A dental library current awareness service

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Dental Education

Background:

• Current awareness services are crucial for keeping researchers updated.
• Information dissemination in academic settings requires efficient methods.
• Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) is a key service.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a manual current awareness service at USC School of Dentistry.
• To compare this service with SDILINE.
• To evaluate user acceptance and value.

Main Methods:

• A manual current awareness service distributing photocopied tables of contents was implemented.
• A questionnaire was used to survey 30 faculty participants.
• A cost analysis was performed comparing the service with SDILINE.

Main Results:

• The service was found to be valuable for teaching and research.
• The service demonstrated a high degree of user acceptance.
• The cost of the service was minimal relative to its benefits.

Conclusions:

• The manual current awareness service is effective and well-received by faculty.
• This service offers a cost-effective solution for information dissemination in dental schools.
• Manual current awareness services can be a valuable supplement to automated systems.