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Chasing the sun: a virtual reference service between SAHSLC (SA) and SWICE (UK)
Sue Rockliff1, Mary Peterson, Kath Martin
1The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Library, Woodville, SA, Australia. sue.rockliff@nwahs.sa.gov.au
Health Information and Libraries Journal
|May 25, 2005
Summary
This innovative after-hours virtual reference service, "Chasing the Sun," connects medical practitioners with librarians across time zones for urgent clinical information needs. It represents a pioneering global collaboration in health library services.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Library and Information Science
- Medical Librarianship
Background:
- Initiated in 2002 through collaboration between UK's SWICE and Australia's SAHSLC.
- Aimed to address the need for immediate clinical medical information access for practitioners outside standard working hours.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the development and implementation of an after-hours virtual reference service.
- To leverage time-zone differences for continuous librarian support.
- To provide urgent patient-related query assistance to medical professionals.
Main Methods:
- Development of the 'Chasing the Sun' project, a trial virtual reference service.
- Utilized time-zone disparities between the United Kingdom and Australia.
- Involved groundwork, software evaluation, trials, and cost-benefit analysis.
Main Results:
- Successfully developed and implemented the 'Chasing the Sun' service.
- Detailed outcomes, benefits, and potential future challenges were documented.
- The service facilitates urgent clinical information retrieval for medical practitioners.
Conclusions:
- The 'Chasing the Sun' service is a groundbreaking initiative in international health library collaboration.
- It offers a model for future global expansion of virtual reference services.
- Demonstrates the potential for innovative solutions to after-hours information needs in healthcare.