Liz Doney
Evaluating the impact of a project promoting library and information services to primary care in Nottingham, UK
Nottingham City Council
knowledge resources kr department provides library information services staff four east midlands primarycare trusts pcts uk september 2003 head nursing planning one pcts rushcliffe asked kr team develop outreach library project aim improving uptake library information services among rushcliffe community staff perception rushcliffe needed special promotional project pct covers large rural area many staff based distance resource centre main library find difficult access liaison rushcliffe managers kr team developed promotional strategy improve uptake services strategy promoting service rushcliffe staff two strands production tailored promotional materials programme visits sites rushcliffe kr staff promotional materials created included display kr services could moved health centres sites rushcliffe rolling basis spending 1 month location display included information library stock information literacy skills training sessions literature searching services current awareness bulletins interlibrary loans services electronic resources kr team also developed flier specifically project listing services available without visiting resource centre second strand strategy programme visits kr staff rushcliffe locations purpose visits meet rushcliffe community staff answer queries demonstrations short training sessions eresources eg library catalogue programme display visits arranged liaison health centre managers rushcliffe distributed fliers staff giving dates kr visits bases visits completed managers distributed evaluation forms staff asking impact display visits procedure location set display first week month make lunchtime visits one day following 3 weeks collect display end month two members kr staff usually involved visit rather standing display waiting rushcliffe staff approach kr staff tried speak many rushcliffe staff possible knocking office doors walking round sites total kr team made 22 visits five health centres two community hospitals one pct headquarters building head nursing planning provided funding set dedicated display boards two display racks contain kr service fliers promotional leaflets used project total cost 156305 variety outcomes used measure rushcliffe staffs use kr services project period june 2004 january 2005 kr team keep information numbers training sessions delivered using access database literature searching interlibrary loans figures collated quarterly figures showing issues stock new members joining resource centre available library management system numbers new athens password registrations athens passwords provide access eresources purchased national health service also collated regularly information use services project period compared figures rushcliffe staffs use kr services period year previously june 2003 january 2004 rate ratios use 95 confidence intervals ci calculated numerator number times service used denominator number months time service monitored addition monitoring service use short questionnaire evaluating impact project available author used included questions asking whether staff seen display whether spoken member kr staff whether felt greater awareness library information services available support work following display visits addition respondents asked used kr services result seeing display speaking member kr staff final question asked respondents identify services likely interest future rushcliffe pct approximately 120 community staff gain sample views 15 copies questionnaire sent managers five health centres visited 75 total managers distributed staff week display removed thirtytwo questionnaires returned giving approximate response rate 43 although may underestimate possible questionnaires actually distributed eighteen respondents 56 gave job titles showing came wide range community roles see table 1 table 2 shows impact outreach project use kr services rushcliffe staff compared use period 1 year previously number information literacy skills training sessions delivered increased approximately threefold project period rate ratio rr 300 95 ci 157612 number stock items issued rushcliffe staff increased 31 rr 131 95 ci 114150 although table 2 also shows small increased use kr services statistically significant rushcliffe staff returned 32 questionnaires data showed 28 88 respondents seen display 18 56 spoken member kr team 26 81 reported greater awareness library information services available support work following display visits one questions asked kr services one rushcliffe staff used result visits short response time evaluation forms sent week kr display removed nevertheless nine 28 32 respondents ticked already used least one service another question asked rushcliffe staff services one would likely make use future twentyfive 78 respondents ticked would likely interested using least one kr services future requesting journal article requesting literature search reported likely used significant increase rushcliffe staffs use two services project number training sessions delivered increased approximately threefold number stock items issued increased 31 services saw small statistically significant increase use number new registrations membership maintained similar levels previous year questionnaire evaluation shows large numbers respondents saw display 88 andor spoke member kr staff 56 addition 81 respondents reported greater knowledge kr services could support work following display visits kr team already kept good information pct staffs use services possible make robust comparison rushcliffe staffs use services project however kr team ongoing programme promotional activities difficult separate impact ongoing work project particular mailshot sent physiotherapists project may influenced take information literacy skills training sessions visits kr staff made rushcliffe sites certainly stimulated requests training sessions booked delivered later date however little takeup opportunistic training sessions kr staff building quick demonstrations eresources included information literacy skills training statistics project number items library stock issued rushcliffe staff increased significantly project period compared previous year increases training delivered stock issued would appear related fact large numbers respondents saw display andor spoke member kr staff project reported increased awareness kr services project seems effective method publicising least kr services delivered however 6 months following project use kr services rushcliffe staff declined circumstances within kr service also changed result vacancies restructuring local primarycare trusts usual ongoing promotional work cease unfortunately seems outreach project sustained awareness kr services beyond duration two services rushcliffe staff said would likely use future requesting journal article ii requesting literature search may reflect increasing emphasis put using research evidence primarycare practice may also reflect emphasis placed lifelong learning development national health service1 means many primarycare staff frequently attend courses development activities assignments research support number lessons learned project could taken board others thinking undertaking similar work one key considerations undertaking kind project amount staff effort required deliver affect existing service else prevent doing2 promotional activities ones described may less stafftime intensive effective increasing service usage sustained impact outreach project driven request head nursing planning increase awareness kr services among rushcliffe staff managers consulted project real involvement community staff development strategy staff involved may possible replace oneway push information known promotion twoway dialogue communication3 may led greater impact uptake kr services across board visits community hospitals hard organize effectively identifying suitable places put display public view visited many staff difficult additionally locations managers want kr staff walk around done health centres issues display removed one hospitals first visit hindsight would better approached promotion sites differently rushcliffe project kr teams first experience going meet staff bases promote services approaching staff chatting library services difficult members kr team found bit like coldcalling although rushcliffe staff friendly receptive booking time perhaps discuss service receive training eresources etc visits would made experience comfortable kr staff evaluation rushcliffe project shown shortterm increase use kr services anyone delivering similar project might find informative randomize health centres staff either promotional intervention intervention order compare use gain robust conclusions effectiveness rushcliffe project success increasing uptake knowledge resources services particularly information literacy skills training issues library stock evaluation project showed majority respondents saw kr display andor spoke member kr staff importantly questionnaires also indicated respondents felt greater awareness library information services available support work following display kr team visiting bases however serviceuse figures sustained beyond project period impact appears shortlived special thanks dr joe west comments gratefully received implications policy promotional programme increase awareness library information services impact service usage research needed identify efficient effective promotional techniques use implications practice evaluate promotional project effectively one needs able separate impact ongoing promotional work one involved involving users developing promotional strategy may increase impact project