Communicating with medical library users during COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Medical Librarianship
• Information Science
• Health Sciences Communication

Background:

• The Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library serves over 22,000 users across Yale's Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, and Yale New Haven Hospital.
• Dispersed user populations present communication challenges, exacerbated by crises.
• A strategic communication plan is vital for overcoming these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the communication strategies employed by the library during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To detail the promotion of remote resources and services to a geographically dispersed community.
• To outline the transition from in-library to remote user engagement.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a comprehensive communication plan.
• Targeted messaging across print and digital media.
• Leveraging internal organizational contacts for broader message dissemination.

Main Results:

• Successful promotion of remote library resources and services.
• Effective engagement with a large and diverse user base during a crisis.
• Demonstrated adaptability in communication strategies.

Conclusions:

• The communication plan served as a foundational framework for all library messaging.
• The plan facilitated effective planning and execution of large-scale communication during crises.
• Internal collaboration was crucial for expanding message reach and impact.