Summary: Moving Medical library off-site

Hi Medlibbers:
This is a compilation of the responses I've received thus far to the issue of moving the teaching hospital medical library to an off-site location. I thank everyone who responded and ask if any others have information to share with me (us,) please send it to me and I will continue to summarize. 
Thanks again.
Regards,
Julie



We did this in reverse about 5 years ago. We used to be off-site, and when we built a new 
hospital, the chiefs were adamant that the library be included at the new site. It has 
made a huge difference. We never did any body counts, so I can't give you actual numbers. 
However, we had to increase the number of computer terminals within a year and we now 
have to do student orientations in order for them to get 24 hour access. Our business has 
increased as has our electronic access to materials, so it's hard to say how our current 
numbers compare to "the old days".

If you move off site, you will need to expand your electronic access, increase the amount of teaching you do for "remote" access and do a lot of branding and PR so that the electronic stuff is viewed as an extension of the library. 
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We moved our Library March, 2005.  We are still on the campus, but no
longer located in the hospital.  We have moved to the Resource Center
which houses all of Human Resources and Education.  I have had many
complaints from our physicians, residents and nursing staff, but no
complaints from medical students as their lounge is adjacent to the
Library. 
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My library (in a community hospital that has a residency program) has
always been off site (I have been here 25 yrs!). There is occasional talk
about moving it into the hospital but there are always other priorities. We
do now have a consumer health library in our hospital lobby so it reminds
people we have another library as well.
I have always felt that I am at a disadvantage being in a separate building
(redone house on corner of hospital). It makes most of the library use by
phone, email. I am of course very used to it now but it definitely changes
the way your services are used and I am positive we would have more use if
we were anywhere within the hospital building. So if you can fight it, I
would!
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Our library has been off-site for many years, before my time here.
It's across the street from the hospital.  I can't say what effect the move
per se has had, but I do know that it is a less than ideal situation:

1.  We get very little walk-in "business."  If you surveyed hospital staff,
most of them would not know that they had a library available to them.

2.  We have very little opportunity to rub elbows with the faculty,
residents and other staff, either for educational purposes or just to make
ourselves visible.

3.  We have invested strongly in online resources, accessible from the
hospital.  However, the network "landscape" to ensure accessibility is
difficult to navigate.  Because the library is off-site, the hospital IS
department tends to view access to library resources as an "extra" rather
than as vital.
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--
Julia Stuart
Library Services Coordinator
Health Education Library
New York Hospital Queens
56-45 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
(718) 670-1118
fax: (718) 886-4503



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