NOBLE:
North of Boston Library Exchange

Medicine

Description

The Medicine division of the Conspectus covers all material relating to the science of promoting health and preventing, diagnosing, curing and alleviating diseases and other health problems. It includes human anatomy and physiology, public health, pharmacology, gynecology and obstetrics, diseases, surgery, dentistry, forensic medicine, and alternative medical treatments.

Target Users

College library medical collections are used by students in the physical and social sciences and especially by students in the nursing programs at several colleges and the allied health programs (respiratory care, radiology assistant, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy assistant, mental health, and mental retardation) at the community colleges.

Public library medical collections are used by students through the secondary level, as well as members of the public seeking information on health care issues.

Collection Statement

College libraries collect material appropriate to support the general student population as well as material to support the nursing and allied health programs. Most of this material is specialized and aimed at the professional or student professional. However, students in these programs, especially in the nursing programs, are also interested in health material aimed at the general public, which they use for patient education planning.

Public library medical collections are primarily aimed at patrons who are interested in understanding their own health care issues, as well as those of friends and family members. Preventative health care, wellness, nutrition and alternative care are of increasing interest to the public, and libraries are increasing their collections in these areas. Public library patrons are also interested in material to support home health care, especially in the areas of cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer's Disease.

New discoveries, new treatments, and new diagnostic tests, as well as a new emphasis on the role of the patient in making informed decisions about his or her own health care, has caused increased use of both public and college library medical collections, and means that these collections need frequent weeding and updating to remove material that is no longer appropriate.

Reference Collections

All libraries collect reference material in this area, especially medical dictionaries and general guides, and reference books listing prescription and nonprescription medications and medical tests. Several libraries also maintain subscriptions to consumer and professional journals, especially nursing journals, although electronic databases are increasingly used as the source of journal articles.

Electronic Resources

Because of the importance, the complexity and the constant change in this area, electronic resources are extremely important. All NOBLE libraries have access to EBSCO's Health Source Plus, which provides abstracts and indexing for over 520 consumer health, nutrition and professional periodicals. Over 240 periodicals are covered in full text as well as over 1,000 health pamphlets. Also included is USP DI Volume II, Advice for the Patient which provides patient-oriented drug information in lay language and 17 health books published by the People's Medical Society. This is available to patrons accessing NOBLE from their home, school or office as well as from workstations in our libraries.

Through NMRLS, NOBLE member libraries also have access to the Health Reference Center of Searchbank. Some libraries have purchased additional medical databases, including CINAHL for Allied Health programs, through NOBLE or independently.

Through the World Wide Web, NOBLE library users have access to many valuable health resources, including the Web sites of health associations such as the American Heart Association, the Alzheimers Association, and similar groups that focus on a particular health concern and provide authoritative information on care, treatment and research. Association and support group sites are particularly valuable for rare conditions, where other information may not be readily available. NOBLE provides a World Wide Web page on Health to provide links to a number of selected sites, including Healthfinder, a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that serves as a gateway to selected consumer health resources.

Other important World Wide Web resources include the Web sites of professional organizations, including the American Nursing Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. Public library patrons also use consumer sites such as the Massachusetts Physician Profiles, which provides information on all physicians licensed to practice in Massachusetts.

All libraries also have access to MEDLINE and the other National Institutes of Health databases such as AIDSLINE and TOXLINE, through the Internet Grateful Med or PUBMED interfaces. Although these databases cover professional medical journals and are designed primarily for the use of physicians and other medical professionals, they are also used by public library patrons who are researching their own health care issues.

Audiovisual Material

Both public and college libraries are developing substantial collection of health-related videorecordings. These include patient education on many different health care issues and conditions, as well as general material on wellness, stress management, diet and nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies.

Other Collections

Some of the libraries in NOBLE have informal arrangements with local hospital libraries, most of which provide some level of walk-in or by-appointment service to members of the general public.

The Consumer Health Reference Center at Treadwell Library, Massachusetts General Hospital, is a library-to-library service funded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and established as part of the Strategic Plan for Libraries in Massachusetts. It provides access to consumer health information to libraries in Massachusetts that are members of one of the six multi-type regional library systems.

Conspectus Levels

Public libraries generally collect medical information at the Basic Information Level, either 2a (Basic Information, Introductory) or 2b (Basic Information, Advanced.) Several libraries have indicated Acquisitions Levels and Goal Levels a step higher than their current Collection Level. College libraries generally collect at the 2b (Basic Information, Advanced) or 3a (Basic Study) level, depending on the college curriculum, with emphasis on areas supporting professional programs.

Several libraries have subject strengths in particular areas of Medicine:

Go to Collection Development Policy index

North of Boston Library Exchange, Inc.
File Updated: March 23, 1999
http://www.noblenet.org/collman/med.htm