# Presentation: 007647

## Informationist Services at the NIH Library

- Susan Whitmore
- Chief, Information & Education Services Branch
- NIH Library
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- June 2008

## NIH Library Setting

- National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland
- NIH has 20,000 employees, about half are in scientific or clinical positions
- Library has 54 full-time employees and 20 contractors
- Biomedical research library that supports U.S. government agency engaged in translational bench-to-bedside research
- Library services available through website and informationist service

## Informationists at NIH

-  Program started in 2001
- Currently 14 informationists serving over 40 groups in 16 institutes or centers
- Information specialists trained in information science and a specific subject area – biomedicine, behavioral or social sciences
- Embedded in clinical or research environment
- Collaborators

##  Initiating the Service

- Endorsement by management
- Team mentor
- Acculturation

## Training in Scientific or Clinical Subjects

- NIH courses
- Local universities and colleges
- Online courses
- CEU and conference attendance
- Tailored in-house courses
- Tuition and release time

## Job Responsibilities - Clinical

- Rounds
- Protocol development and review
- Database knowledge or access
- Analysis of literature
- Individualized instruction
- Manuscripts
- Current awareness

## Job Responsibilities - Research

- Bibliometric analysis of the literature
- Manuscripts
- Journal clubs
- Database development and population
- Chemical structure, patent and competitive intelligence literature searches
- Analyze microarray data
- International efforts

## Informationists – Bringing the Library to the Researcher Robison, R., D.G. Cooper, M.E. Ryan. 2007. NIH Research Festival Poster

- Qualitative research
- Key informant interviews and critical incident reporting
- Clinical 72%, Research 12%, Administrative 8%, Other 8%
- Interview questions

## Major Themes – Robison et al.

- Skills of informationist
*Bibliographic expert*
*Portal to unfamiliar resources*
- Impact of informationist
*Time-saver*
*Trainer*
*Library interface*
- Perceptions of informationist
*Teammate*

## How Do You Know If You Are Successful?

- Metrics
- Critical incidents
- Survey

## Metrics – Literature Searching

## Metrics - Acknowledgements and Co-Authorship

## Critical Incidents Database

- Comments – “...besides you are part of our team”
- Cash award from client – “..I want to show off one of our own”
- Office space
- Acceptance – “Gee, it really is helpful to have your assistance”
- Request for informationist service
- Fill in for research staff
- Request to be co-author of systematic review
- Request to provide course module/training for new fellows

## Survey

- Focus group 2003, surveys in 2004 & 2006
- Major survey findings:
*More able to pursue answers to their questions*
*Time less of an obstacle*
*Information easier to find*
*Wider range of resources consulted*
*Informationist added expertise, found info they wouldn’t have found, added thoroughness, saved them time, reduced workload*
*Loyalty to informationist*
*Recognition of value of subject expertise*
- Need for more research – local and multisite

## Lessons Learned

- Get high level buy in
- Find a mentor
- Be flexible
- Develop subject expertise
- Be visible

## Contact Information

- _[Susan_whitmore@nih.gov](mailto:Susan_whitmore@nih.gov)_
- 301-496-1157
- Whitmore, S.C., S. F. Grefsheim, J.A. Rankin. Informationist programme in support of biomedical research: a programme description and preliminary findings of an evaluation. *Health Information and Libraries Journal* 25: 135-141. 2008.