Health Literacy Connection
Today I’m Thinking About… Literacy
I recently read an article about Literacy (not health literacy per se just the whole concept of literacy) (“Fast-Forward or Rewind: Considering Literacy and 21st Century Sponsors” by Helen Collins Sitler Phi Kappa Phi Forum 88/4 Fall 2008 pp.24). Sitler quotes literacy expert Kylene Beers who defines literacy as moving, “from simply signing one’s name to being able to read…. to having the ability to know, to analyze, and to explain.” Beers goes on to explain that literacy has again evolved into “creative thinking [where] production, not consuming, information is the measure of success.”
I started thinking about how the discussion of health literacy has often focused on the consumer’s ability to “consume” (or as I translate it –understand) health education materials. I’m thinking that as health sciences librarians we need to keep much of the focus on the ability to generate and create information. I believe that the focus of health literacy has to be on the practitioners and health educators and their ability to translate information into an understandable, coherent document. Ultimately (or ideally) this would in turn lead to an increased consumption (understanding) of health education materials.
Today at Work
Can you say linking, linking, linking? There is a problem with the Ebsco Local Collections tool, its not letting me add new titles either by uploading or browsing and adding. This is throwing a bit of a monkey wrench in my current plan to enhance our linking capability. I’m hoping for some good news from Ebsco support. On the Ovid Link Solver front, I’m currently struggling with the reality than no linking tool is designed for the complexity of our consortia. I really really wish, however, that there was a way to add the Link Solver link with the embedded userid & pw rather than having to rely on IP. IP authentication really isn’t the be all and end all in my world. …. And to think I wasn’t going to discuss linking today.
BTW…. I also worked on finishing a prototype demo/tutorial of our password changing function. It was really just a learning tool…. not yet ready for public consumption
Swine Flu Resources
Update Disaster Preparedness Special Collection
At first I resisted adding a section of Swine Flu resources to the ADL, but after a flurry of emails I decided that it would be the right thing to do. We had an existing Disaster Preparedness collection so I just added a Swine Flu section. I kept the links small in number. The librarians at the UNC Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library and at East Carolina had already pulled resources together, so it was easy to add links to our collection.
The NC AHEC Program was pulling together its CE courses and already had an online pandemic preparedness course, so I also included a link to that course.
We also have the ability to pull direct RSS feeds onto our pages so we pulled in the WHO and the CDC feeds. The pandemic.gov feed will be forthcoming; there was something buggy about it.
Swine Flu Links
The direct link to our collection is
http://library.ncahec.net/disaster.cfm
Links in that collection include:
CDC Swine Flu
Guidance for Clinicians & Public Health Professionals
Enviro-Health Links – Swine Flu
NC Center for Public Health Preparedness Swine Flu Resources
Pandemic Influenza CE Course
Swine Flu Resources – UNC Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library
Swine Flu Information – East Carolina University Laupus Health Sciences Library
More Linking
More Linking
As I look over the things I work on, linking is frequently popping up. Today I worked on resolving some linking issues trying to ensure that the links were only appearing for the appropriate issue. I am in the happy position of having many linking options. Due to the consortial nature of our work I have access to Ovid’s Link Solver for some of our sites, we have Serials Solutions 360 Link for another of our site, and of course there is PubMed’s Link Out, and the included linking solutions with Ebsco and Ovid. Today’s issues stemmed from using Ebsco’s built in linking out to external sources (so linking from our Ebsco Cinahl out to our Ovid journals) and ensuring that the links to the Ovid journals were only appearing for the correct journals. I believe I have figured out what is wrong and I think I know how to correct it, but I’m wondering if I wouldn’t just be better off implementing our Ovid Link Solver subscription her.
Further Thoughts on Linking
Although its an older article, “The Lure of Linking” (John McDonald, Eric F. Van De Velde) Library Journal April 1, 2004 http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA405398.html provides an excellent summary of many of the issues facing linking today. I agree whole heartedly with their statement that, “Reference linking is necessary because library and information users today expect to move seamlessly among library content and information on the Internet.”
What amazes me is that I know our linking implementation is far from perfect and maybe I know too much about the inherent problems, but my thought tonight is this, knowing all of the problems we have with our linking implementation why don’t we hear more problem reports.
- Is this because our user’s aren’t using linking
- Are our users more adaptable at figuring out their way through the linking maze than I credit them with (pls excuse bad grammar)
- Is it because they just don’t report their issues?
ANCHASL Spring 2009 Meeting – MLA CE Course – Screencasting
During this time of economic recovery ANCHASL, recognizing that both your time and money are tight, is pleased to present their Spring 2009 “Stimulus Package”.
Dale Prince of the NNLM SE/A will be joining us on June 19, 2009 in Raleigh at the D.H. Hill Library on the campus of North Carolina State University to present the MLA course “Screencasting” (4 CE hours). In his presentation, Dale will be concentrating on tools that can be downloaded free of charge. ANCHASL will also be offering a reduced rate for this CE meeting ($40 for members, $55 for non-members and an especially attractive rate of $20 for ANCHASL student members), in acknowledgement of the fact that many of us have experienced cuts in funding for travel and education.
Please join us on June 19 for this not-to-be missed educational opportunity. In these ‘interesting’ economic times, ANCHASL is rising to the challenge!
(A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Brownstone in Raleigh for the night of June 18. To qualify for the meeting rate of $85, please contact the hotel at 800-331-7919 no later than May 28. Be sure to provide the meeting code which is “ANC”).
Stay Tuned for Registration Information
Directions and Parking Information:
Directions to the D.H. Hill Library are available at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/directions/dhhill/
*Once you have reached the D.H. Hill Library, the meeting registration is in the Faculty Senate Chambers on the second floor of the West Wing of the library (see map at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/libmaps/dhhillmap.html). The CE course is in the ITTC lab on the second floor of the East Wing of the library. Signs will be posted the day of the meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Kris Alpi at 919-513-6219 or kristine_alpi@ncsu.edu.
Parking information is available at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/parking/
Hotel (Brownstone Inn in Raleigh):
Holiday Inn Brownstone Hotel & Conference Center
1707 Hillsborough Street – Raleigh, NC 27605
Toll Free 800-331-7919
Tel: (919) 828-0811 – Fax: (919) 834-0904
http://www.brownstonehotel.com
Engrossed in New Projects
Today At Work
I finished a draft of a user’s guide. I did a 3 fold brochure using Microsoft Publisher. I think it worked pretty well as a quick guide format. We’ll see what feedback emerges.
I started working with Adobe Captivate today to try to create some online tutorials. This whole project is stretching my brain in new directions. I decided to start with a very discrete project – showing user’s how to access our site and change their passwords and usernames.
I’m looking forward to our ANCHASL Spring meeting on June 19. Dale Prince is coming down to teach the MLA Screencasting class. I learn something useful and get 4 CE credits.
Today I’m Thinking About
Microtrends – Neo-Luddites
Mark Penn writes in his book Microtrends that, “if you have taken a conscious stance against gadgets and gizmos, declined to use the Internet…then you may qualify” [as a Neo-Luddite] (pg. 257)
One of my favorite doctor’s in the world hates computers and is loathe to use them. How many more of our users are like that? I manage an entirely digital library but I’m still aware of the need to continue to provide services (especially in light of more resources going online) to those who just aren’t all that into technology. And according to Microtrends its not just a generational phenomena.
Microtrends:The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Changes. by Mark Penn & E. Kinney Zalsene
Today’s Project = User’s Guide
Today At Work
I spent most of today working on a user’s guide. I found it incredibly challenging to try to put all the content someone might need to know about our portal into a 3 page brochure. Yikes. I guess I need to go back and revist my education roots.
Today I’m Thinking About
Microtrends – Long Attention Spanners
Mark Penn writes in his book Microtrends that, “It is conventional wisdom that America’s attention span is shrinking…” but “… some people operate on a totally different wavelength… they want more depth, more information, real answers to more of life’s questions.” (pg. 195)
I love it when ideas pop up to challenge convention wisdom. Is it true? How much impact will this have? Its hard to stay, but very interesting to ponder.
Microtrends:The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Changes. by Mark Penn & E. Kinney Zalsene
Hello world!
Welcome to my professional blog! I’m just going to dive right in!!
- Today I finally finished entering our preceptors into our database
- Linking Post 1 – I worked on linking journals today (does Open URL really rock?) This is such an important technology, but for today I post the following thoughts on linking (some are borrowed liberally from others)
- Linking is not a perfect science
- Linking is rapidly becoming a necessary evil (evil only because its delightfully quirky)
- Linking seems more art than science
- When it comes to linking Patton’s quote, “a good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow” is all too true
