Background and objectives: As a result of their involvement in a campus health fair, the authors of this paper became interested in the extent to which other academic libraries were engaged in health information outreach (HIO). The authors present the results of a nationwide survey they conducted in 2010 and share a specific example of HIO at their own institution. Methods: The authors conducted an online survey of approximately 1700 U.S. general academic and academic health science libraries with the objective to create a broad picture of HIO activity and its context within patron information-seeking behavior. Results: The survey yielded a 21% response rate. Nearly 55% of all respondents indicated that their libraries did not participate in HIO, while 37% indicated that they did. Other responses yielded information on patron usage patterns concerning health information, specific types of HIO that libraries are involved in, and barriers to library involvement in HIO. Conclusions: As libraries' traditional roles and information delivery methods evolve, librarians must do more to provide services that are relevant and accessible to users. Even as virtual services become more commonplace, librarians involved in HIO should consider also increasing their visibility by collaborating with others on campus.Keywords: academic libraries, collaboration, consumer health information, health information needs, health science libraries, information seeking behaviour, library outreach, students, surveys, United States of America
Key Messages• Academic libraries should become familiar with national goals to promote campus-community health.• For maximum support and effectiveness of health information outreach (HIO) endeavours, a library should align its mission with its institutional mission.• Librarians are encouraged to seek out collaborations with other professionals at their institutions to maximize resources and effectiveness in the delivery of HIO.• Libraries should evaluate their campus constituents' healthcare information needs on a regular basis.• Librarians should consider students as a target group when delivering consumer health information.
This descriptive study analyzes results from an 18-item survey that assessed students' usage and perceptions of library reference services at a comprehensive public metropolitan university. Among 235 surveys completed between November 2016 and January 2017, the majority of respondents represented the "Generation Z" population of college students, 18 to 24 years of age. Quantitative and qualitative findings revealed patterns of reference service usage, perceptions of librarians, and barriers and facilitators to seeking help from a librarian. These findings can inform decision making to improve marketing and outreach to students regarding general reference services, reference models, and liaison roles.
Background
As follow‐up to their previous survey on health information outreach (HIO) in 2010, the authors became interested in the evolving nature of HIO activities at academic libraries within the past decade.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to understand how HIO activities at academic libraries have evolved since 2010, especially considering the current COVID‐19 pandemic.
Methods
An online survey, designed to collect quantitative data on general HIO activities and qualitative data specifically on COVID‐19 information outreach, was distributed to over 1700 librarians at US general academic and academic health science libraries.
Results
Two hundred and fifty‐five respondents completed the survey. Quantitative findings generally paralleled the 2010 results, except in a few areas. Most notably, a greater percentage of librarians in 2020 were participating in HIO (44%) than in 2010 (37%). Qualitative findings revealed that librarians are leveraging traditional information services and implementing innovative partnerships to promote reputable health information resources on COVID‐19.
Discussion
Evidence suggests that further engagement and campus partnerships can enhance libraries' supportive roles as trustworthy purveyors of quality health information.
Conclusion
US academic librarians are increasingly engaging in HIO to support the health information needs of campus communities and should consider aligning outreach activities with national health goals.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.