Global Access to Health Information: The UNC Medical Library in Malawi
1
Global Access to Health Information: The UNC Medical Library in Malawi Susan Swogger, 1 Mamie Sackey Harris, 1 Myron S. Cohen, 1 Irving Hoffman, 1 Bernard Chilombe, 2 Innocent Mofolo, 2 Francis Martinson 2 1 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , 2 UNC Project-Malawi The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves five health affairs schools—dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health—as well as a robust health-care system. HSL also coordinates library services to the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). In 2008 HSL crafted a new vision to adapt to the changing needs of its constituents by playing an integral role in UNC’s growing global presence. HSL’s vision for 2020 is to be a leader in the global health information network and an essential campus and community partner which is working to improve the health and well-being of the people of North Carolina, the nation, and the world. The UNC Health Sciences Library UNC Project -Malawi The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been conducting research in Malawi since 1989, and in 1999 established UNC Project-Malawi in the capital city of Lilongwe. In 2003, UNC Project built Tidzewe Centre, a new state-of-the-art research, care and training facility on the grounds of Kamuzu Central Hospital. To meet an increasingly urgent need for better access to current health information and research, the Health Sciences Library partnered with UNC Project to build a medical library as a central part of the new center. The NIH Fogarty International Center's AIDS International Training and Research Program (5 D43 TW 001039) provided initial support. The UNC Project Library Internet Access: Internet access is slow, expensive, and often unreliable Accessibility: Available online resources are poorly organized and difficult to access for the average user Resource Availability: Local library print resources are severely limited, out-of-date, and of inferior quality Logistical Support: Transportation and shipping difficulties make print resources scarce Human Resources: Availability of trained staff and access to technical support is poor Needs Assessment Core Services Locally-hired reference librarian Up-to-date and organized print reference collection focused on clinical medicine, infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, epidemiology, and maternal/child health Small, current print journal collection with an emphasis on infectious diseases Four computers with open high- speed internet access through a dedicated VSAT Key Partners UNC Project-Malawi faculty and staff: Provide facilities, administration, and primary users Kamuzu Central Hospital: Provides local support, users, in-country connections UNC Health Sciences Library: Provides technical support, professional library expertise, collection development assistance, and training N.C. Area Health Education Centers: Provide structure and security of electronic resource interface for UNC employees in Malawi UNC Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases (IGHID): Provides administrative support and funding Other local medical institutions & schools: Provide users, connections to local medical community Factors for Success Funding: IGHID continues to provide support, largely from grant overhead Technical Support: HSL commits professional staff time for ongoing remote support and regular travel exchanges between the U.S. Human Resources: Interaction between HSL development collections librarian and Lilongwe library staff Logistical Support: IGHID manages transport of and payment for new library materials Electronic Resource Support: The AHEC Digital Library provides infrastructure and ability to offer multiple levels of access to electronic resources Benefits Beyond UNC Project Provides a much-needed clearinghouse for local medical and epidemiological data and reports not otherwise collected in one place Current and well-maintained health research library is essential to the growing number of Malawian health practitioners earning master's and doctoral degrees Library resources support growth HSL – From Local to Global The partnership with the UNC Project Library has enabled HSL to collaborate with libraries around the world more effectively and thereby better support UNC’s global research and outreach interests. Providing this kind of support requires strong local and institutional partnerships, such as the collaboration with IGHID. It also requires establishing new international partnerships. HSL has effectively done this in several ways: Ties Between Senior-Level Leadership: Top administrators from IGHID & HSL serve on each other's advisory boards Cross-campus Collaboration: HSL pursues possibilities of joint grant proposals with IGHID and other UNC units dealing with global health Internal HSL Global Health Taskforce: Shapes HSL’s commitment to global health research North Carolina Outreach UNC and HSL strengthen local health care by providing Continuing Challenges Funding: Stable funding specifically for library services Human Resources: High turnover of trained staff Internet Access: Slow and intermittent internet access despite dedicated VSAT Tidzewe Centre (Photo: Susan Swogger) Using electronic resources at UNC Project Library (Photo: Susan Swogger) Levels of access available to UNC Project Library Patrons General Public Enhanced current health information resources for practitioners, engagement with UNC Project Local Medical Practitioners and Students Free Internet access, all other benefits of library UNC Project Employees Access to most UNC resources via ADL authentication, all other benefits UNC Faculty and Students Full access to UNC resources, print reference and journal resources, and access to local librarian
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General Public Enhanced current health information resources for practitioners , engagement with UNC Project. Local Medical Practitioners and Students Free Internet access, all other benefits of library. The UNC Health Sciences Library. UNC Project -Malawi. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Global Access to Health Information: The UNC Medical Library in Malawi
Global Access to Health Information: The UNC Medical Library in MalawiSusan Swogger,1 Mamie Sackey Harris,1 Myron S. Cohen,1 Irving Hoffman,1 Bernard Chilombe,2 Innocent Mofolo,2 Francis Martinson2
1The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , 2UNC Project-Malawi
The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves five health affairs schools—dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health—as well as a robust health-care system. HSL also coordinates library services to the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). In 2008 HSL crafted a new vision to adapt to the changing needs of its constituents by playing an integral role in UNC’s growing global presence.HSL’s vision for 2020 is to be a leader in the global health information network and an essential campus and community partner which is working to improve the health and well-being of the people of North Carolina, the nation, and the world.
The UNC Health Sciences Library UNC Project -Malawi
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been conducting research in Malawi since 1989, and in 1999 established UNC Project-Malawi in the capital city of Lilongwe. In 2003, UNC Project built Tidzewe Centre, a new state-of-the-art research, care and training facility on the grounds of Kamuzu Central Hospital. To meet an increasingly urgent need for better access to current health information and research, the Health Sciences Library partnered with UNC Project to build a medical library as a central part of the new center. The NIH Fogarty International Center's AIDS International Training and Research Program (5 D43 TW 001039) provided initial support.
The UNC Project Library
Internet Access: Internet access is slow, expensive, and often unreliable
Accessibility: Available online resources are poorly organized and difficult to access for the average user
Resource Availability: Local library print resources are severely limited, out-of-date, and of inferior quality
Logistical Support: Transportation and shipping difficulties make print resources scarce
Human Resources: Availability of trained staff and access to technical support is poor
Needs Assessment
Core Services
Locally-hired reference librarian Up-to-date and organized print reference collection
focused on clinical medicine, infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, epidemiology, and maternal/child health
Small, current print journal collection with an emphasis on infectious diseases
Four computers with open high-speed internet access through a dedicated VSAT
An array of organized online resources and research tools
Key Partners
UNC Project-Malawi faculty and staff: Provide facilities, administration, and primary users
Kamuzu Central Hospital: Provides local support, users, in-country connections
UNC Health Sciences Library: Provides technical support, professional library expertise, collection development assistance, and training
N.C. Area Health Education Centers: Provide structure and security of electronic resource interface for UNC employees in Malawi
UNC Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases (IGHID): Provides administrative support and funding
Other local medical institutions & schools: Provide users, connections to local medical community
Factors for Success
Funding: IGHID continues to provide support, largely from grant overhead
Technical Support: HSL commits professional staff time for ongoing remote support and regular travel exchanges between the U.S. and Malawi
Human Resources: Interaction between HSL development collections librarian and Lilongwe library staff
Logistical Support: IGHID manages transport of and payment for new library materials
Electronic Resource Support: The AHEC Digital Library provides infrastructure and ability to offer multiple levels of access to electronic resources
Benefits Beyond UNC Project
Provides a much-needed clearinghouse for local medical and epidemiological data and reports not otherwise collected in one place
Current and well-maintained health research library is essential to the growing number of Malawian health practitioners earning master's and doctoral degrees
Library resources support growth of an increasingly functional health-care system, building positive local perception of the UNC Project
HSL – From Local to Global
The partnership with the UNC Project Library has enabled HSL to collaborate with libraries around the world more effectively and thereby better support UNC’s global research and outreach interests. Providing this kind of support requires strong local and institutional partnerships, such as the collaboration with IGHID.
It also requires establishing new international partnerships. HSL has effectively done this in several ways:
Ties Between Senior-Level Leadership: Top administrators from IGHID & HSL serve on each other's advisory boards
Cross-campus Collaboration: HSL pursues possibilities of joint grant proposals with IGHID and other UNC units dealing with global health
Internal HSL Global Health Taskforce: Shapes HSL’s commitment to global health research
North Carolina Outreach UNC and HSL strengthen local health care by
providing opportunity for global connections HSL houses the AHEC digital library, which
promotes health education and research across North Carolina and provides the infrastructure for secure extension of resources to global research partners
Continuing Challenges
Funding: Stable funding specifically for library services Human Resources: High turnover of trained staff Internet Access: Slow and intermittent internet access
despite dedicated VSAT
Tidzewe Centre (Photo: Susan Swogger)
Using electronic resources at UNC Project Library (Photo: Susan Swogger)Levels of access available to UNC Project Library Patrons
General PublicEnhanced current health information
resources for practitioners, engagement with UNC Project
Local MedicalPractitioners and Students
Free Internet access, all other benefits of library
UNC Project EmployeesAccess to most UNC resources via ADL
authentication, all other benefits
UNC Facultyand Students
Full access to UNC resources, print
reference and journal resources, and access
to local librarian
