The significance of the library’s physical space: how COVID-19 impacted a consumer health service

Authors

  • Kelsey L. Grabeel University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0652-4409
  • Cameron Watson University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.
  • Alexandria Q. Wilson University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2649-8252

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2023.1420

Keywords:

consumer health information, hospital library, COVID-19, physical space

Abstract

Background: During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumer health libraries were forced to close their doors to patrons. At the Health Information Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, the physical space closed, while health information services continued to be provided via phone and email. To examine the impact of lack of access to a physical library for consumer health information, researchers analyzed the number of health information requests pre-COVID-19 pandemic compared to during the initial phase of the pandemic.

Case Presentation: Data from an internal database was collected and analyzed. Researchers divided the data into three time periods: March 2018 to February 2019 (Phase 1), March 2019 to February 2020 (Phase 2), and March 2020 to February 2021 (Phase 3). Data was de-identified and duplicate entries were removed. The type of interaction and request topics were reviewed in each phase.

Conclusion: In Phase 1, there were 535 walk-ins to request health information and 555 walk-ins in Phase 2. In Phase 3, there were 40 walk-ins. The number of requests through phone and email varied but remained steady. There was a 61.56% decrease in requests between Phase 1 and Phase 3 while there was a 66.27% decrease between Phase 2 and Phase 3 due to the lack of walk-in requests. The number of phone and email requests did not increase despite the closure of the physical library space to the public. Access to the physical space plays a significant role in providing health information requests to patients and family members.

Author Biographies

Kelsey L. Grabeel, University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.

Health Information Center / Preston Medical Library

Associate Professor

Cameron Watson, University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.

Health Information Center / Preston Medical Library 

Library Associate II

Alexandria Q. Wilson, University of Tennessee Medical Center / University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN.

Health Information Center / Preston Medical Library

Assistant Professor

References

West JC. Without a net: Librarians bridging the digital divide. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group: 2011.

Vogels EA. Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption [Internet]. Pew Research Center; 2021 [cited 21 June 2022]. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as-americans-with-lower-incomes-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/.

American Library Association. Access to library resources and services [Internet]. American Library Association; 2015 [cited 21 June 2022]. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/access.

Network of the National Library of Medicine. The consumer health reference interview and ethical issues [Internet]. Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine; [cited 27 October 2021]. https://old.nnlm.gov/initiatives/topics/ethics.

Singh K, Meyer SR, Westfall JM. Consumer-facing data, information, and tools: self-management of health in the digital age. Health Aff. 2019; 38(3):352-358. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05404.

Canadian Health Libraries Association / Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada. For immediate release – Statement on the Importance of Hospital Libraries [Internet]. Toronto, ON: Canadian Health Libraries Association / Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada; [cited 27 October 2021]. https://www.chla-absc.ca/docs/Statement_on_the_Importance_of_Hospital_Libraries.pdf.

Holst R, Funk CJ, Adams HS, et al. Vital pathways for hospital librarians: present and future roles. J Med Libr Assoc. 2009; 97(4):285-292. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.97.4.013.

Barclay DA. Space and the social worth of public libraries. Public Libr Q. 2017; 36(4):267-273. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2017.1327767.

Gibson DS, Hernandez M, Draemel A. Destination Library: Validating the Importance of Physical Space. J Hosp Librariansh. 2015; 15(3):251-261. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15323269.2015.1049057.

Shipman JP, Stoddart JM, Peay WJ. Building projects: redefining hospital libraries. J Med Libr Assoc. 2012; 100(3):166-170. DOI:10.3163/1536-5050.100.3.005.

Harrow A, Marks LA, Schneider D, et al. Hospital library closures and consolidations: a case series. J Med Libr Assoc. 2019; 107(2):129-136. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2019.520.

Thibodeau PL, Funk CJ. Trends in hospital librarianship and hospital library services: 1989 to 2006. J Med Libr Assoc. 2009; 97(4):273-279. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.97.4.011.

Paradise A. Why the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations should add new regulations regarding libraries. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004; 92(2):166-168.

Yuvaraj M. Global responses of health science librarians to the COVID-19 (Corona virus) pandemic: a desktop analysis. Health Info Libr J. 2020; 37(4):337-342. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hir.12321.

Gerber A. How medical librarians are handling the coronavirus crisis [Internet]. Library Journal; 2020 [cited 27 October 2021]. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/how-medical-librarians-are-handling-the-coronavirus-crisis?subpage=Advocacy,Management

American Hospital Association. Hospital’s virtual library keeps COVID-19 info, health tools at community’s fingertips [Internet]. Chicago, IL: American Hospital Association; [cited 27 October 2021]. https://www.aha.org/other-resources/2020-09-16-hospitals-virtual-library-keeps-covid-19-info-health-tools-communitys.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Health library [Internet]. Boston, MA: Mass General Brigham; [cited 27 October 2021]. https://healthlibrary.brighamandwomens.org/.

Cohron M. The continuing digital divide in the United States. The Serials Librarian. 2015; 69(1):77-86. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0361526X.2015.1036195.

Harris RM, Dewdney P. Barriers to information: how formal help systems fail battered women. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994.

Clarke MA, Moore JL, Steege LM, Koopman RJ, Belden JL, Canfield SM, Meadows SE, Elliott SG, Kim MS. Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review. Health Informatics J. 2016; 22(4): 992-1016. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1460458215602939.

Fox S, Duggan M. Health Online 2013 [Internet]. Pew Research Center; 2013 [cited 12 January 2022]. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/01/15/health-online-2013/.

Mitchell A, Liedke J. About four-in-ten Americans say social media is an important way of following COVID-19 vaccine news [Internet]. Pew Research Center; 2021 [cited 12 January 2022]. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/24/about-four-in-ten-americans-say-social-media-is-an-important-way-of-following-covid-19-vaccine-news/.

Grabeel KL, Luhrs J, Roberts RE, Earl M. How one library’s health information center expanded its marketing plan. Med Ref Serv Q. 2019; 38(3):218-227. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2019.1623612.

Downloads

Published

2023-04-21