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. 2006 Apr;94(2):118-29.

The Medical Library Association Benchmarking Network: results

Rosalind Farnam Dudden  1 , Kate Corcoran, Janice Kaplan, Jeff Magouirk, Debra C Rand, Bernie Todd Smith
Affiliations

The Medical Library Association Benchmarking Network: results

Rosalind Farnam Dudden et al. J Med Libr Assoc. 2006 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: This article presents some limited results from the Medical Library Association (MLA) Benchmarking Network survey conducted in 2002. Other uses of the data are also presented.

Methods: After several years of development and testing, a Web-based survey opened for data input in December 2001. Three hundred eighty-five MLA members entered data on the size of their institutions and the activities of their libraries. The data from 344 hospital libraries were edited and selected for reporting in aggregate tables and on an interactive site in the Members-Only area of MLANET. The data represent a 16% to 23% return rate and have a 95% confidence level.

Results: Specific questions can be answered using the reports. The data can be used to review internal processes, perform outcomes benchmarking, retest a hypothesis, refute a previous survey findings, or develop library standards. The data can be used to compare to current surveys or look for trends by comparing the data to past surveys.

Conclusions: The impact of this project on MLA will reach into areas of research and advocacy. The data will be useful in the everyday working of small health sciences libraries as well as provide concrete data on the current practices of health sciences libraries.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Creating a symmetrical distribution for comparing values for a set of classes; hospital full-time equivalents (FTEs) were used for this demonstration: full distribution
Figure 2
Figure 2
Creating a symmetrical distribution for comparing values for a set of classes; hospital FTEs were used for this demonstration: with 5% eliminated
Figure 3
Figure 3
Creating a symmetrical distribution for comparing values for a set of classes; hospital FTEs were used for this demonstration: with 25% eliminated
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage of participation in the Benchmarking Network 2002 survey based on the eight ranges of library total FTEs
Figure 5
Figure 5
Benchmarking Network 2002 survey participants and American Hospital Association (AHA) member hospitals in 2002: comparison of the percentage of participants and the percentage of beds in each AHA bed size category* American Hospital Association. Hospital statistics. 2002 ed. Chicago, IL: The Association, 2002.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparison of the Benchmarking Network 2002 survey reporting systems: output from the interactive site: number of print monographs: 53 hospitals matched criteria of number of staffed beds of 500 to 749
Figure 7
Figure 7
Correlation between the number of items borrowed and the number of current print journal subscriptions using the MLA Benchmarking Network 2002 survey: borrowed items to current journal subscriptions, significantly positive correlation 0.57 (P < 0.0001)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Dudden RF, Corcoran K, Kaplan J, Magouirk J, Rand D, and Todd Smith B. The Medical Library Association Benchmarking Network: development and implementation. J Med Libr Assoc. 2006 Apr; 94(2):107–17. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Byrd GD, Shedlock J. The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries annual statistics: an exploratory twenty-five-year trend analysis. J Med Libr Assoc. 2003 Apr; 91(2):186–202. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shedlock J, Byrd GD. The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries annual statistics: a thematic history. J Med Libr Assoc. 2003 Apr; 91(2):178–85. - PMC - PubMed

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