Summary:

This project provides a knowledgeable, supportive health information librarian ("Consumer Health Information Coordinator") who will work with the staff at each of six Community Partner organizations to implement an effective health information module at their site and to promote the use of NLM consumer health databases to their clients and the general public. The goal is to enhance consumer access to reliable health information. The Consumer Health Information Coordinator will assist each Partner in setting up or improving:

1. a virtual library (our www.holyokehealth.info website with links to NLM databases)
2. a reference shelf containing a few essential books (dictionaries, guides, atlas of body)
3. training and mentoring in the use of virtual and reference material.

Progress toward major objectives of the project: (based on Project Timeline)

Notify Community Partners of funding. Call meeting of Community Partners; review project goals, funding, activities. At the Annual Meeting on October 18th, four out of six partner agencies were represented: the Holyoke Public Library, Providence Prenatal Center (formerly Mercy Women's Health Center), Holyoke Health Center, and the Holyoke Council on Aging. We reviewed our goals, timeline, funding, and anticipated activities. We spoke with representatives of Nuestras Raices and Girls, Inc., at other times.

Form search committee, review job description for Consumer Health Information Coordinator. Completed, with Sandy Ward, Maria Pagan, and Olivia Mausel constituting the search committee.

Advertise Coordinator position via email lists. The position was advertised/announced in the following places: the CAPHIS listserv of the Medical Library Association; New England Jobline of Simmons GSLIS; Career Point; Connecticut Valley Chapter of the Special Library Association (CVC-SLA); the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS); NAHSL-L; and our own Holyoke Consumer Health Library website.

Issue press release about project, receipt of grant, and open position. The Mayor's office has been very supportive and offered to help in contacting the press. In fact, Mayor Michael J. Sullivan surprised us with his own press conference, presenting a Civic Pride Award to our Project Manager, Sandy Ward (see attached newspaper articles).

Review applications, interview candidates for Consumer Health Information Coordinator. Hire Consumer Health Information Coordinator. We recruited and hired a librarian for our new part-time position. Jennifer Hartley began on October 18, 2004 and was introduced at the HCHL Annual Meeting that day.

Orient Coordinator to HCHL, partner organizations, and Holyoke. Sandy Ward provided the Coordinator with a thorough orientation to HCHL, each of the six partner agencies, and the City of Holyoke. The Coordinator attended a CHNA Forum and had the opportunity to meet representatives from a variety of city and regional agencies, including Maritza Smidy of Providence Prenatal Center. The Coordinator met additional people, including Holyoke Health Center's Director Jay Breines, during a DPH Forum held at Holyoke Community College. The Coordinator also met with Gail Weirick, assistant director of the Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities, and received an introduction to their library. In addition, the Coordinator met and spoke with Mayor Michael Sullivan after making his acquaintance at a downtown revitalization meeting.

Purchase laptop and projector (after reviewing specs with new Coordinator). An HP Pavilion zv5000t laptop has been ordered from Circuit City and is expected to be available for pick-up in mid-December. The Project Manager and Coordinator jointly determined that purchasing a projector would be superfluous for the following reasons: most trainings for this project would be conducted one-on-one; the trainees would be encouraged to use active, hands-on learning rather than passive, receptive learning; and there are alternate resources within the city of Holyoke that HCHL could use should the need for a projector arise.

Design evaluation form and method for training sessions. The Coordinator designed and distributed an assessment form to each member of the public library staff. Using the assessment forms that were returned, she designed a customized curriculum focusing on challenges to providing health information in the public library as well as a comprehensive review of MedlinePlus, Clinical Trials.gov, and NIH Senior Health. She distributed a number of handouts, including the standard English-language MedlinePlus brochure available from the website, a Fact Sheet about the Holyoke Consumer Health Library, a list of useful websites that had been covered in the session, and an evaluation form for participants to fill out at the end (see attached). These preparations were greatly facilitated by viewing the MedlinePlus online tutorial, attending a workshop on consumer health facilitated by Michelle Eberle, Consumer Health Information Coordinator for NN/LM- New England Region, and receiving further, individualized suggestions from Ms. Eberle.

Conduct training of Public Library staff re NLM databases. To date, five members of the public library staff have received training. Training of additional staff members is planned on the basis of immediate, one-on-one negotiation of availability throughout December 2004 and January 2005. The evaluation forms that have been received thus far have been uniformly positive, both in their response to the content of the training and to the skills of the Coordinator.

Decide in collaboration with partners the phasing of module implementation. We have established an approximate schedule with each partner agency of who will be trained and when. We are remaining flexible in order to accommodate the needs of our partners.

Seek additional grants for continuation/expansion of this project. The Project Manager and the Coordinator attended an orientation at the Western Massachusetts Funding Resource Center (WMFRC). Subsequently, the Coordinator conducted a search for appropriate grants using FCSearch, the large database of grants available at WMFRC. We are considering applying to two foundations, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Irene and George Davis Foundation, for additional funds to support the project.

Impediments or delays.

Set up contract/memo of understanding with NN/LM (UMass/Worcester). There were delays on both ends, caused in part by the multiple levels of bureaucracy and lack of coordination. The September-October period was extremely busy for both the Project Manager (beginning of academic year in her college job) and the Library Director (trying to fill 3 vacancies), so we hardly noticed the delay. Nor did we notice the contract package when it finally arrived in early October. We were surprised to learn that the 18-month time period had already started September 1, prior to signing of the contract.

Prepare desk space, voicemail, and email address for new hire. This has proven more difficult to accomplish than anticipated. An email address has been established, but without an assigned desk or computer or phoneline, the Coordinator still lacks a "base" of operation. The Library Director has been preoccupied with hiring, training, and scheduling several other new staff members, so there has been very little time to resolve logistical questions about our project. One desk space in the Reference Room has been suggested, but it isn't ready yet and there are several reasons why this may not be a good solution. The point of this grant-funded position is to TRAIN and mentor library staff, rather than responding directly to the public. If the staff gets used to seeing the Coordinator as THE health person, they might not develop their own skills using MedlinePlus and other resources. As for telephone messages, we are still uncertain how to set up voicemail through the Holyoke Public Library (or City) telephone system. Currently, we instruct people to use email or call the Holyoke Public Library's general phone number and ask for Jennifer Hartley. An in-box for written messages and mail has been set up for her.

Plan and schedule training of Public Library staff re NLM databases. After discussing the issue of scheduling with the Library Director, it was determined that staff will be predominantly trained one-on-one given significant staffing limitations and the need to keep the front desk covered. This fall has been a transition period as new staff members are being trained to do their regular jobs, causing training on consumer health to be delayed.

Issue press release re arrival of Consumer Health Information Coordinator. We decided to wait until after the Coordinator is more settled (with desk location, telephone answering system) and after she has had time to train most of the public service HPL staff. Publicity for the project will hopefully bring more people to the Public Library, and we want the HPL staff to be well-trained and ready.

Plans for the next Quarter

Coordinator Jennifer Hartley will continue to train staff at the Holyoke Public Library to use NLM consumer health databases. She will begin to conduct trainings of staff at several of the partner sites, e.g., the Council on Aging, Providence Prenatal Center, the Teen Center, and Nuestras Raices. Working with partner agencies, she will begin developing reference collections tailored to the needs at their sites. We intend to resolve the logistical issues (desk, laptop, voicemail) and design some signage to help identify our project at each site. We will issue press releases at appropriate stages.

Attachments:

• Position Description
• Grant Fact Sheet prepared for September 17 press conference with Mayor of Holyoke
• Newspaper articles after September 17 meeting with Mayor
• Photo of Award from Mayor
• Staff survey (assessment)
• Grant Factsheet with Jennifer Hartley's contact information
• Handouts created for November 29 training
• MedlinePlus brochure downloaded and printed for November 29 training
• Evaluation forms
• Outreach Reporting Forms:
  • Outreach Activites Data Collection Form
  • Outreach Activites Participant Information Sheet