Lifelong learning for “Long Day” Librarians

							Lifelong learning for
“Long Day” Librarians

CE for EBL
Andrew Booth, Senior Lecturer in
Evidence Based Healthcare Information
Barriers to EBP

 Time constraints
 Lack of skills
 Lack of relevance of research
 Problems with physical availability
 Problems with intellectual availability (e.g. poor
  bibliographic control of research findings).
 Language barriers.
 Variety of disciplines in which relevant literature
  may be found.
Three approaches

 Addressing skills and relevance :
  CriSTAL Course
 Addressing time and relevance:
  TEMPL:ATE Course
 Addressing skills and time: FOLIO
  Course
Critical Skills Training in
Appraisal for Librarians
 To give librarians skills in appraisal
 To equip them with tools to appraise
  library literature
 To emphasise relevance of EBL to daily
  practice

 [Half-day workshop later built into full-
  day]
CriSTAL - 1
 You are concerned with the increasing theft rate
  of your more expensive volumes. Your well-
  intentioned colleague suggests you purchase
  the Kleptomate Security System.
 What information sources would you use to
  help you make this purchasing decision?
  Working in groups list one possible information
  source on each index card provided.
 Place completed index cards face upwards on a
  table or on the floor. Sort them into order with
  most authoritative sources at top and least
  authoritative at the bottom.
CriSTAL – 2a
 You have joined a local implementation group
  working at improving access to and use of
  information resources in your community.
  However, there is considerable disagreement
  as how best to spend available finances.
 One of the medical staff comes into the next
  meeting with a photocopy. “This article from the
  Hospital Medicine is all the evidence we need”.
  You examine the article in question:
      Freeth, D.S. et al Provision of an electronic library
       at the clinical frontline: an evaluation of impact on
       hospital medical staff. Hospital Medicine 2001; 62
       (1) pp. 43-46
CriSTAL – 2b

 The group considers this article at its next
  meeting. Using the checklist answer:
 1. Is this article suitable evidence to inform the
  group’s decision? YES / NO / DON’T KNOW
 2. Should the local implementation group
  purchase the evidence databases for its
  primary health care teams? YES/ NO / DON’T
  KNOW
 3. If your answer to question 2 is “NO” or
  “DON’T KNOW” what other information do you
  need?
   Towards Effective Management &
   Practice for Librarians: Acting on
   The Evidence
 Identify service or management issue of concern to
  librarians
 Specify focused question to initiate search for
  evidence
 Analyse results of literature search and appraise for
  quality and applicability
 Produce practice guideline optimising research
  evidence and professional opinion.

 [Half-day - Identifying the Issue - then 6-8 weeks
  later full-day – Resolving the Issue]
TEMPL:ATE - 1

 Identify an area to benefit from a practice
    guideline (high cost, high volume, great
    variation)
   Place it within EBL domain
   Allocate ten priority points among all the areas
    identified by the group
   Total priority points multiplied by number of
    voters gives overall priority score
   This becomes the guideline topic – e.g.
    electronic journals
TEMPL:ATE - 2

 Sifting the evidence [Relevance]
 Appraising the evidence [Rigour]
 Producing statements
 Grading evidence
 Presenting the evidence – Guidelines,
  Algorithms and Decision analyses
 Filling in the gaps – peer review
Facilitated Online Learning
Interactive Opportunity
 Pilot programme of three courses;
  project management; evaluating your
  service & evidence based librarianship
 250; 150 & 400+ delegates
 Three week duration
 20 daily-ish email messages; three
  weekly briefings; quizzes; opinion polls;
  interaction with buddy/group [tasks or
  discussion questions]
         Structure of EBL Course

 Introduction             Appraising the Evidence
 Icebreaker               Appraisal in Practice
 Definitions              CrISTAL Online
 Vote on Definitions      Vote Verdict
 Brief Pre-history        Applying the Results
 Domains of EBL Quiz      DIY Appraisal
 EBL Process              Evaluating your Performance
 Focusing the question    Disseminating results
 Finding the evidence     Systematic Reviews/Priorities
                            Vote/Evaluation/Portfolio
Evaluation : Quantitative
 In terms of the CONTENT in the EBL Folio Course......
  A. All of it was new to me [15]
  B. Most of it was new to me [55]
  C. About half of it was new to me [44]
  D. Most of it was already known to me [12]
  E. All of it was already known to me [0]
  Invalid Response [9]
 In terms of the DELIVERY of the course.....
  A. I thought it was sufficiently varied to remain
  interesting [115]
  B. I didn't think it was sufficiently varied [7]
  C. It was boring [2]
  Invalid Response [11]
    Evaluation : Quantitative
 3. Compared with a face-to-face course....
  A. MORE information via distance learning course [36]
  B. SAME amount of information via distance learning course
  [62]
  C. LESS information via distance learning course [27]
   Invalid Response [10]
 4. Was the course a good use of your time?
  A. Definitely [79]
  B. Probably [40]
  C. Probably not [5]
  D. Definitely not [2]
  Invalid Response [9]
 5. Would you recommend this course to a colleague?
  A. Definitely [71]
  B. Probably [50]
  C. Probably not [4]
  D. Definitely not [1]
  Invalid Response [9]
               Median Maximums % Maximums
     Evaluation : Quantitative
Email messages 8      33       24%
Web/Ppt        8      28+(1) 21.5%
Facilitation   8      25       18.5%
Administration 8      24       18%
Voting         8      18       13%
Quiz           8      14       10%
Buddy Group 5         6        4%
Evaluation : What went well

 Internationalisation
 Flexibility
 The content
 The Powerpoint Exercise
 Voting
 Portfolio
 Free!
Evaluation : What went not so
well
 Using already existent discussion list
 Buddy system
 Workload distribution
 Timing [MLA Conference]
 Time consuming
 Self-publicity
Evaluation : What do
differently next time
 Smaller numbers
 One-to-one buddy system
 Curriculum in advance
 Possibly pre-course reading
 Readings available
 Shared discussion threads
 More interaction and feedback
 Longer time period
 Separate administration
       And finally……
 As an African (from Congo-Brazzaville) I was pleased
  to share my experience and skills with Librarians from
  other continents. These courses will really broaden our
  skills. Through them I am proud to belong to one
  world.
 Just to say thanks for running such a useful course. I
  can’t travel much (owing to domestic arrangements) so
  online learning is proving an invaluable way for me to
  keep up to date professionally.
 The best thing was……Learning about EBL in a
  flexible format, completing work when you had time,
  reflecting on barriers to implementation and how much
  more there is still to do.
Acknowledgements

Alberta Society for Evidence
 Based Librarians
John Campbell Travel Bursary
Participants on the CriSTAL,
 TEMPL:ATE & FOLIO Courses.