Demonstrating value : evaluation, assessment & other measures in health libraries

Health Libraries Association of BC (HLABC)Dean Giustini, UBC biomedical librarian| dean.giustini@ubc.ca |June 2014

Definition of value*

Value may be defined as:• What something is perceived to deserve in terms of its worth (or, usefulness)• To put a monetary value on something OR literally “to price it”

"your (health library) is of great value to the medical staff at the hospital“…could be based on anecdotes, opinions or … metrics / real evidence

Values may also refer to our “core beliefs”

Synonyms for value

The librarian brings value to the clinical team

…she brings MANY benefits, merits, value & is worth her weight “in gold”

The library collection is worth $1 million dollars:

…to evaluate, assess… “to estimate” (OR appraise, price, put/set a price on)

Source: http://diyblogger.net/value-proposition

Health libraries: sentimental value?

Marshall JG. The impact of the hospital library on clinical decision making: the Rochester study. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1992;80(2):169-78.

“Rochester Study”: the impact of hospital libraries

Joanne Gard Marshall…. used a “critical incident technique” in the Rochester study

"Putting value on the priceless: an independent assessment of the return on investment (ROI) of special libraries in Australia".

Canberra ACT, Australian Library & Information Association, 2014.

Landmark ALIA studies, 2014 Return on investment (ROI)

ALIA 2014 study found that:

For every $1 invested in special libraries,$5.43 return

• Health Libraries Australia. Worth every cent and more: an independent assessment of return on investment of health libraries in Australia, 2013.

• ALIA. Questions of life and death: an investigation into the value of health library and information services in Australia. Health Libraries Inc., 2012

Landmark health libraries’ ROI studies, 2014

$9 ROI for every $1 invested in health libraries …

“…health sciences librarians must do more with less [in 2013]. Since 2008, medical journals have increased in price by 30% but budgets have only increased 5.7%...

11% of librarian positions have been lost, and health libraries buy fewer information sources despite consortial purchasing…we must therefore build stronger evidence regarding the value of libraries …by bringing high-quality,

evidence-based information to the bedside & making patient care more efficient.”

Sollenberger. The evolving role and value of libraries and librarians in health care. JAMA. 2013

JAMA Viewpoint Column, 2013

• Marshall JG, Sollenberger J, et al. The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multi-site study. JMLA. 2013

“Rochester Study” 2014 UpdateExtend the Canadian arm at three (3) sites

Joan Bartlett, McGill University

Montreal QC

Dean Giustini, Vancouver Hospital,

Vancouver BC

Penny Logan,Capital Health Library Services

Halifax, Nova Scotia