NORASIST New Archives - February 1999

When: Wednesday, February 24, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Where: Rainbow Community Room, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland

The February SLA/NorASIS meeting was held at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Michelle Foss, the then-librarian, hosted the event at the Pediatric Learning Center. The Learning Center is for the use of physicians and researchers only (250 physicians, 40 medical students and 75 residents). A family resource center exists to serve patients, families and is staffed by social workers. The University Hospitals library serves the other hospital groups and provides all technical services for the Learning Center, freeing the Rainbow librarian to focus on customer service.

Foss's roles were many and included a variety of high-tech skills. She served as Webmaster of Rainbow's page, updating the content at least monthly. Peer-reviewed medical sites for doctors co-exist on the page with fun sites for kids and informative sites for parents. She was specially trained and is certified in installing, troubleshooting and maintaining the technical equipment in the videoconference room. The hospital uses the system for consultations, seminars, depositions, meetings and continuing education. Foss designed the conference space, with acoustic tiles, a wedge-shaped table so all particpants can be seen easily and a range of lighting variations to best suit the work at hand. Among the features of the high-tech gear, the system allows Internet searching, use of the Microsoft Office suite and email to be sent back and forth. The cameras can be manually operated or voice activated. A "smart board" provides chalk-board-like screen space on which to write or diagram what's written which can be saved and sent like email. An x-ray viewer is attached as well, so physicians at remote locations can consult with Rainbow experts. A projector captures pictures and text placed in its path for on-screen group viewing. Foss said demand for the system is great and growing; she expected the hospital would need to expand its facilities soon if such growth continued.

Additionally, the Learning Center has 8 computers set up for the doctors to use, and they can bring their laptops and connect to the network as well. Print sources can be found here as well; journals line the walls surrounding the main room. For sources not on site, the Learning Center uses the hospital library to interlibrary loan material it chooses not to acquire.

Minutes taken by Helga Dmitrov.