Section of Biological and Medical Sciences Libraries

Annual Report 1994-1995

Jean-Philippe Accart (Centre Hospitalier Victor Dupouy 69, Rue du Lt-Colonel Prudhon, 95107 Argenteuil Cedex, France; fax: +(33-34) 232696)) is Chair of the Section of Biological and Medical Sciences Libraries, succeeding Ms Frances Groen (Canada). Ms Monique C. Cleland 467 Campbell Flats Road, Norwich, Vermont, USA (e-mail: monique.cleland@chuv.hospvd.ch)) was re-elected Secretary.

Standing Committee and Section Membership

The Standing Committee has six members from five countries, plus five corresponding members. Sixty-six members are registered for the Section.

Projects

Coordination and Planning for the 7th International Congress on Medical Librarianship, Washington DC

One of the most important functions of the Standing Committee is to act as a bridging committee in the intervening years between International Medical Library Congresses and to guarantee effective communication worldwide. The 7th Congress on Medical Librarianship was held in Washington in May 1995 with the theme, "Health Information for the Global Village". The Immediate Past Chair of the Standing Committee, Ms Lois Anne Colaianni (USA) served as Chair of the International Organizing Committee, and Frances Groen chaired the contributed paper presentations for this Congress.

Selection of a Site for the Forthcoming Conference

Two bids to host this meeting were received from the United Kingdom and from Australia. Copies of detailed proposals were sent to all SC members before the Havana Conference. Limited attendance by committee members in Havana did not provide sufficient representation to permit a final decision, although open discussion of the proposals did take place. Further discussion took place by mail and a decision was finally reached. The Eighth International Congress on Medical Librarianship will be held in London in the year 2000.

Preparation of a Section Brochure in Spanish and French

A recruitment brochure in Spanish was prepared at McGill University and copies deposited at IFLA Headquarters. A French version is being prepared by a member of the Standing Committee. All three versions of the brochure (English, French and Spanish) will become part of the Section's Electronic Newsletter.

Distribution of Newsletter of Section Electronically

At the Standing Committee meeting in Istanbul, the SC endorsed the recommendation of the editor of the Section's Newsletter to distribute the newsletter in electronic format by January 1996. To prepare for this transition, a survey of recipients will be conducted to identify those who lack electronic access and those who will be able to act as distributors of hard copy, downloaded from IFLANET.

Directory of Health Sciences Libraries

For several years this goal has been part of the Section's programme. The decision to prepare a directory of health science libraries' directories was an interim step, to develop a worldwide directory of directories. The Chair contacted selected participants in the 7th ICML to obtain regional directory information, but responses received thus far did not provide worldwide coverage. The SC concluded that the project as it was presently conceived was no longer feasible, and suspended further activity until the project could be redefined in consideration of the electronic environment.

Leadership Development

The Standing Committee adopted a new goal regarding the development of new leadership in medical librarianship. This goal is directed towards the younger or more junior medical librarians in the country in which IFLA is meeting. Funding for this emerging goal will be sought, as appropriate, from IFLA and a project number assigned. This project is a priority for the incoming chair.

Publications

During the report period three issues of the Section Newsletter were issued by the editor, Ms Lucretia McClure (USA).

Future Conferences

Beijing, 1996

The SC has planned two events for the Beijing Conference: an open session and a workshop. The programme will consist of papers contributed by authors from the People's Republic of China. The workshop will have the theme, "East Meets West in Medical Librarianship". A visit to a hospital or pharmacy involved with traditional Chinese medicine is planned for the library visit.

Istanbul Meetings

Open Session

The Section held an open session with the theme, "Medical Sciences and Islamic Civilization" and co-sponsored a session with the Section of Science and Technology Libraries on "Archiving Electronic Journals".

Papers presented

Literature Searches in Medicine: A Comparative Evaluation of Manual and CD-ROM Search Modes
by NAZLI ALKAN

Abstract:
In the present study, manual and CD-ROM search modes are compared in terms of quality and time, based on the medical searches conducted from Index Medicus and Medline CD-ROM (Ebsco). The more effective search mode is determined with respect to certain quality criteria (relevance, coverage, novelty). The faster mode in terms of response time is revealed. The medical doctors of Hacettepe University Medical Center, Ankara, Turkey, who referred to the Center Library in 1991 are represented by 50 samples. Each of the 50 request topics is searched by the researcher, both manually and by computer. Equivalent periods of coverage are used (1988-1991). Precision and recall, being the measures of relevancy, and novelty ratios are found for both modes. The source representing the current medical literature is determined as well. Coverage of both search sources for an equivalent period are compared. The faster mode is found by measuring the response times. Results indicate that the CD-ROM mode is more effective than the manual one in terms of relevance, coverage, novelty and response time. However, manual searches have revealed higher precision and the time devoted to manual search strategies is shorter. Since the two modes have complementary features, co-existence of both is suggested.

The Role of the Arab Centre for Medical Literature in the Medical Information Infrastructure of the Arab World
by SHAWKY SALEM

Abstract:
Not available.

Latest Revision: May 27, 1996