January 2006

From Michelle M. Volesko Brewer, Benchmarking Chapter Educator

Health Sciences Libraries Statistics: Interactive Benchmarking Reports

MLA's interactive reporting site captures and reports data from the 325 participating medical libraries that entered data in the benchmarking database from March 19-July 11, 2004. Reports allow hospital libraries, association libraries, libraries serving research facilities, and other library types to compare their services, budgets, and collections with libraries of similar composition, size, or location. Free to participants; available as a subscription to others. http://www.mlanet.org/resources/bench05/

January 2004

From Michelle Volesko, Benchmarking Chapter Educator

I'd like to say hello and introduce myself as your NY-NJ Chapter's Benchmarking Chapter Educator. My contact information is at the bottom of this message. You are invited to call or e-mail me directly or via the Chapter listserv with any questions you have about the MLA Benchmarking Initiative. My role as described by MLA is to "serve as the Chapter's authority on participation in the MLA Benchmarking Initiative. The BCE will proactively communicate with all Chapter members and with BCEs from other Chapters."

The following is the current update about the MLA Benchmarking Network with links to information updates provided in 2003.

MLA Benchmarking Survey 2003-2004 – January 2004 Update

The new web version of the 2003-2004 Benchmarking Survey will be ready until January 2004 and tentatively it will be open for three months. The new 2003-2004 Benchmarking Survey worksheet is available on the Web site and everyone can begin to collect the data for entry. Go to: http://www.mlanet.org/members/benchmark/index.html

Note: The survey form is on the MLA Members Only area, so you will need your login and password, on your MLA membership card. If you can't find it, CALL MLA, don't let that delay you from getting started.

Many changes were made to the survey to make the survey all-inclusive—for all MLA members, improve it for libraries within systems and to keep it up-to-date with trends in health sciences libraries. Please take the time to read about the changes in the MLA Benchmarking Network Changes for 2003-4 Questionnaires Fact Sheet

One major goal is to make this a tool to benefit ALL MLA members, thus everyone is encouraged to participate with some big picture changes in this regard as follows.

AFFILIATES OF AAHSL reporting Libraries:
Libraries that report data to AAHSL should continue to use as data authority; however academic medical center libraries should encourage their affiliate libraries to enter data in MLA's benchmarking network and then use the reporting features to analyze their affiliate structure and processes. Some AAHSL and MLA survey questions are similar to allow data totals to be coordinated such as total ILLS or serials.

SYSTEMS LIBRARIES:
New questions for libraries that are part of health systems make the survey more powerful for this group and allow libraries in a system to analyze their data as a group. Instructions clarify how system libraries can best report data!

There will be three types of systems categorized via the survey, please use survey definitions for accuracy. The categories include a centralized model, where one library budget is used for multiple library branches with centralized management. Another library system category considers libraries autonomous if they each operate with separate budgets. Some libraries in systems have autonomous and centralized functions and are classified as a combination. These three library system types will allow better comparisons based on a system type that best meets needs.

Special Health Sciences Libraries:
Other library types should participate, such as associations, research, mental health, pharmaceutical, corporate, veterinary, public health and AHEC. There will be a question for such libraries to suggest library demographic questions for future surveys, so analysis capabilities for these libraries can be further refined in the future.

Some new survey questions include but are not limited to:
• How many square feet for consumer health
• Does library manager have departmental head status
• Expenditures for electronic information resources
• Do you support PDA users
• Do you have a clinical medical library program
• How many Web accessible PCs are available to library users
• Unique demographic questions related to systems

Libraries who entered data in 2002 will be able to see their old data entries online. Libraries will only be included in the new benchmark database if new data is entered during the 2003-04 entry period.

No one wants a quarter inch drill bit; an umbrella on a rainy day and Newton didn't need that apple to fall on his head. However, benchmarking data can be a tool to help you improve resources and support decision-making. It’s your umbrella for a rainy day; you never know when cuts loom and data can successfully defeat unreasonable cuts to staff, space or budget. And lastly, benchmarking data is an opportunity, a vast untapped apple tree; you never know what possibilities you may uncover when you browse the benchmarking data.

If you have any questions about benchmarking data please contact me at 609-275-4230 or mvolesko@njha.com.

December 16, 2003.