libr534 managing a health library

Managing a health library

…bringing people & biomedical knowledge together

Dean Giustini, UBC biomed librarian (March 2012)SLAIS Adjunct faculty

Agenda


Skills of the health library manager

Librarian manage yourself

Empower others

Conflict

Standards (e.g., accreditation / personal)

Teaching & knowledge translation

Evidence-informed assessment

Skills of the health library manager

Communication

•Create new ideas & new knowledge

•Delegation

•Empowering others

•Investigating new ideas, tools, services

•Promoting high standards

•Teaching others


http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Managing_health_libraries

Interpersonal skills

Written communication

•Oral communication (e.g. use fewer words)

•Network with and remember other people

•Be warm, friendly & positive

•Observe what others are doing, interested in

•Pay attention to institutional ‘cultures’

•Learn how to manage your emotions


Teaching with BOPPPS

"... the BOPPPS model is a way of organizing lesson plans to ensure that

your workshops engage learners… that they are relevant, support lifelong

learning and what might be called ‘learning transfer’. The BOPPS

components are very useful in designing and delivering lessons. When all

of these components are considered, instructors can be creative in how

they order the components and, in some cases, combine them...“

http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/BOPPPS_Model (Handout I)


Teaching roles in:

• Lifelong learning

• Situated ‘cognition’ & teaching

• Community of practice

• Health library as electronic ‘petting zoo’

• Assessment & planning


http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/Teaching_health_library_users - (Handout II)

Evidence-informed teaching

• Think / write down your thoughts

• Pair up / share your thoughts

• 7-9 minutes

• Share your thoughts with larger group


Giustini D. Evidence-based teaching for health librarians.

JCHLA/JABSC. 2010;31(1)7-10.

• You choose how to react• Authority issues• Competition for resources• Differences over style• Low involvement• Misunderstanding between people• Personality clashes• Values• Communicate

Managing (your) emotions at work


Conflict has some value

AND constructive if: •It opens up lines of communication

•Gets conflict out in the open

•Builds team cohesion among library staff

•Causes reassessment of procedures & policies

•May promote positive attitude & behaviours

•Increases ‘buy in’ or improves library services


But conflict can be …

Destructive if:

• Relationships are damaged• Team spirit suffers• Energies are sapped away from mission• Differences in values among library staff are deepened• Cooperation is reduced• Morale sinks• Self-efficacy is reduced


(how)do you handle conflict?


Conflict styles

c= minimal cooperation a= minimal assertivenessC=maximum cooperation A=maximum assertiveness

• Avoidance small c, small a• Accommodate big C – small a• Competitive small c, big A• Compromise ~ big C / ~big A• Collaborate big C – big A

What are the implications (of each) in health libraries?


Future health library leaders

• Support research, education & patient care

• Politically-savvy & ‘political survivors’

• Know what happens in your organization

• Be an early adopter of information technologies

• Articulate new roles for health librarians / profession e.g.,

informatics, e-health, EHRs (electronic health records)

Class reading:Barron S, Manhas S. Electronic health record (EHR) projects in Canada: participation options for Canadian health librarians. JCHLA. 2011;32(3):137-143.


Challenges in health libraries

• Developing new leaders

• Fostering new models of library & information services

• Accommodating alternative career paths & roles

• Recruiting the best talent

• Identifying best practices

• Information glut


Benchmarks in Canada

• Learn from best practices

• Examine what your peers are doing define best practice(s) compare to your own information practice

• Identify opportunities for improvement (TQM)

• CHLA/ABSC Benchmarking Tool Kit• Agree on what to measure / how to measure it• Profiles, variables, indicators


Accreditation in Canada

• To be accredited means:• To meet (inter)national “standards of quality”• TQI / TQM processes

• Accreditation Canada • Leadership & partnership, environment, human resources, information

management

• CHLA/ABSC Standards“…the health organization provides 24x7 access to library and information services for

research-based evidence and best practice [and includes] print & e-resources, training and document delivery …managed by a professional librarian”


libr534 managing a health library

Education