Brief Communications Mayo Clinic Library Education Programs BY JACK D. KEY, Director of Libraries
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota
THE health-related sciences programs of Mayo Foundation, including those related to librarianship, are conducted in an internationally known center for medical education, clinical practice, and medical research. Students have access to all the educational resources of Mayo Clinic. Appointees to the programs enjoy the benefits of more than half a century of experience in medical education that includes the training of residents, research fellows, interns, and medical students. The health-related sciences programs, like the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and the Mayo Medical School, are part of the Division of Education of the Mayo Foundation, a nonprofit charitable corporation responsible for the support and conduct of education and research as an integral part of medical and health care. LIBRARIAN TRAINEE PROGRAM The librarian trainee program offers librarians an opportunity to spend three months in the Mayo Clinic Library working in a postgraduate training situation. The trainees are exposed to all areas of librarianship as practiced in this library and complete a balanced program designed to emphasize their primary areas of interest. Extensive library science collections enhance the strength of the program and afford ready access to that literature for research and writing. Typical trainee agendas include: orientations to the program, library, Department of Biomedical Communications, and a public tour of the Mayo Institution; assignment of a "real life" library problem for which a solution is needed (these assignments, directed by one of our staff librarians, take a fair amount of effort to accomplish and often result in special library Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
publications); variable periods of time working in each department of the library-acquisitions, binding, cataloging, reader services, reference, interlibrary loans, computer applications, hospital libraries, learning resource center, serials, gifts and exchanges, history of medicine, and administration; and visits to the Rochester Bookbindery, IBM Library, Methodist Hospital Library, St. Mary's Nursing Library, State Hospital Library, and other health science libraries in the region. Every effort is given to make the trainee a member of the library's professional family. The trainee attends all weekly staff meetings, local professional librarians' meetings, special programs such as those of the History of Medicine Society, and appropriate social functions. They are involved in administrative "shadowing" by working with the librarian and associate librarian on annual reports, budget analysis, forecasting, planning, personnel needs and problems, and various program reviews. They also check "out baskets" to note disposition of various day-to-day problems. In addition to the "real life" library problem, each trainee is required to present a brief talk to the staff toward the end of his program. This presentation can be either formal or informal-on the trainee experience or any appropriate topic. Applications are considered from librarians anywhere in the world. Appointments are subject to the approval of the Director of Libraries, Chairman of the Department of Biomedical Communications, and the Mayo Foundation Health-Related Sciences Education Committee. Program approvals are fairly routine if the following conditions are met: the trainee's home institution pays salary and reasonable per diem expenses; round trip transportation is paid for either by the trainee's institution, the trainee, or through some grant; the trainee's institution agrees to pay shipping costs for any duplicate materials selected for their library's collection; and if English is not the trainee's first or major language, proof of proficiency in English is required. A reasonable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), given by the College Entrance Examination Board, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New
337
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS Jersey, will satisfy this requirement. We, in turn, arrange for the three-month appointment as a Mayo Clinic library trainee, cover tuition and fees, and arrange a program schedule for broad experience, with training emphasis tailored to the trainee's particular interests. The trainee is given free access to our extensive collection of duplicate books and journals. Since 1971, eight trainees have participated in the program. To date the program has been quite successful. Each trainee has worked hard and has had the opportunity to search for needed materials from our duplicates for their own libraries. In fact, this aspect of the program has commanded keen interest and has resulted in the selection of many desirable items by the trainees for their home libraries. For example, we sent four tons of duplicates to Iceland and three tons to Japan. LIBRARY PRACTICUM PROGRAM The library practicum program is offered to graduate students in library science or information science with a special interest in health sciences librarianship. Since 1971, we have had ten practicum students. The Mayo Clinic Library acts as host and provides a high level of practical experience in current medical library organization and services. The practicum provides three to five weeks of experience at our library. All expenses except tuition and fees are borne by either the individual practicum student or the university from which he comes. We include work experience in all the areas of the library-technical processing services, reader services, and administration. Contact with and work for the medical staff is a part of the experience. Attendance is required, with participation expected, at library staff meetings and administrative conferences. The practicum student is also expected to attend other appropriate meetings such as those of the Mayo Foundation History of Medicine Society or local professional meetings. In essence, the practicum student is exposed to and participates in a balanced professional experience; his education contributes to this experience, and the practicum, in turn, gives meaning and substance to his course work. Individual programs are tailored to the particular needs and interests of each practicum student. It is understood that the student, being 338
only briefly exposed, would not be expected to receive the polish that a longer association would bring. However, the day-to-day experience in our library should add to the student's overall education, providing insight into problems that the classroom cannot give. Further, it is anticipated that the participants will be motivated and will have had sufficient course work in library school so that they can make positive contributions to our library. An evaluation of each practicum student's performance is made upon completion of the program and sent to his university. The evaluation includes comments on personal qualities and work habits, as well as a general program narrative.
COLLEGE STUDENT TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM The library participates in the Mayo Clinicsponsored "career" traineeship for students engaged in undergraduate programs. The college student trainee program provides an opportunity for the student to be associated with a career discipline in laboratory sciences or medically-related occupations at a time during his college education when he may be deciding on a future occupation or profession. Usually one month in length, the program introduces the student to a working discipline. An outline of meaningful experiences and specific goals, agreed upon at the beginning of the training period, helps provide a sound educational experience. Two undergraduate trainees were enrolled in this program in 1974. LIBRARY WORKSHOPS The Mayo Medical Library periodically conducts one-day workshops to provide information about its extension services and to give participants a fuller understanding of hospital library operations and management. These workshops are intended primarily for persons involved in library work who have not yet had an opportunity for formal library education. Nominal registration fees are charged to cover the expenses of conducting the workshops. CONCLUDING COMMENT A synthesis of the responses, as to effectiveness and value, from those involved in our library education programs indicates that the experience proved a rare educational opportuhity. The trainees have characterized their experiences as profitable and enjoyable-well Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
worth the investment of effort, time, and money. Each participant applied himself to assigned tasks with enthusiasm and made definite contributions to the library, especially through his special problem project. As the trainees worked in each department, the library staff assumed their training responsibilities with constructive introspection, keener application to duties, and renewed vigor. Each department, as well as the total library, has profited from the programs.
Periodicals Prices BY: James W. Barry, Librarian Arizona Medical Center Library Tucson, Arizona MY 1975 report to the Library Materials Price Index Committee, Resources and Technical Services Division, American Library Association on the price index of United States periodicals in medicine is prepared. These figures, consolidated with several other subject reports, appear annually in Library Journal, July issue. Bulletin readers should recognize the fact that serial services (indexing/abstracting publica-
tions) and chemistry/physics joumal prices appear in the Library Journal report as sepa-
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
rate categories. Since these and foreign titles are not used in the medical periodicals sample, the full 1975 report must be consulted for meaningful budget interpretation by larger libraries. To emphasize this point for those who may not have ready access to Library Journal, the 1974 figure for chemistry/physics is average price $65.47 and index 267.4.
COST INDEX: U. S. MEDICAL PERIODICALS Year Average Price Index Base 1967-1969 19.38 100.00 1970 23.44 120.00 1971 27.00 139.3 1972 29.39 152.7 1973 33.60 173.4 1974 36.31 187.3 1975 42.38 218.7
It appears significant to point out that changes, in the three years prior to 1975, occurred in 430% of the common titles in the control sample, while 67.7% reflect an increase in 1975.
339
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota
THE health-related sciences programs of Mayo Foundation, including those related to librarianship, are conducted in an internationally known center for medical education, clinical practice, and medical research. Students have access to all the educational resources of Mayo Clinic. Appointees to the programs enjoy the benefits of more than half a century of experience in medical education that includes the training of residents, research fellows, interns, and medical students. The health-related sciences programs, like the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and the Mayo Medical School, are part of the Division of Education of the Mayo Foundation, a nonprofit charitable corporation responsible for the support and conduct of education and research as an integral part of medical and health care. LIBRARIAN TRAINEE PROGRAM The librarian trainee program offers librarians an opportunity to spend three months in the Mayo Clinic Library working in a postgraduate training situation. The trainees are exposed to all areas of librarianship as practiced in this library and complete a balanced program designed to emphasize their primary areas of interest. Extensive library science collections enhance the strength of the program and afford ready access to that literature for research and writing. Typical trainee agendas include: orientations to the program, library, Department of Biomedical Communications, and a public tour of the Mayo Institution; assignment of a "real life" library problem for which a solution is needed (these assignments, directed by one of our staff librarians, take a fair amount of effort to accomplish and often result in special library Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
publications); variable periods of time working in each department of the library-acquisitions, binding, cataloging, reader services, reference, interlibrary loans, computer applications, hospital libraries, learning resource center, serials, gifts and exchanges, history of medicine, and administration; and visits to the Rochester Bookbindery, IBM Library, Methodist Hospital Library, St. Mary's Nursing Library, State Hospital Library, and other health science libraries in the region. Every effort is given to make the trainee a member of the library's professional family. The trainee attends all weekly staff meetings, local professional librarians' meetings, special programs such as those of the History of Medicine Society, and appropriate social functions. They are involved in administrative "shadowing" by working with the librarian and associate librarian on annual reports, budget analysis, forecasting, planning, personnel needs and problems, and various program reviews. They also check "out baskets" to note disposition of various day-to-day problems. In addition to the "real life" library problem, each trainee is required to present a brief talk to the staff toward the end of his program. This presentation can be either formal or informal-on the trainee experience or any appropriate topic. Applications are considered from librarians anywhere in the world. Appointments are subject to the approval of the Director of Libraries, Chairman of the Department of Biomedical Communications, and the Mayo Foundation Health-Related Sciences Education Committee. Program approvals are fairly routine if the following conditions are met: the trainee's home institution pays salary and reasonable per diem expenses; round trip transportation is paid for either by the trainee's institution, the trainee, or through some grant; the trainee's institution agrees to pay shipping costs for any duplicate materials selected for their library's collection; and if English is not the trainee's first or major language, proof of proficiency in English is required. A reasonable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), given by the College Entrance Examination Board, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New
337
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS Jersey, will satisfy this requirement. We, in turn, arrange for the three-month appointment as a Mayo Clinic library trainee, cover tuition and fees, and arrange a program schedule for broad experience, with training emphasis tailored to the trainee's particular interests. The trainee is given free access to our extensive collection of duplicate books and journals. Since 1971, eight trainees have participated in the program. To date the program has been quite successful. Each trainee has worked hard and has had the opportunity to search for needed materials from our duplicates for their own libraries. In fact, this aspect of the program has commanded keen interest and has resulted in the selection of many desirable items by the trainees for their home libraries. For example, we sent four tons of duplicates to Iceland and three tons to Japan. LIBRARY PRACTICUM PROGRAM The library practicum program is offered to graduate students in library science or information science with a special interest in health sciences librarianship. Since 1971, we have had ten practicum students. The Mayo Clinic Library acts as host and provides a high level of practical experience in current medical library organization and services. The practicum provides three to five weeks of experience at our library. All expenses except tuition and fees are borne by either the individual practicum student or the university from which he comes. We include work experience in all the areas of the library-technical processing services, reader services, and administration. Contact with and work for the medical staff is a part of the experience. Attendance is required, with participation expected, at library staff meetings and administrative conferences. The practicum student is also expected to attend other appropriate meetings such as those of the Mayo Foundation History of Medicine Society or local professional meetings. In essence, the practicum student is exposed to and participates in a balanced professional experience; his education contributes to this experience, and the practicum, in turn, gives meaning and substance to his course work. Individual programs are tailored to the particular needs and interests of each practicum student. It is understood that the student, being 338
only briefly exposed, would not be expected to receive the polish that a longer association would bring. However, the day-to-day experience in our library should add to the student's overall education, providing insight into problems that the classroom cannot give. Further, it is anticipated that the participants will be motivated and will have had sufficient course work in library school so that they can make positive contributions to our library. An evaluation of each practicum student's performance is made upon completion of the program and sent to his university. The evaluation includes comments on personal qualities and work habits, as well as a general program narrative.
COLLEGE STUDENT TRAINEESHIP PROGRAM The library participates in the Mayo Clinicsponsored "career" traineeship for students engaged in undergraduate programs. The college student trainee program provides an opportunity for the student to be associated with a career discipline in laboratory sciences or medically-related occupations at a time during his college education when he may be deciding on a future occupation or profession. Usually one month in length, the program introduces the student to a working discipline. An outline of meaningful experiences and specific goals, agreed upon at the beginning of the training period, helps provide a sound educational experience. Two undergraduate trainees were enrolled in this program in 1974. LIBRARY WORKSHOPS The Mayo Medical Library periodically conducts one-day workshops to provide information about its extension services and to give participants a fuller understanding of hospital library operations and management. These workshops are intended primarily for persons involved in library work who have not yet had an opportunity for formal library education. Nominal registration fees are charged to cover the expenses of conducting the workshops. CONCLUDING COMMENT A synthesis of the responses, as to effectiveness and value, from those involved in our library education programs indicates that the experience proved a rare educational opportuhity. The trainees have characterized their experiences as profitable and enjoyable-well Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS
worth the investment of effort, time, and money. Each participant applied himself to assigned tasks with enthusiasm and made definite contributions to the library, especially through his special problem project. As the trainees worked in each department, the library staff assumed their training responsibilities with constructive introspection, keener application to duties, and renewed vigor. Each department, as well as the total library, has profited from the programs.
Periodicals Prices BY: James W. Barry, Librarian Arizona Medical Center Library Tucson, Arizona MY 1975 report to the Library Materials Price Index Committee, Resources and Technical Services Division, American Library Association on the price index of United States periodicals in medicine is prepared. These figures, consolidated with several other subject reports, appear annually in Library Journal, July issue. Bulletin readers should recognize the fact that serial services (indexing/abstracting publica-
tions) and chemistry/physics joumal prices appear in the Library Journal report as sepa-
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
rate categories. Since these and foreign titles are not used in the medical periodicals sample, the full 1975 report must be consulted for meaningful budget interpretation by larger libraries. To emphasize this point for those who may not have ready access to Library Journal, the 1974 figure for chemistry/physics is average price $65.47 and index 267.4.
COST INDEX: U. S. MEDICAL PERIODICALS Year Average Price Index Base 1967-1969 19.38 100.00 1970 23.44 120.00 1971 27.00 139.3 1972 29.39 152.7 1973 33.60 173.4 1974 36.31 187.3 1975 42.38 218.7
It appears significant to point out that changes, in the three years prior to 1975, occurred in 430% of the common titles in the control sample, while 67.7% reflect an increase in 1975.
339
