematic
reviews with ethical analysis components. This overview of
current practice will help to inform future guidance in this
field, as well as revealing areas where further research is
needed.
CP13. Health Sciences Librarian
Participation in Continuing Education Initiatives: A Scoping
Review
Jackie Phinney1,
Melissa Rothfus1, Melissa Helwig1 &
Kristy Hancock2
Dalhousie University1
& Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit2
Introduction: Continuing education (CE) is an expectation of
many healthcare professionals and librarians to maintain
credentials and keep their skills current. Since librarians have
experience providing instruction, librarian provision of CE
seems a natural fit. However, delivering content to healthcare
professionals can be challenging due to time constraints, failed
outreach, uncertainty surrounding topics, and more. Librarians
may be wondering how they can provide helpful CE when they are
unsure how to address these issues. Description: Mindful
of these challenges, we began a scoping review in February 2020
(search updated September 2021) to examine the literature on
librarian instruction of CE for healthcare professionals. We
conducted a comprehensive search across seven databases to
capture all published articles on this topic. We also performed
forwards and backwards searching of included studies, solicited
real-life teaching materials from colleagues, and searched for
grey literature using Google. Outcomes: The literature
revealed CE topics, delivery methods, and descriptions of
initiatives. It also revealed gaps, such as lack of clear
descriptions of assessment findings, efforts to accredit
sessions, comprehensive learning objectives, mapping sessions to
information literacy frameworks, and more. Discussion:
Despite the challenges, creating and delivering instructional
sessions is a valuable contribution that connects us with our
users. Learning from the past can allow us to improve our
instructional services. Gaps in those lessons remind us that we
should evaluate, benchmark, and report our instruction so it
remains resilient to the changing information landscape and
allows us to build on the work of others.
CP14.
Getting Schooled on Instruction: Pedagogical Training Needs
for Librarians
Catherine
Pepper & T. Derek Halling
Texas
A&M University
Introduction: This paper reports on results of a survey
regarding librarians' training needs for instruction. While
instruction is a competency recognized by national library
associations and is a job requirement for many public services
librarians, little opportunity for training in pedagogy exists
in formal training venues, such as library school, resulting in
librarians learning how to teach on their own. The research
questions are: How do librarians learn to teach? What specific
pedagogical skills do librarians need? What recommendations
could lead to improved access to pedagogical training and to
increased competency in instruction for librarians? Method:
A 12-item survey on pedagogical training needs for health
sciences and academic librarians will be sent to distribution
lists of several library associations. Participants are asked to
identify current teaching topics, how they learned to teach, and
which of 38 areas of pedagogical training are needed.
Quantitative items will be presented as categorical percentages
and subgroup data will be reported using cross-tabulation
analysis. Qualitative responses will be coded to derive themes.
Results/Conclusion: Preliminary results from a
small-sample (n=30) pilot survey indicated “Assessment methods”,
“How to ensure deep learning rather than surface learning”, and
“Curriculum and instructional development”” as areas of highest
need. “Observing other instructors” and “On the job training”
were the most frequently selected methods for pedagogical
training, while “Courses in library school” received few
selections. A strong need for more formal and accessible
opportunities for gaining skills and knowledge in instruction
was indicated. Final results from the full study will be
rported.
CP15. Let’s Try Something New:
Launching the Toronto Health Libraries Association Library
Technician SubCommittee
Alissa Epworth1, Caleb
Nault2, Melissa Paladines3, Micheal
Reansbury4 & Raluca Serban2
Evidence Partners1
& University Health Network2 & William Osler
Health System3 & Canadian College of Naturopathic
Medicine4
Introduction: In 2020, the Toronto Health Libraries Association
conducted a member engagement survey to determine the primary
role of the chapter in supporting the health and hospital
library workers of the greater Toronto area. Responses indicated
the need to advocate for and offer targeted professional
development to library technicians. In spring 2021, the
association put out a call for volunteers and the Library
Technician SubCommittee (LTSC) was launched. Description:
The LTSC is composed of five library technicians with a mandate
to produce a professional development program annually. The
inaugural event was held in fall 2021 with the objectives of
highlighting diverse and evolving roles for library technicians,
recognizing opportunities, and developing skills to pursue those
roles. In this session, we will describe the background context
and processes involved in the creation and implementation of the
LTSC. Outcomes: The online panel, “Emerging &
Non-Traditional Roles for Library Technicians in 2021” was
delivered to an audience of 60 participants from various
professional backgrounds. Attendees were engaged and feedback
has been extremely positive. A recording of the session has been
viewed almost 60 times since the event. Discussion:
Library technician roles are in flux. Existing professional
development opportunities for technicians are scarce and need to
be planned and delivered by library technicians for library
technicians to meet our specific needs. We will discuss
successes and lessons learned from the formation of the
subcommittee and initial event and share future plans. The
overwhelming success of the first event may indicate that
technician-focused professional development should be given a
national platform.
CP16. Case Study: Scale of Librarian
Involvement in Systematic Review Publications at University of
Alberta
Megan Kennedy & Janice Kung
University of Alberta
Introduction: It is well documented that librarian involvement
in systematic reviews generally increases quality of reporting
and the review overall. We aim to analyze the level of librarian
involvement in systematic reviews conducted at University of
Alberta. Methods: Using Web of Science (WoS), we
searched for systematic reviews completed in the past five years
with a University of Alberta co-author. Systematic reviews
identified through WoS will be screened in two phases: (1)
Determining if the paper is a true systematic review publication
(e.g. excluding duplicates, protocols, systematic review
methodology papers, etc.), (2) Screening for librarian
involvement (acknowledgement, co-author, or no involvement). Results:
640 reviews were analyzed for the following categories: (1)
librarian named as a co-author; (2) librarian named in the
acknowledgements section; (3) librarian mentioned in the body of
the manuscript; (4) no librarian involvement. We identified 152
reviews who named a librarian as a co-author on the paper, 125
reviews that named a librarian in the acknowledgements section,
and 268 reviews that mentioned a librarian in the body of the
review. Discussion: There is a great deal of variation
in how the work of librarians is reflected in systematic
reviews. This was particularly apparent in reviews where a
librarian was mentioned in the body of the review but they were
not named as an author or formal acknowledgement. Continuing to
educate researchers about the work of librarians is crucial to
fully represent the value librarians bring to systematic
reviews.
CP17. "When You are Teaching to a
Wall of Blank Screens": Lessons from Moving to Online
Instruction in Hospital Libraries
Raluca Serban, Caleb Nault &
Melanie Anderson
University Health Network
Introduction: Hospital health sciences libraries offer many
in-person, single session workshops on topics ranging from
database search skills to evidence based medicine to knowledge
synthesis methods. These workshops need to compete with the
extremely busy schedules of health professionals, students,
administrative staff, and others. With many hospitals mandating
staff work from home during the pandemic, it became imperative
to engage our users virtually. We aimed to discover the
practices that other hospital libraries developed around online
instruction and launched a Quality Improvement project to inform
and improve our own instruction practices. Methods: The
Quality Improvement research methods used included a survey
advertised to Canadian Hospital Libraries across relevant
listservs, followed by a focus group with members of our own
department. The survey included open-ended and multiple-choice
questions and the focus group utilized a semi structured
interview guide. Results: At the time of this submission
we had 24 responses to our survey and are scheduling the focus
group interviews. Results are forthcoming and will be updated. Discussion:
In this session we will describe what the move to online
instruction looked like in hospital library settings across
Canada and within our own institution. We will explore and
discuss the challenges, successes, lessons, and how these
experiences fit in the larger picture of online instruction.
CP18. Opening the Black Box of
Librarian Instruction in Knowledge Synthesis Methods: Using
Sociomaterial Theory to Explore Online Teaching
Robin
Parker
Dalhousie
University
Introduction: In addition to directly contributing search
expertise to support knowledge synthesis (KS) teams, academic
health librarians play significant roles training learners who
are working on research reviews as part of their program or
course work. While the skills development provided by librarians
often centres around comprehensive searching, librarian
expertise in KS methods more generally also benefits novice
reviewers seeking assistance early in their research process.
With the remote work and learning conditions brought by the
COVID-19 pandemic much of this librarian instruction is
conducted virtually, both to groups and individuals. A
sociomaterial lens can illuminate the interconnected assemblages
of human, material, technical, and textual components involved
in online KS methods training, making visible the multifaceted
techniques, skills, and knowledge that academic health
librarians share with learners. Methods: Using my
research as a worked example, I introduce the sociomateriality
approach of Actor-Network Theory as applied to online teaching
of KS methods in academic libraries. Through ethnographic
research methods, including virtual focus groups, online
teaching observations, and video-reflexive interviews, I trace
the assemblages of human and non-human actors at play in these
teaching encounters. Results: This preliminary report of
an ongoing qualitative research project will focus on the role
of theory in planning and conducting ethnographic research in a
physically-distanced world. Discussion: Conducting
research and delivering instruction in an online environment
relies on complex assemblages of people, technology, physical
resources, and textual documents. This project makes evident the
richness and complexity of the often-invisible work of
librarians teaching KS methods online.
CP19. From a Service to a
Partnership: Reimagining and Redesigning Knowledge Synthesis
Work in an Academic Research Setting
Marisa Tippett, Maren Goodman,
Meagan Stanley, Roxanne Isard, Christy Sich, Denise Horoky &
Alanna Marson
Western University
Introduction: The pandemic has led to a boom in the
volume of requests from students for systematic and scoping
review assistance as well as requests from faculty for
librarians to participate on systematic and scoping review
research teams. A team of librarians at our large,
research-intensive university saw the increase in demand for
librarian participation on research teams as an opportunity to
launch Partner with a Librarian, a 1-year pilot which connects
faculty researchers with librarians who partner as co-authors in
the planning, execution, and writing of knowledge syntheses.
Description: Our systematic and scoping review team
launched Partner with a Librarian in May 2021. Preparation for
the launch included the creation of an application form,
marketing materials, documents to assist the librarians
conducting the reviews, and an assessment plan while navigating
collective agreements and setting boundaries and expectations. Outcomes:
Since inception, our team of six librarians have been research
partners for twelve systematic and nine scoping reviews.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Faculty reported that
having a librarian on their research team improved their search
strategy, significantly improved the research process, and our
new initiative exceeded their expectations. Discussion:
Performing searches for faculty is not new; however, formalizing
this partnership and promoting the skills and expertise of the
librarians on our library’s Systematic and Scoping Review Team
to our researchers was an excellent strategy to build strong
relationships with our research community and raise the profile
of the library. We are now in the process of securing additional
resources so that we can convert this pilot project into a
sustainable collaboration.
CP20. Impact and Attention of Open
Access COVID Research at Canadian Research-Intensive
Universities
Shannon
O’Reily1, Jeffrey Demaine2 & Mike
Taylor3
Altmetric1
& McMaster University2 & Digital Science3
Abstract: Using the research output from McMaster
University, we compare the citation impact and broader online
engagement of Open Access (OA) versus non-OA (“closed”) articles
related to COVID-19. Introduction: In response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, many publishers waived Article-Processing
Fees, resulting in a surge of OA publications. We characterize
the growth of this research field through the lens of NIH
research categories, comparing global trends with Canada’s 15
research-intensive universities (“The U15”). We then look at how
growth in OA publications corresponded to an increase in COVID
research engagement. Methods: A search was conducted
using a structured search keyword or facet method in the
Dimensions database. The results were partitioned by OA status,
as represented by Dimensions and calculated by Unpaywall. The
results set was passed into Altmetric to obtain social impact
and public engagement data. Results: Using bibliometrics
and alternative metrics, we saw an increase in attention around
OA research articles versus closed articles. OA research has in
particular been the subject of more interest in social media.
The Altmetric attention score was also found to correlate with
the number of academic citations - more citations equaled a
higher Altmetric score. Discussion: OA articles are
likely to have higher citations and broader engagement versus
closed research. More research is required to see if this trend
holds across research disciplines and beyond the special
circumstances forged by COVID-19. Either way, it demonstrates
the positive impact of OA research on academic and broader,
societal engagement as it relates to COVID.
CP21. Mind the gaps: opportunities for
Consumer Health Provision by a Provincial Health Library
System
Morgan
Truax
Alberta
Health Services
Introduction: To inform the design of a consumer health strategy
for a provincial health library system, the library sought to
understand patient challenges and barriers in accessing quality
sources of health information. Description: Over a
period of three months in the winter of 2020-2021, the library
engaged in semi-structured interviews with relevant clinical and
corporate stakeholders. Program leads were asked about their
role in consumer health information provision and support, and
where they saw gaps and opportunities within the organization.
Answers were themed and analyzed, and an internal report was
produced to guide next steps in developing a consumer health
strategy. Outcomes: The environmental scan showed that
there are clear challenges and barriers for patients in
accessing quality health information. Barriers include the
duration of interaction with a healthcare practitioner; the
specificity of patient information needs; and the organizational
emphasis on a single enterprise-wide patient information
resource. More significant challenges include language; lack of
health information literacy skills; and low digital literacy
among certain populations. Discussion: The environmental
scan results provided strong rationale for developing a cohesive
consumer health strategy for the library. They highlighted
valuable but disjointed resources and programs throughout the
organization. A Consumer Health Framework was drafted to guide
the library in setting achievable goals and leveraging existing
supports. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic it was not possible to
engage directly with patients for the initial scan, however
consultation with patient advisory groups is now being planned
to check and validate the library’s direction.
CP22. What Can be Learned from
Failure? A Project on Predatory Journals
Amanda Ross-White & Dr.
Rosemary Wilson
Queens University
Introduction: Predatory journals, with low standards of
publication, mean flawed or fraudulent research can compromise
future research. Often called “predatory” or “deceptive”
publishers, both of these terms have an implication that the
editors and publishers behind them have a motivation to deceive
or con authors. However, the motivations remain an assumption
because little is known about the individuals behind these
journals. This research intended to use qualitative, in-depth
interviews to find out more about the individuals behind
predatory journals. By engaging with them directly, we hoped to
gain an understanding of how they see themselves in the
publishing landscape, what value they add and how they achieve
these aims. Methods: E-mails received by the authors were
mined for contact information of suspected predatory journals.
Over the course of a year, 2804 e-mails were sent inviting
respondents to an interview, for which there would be a small
monetary compensation. Results: Despite sending 2804
e-mails, only three responses were received, and all three did
not schedule an interview when prompted. Two of the three
requested that a translator be present. A significant percentage
of the e-mails (40.8%) bounced back, indicating the contact
information was not valid. Discussion: While the
information gained was limited, it would appear many are aware
of the dubious nature of their journal and do not wish further
scrutiny by being contacted. Others may lack the English
language skills necessary to be engaged in basic written
communication, let alone the more complex language and grammar
of scientific publishing.
LT=
Lightning Talks
LT1.
Guided Medline (Ovid) Exercise
Charlotte
Beck & Kyle Gailing
University
of British Columbia
Introduction: Library instruction in the health sciences
includes searching Medline (Ovid). Our in-person teaching is
supplemented with a locally developed Medline tutorial available
on YouTube. With COVID-19 and exclusively doing remote teaching,
we discovered that these tutorials provided insufficient
guidance on using Medline (Ovid) to conduct a structured search.
To fill this gap, we created The Guided Medline Exercise. Description:
Using Libguides, we developed a learning object where each stage
of the structured search is presented on its own page: analysis
of the research question with PICO; finding and using subject
headings and keywords for each concept; appropriate combining;
use of limits; and saving and sharing the search and results.
Each page includes an introduction; a step-by-step description,
which is accompanied by a video; and a "build your own" section
that guides the viewer through the process to develop a search
on their specific topic. Outcome: The development of the
learning object had various iterations that were informed by
feedback from colleagues, student librarians, and graduate
student researchers. A major enhancement to the design is the
use of accordion boxes, which reduce clutter and reinforce the
step-by-step process to develop a logical search. Discussion:
Early feedback and observation indicates that this guided
instruction, with an opportunity to practice, meets the
objective to introduce Medline (Ovid), and to the process of
creating a successful search. Further evaluation of its
effectiveness will influence how it is disseminated.
LT2. Celebrating Grey: Re-Developing
an Author Recognition Program
Meredith Fischer
Wilfred Laurier University
Introduction: Author recognition programs are successful annual
events at many academic and health sciences libraries. They
provide an opportunity to identify, honour, and promote faculty
publications, highlight library collections, and engage with the
research community. While discussions about research assessment
in tenure and promotion processes increasingly acknowledge the
need to look beyond peer-reviewed publications, author
recognition programs still tend to focus on traditional output
such as books and journal articles. Description:
Celebrating Laurier Achievements is a new iteration of a popular
author recognition program at Wilfrid Laurier University, and a
collaboration between the Library and the Office of Research
Services. It has been re-developed to incorporate
non-traditional output including grey literature such as
reports, podcasts, and websites. This innovative program
recognizes the scholarship and creativity of faculty,
librarians, students, staff, alumni, and retirees with a launch
event and an online exhibit in Omeka. Outcomes: Nearly
150 authors and creators on campus submitted their work to be
included in Celebrating Laurier Achievements. The program
committee (two librarians, a knowledge mobilization officer, an
art gallery curator, and a sales and university press marketing
coordinator) coordinated the design of promotional posters for
each submission as well as the development of videos featuring
25 different achievements. These posters and videos were shared
in the online exhibit, on YouTube, and through other social
media platforms. Discussion: By expanding the scope of
author recognition programs to include non-traditional output,
libraries can acknowledge a greater diversity of achievements
while offering more inclusive programming.
LT3. Creating an Interdisciplinary
Knowledge Synthesis Community of Practice at the University of
Ottawa Library
Karine Fournier & Lindsey
Sikora
University of Ottawa | Université
d'Ottawa
With the growing demand for knowledge
synthesis services across disciplines at the University of
Ottawa Library, a Knowledge Synthesis Community of Practice
(CoP) for all interested library employees was formed in 2021.
This CoP gathers monthly with organized discussion and timely
presentations with ideas put forward by its members. This talk
will highlight how this CoP came together, its objectives and
Terms of Reference, and the evolution of the topics of
discussion that have arisen in order to ensure that members of
the CoP can increase their competencies of knowledge synthesis.
LT4. Active Learning in Action:
Incorporating Virtual Escape Rooms and Scavenger Hunts in
Library One-Shot Sessions
Julia Martyniuk
University of Toronto
Active learning is an important aspect
in ensuring students’ understanding and retention of
instructional material. This presentation will review the
successes and challenges of incorporating active learning
opportunities in online one-shot instruction sessions, and focus
on the role escape rooms and scavenger hunts play as an active
learning technique. The case example of a specific one-shot
library session, where medical graduate students searched for
and accessed information and resources by way of a group escape
room activity, will be highlighted. This presentation will
underscore how escape rooms can be applied to orient students to
academic libraries, thereby fostering engagement and
interactivity when learning new content.
LT5. Information Seeking Behavior of
Early Career Family Physicians
Chidiebere Michael Iro & Joan
C. Bartlett
McGill University
Introduction: Early career professionals experience
transitions marked by changes in identities, roles,
relationships, abilities and patterns of behavior. In addition
to these, physicians at the beginning of their careers face the
supplemental pressure of feeling that lives depend on the
decisions they make at work, even as they navigate this
transition. While residency offered immediate access to an
experienced physician and free information resources, these are
absent in established practice. Amongst family physicians, the
most frequently arising information needs were questions related
to diagnosis, treatment, and questions asked by patients. The
most frequently consulted resources were colleagues, textbooks,
journal or online publications, and medical applications.
Inconsistent results were found for consults with librarians and
information professionals. However, nothing was specific to the
critical early phase of their career. Hence, this study explores
the information needs and sources consulted by early career
family physicians which influence their practice. Methods:
An online survey will be distributed through the Facebook page
for family physicians in their first five years of practice,
with the appraisal of the Federation des Médecins
Omnipraticienns du Quebec. Survey questions were informed by the
literature review, and include questions related to demands at
work that lead the physician to seek answers externally, as well
as where they go to find these answers. Results: Survey
distribution and data analysis are in progress and results will
be presented. Discussion: Survey findings will be
discussed, including implications for information professionals
committed to information literacy in early career physicians.
LT6. Searching Methods for Rapid
Evidence Reviews During Public Health Emergencies
Leah Hagerman, Emily Clark, Dr.
Sarah Neil-Sztramko, Taylor Colangeli & Dr. Maureen Dobbins
National Collaborating Centre for
Methods and Tools
As COVID-19 related evidence surged
early in the pandemic, numerous COVID specific databases and
registries with varying features and functions emerged. Our team
established a Rapid Evidence Service to conduct rapid reviews to
inform the public health COVID-19 response. Here, we outline our
lessons learned in searching for evidence related to the
COVID-19 pandemic and provide recommendations for researchers
and database developers when responding to public health
emergencies. We evaluated databases and registries used to
inform our rapid reviews based on three domains: topics and
specialties (i.e., infection prevention and control, disease
characteristics, surveillance and epidemiology, equity, policy,
and mental health and substance use); level of evidence of
indexed citations (i.e., systematic review, single studies, and
expert opinion); and specific usability and functionality (i.e.,
advanced search features, search filters, citation exports, and
citation sorting). We evaluated ten databases and four
registries. Content and types of evidence included in each
source varied. All databases included advanced search
functionality; repositories had limited advanced search
functionality. Features associated with reducing time and effort
for conducting rapid reviews included advanced searching
features, filters, sorting and export functions. Controlled
vocabulary allowed us to efficiently identify the most relevant
evidence in a timely manner; the ability to sort and filter
evidence by title and abstract allowed us to reduce the search
volume; and export functions allowed us to deduplicate results
across databases and allowed for transparent screening methods.
Our experiences can help inform future research strategies and
the development and enhancement of new and previously existing
evidence sources.
LT7. Introducing our Library
Champions
Chloe George
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS
foundation Trust
An initial attempt by the Library at
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, England to launch a Library
Champion project was thwarted by Covid-19. The project
relaunched, registering champions in July 2020, adapting the
original plan to ensure it would not be detrimental to patient
care. Twenty Champions were identified, who signed a contract
formalizing their relationship with the library, receiving a
Champions badge and quarterly update emails. Champions were
drawn from different hospital settings (including Surgery,
Critical Care, Infection Control, Dermatology, Estates, and
Quality Improvement) and roles (including nurses, doctors,
physio, psychologist, health care assistant, and managers). They
committed to advocating the library service; signposting
colleagues; promoting our services in their department;
providing feedback and engagement on new or existing services;
providing their opinion to improve services; and informing us of
potential opportunities for involvement in events and projects.
The Champion project was well received with engagement being
recorded to measure impact, communication, and opportunities. We
have seen an increase in inductions, tweets, and promotion of
our services. We worked with champions to launch a Black History
Month book challenge, a Brain Box for an offsite department and
Get-Tea-Gethers. Due to interest, a 2022 cohort of Champions is
planned.
LT8. New Instructor Onboarding
program for Medical Library Technicians
Ashley Jane Leonard & Jeanette
Blanchard
Alberta Health Services
Introduction: Knowledge Resource Service (KRS) offers ten
scheduled online information literacy courses. Until 2020, it
was usual for these courses to be taught solely by librarians.
Owing to staff shortages and Medical Library Technicians (MLT)
expressing the desire to learn new skills, it was decided that
MLTs would begin teaching two online courses. Five MLTs
volunteered to take on instructional responsibilities. Description:
Research was carried out to see what best practice dictated for
in-house staff training in this area. Following this, an
onboarding plan was created. This plan consisted of a 3-stage
process which included observation, co-teaching, and
solo-teaching. It was expected that librarian instructors would
meet with their MLT co-instructor before their session to divide
the content and practice the session. This onboarding program
ran for approximately a year. Outcomes: The MLT
instructors were surveyed following the completion of the
onboarding process. Overall, the program was deemed a success:
all MLTs have moved into solo teaching and have gained
confidence in their teaching abilities. While not all
co-teaching partnerships were considered successful, it was
clear to see that in-house training is an effective way to
up-skill KRS staff. Discussion: Some notable strengths
of the program were skill development in online instruction and
mentorship. The role of strong communication between
co-instructors in ensuring positive teaching outcomes was a key
take-away. The program was a success and we plan to use the same
methods moving forward for new instructors.
LT9. Can Artificial Intelligence
Learn to Identify Systematic Reviews on the Effectiveness of
Public Health Interventions?
Alanna Miller, Kristin Read,
Heather Husson & Dr. Maureen Dobbins
The National Collaborating Centre
for Methods and Tools
Background: Health Evidence™ aims to make it easier for public
health decision-makers to use evidence in their practice. We
provide access to over 7,700 critically appraised systematic
reviews on the effectiveness of public health interventions. On
average, over 13,000 records are screened each month for
relevance to the registry. As the number of published reviews
continues to grow each year, maintaining an up-to-date registry
is increasingly resource intensive. Artificial intelligence (AI)
may be one way to ensure maintenance of this registry continues
to be feasible. Methods: The team uploaded a large
training set (n=43,273) of records labelled as either relevant
or not-relevant to DistillerSR and used the AI Preview and Rank
function to predict the probability of relevance to the registry
for each record. We identified an optimal threshold that
correctly identifies the greatest number of not relevant records
with minimal classification errors. We then tested this
threshold on one year of manually screened records (n=89,832)
for consistency and accuracy. Results: Health Evidence™
has successfully implemented the use of DistillerSR AI to
support our monthly relevance screening. On average, after the
removal of duplicate articles, the DistillerSR AI function
identifies over 5,000 non-relevant articles each month,
contributing to an 80% reduction in screening. This has reduced
our manual screening burden and saves upwards of 20 hours of
staff time per month! Conclusion: The use of AI shows
promises to improve the feasibility of maintaining a large
registry of quality appraised synthesis-level evidence relevant
for public health decision making.
LT10. Publishing for IMPACT:
Publication Literacy Skills to Publish and Not Perish
Heather Cunningham, Graeme Slaght
& Margaret Wall
University of Toronto
Introduction: Early-career researchers often learn about
publishing through trial and error where publication and
copyright decisions are made at the end of the research process,
and few academic departments offer any form of structured
training. The library saw an opportunity to develop a
comprehensive and sustainable approach to address the
publication literacy skills gap. Description: A five
module asynchronous Getting Published Challenge was created in
2019 on the concepts of researcher identity, peer review,
journal selection, scholarly sharing, and research impact.
Hundreds of students have taken the Getting Published Challenge
to build a personal Publication Plan. These modules were
re-purposed as pre-work for a three-part Getting Published
workshop series. The content of the workshops are divided into
general information about the publishing landscape and copyright
followed by discipline specific workshops on health sciences
publishing and social science considerations. Outcomes:
Having asynchronous modules as pre-work allows the synchronous
Getting Published workshops to expand upon foundational concepts
and allow for a dynamic and critical discourse on scholarly
publishing and the decisions, impacts, and responsibility of
authors. The modules and workshops combined have over-arching
outcomes of developing an individual Publication Plan and
re-positioning publication considerations to earlier in the
research process. Discussion: The IMPACT acronym that is
used as a framework for content delivery for the health sciences
specific workshop will be discussed. The creation and delivery
of publication workshops by an interdisciplinary team of
copyright, health sciences, and social science librarians led to
content and concepts that blended subject and functional
expertise.
LT11. Leveraging the Virtual
Environment to Offer Cross-Institutional Workshops on
Knowledge Synthesis Methodologies
Zahra Premji1 & K.
Alix Hayden2
University of Victoria1
& University of Calgary2
Introduction: Workshops teaching knowledge synthesis (KS)
methodologies are in high demand. However, teaching the how-to
aspects of KS methodologies can require significant time
commitment (6-8 hours) and expertise. Furthermore, due to the
combined conceptual and technical content in KS workshops,
co-teaching approaches are essential to facilitate instruction,
especially in the virtual environment. Online workshop offerings
have become common at many academic libraries since the
pandemic, which has led to new opportunities to collaborate
across institutions. Description: Two librarians, each
from an academic library in different provinces, came together
to virtually co-teach a 3-workshop series on KS methodologies.
The in-depth workshops were piloted in fall 2021 and were
offered to faculty and graduate students from any discipline,
although the participants included a significant population from
the health-related disciplines. The logistics and materials for
all aspects of the workshop series were jointly developed and
coordinated. Outcomes and discussion: The initial
outcome of interest was the feasibility of offering these
workshops jointly across institutions. Our pilot showed that
challenges could be overcome with advanced planning, and the
benefits of collaboratively offering the workshops outweighed
the challenges. Offering these workshops as cross-institutional
collaborations allows for expertise sharing and capacity
building which benefits both institutions. Additional benefits
of this approach include: potential cross-institution
collaborations among participants, newer librarians learning to
teach KS methodologies via co-teaching with a more experienced
librarian, continuity and sustainability of the workshops. We
envision these collaborative workshops being a regular virtual
offering, and anticipate future collaborations with other
libraries.
LT12. "What a MeSH!" Improving
Clinical Trial Retrieval and Record-Handling from the Cochrane
Library
Alexandre Amar-Zifkin & Andrea
Quaiattini
McGill University Health Centre
You need to search MeSH along with
textwords when you're searching Cochrane, even if you're
searching Medline in parallel, otherwise you might miss stuff.
We'll explain why. Also, we will show you ONE WEIRD TRICK to get
your citation manager to more completely ingest exports from
Cochrane. It'll be fun (for certain values of fun).
LT13. 3D Printing in Health Sciences
Faculties and Libraries
Connie Winther, Laura Hamonic, Liz
Dennett, Sandy Campbell
University of Alberta
Introduction: At the University of Alberta, we are currently in
the planning stages for a new health sciences library.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a technology of interest for
the new library, building upon the success of the current 3D
printing services already existing at the University of Alberta
Library. 3D printing is used in teaching across the University
and we were interested in determining what unique needs health
sciences faculties have for 3D printing, and the role that the
library has in fulfilling those needs. Methods/Description:
An environmental scan is being completed to better understand
the use of 3D printing and scanning in the health sciences. A
narrative literature review will be completed to answer (1) What
is the current state of 3D printing and scanning in health
education in Canada? and (2) What is the current state of 3D
printing and scanning within health science libraries? The focus
of the literature review is on health sciences education, as we
assumed that researchers requiring 3D printers would have access
to their own printers. The results of the literature review will
inform the questions that are asked in the environmental scan. Results/Outcomes:
Preliminary findings from the literature review highlight that
there are multiple reasons that 3D printing is used in health
education including learning anatomy, procedural training,
prototyping, and for producing other functional objects. Discussion:
Additional findings will be shared during the presentation from
the literature review and environmental scan.
LT14. Local Authorship on Inuit
Primary Health Research Publications
Connie Winther & Sandy
Campbell
University of Alberta
Background: Inclusion of local and community researchers as
integral members of research teams and, ultimately, as authors
on research publications is one of the ways in which we can
build equity and inclusion into research projects in Canada's
North. This project examines the primary studies related to the
health of Inuit people in Canada, to identify the frequency,
extent and methods of the inclusion of local community members
as authors. Methods: A title search of Ovid MEDLINE for
articles about Inuit retrieved 472 articles. Studies that refer
to primarily Inuit in Greenland and Alaska were excluded, as
were those that were not primary studies of Inuit peoples'
health. Samples of studies from 1999-2019 were reviewed for the
inclusion of local community members as authors. Authorship was
identified through author affiliation, author contribution
statements or authorship references in the text of the articles.
Results: Preliminary results show an increase in primary
studies related to Inuit health over time and an increase in the
recognition of local community engagement in research projects
across Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of the Inuit in Canada. Conclusions:
Over time, increasing numbers of acknowledgement indicate
considerable community involvement in research. Over time, there
is an increasing number of community co-authorships.
LT15. Public Health Body Organizes
Collaboration of Healthcare Librarians to Share and Peer
Review COVID-19 Literature Searches During the Pandemic
Adam Tocock & Helene Gorring
Barts Health NHS Trust &
Health Education England
Responding to
the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Education England (HEE) mobilized
a group of librarians in the NHS in England to inform the
development of a platform for librarians to share COVID-19
search strategies and results. A COVID-19 Search Bank was
quickly developed and hosted on the Knowledge for Healthcare
website. It included searches’ results, strategies, and
keywords. The group wanted to take a pragmatic approach and
to start sharing searches as quickly as possible, so a
light-touch peer review was undertaken of searches and
strategies submitted. This was an excellent example of
collaborative working between NHS librarians. An evaluation of
this initiative was carried out, with interviews of the
librarians involved in its inception and peer reviewing, and a
survey of NHS librarians in England. The key findings will be
discussed.
LT16. Instagram Stories @NOSMLibrary
Alanna Campbell
Northern Ontario School of
Medicine
Introduction: The Health Sciences Library at NOSM University has
been reaching members on Instagram since 2017 and it is one of
the library’s most popular platforms. With the ongoing pandemic,
the library aimed to utilize Instagram to its full potential to
increase interaction with learners, faculty, and staff. The
greatest concern was how time-consuming Instagram stories would
be to produce. Description: With production time the
initial primary concern, tools and resources readily available
to the library were first assessed for their usefulness. Through
trial and error over the course of the 2021-2022 academic year
the Public Services Librarian and Library Assistant worked with
these tools to develop an internal workflow. Outcomes: A
variety of different story types were drafted in PowerPoint and
produced in Instagram. This included library tours, bite size
education, event promotion and more. Stories varied in length
and time required to develop and produce. Ultimately a workflow
was created to take the library’s Instagram stories from the
initial idea stage through to approval and production. Many tips
and tricks and lessons were learned during this process. Discussion:
The library’s Instagram story workflow has streamlined the
process of developing stories. Creating both longer and shorter
stories enabled the library to keep Instagram story content
fresh and scalable. Moving forward this workflow will be used to
allow a variety of content experts in the library the
opportunity to create story content.
PP=Poster Presentation
PP1. Technology, Collection, and
Budget Challenges of Growing Health Systems on Academic Health
Science Libraries
Kelly Thormodson, Lori Cisney
& Benjamin Hoover,
Pennsylvania State University
Abstract: The growth of health systems is having a major
effect on academic libraries. The aim of this project is to
survey academic health sciences libraries to learn about the
challenges they face when they are part of a growing health
system. In 2021, the Association of Academic Health Sciences
Libraries (AAHSL) published a white paper on this issue, it did
discuss the challenges of providing library services and
resources to affiliated health systems, it did not describe in
detail the specific challenges related to funding, collections,
and technologies that this survey aims to do. Introduction:
Previously published papers, have studied the relationships
between academic health science libraries and hospitals, health
systems and how to work with growing systems. However, they
usually focus on best practices. These papers acknowledge the
challenges in general but don’t take time to acknowledge the
specifics. This survey aims to help further understanding among
academic health sciences libraries and librarians about the
specific issues that are faced related to library collections,
budget, and technology. Methods: A 15 question Qualtrics
survey was sent to the AAHSL members’ listserv. It was requested
one completion per US based institution. It is a mixed methods
survey with IRB approval. The survey was open for four weeks and
there were 56 respondents. Results: The results of the
survey can be divided into three categories: technology, budget,
and collections, and politics & unique circumstances. There
were many responses regarding current IT support and technology
systems. Topics of concern included systems for assigning access
(which included or excluded from resources) and authentication.
In exploring collections funding and contracts for institutions
with growing health systems, not surprisingly there were a wide
variety of funding models expressed in the survey. In most cases
funding comes from multiple sources, some expected and some
unexpected). It was also common for the answer regarding who has
access to resources to be complicated and these issues around
access often bleed into the technical aspects of proxy and
identity management. Challenges faced by the responding
libraries often included comments around collections and budget,
specifically reduced or flat budgets in the face of increasing
resource costs and access issues tied to contract limitations.
More than expected, libraries discussed the challenges of
identifying appropriate charge back systems for obtaining
funding from schools, colleges, and hospitals served along with
the use of contracts and MOUs for designing relationships to who
is and isn’t served by the libraries in these new systems. Discussion:
Technology: The two most common implementations of access
control schemes for library resources were EZ Proxy (43%) and
IP-ranges for access (34%). IT related responses also touched on
complications from dealing with multiple systems and networks,
the structure and number of IT groups involved, lack of identity
management, communication and agency across entities, and known
or suspected access issues not having immediate or simple
solutions. Responders provided a spectrum of IT and technology
related problems and solutions that were directly tied to the
unique variables of culture, politics, and history of each
institution/system. Budget
& Collections: As expected many responses (15) identified
funding coming from the University and many receive funding from
the schools they serve, including Colleges/Schools of Medicine
(11). Funding from hospitals and health systems was also a
common response (14). Some surprises were instances where
libraries receive funding from research grants received by the
institution (2), direct government funding (4), and funding from
foundations and non-profits (2). Five responding libraries
discussed a need to track use of resources by type of user so
that they could create a formula to share costs across schools,
hospitals, and the health system. With regard to collections and
a growing health system, the challenges seem to be relatively
consistent and have to do with the cost of adding additional
user groups and the difficulty in communicating this expense and
need to administrators (7). Politics and unique circumstances:
The survey asked if there was anything else they wanted the
researchers to know. Many respondents discussed the MOUs and
contracts between the libraries and the entities in the health
systems. These arrangements covered what resources or services
are provided, how costs are configured, and who has access.
Politics and how that affected decision making were discussed,
as well as the effects of the health system growth on the
library resources that are directly connected to the Electronic
Medical Record system.
PP2. Teaching Them to Fish: A
Structured Consultation Scheme for Teaching Synthesis Review
Searching for Graduate Students in Nursing
Megan Kennedy
University of Alberta
This is a program description of a
structured consultation scheme implemented to assist graduate
students in the Faculty of Nursing who request
librarian-performed searches for synthesis reviews. Purpose:
In 2020, demand for librarian support for synthesis reviews
exploded as human-subject research was suspended at
post-secondary institutions due to COVID-19. Requests for
mediated search support came from graduate students completing
their thesis or dissertation work. Increasing demand
necessitated prioritization of mediated searching services and
the result was creating a consultation model specifically for
graduate students requesting mediated search support. The aim
was to improve students’ confidence and self-sufficiency with
advanced searching with only 2-3 hours of consultation with a
librarian. Methods: The basic structure of the
consultation scheme is as follows: Consultation 1: review
protocol, select resources, develop search terms, develop
Medline search; post consultation, student reviews search terms,
first 100 results, and consults supervisor (aim to have this
search finalized by next meeting). Consultation 2: translate
search from Medline to other resources. Discuss search
documentation and use of Covidence for screening; post
consultation, student completes search translations and sends
screenshots of searches to librarian for review. Consultation 3
(optional): discuss grey literature resources and documentation;
address remaining search translation questions; post
consultation, student searches completed. Outcomes:
Feedback from students was positive. They appreciate learning
more about the complexity of advanced searching and the unique
experience to have such personalized guidance. Special attention
must be given to students whose first language is not English as
they may require additional support. Discussion: This
approach has created capacity to be able to support more
students using this method and also created capacity to perform
mediated searches for faculty researchers.
PP3. Let's Party! Celebrating
National Medical Librarians Month!
Janice Thompson, Melissa Paladines
& Anna Mann
William Osler Health System
Introduction: Over the past five years, William Osler Health
System's Health Sciences Library has used the Medical Library
Association’s National Medical Librarians Month (NMLM), which
occurs in October, as one of our main opportunities to promote
our library. Description: Planning for our NMLM
activities begins in June to allow time to obtain materials and
design activities. There are one or two activities that repeat
but our main activity is always new. In previous years, our
activities have included open houses, displays, contests, and
vendor swag giveaways. In 2021 due to the pandemic, our
activities needed to be virtual to reach as many of our staff as
possible. We chose Padlet, a fun and interactive tool to
facilitate our contest and to gather library stories and
experiences. We will highlight our activities with a focus on
our latest Padlet contest, discuss the ways we promoted our
activities and collaborated with our Communications department.
Outcomes: Through our social media posts and displays in
hospital high traffic areas, we were able to promote the library
to our whole organization, reaching clinicians who may not be
library users and raising awareness in our community. Our NMLM
activities have enabled us to obtain feedback on our resources
and services. Discussion: We will highlight our
successes and share our disappointments through a lens of
lessons learned. Our
library team believes that celebrating NMLM is a great
opportunity to raise awareness of our space, resources, and
services.
PP4. Five Years of Continuous Quality
Improvement in a Rural and Remote Regional Health Library
Service in British Columbia
Julie Creaser
Northern Health Library Services
Introduction: Employing the principles of continuous quality
improvement, the library set out to improve its services,
collections, and technology in order to increase access and use
of evidence across a large geographical area. Historically, the
library, with two full-time staff, had only served one hospital.
After regionalization in the early 2000s, which added over 40
sites as customers, the library faced both technological and
collections related barriers that needed addressing in order to
improve service provisions outside its walls. Description:
The librarian reviewed the current state of library services in
2015 to explore improvement opportunities. Data from two
evaluation surveys, collection usage data and costs,
environmental scans of other health authority libraries, and
peer-reviewed evidence on health libraries were analyzed. Four
goals were established in alignment with the organization’s
strategic plan for 2016-2021. Partners in the organization were
engaged to leverage improvements in areas of evidence informed
practice, awareness, orientations, and collections. Outcomes:
Over 5 years, strategic incremental improvements led to a
reduction in time-intensive tasks; increased usage of specific
collections year-over-year; established metrics for refreshing
and retiring collection materials and increased the ability of
staff to access collections through significant technological
change. Discussion: Setting specific goals aligned
within the organization’s strategic plan has allowed the library
to flourish and become a more fulsome partner in the areas of
practice standards development, quality improvement, and
organizational learning. Leveraging technology for a regional
approach also meant that when COVID-19 hit in the last year of
the five year plan, the library saw almost no service
disruptions during its brief ten week facility closure.
PP5. Giving the Gift of Positivity to
Our Students (and Ourselves): Running an Exam De-stressing
Program
Glyneva Bradley-Ridout, Mikaela
Mitchell, Jiewen (Jenny) Wu & Maggie Nevison
University of Toronto
Introduction: The Unstudy Spot is a program that aims to create
fun, relaxing activities for students to enjoy while they take a
break from studying. In December 2021, we ran our first
in-person Unstudy Spot in two years. In this presentation, we
will discuss our process of planning and executing the event at
our health sciences library. Description: Planning began
two months before the event. A working group was formed to
brainstorm, distribute tasks, and select a theme. The event ran
for a period of two weeks during the final exam period.
Activities included a positivity wall, a scavenger hunt,
snowflake making, and a collaborative jumbo crossword puzzle.
The project team rotated responsibilities of re-stocking
supplies and monitoring the space. We also incorporated a social
media campaign. Outcomes: The most popular events were
the positivity wall and snowflake making station. Many students
also participated in the scavenger hunt, and the winners
received a Starbucks gift card. Both students and organizers
alike enjoyed the opportunity to safely engage with the physical
library space again. Discussion: As health sciences
librarians, we have a lot of demands on our time and
increasingly large work portfolios. It can be difficult to find
the time and energy for programming. However, we found that by
creating and launching an event aimed at making students happy,
we were able to bring some joy into our daily work as well. We
hope to inspire colleagues to experiment with similar
initiatives in their own spaces.
PP6. How
is Health Information Used? Lessons from Older Adults During
the COVID-19 Pandemic
Xiaoqian
Zhang & Joan Bartlett
McGill
University
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts
on both how people manage their health, and how they are able to
access information. As frequent users of healthcare services,
older adults can benefit from health information. Health
information can empower older adults, reduce their health risks,
and support their health well-being. Previous studies have
highlighted how older adults seek health information, but few
have investigated the ultimate purpose of information-seeking,
that is, how information is used. The objective of this research
is to understand how older adults are using health information
during the pandemic and the implications for the future. Methods:
The pilot study is using semi-structured interviews with people
aged 65 and above. The research defines information use as sets
of actions people deal with obtained information, such as task
performance, decision making, daily communication, and opinion
changing. The interview questions will first focus on these
actions. As information use is context-related and involves
various cognitive and affective elements, the interview
questions will also examine factors (e.g., context, thoughts,
and feelings) related to older adults’ health information use
behaviour. Interviews will be analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: This pilot study is in progress. Preliminary
results will be presented. Discussion: This will discuss
the implications of the findings, including those relating to
health librarians providing more targeted and practical
intervention activities or information services to older adults
in the post-pandemic era.
PP7.
Library as Hub for Digital Research and Learning: an
Environmental Scan
Connie
Winther, Lydia Zvyagintseva & Janice Kung
University
of Alberta
Introduction: Digital tools and methods such as haptics and
wearables (virtual, augmented, and extended reality),
visualization and projection, virtual anatomy applications and
displays, and media production equipment (sound booths, video
creation kits, green screens) are increasingly used for teaching
and research, but not often seen within Canadian health sciences
libraries. Description: In order to guide the University
of Alberta Library in the service planning and design of its new
Health Sciences Library, we conducted an environmental scan with
the following goals: (1) to plan the library’s role in
facilitating access to digital research technologies and
services within the health sciences; (2) to understand
contemporary services that support digital scholarship within
health sciences libraries across North America; (3) to identify
local and national communities of practice related to digital
scholarship in health sciences libraries. The environmental scan
consists of information gathering from three different
environments. First, a scan of digital methods and practices
used within the University of Alberta Health Sciences
departments was conducted. Second, a narrative review of the
literature was completed. Finally, a review of websites from
health sciences academic libraries across North America was also
carried out. Outcomes: We summarize the emergent themes
in the literature and websites analyzed in this scan.
Preliminary findings show that virtual reality is more common in
health sciences libraries compared to other haptics and
wearables. Virtual reality is used for curricular instruction
and outreach, examples include virtual anatomy and pre-surgical
case planning. Common challenges include finding sufficient room
in the library for virtual reality, staff training, and software
and device management.
PP8.
Discovering Our Collections: The Historical Development of
Dentures
Maria
Maddalena Zych & Usman Malik
University
of Toronto
Introduction: Tooth loss impacts nutrition, diet, and
socio-economic behaviours. Its prevalence makes it a global
burden of health. Conventional dentures continue to be a common
treatment due to their efficacy and low cost. They have improved
nutrition and quality of life of patients throughout history. A
scholarly exhibit describing this topic was lacking. Hence, this
exhibit aims to: summarize materials and methods used to create
dentures from ancient civilizations to early 19th century, and
showcase the library's digital collection covering this topic.
It can be accessed at https://exhibits.library.utoronto.ca/exhibits/show/history-dentures. Description: We surveyed the
University of Toronto Dentistry Library’s collection to learn
about the historical development of dentures, and then created
an online exhibition using the software OMEKA. The exhibition
covers the developments of dentures during antiquity and the
modern era, and describes the types of dentures,
impression-taking methods, and denture material in the
nineteenth century. The target audience is anyone interested in
denture history. Outcomes: The key outcome for this
program is to get users engaged with dentistry history, and
specifically our library’s rare book collections, which is
digitized and made available for free on archive.org. An uptick
in download and view metrics for the eBooks would affirm this
program’s effectiveness. Discussion: This exhibit will
raise the public’s interest in the history of science and the
discoverability of the library’s rare book collection. It will
relay insights about denture history in an accessible and open
manner. Future directions should consider other areas of health
sciences’ histories that would be useful to showcase.
PP9. Revisiting the Current State of
Systematic Review Support and Collaboration by Librarians at
Canadian Universities
Catherine
Boden
University
of Saskatchewan
Introduction: Most Canadian academic libraries offer systematic
review services. Initially these services supported researchers
from primarily health and social sciences but, increasingly,
those from a wider diversity of disciplines are seeking these
services. This study updates and expands a similar study
conducted in 2014 by surveying Canadian academic librarians from
all disciplines about their current support for systematic
reviews. Methods: A short (~15 minute) online
questionnaire with Likert and dichotomous questions will be
generated and distributed using Survey Monkey software. A
convenience sample of Canadian academic librarians who have
participated in a systematic review in the past 12 months will
be recruited to participate via relevant librarian listservs.
Data analysis will consist of calculating descriptive
statistics, and tabulating short answer questions where an
“other, please specify” option was given. Results: We
anticipate distributing the survey in March 2022 and completing
analysis by April 2022. Conclusions:
This study will inform (1) understanding of the current
landscape and how it has changed since 2014, and (2) provide
evidence-based information to libraries about the current state
of librarian involvement, including potential barriers, in
providing systematic review support. Data availability
statement: de-identified data will be openly available in a
public repository that issues datasets with DOIs.
PP10. A Case of De-duplication:
Variations Among Four Different Methods
Jennifer Horton
Canadian Agency for Drugs and
Technologies in Health
Background: De-duplication is a necessary but tedious
component of literature searching. With ample methods available,
it is difficult to know which are efficient and effective.
Manual de-duplication is time consuming and can be challenging.
Many information professionals are wary of automated processes
due to lack of transparency. This case study compared four
methods for de-duplication. Methods: We began with a set
of 7,027 citations from a literature search conducted across six
databases. This set was used to test de-duplication using four
methods: manual de-duplication in EndNote; automated EndNote
de-duplication using the Bramer method (Bramer et al. 2016);
de-duplication in Covidence; and de-duplication in DistillerSR.
We tracked number of duplicates removed. Results:
Duplicates removed by each method ranged from 2,176 to 2254.
Both screening softwares removed the fewest citations
(Covidence-2,181; DistillerSR-2,176). Manual EndNote
de-duplication removed 2,247, and the Bramer method removed the
most citations, 2,254. Discussion: The range removed
across the methods tested is small—78. Some limitations are that
we opted for default selections in Covidence and DistillerSR. We
also did not study the duplicates lists for accuracy, only
comparing variation between tests. Lastly, our searches were
strictly translated across databases—other translation
approaches may yield different results. Conclusion:
There are a variety of scenarios librarians encounter in
de-duplicating large sets of results. Our case study displays
the small amount of variation amongst the methods while dealing
with a large set of results. Librarians and information
specialists should discuss risks and advantages of these methods
with their research teams.