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Program planning for the community teaching hospital medical library
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
|July 1, 1985
Summary
Medical librarians can enhance library services and justify microcomputer system purchases through strategic five-year program planning. This involves needs assessment and a structured plan for successful implementation.
Area of Science:
- Medical Librarianship
- Health Sciences Information Management
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Increasing demand for information from medical educators and clinicians.
- Emergence of new microcomputer library systems.
- Need for strategic planning in community teaching hospitals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide medical librarians with a framework for intermediate-term program planning.
- To guide librarians in justifying the acquisition of microcomputer library systems.
- To enhance the probability of successful program implementation within organizational structures.
Main Methods:
- Engaging in intermediate-term (five-year) program planning.
- Fitting the planning process within the existing organizational nexus.
- Incorporating needs assessment, prioritized program elements, and written plans.
- Considering facilities planning for program implementation.
Main Results:
- A model program plan incorporating key components for medical libraries.
- A structured approach to align library services with user demands.
- Strategies for effective justification and implementation of new technologies.
Conclusions:
- Strategic program planning is essential for medical librarians to meet user needs.
- Alignment with organizational structures increases the likelihood of plan implementation.
- A systematic planning process facilitates the adoption of microcomputer library systems.