Letters If the low response on this survey indicates anything, it reflects the need for continual To the Editor: personal contact and follow-up at these instituI wish to comment on one aspect of Linnea tions by qualified personnel, who persistently Sodergren's article entitled "The Impact of and aggressively promote library services. Northlands Regional Medical Program Library JUDITH LORRIG Services" (Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 62: 348-353, Rochester, Minnesota Oct. 1974). Question 10 of the survey used to assess the Northlands program dealt with the PLIGHT OF THE HOSPITAL LIBRARIAN utilization of resources at Mayo and the University of Minnesota. As an extension librarian for To the Editor: Northlands in 1971 and 1972, I believe the My primary purpose in writing this letter is to statistics as published in the article for question object strenuously to the absence by hospital 10 do not reflect what actually happened during associations and the Bulletin of significant that period. I submit here the statistics gath- concern for the plight of the hospital librarian. With specific reference to the Bulletin, I have TABLE 1 recently learned that a modified version of a talk on hospital library standards by a hospital Statistics Reported by Survey Statistics administrator was not accepted for publication Extension in MLA Bulletin in this journal because it was a "controversial" Librarians subject. I can appreciate the feelings of sensitivity UniverUniverwhich this topic may have to MLA since the Mayo of Mayo sit sity ofMedical Medical Yast Committee's revision of the present JCAH Mine MinneMinne. MnneLibrary Library standard for services is now before that library sota sota body for their concurrence and ultimate incorporation in the Accreditation Manual. 72 11 229 5 Literature As a member of the Yast Committee, and searches and fully in support of the revision as published in bibliographies 532 525 18 7 Interlibrary the MLA News, I object to your actions regardloans ing the manuscript in question for these rea-

NORTHLANDS RMP LIBRARY SERVICES

Reference questions

73

17

11

5

sons: 1. There is nothing in the editorial policy statement which indicates that controversial subjects are not suitable for publication. The stated rationale for publication is that the manuscript ' . . . be of value to . . . medical librarianship . . . ." 2. The number of hospital administrators who have even the faintest interest in or regard for hospital libraries is minuscule. I know very few. One served with me on the Yast Committee and another submitted the rejected manuscript. I think you could publish an entire issue of vitriolic diatribes on hospital administrators

ered by myself and the extension librarian at the University of Minnesota for literature searches, interlibrary loans and reference questions during 1971 and 1972 (Table 1). I realize the survey only covered those hospitals which had received the core collection, but these institutions were essentially the ones requesting the services above. The discrepancy between the statistics obtained by the extension librarians and those in the article is probably due to the fact that records for these services were not kept by the physicians in these institu- and advertise that issue in the New York Times tions nor by a librarian or library manager since without getting any reaction, let alone a negafew of them had one at that time. tive reaction, from any of them.

344

Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975