C201 - Pushing the Boundaries: Healthcare Library Transformation
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Steinbeck Forum (Conference Center)
Eve Melton,
Regional Director of Library Services for Northern California,
Kaiser Permanente Marina T. Aiello,
NCAL Technology and Instructional Design Lead,
Kaiser Permanente
In the past few years, the Kaiser Permanente Libraries (kpLibraries) have responded to the changing healthcare landscape by re-envisioning and updating services, resources, and roles, as well as fostering an online platform for virtual collaboration among the kpLibrarians and library users. The librarians have pushed the boundaries of their services to meet users' information needs, as well as enhanced in- formation sharing with one another and the users. Selected changes in work format and process include using a shared knowledgebase and chat service to provide virtual reference services across multiple regions; performing cross-departmental collaboration by acting as library liaisons and creating online resource guides with input from organizational stakeholders; developing multiple online points of contact for users in different physical locations and virtual spaces; and contributing to the launching of new organizational initiatives through research and collocation of online tools. Speakers describe the strategies for updating the kpLibrarians' roles and services and offer recommendations for other organizations.
