The Value Studies Working Group is currently working to update the value studies listed on the MLA guide Evidence You Can Use To Communicate Library Value. Working group members will be performing literature searches in various resources to identify current, relevant studies showing library value/impact on health sciences domains. Example domains include clinical decisions and quality of patient care, teaching, systematic reviews, grant proposals, cost of services, etc. The group will also select and annotate new value studies to populate the MLA guide. The Value Studies Working Group is led by Mark MacEachern, Terry Ann Jankowski, AHIP, FMLA, and Susan Lessick, AHIP, FMLA, and consists of members of the Research Training Institute (RTI) community: Janene Batten (RTI '18), Brian Conn, Jennifer Deberg (RTI '21), Helen-Ann Epstein (RTI '18), Mary Pat Harnegie (RTI '19), Ellen Justice (RTI '19), Liz Kellermeyer (RTI '18), Valerie Lookingbill (RTI '21), Andrea Lynch (RTI '19), Laura Menard (RTI '19), Tanisha Mills (RTI '19), Maggie Shawcross (RTI '20), Julia Stumpff (RTI '20), Jennifer Westrick (RTI '19) and Doug Varner (RTI ' 21).
This MLA guide provides convenient access to research studies and data that demonstrate the value of health sciences librarians. Many librarians and groups have used the studies in the guide over time to demonstrate/advocate/educate/promote the value, impact, and benefits of health sciences libraries and librarians to stakeholders, other health care professionals, and the public. While this unique research guide/tool is not comprehensive, it is an invaluable selection of some of the very "best" value studies that exist anywhere to communicate professional value.
Project work will take about one year to do thorough literature reviews, select and annotate studies, and update the MLA value studies guide. Project updates will be posted in MLAConnect/RTI News and on Twitter @RTIatMLA. If you know of recent value studies that you would like to appear in the MLA guide or be reviewed by the Value Studies Working Group, please email Susan Lessick.
