Reimagining Print Materials in a Health Science Context: Creating and Marketing a Wellness Collection

In the healthcare field in which out-of-date information can harm patients, the currency and immediacy of digital collections is highly valued. As a result, many health science libraries have deselected much of their print collections (Haapanen, Kultamaa, Ovaska, & Salmi, 2015; Lingle & Robinson, 2009; Tobia & Hunnicutt, 2008; Xiaoli & Kopper, 2005). However, print materials continue to be valued by health science library users for a variety of purposes (Houghton, 2017; Watson, 2016). This paper describes how one academic health science center library found a role for print materials in the context of a wellness initiative, which (1) gave a clear purpose to the collection, (2) allowed for creative marketing strategies, and (3) anchored a suite of planned wellness activities and services. The paper will describe the process of selecting titles for the collection, the logistics of creating a special use collection after converting the majority of library space to study space, the marketing strategies used to advertise the collection, and the ongoing evaluation of the collection and its relation to user needs

Promoting Health Information Access through Community Partnerships

Funded by a grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, three academic health science librarians collaborated with local public libraries to identify the health information needs of library staff, design and conduct a workshop on providing consumer health and health literacy information services, and assess workshop participants’ increase in confidence related to finding health information online

Improving Access to Quality Health Information in Rural Communities through Little Free Libraries

Objective: Little Free Libraries (LFLs) are neighborhood book-exchange boxes. Okeechobee County Public Library in Florida partnered with the University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries on a grant-funded project to add health education components to 30 new public library-sponsored LFLs built on rural county properties. The objective was to improve rural residents\u27 health literacy and awareness of NIH\u27s All of Us Research Program. Methods: The libraries collaborated to select and purchase 424 consumer health books in English and Spanish. Online consumer health materials were selected and printed. Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots were also purchased, as the public library will collaborate with their county Health Department to conduct mobile health reference hours at the LFLs when possible. Health librarians conducted a one-day training for county health educators and public library employees on: health reference techniques; evaluating and using online health resources; health literacy; strategies for successful health tabling; and conveying the benefits of All of Us to patrons. The eHEALS eHealth Literacy Scale was administered before and after the training. Results: Nine LFLs have been installed in lower-income neighborhoods; all 30 will be completed by July 2021. To date, the most popular LFL location is at a sports complex with over 600 items circulated since April 2020. The most frequently restocked health resources are related to teaching children healthy habits. The eHEALS results demonstrated that the training day increased participants\u27 perceived ability to navigate health information online. Conclusions: Although not yet complete, this project has already improved rural residents\u27 awareness of and access to authoritative consumer health resources. Overall, the LFLs and the planned health reference sessions will contribute towards reducing health information disparities amongst underserved populations, as county residents are empowered to make effective use of information for health decision-making

Can You Credit This? A Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course for Graduate Health Science Students

Objective: University of Florida HSCL librarians have long offered information-related instruction through guest lectures in the programs they serve and stand-alone workshops; however, librarians had not taught any credit-bearing courses focused on information literacy prior to 2016. To more fully integrate information-related skills into curricula, librarians developed a one-credit course for graduate students, initially targeting those in basic science programs but expecting that its modular format would allow easy adaptation for other health science programs. After two successful semesters teaching this course, librarians adapted the instructional content to an audience of graduate students in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Methods: The basic science version of the course covered literature searching, bibliographic citation software, basic NCBI resources, funding sources, data management, and information ethics. In transforming the class for health professional students, librarians replaced the genetic and genomic resources sessions with introductory sessions on systematic reviews and grey literature. Conceptual material fit mapped well to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Framework. Health professions PhD program coordinators provided feedback on the syllabus and helped inform students about the course. Results: Formal student evaluation data is not yet available; however, informal feedback indicated that the course was incredibly valuable for doctoral students; one student even suggested making the course required. Student quiz scores and class discussion revealed that the choice of topics resonated with students, captured their interests, and fulfilled a need not met by their other courses. Conclusions: Developing and teaching a credit-bearing graduate course on information-related topics is one mechanism for librarians to further integrate into the curricula of their programs and broaden their reach. A course that has been developed and approved by a specific campus unit may prove relevant to other units and easily customized to fit their needs, thus increasing its impact

HIV/AIDS information promotion at the library: creative campaigns for young adults

Background: While rates of new HIV diagnoses have gone down nationally, Florida’s HIV-positive population is growing and remains one of the largest in the country. Given this landscape, it is clear that diverse, creative, and collaborative efforts are needed to better inform the public about HIV risks, prevention, and treatment and to encourage healthy behaviors. Case Presentation: Building on previous work, librarians at the University of Florida engaged in a yearlong project to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS risks, prevention, and treatment among university students and to improve their information-seeking behaviors related to this disease. The “Creative Campaigns” project included 3 distinct elements of activity and engagement, designed to complement one another: a graphic novel contest, a social media campaign, and training for campus health care providers. The contest yielded 4 high-quality submissions, and the monthlong social media campaign garnered over 50,000 views and utilized Facebook ads to extend beyond the library’s typical audience. The instruction proved useful to campus counseling and wellness staff. Conclusions: Overall, the team considered the project a success in terms of reaching new audiences in new ways, and several of its components have been integrated into subsequent projects and regular operations. Exploring new methods of outreach through social media and creative formats required careful planning and the development of new skill sets amongst project team members but proved to be a rewarding way to generate engagement in the local community

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer consensus statement on immunotherapy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies: multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and acute leukemia

Increasing knowledge concerning the biology of hematologic malignancies as well as the role of the immune system in the control of these diseases has led to the development and approval of immunotherapies that are resulting in impressive clinical responses. Therefore, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a hematologic malignancy Cancer Immunotherapy Guidelines panel consisting of physicians, nurses, patient advocates, and patients to develop consensus recommendations for the clinical application of immunotherapy for patients with multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and acute leukemia. These recommendations were developed following the previously established process based on the Institute of Medicine’s clinical practice guidelines. In doing so, a systematic literature search was performed for high-impact studies from 2004 to 2014 and was supplemented with further literature as identified by the panel. The consensus panel met in December of 2014 with the goal to generate consensus recommendations for the clinical use of immunotherapy in patients with hematologic malignancies. During this meeting, consensus panel voting along with discussion were used to rate and review the strength of the supporting evidence from the literature search. These consensus recommendations focus on issues related to patient selection, toxicity management, clinical endpoints, and the sequencing or combination of therapies. Overall, immunotherapy is rapidly emerging as an effective therapeutic strategy for the management of hematologic malignances. Evidence-based consensus recommendations for its clinical application are provided and will be updated as the field evolves

Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) for Pan-Genomic Evolutionary Studies of Non-Model Organisms

Background: High-throughput tools for pan-genomic study, especially the DNA microarray platform, have sparked a remarkable increase in data production and enabled a shift in the scale at which biological investigation is possible. The use of microarrays to examine evolutionary relationships and processes, however, is predominantly restricted to model or near-model organisms. Methodology/Principal Findings: This study explores the utility of Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) in evolutionary studies of non-model organisms. DArT is a hybridization-based genotyping method that uses microarray technology to identify and type DNA polymorphism. Theoretically applicable to any organism (even one for which no prior genetic data are available), DArT has not yet been explored in exclusively wild sample sets, nor extensively examined in a phylogenetic framework. DArT recovered 1349 markers of largely low copy-number loci in two lineages of seed-free land plants: the diploid fern Asplenium viride and the haploid moss Garovaglia elegans. Direct sequencing of 148 of these DArT markers identified 30 putative loci including four routinely sequenced for evolutionary studies in plants. Phylogenetic analyses of DArT genotypes reveal phylogeographic and substrate specificity patterns in A. viride, a lack of phylogeographic pattern in Australian G. elegans, and additive variation in hybrid or mixed samples. Conclusions/Significance: These results enable methodological recommendations including procedures for detecting and analysing DArT markers tailored specifically to evolutionary investigations and practical factors informing the decision to use DArT, and raise evolutionary hypotheses concerning substrate specificity and biogeographic patterns. Thus DArT is a demonstrably valuable addition to the set of existing molecular approaches used to infer biological phenomena such as adaptive radiations, population dynamics, hybridization, introgression, ecological differentiation and phylogeography

Collaboration Is Not Enough: Virtuous Cycles of Reform in Transportation Policy

Over the past two decades, a burgeoning literature has touted the promise of regional collaboration to address a wide range of issues. This article challenges the premise that horizontal collaboration alone can empower regional decisionmaking venues. By analyzing efforts to create regional venues for transportation policy making in Chicago and Los Angeles, the authors show that vertical power is essential to building regional capacities. Only by exercising power at multiple levels of the political system can local reformers launch a virtuous cycle of reform that begins to build enduring regional capacities