Sutton, A and Grant, MJ 2011, 'Cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services : a rapid review' , Health Information and Libraries Journal, 28 (4) , pp. 249-255.
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Background: In the recent times of recession and budget cuts, it is more important than ever for library and information services to deliver cost-effective services. Objectives: This rapid review aims to examine the evidence for the most cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services. Methods: A literature search was conducted on LISA (Library and Information Sciences Abstracts) and MEDLINE. Searches were limited to 2007 onwards. Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies covered hospital and academic libraries in the USA and Canada. Services analysed were ‘point-of-care’ librarian consultations, staffing models for reference desks and virtual/digital reference services. Conclusions: Transferable lessons, relevant to health library and information services generally, can be drawn from this rapid review. These suggest that ‘point-of-care’ librarians for primary care practitioners are a cost-effective way of answering questions. Reference desks can be cost-effectively staffed by student employees or general reference staff, although librarian referral must be provided for more complex and subject-specific enquiries. However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions on virtual/digital reference services because of the limited literature available. Further case analysis studies measuring specific services, particularly enquiry services within a health library and information context, are required.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Themes: | Health and Wellbeing |
| Schools: | Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Applied Research in Health, Welfare and Policy |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Health Information and Libraries Journal |
| Publisher: | Wiley Blackwell |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| ISSN: | 1471-1834 |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | MJ Grant |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Oct 2011 11:11 |
| Last Modified: | 04 May 2017 11:16 |
| URI: | http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/18094 |
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