Conducting a user-centered information needs assessment: the Via Christi Libraries' experience*

Abstract

The results of this three-part, user-centered information needs assessment were used to develop an evidence-based strategic plan. The findings confirmed the importance of promoting library services in the organization and suggested expanded, collaborative roles for hospital librarians.

Information needs and information‐seeking behaviour analysis of primary care physicians and nurses: a literature review

“…The studies reviewed were conducted in multiple countries, including the United States, 1,4,11,15,18,35,[45][46][47][48]50,53,54,57,58,65,76,78,81,83,85,87 the United Kingdom, 41,44,51,69,75 Australia, 43,64 New Zealand, 42,68,77,80 British Columbia, 72 Canada, 71 Denmark, 74 Malaysia, 70 Saudi Arabia, 66 Tanzania 73 and the Netherlands 14,52,60 ; however, overall the group of studies was heavily based in the United States.…”

Academic health sciences libraries and affiliated hospitals: a conversation about licensing electronic resources

“…Also, obtaining specific input from hospital staff and providers about what they need can be a challenge. Focus groups, surveys, and telephone interviews have been documented as methods for determining needs among hospital staff populations [22,24]. Martin and Delawska-Elliott's project [22] included the addition of 100 electronic journal titles based on work that included numerous stakeholder interviews and focus groups.…”

“…Martin and Delawska-Elliott's project [22] included the addition of 100 electronic journal titles based on work that included numerous stakeholder interviews and focus groups. Perley et al used a self-reporting survey, interviews, and focus groups to determine needs across a multisite medical center population [24]. Data collection instruments allowed participants to report questions that they could not answer with available library resources or specific resources they could not locate.…”

“…Ensuring that end-users were familiar with a library's online resources and knew how to access those resources were persistent challenges observed by Martin and Delawska-Elliott [22] and Perley et al [24]. O'Dell and Preston found that perceived barriers to access and unfamiliarity with resources stemmed from both insufficient communications from the library to the staff and assumptions by hospital staff about access [27].…”

Testing the waters: Blogging for user needs analysis, information access, and building a community of practitioners

“…The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) (http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org) is a consortium of 12 natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global “biodiversity commons.” As part of our outreach activities, and in order to gain a better understanding of our users, we began a series of posts on our blog entitled “BHL and our Users,” (http://bit.ly/mfMYru) in which we highlight a different user in each post, questioning them about their own research activities and how BHL helps support those endeavors. While virtually no research has been published about using blogs to assess user needs and drive service improvements, there is a great deal of literature on using surveys and user studies to do so (Perley et al, 2007; Kyrillidou & Persson, 2006; Grefsheim & Rankin, 2007).…”