Fast-Track Template Outreach Librarians and Library Directors Competencies Assessment

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Routine Customer Feedback” (OMB Control Number: 0925-0648)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION:
Outreach Librarians and Library Directors Competencies Assessment

PURPOSE:

This project will consist of focus groups that will assess the comprehensiveness of 27 professional competencies desirable for conducting effective health information outreach. These competencies were identified by the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) in a 2011 Delphi study. In addition, these focus groups will help to identify personal characteristic for librarians, which complement the professional competencies.

A total of six (6) one (1) -hour focus groups will be held as part of this project. These focus groups will only include participants from the GMR of NN/LM. Three (3) focus groups will include GMR-designated Outreach Librarians and the remaining three (3) focus groups will include Directors of GMR-designated Outreach Libraries. Participants will only attend one focus group session. The focus group sessions will be recorded and the recordings will be transcribed.

Goals/Results:

The information gathered in these focus groups will be used to develop a self-assessment tool. This tool will be used by librarians to aid them in assessing their readiness for health information outreach practice and to help them identify gaps in their education/training.

Benefit to NLM/NIH:

The NN/LM accomplishes its mission of advancing the progress of medicine and improving the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving the public's access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health through health information outreach. Professional competencies and personal characteristics reflect knowledge, skills, behaviors, and characteristics essential to the effective practice of health information outreach.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS:

There will be 30 respondents who are all NLM subcontractors: 15 Outreach Librarians and 15 Directors of Outreach Libraries. The respondents will be Network members representing academic health sciences libraries in the GMR of the NN/LM. The respondents are located in 10 states (IL, IN, IA, KY, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, WI).

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Customer Comment Card/Complaint Form [ ] Customer Satisfaction Survey

[ ] Usability Testing (e.g., Website or Software [ ] Small Discussion Group

[X] Focus Group [ ] Other

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true:

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.

5. Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential policy decisions.

6. The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.

Name: Don Jason, Associate Fellow/LO/NLM_____________________________

To assist review, please provide answers to the following question:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Yes [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time	Burden
Private Sector	30	1 hour	30 hours
X Not-for-profit institutions
Totals	30	1 hour	30 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is $2,223.00

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X ] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

The focus group participants are the Outreach Librarian and Library Director at the following fifteen (15) institutions:

Illinois:

• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Library

• University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health

Indiana:

• Indiana University Ruth Lilly Medical Library

Iowa:

• University of Iowa Hardin Library for the Health Sciences

Kentucky

• University of Kentucky Medical Center Library

• University of Louisville Kornhauser Health Sciences Library

Michigan:

• University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries

• Wayne State University Vera P. Shiffman Medical Library

Minnesota:

• University of Minnesota Biomedical Library

North Dakota

• University of North Dakota Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences

Ohio:

• Ohio State University John A. Prior Health Sciences Library

• University of Cincinnati Medical Center Library

South Dakota:  

• University of South Dakota Wegner Health Science Information Center

Wisconsin:

• Medical College of Wisconsin Todd Wehr Library

• University of Wisconsin Ebling Library

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[ ] Telephone

[ ] In-person

[ ] Mail

[X] Other, Explain

Answer: Focus Groups will be held via Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro—a web-based tele-conferencing utility.

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [ X ] Yes [ ] No

Additional Documents:

Attachment 1_NLM LO Outreach Focus Group Survey Tool

Attachment 2_NLM LO Outreach Focus Group Invitation Letter

Attachment 3_NLM LO Outreach Focus Group Follow-Up Letter

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