Transitioning medical specialty collections into virtual clinical tools with added value

Many hospital librarians are finding they need to recreate their roles, resources and service delivery methods to keep pace with the changes occurring in the medical community. The demand for evidence-based practice provides an excellent opportunity for librarians to contribute to a hospital's mission. This article provides a framework for making a transition toward that goal. The Adolph Meyer Library, a special collection of the Welch Medical Library at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, is under going such a transition which will include several innovative service models. A Syracuse University, School of Information Studies, student, was invited to observe the web development segment of the Meyer Information Suite development. Using his observations the student developed a protocol that could be used in other clinical settings. Each step in the transition process is explored: environmental scan, analysis and interpretation of survey results, usability testing and an evaluation plan. Using these guidelines, hospital librarians can make significant changes to their resource and service delivery methods, thus improving access for evidence-based practices within their respective institutions.