Learning from Everywhere

We (SirsiDynix) have a bunch of university medical R&D facilities and hospitals as clients. I’ve never worked too much in that environment as a librarian and I always felt the need to learn more. I think it’s one of the more interesting areas in librarianship, especially since quite a few research studies show that librarians answering medical pros’ questions actually save lives and change clinical treatments and diagnoses for the better. I’m also told that it’s one of the areas of the economy that’s less affected by the downturn so maybe their important research won’t be as damaged by economic issues. In some respects they’re right on the edge of researach for stuff like single patient records and mobile tools.
Warning! – oversharing ahead. If you are sensitive, weak or afraid of lizards, beware.
Over the past year I’ve been trying to get my health into optimal shape before I turn 55 – double nickels – in May. I’ve been mostly succeeding! My blood pressure was almost out of control and has been perfect for quite a while now. My cholesterol, like most aging Boomers, wasn’t great either and now that’s perfect too. I’ve even lost weight so I can buy new clothes!
Unfortunately I have inherited a predisposition to type 2 diabetes and that wasn’t doing so well. Nearly all my siblings share the same syndrome. It also doesn’t help that I have almost no self control over candy. Chocolate, mmmmm.
All in all, that’s 3 out of 4 fixed, or 75%. As an overachiever, I really want that 100% gold star on my forehead. Those old grade two rewards seem to have stuck in my personal achievement expectations.
So I consented to enter a clinical trial. It’s a global trial to find new treatments for diabetes 2 (age onset). I can tell you that I have learned a ton about medical pros research behaviours and their process by participating in this trial. I’ve also learned a lot about the discovery process!
For example, did you know that Gila Monsters (a lizard found in Mexico) only eat about four times a year? That in itself is not as interesting as the insight that they must have some sort of special mechanism for controlling their insulin production. Anyway, the scientists collected lizard spit and studied it. (I guess hibernating bears are another natural animal to study about this too.)
So, long and short, I have been injecting lizard spit into my stomach every day for six months. It has two small side effects – nausea (which I haven’t had at all) and site specific weight loss between the hip bone and rib cage (which, thankfully, I have had!). Also, my daily insulin counts are dropping. Neat. I’m going to keep it up for at least another year.
So, why do I share this? I think that if you serve a specific market that it’s a good idea to temporarily immerse yourself in it. I visit a lot of libraries, all the time. I observe. I borrow books, ask for ILL’s, try to get an out-of-town library card, ask for directions, information about programs, etc. I learn a lot.
So in the case of my participation in an international clinical trial, I do the same thing. I ask questions. What research sources so they use? How do their computer systems work? What do patient records look like and what are the privacy issues and protections? Where so they publish? Have they heard of open access? What do they use the library for? How do they relate to other parts of the community and hospital? What are their quality practices? I watch. And so on. There’s a lot for a librarian to learn.
So, here’s an idea for anyone serving a market that does experiments or conducts trials. Can you get yourself on the team? Can you be a participant? My personal advice based on my experience is that you can’t get a better education that actually immersing yourself in your user’s ecology.
Then you’ll hav personal stories to share and connect with users.
Stephen
p.s. If you search in Google you can learn more. And, for interest’s sake I searched and found some more interesting stuff too. Gee, research is fun and nature is a wonderful source of answers.
p.p.s. And no, my tongue isn’t forking but I can now stand very, very still (grin).