Slide 1

Global Access to Health Information: The UNC Medical Library in Malawi

Susan Swogger,1 Mamie Sackey Harris,1 Myron S. Cohen,1 Irving Hoffman,1 Bernard Chilombe,2 Innocent Mofolo,2 Francis Martinson2

1The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , 2UNC Project-Malawi

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The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves five health affairs schools—dentistry, medicine,nursing, pharmacy and public health—as well as a robust health-care system. HSL also coordinates library services to the North CarolinaArea Health Education Centers (AHEC). In 2008 HSL crafted a new vision to adapt to the changing needs of its constituents by playing anintegral role in UNC’s growing global presence.

HSL’s vision for 2020 is to be a leader in the global health information network and an essential campus and community partnerwhich is working to improve the health and well-being of the people of North Carolina, the nation, and the world.

The UNC Health Sciences Library

UNC Project -Malawi

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been conducting research in Malawi since 1989, and in 1999 established UNC Project-Malawi in the capital city of Lilongwe. In 2003, UNC Project built Tidzewe Centre, a new state-of-the-art research, care and training facility onthe grounds of Kamuzu Central Hospital.

To meet an increasingly urgent need for better access to current health information and research, the Health Sciences Library partnered withUNC Project to build a medical library as a central part of the new center. The NIH Fogarty International Center's AIDS International Trainingand Research Program (5 D43 TW 001039) provided initial support.

The UNC Project Library

Internet Access: Internet access is slow, expensive, andoften unreliable

Accessibility: Available online resources are poorlyorganized and difficult to access for the average user

Resource Availability: Local library print resources areseverely limited, out-of-date, and of inferior quality

Logistical Support: Transportation and shippingdifficulties make print resources scarce

Human Resources: Availability of trained staff andaccess to technical support is poor

Needs Assessment

Core Services

Locally-hired reference librarian

Up-to-date and organized print reference collectionfocused on clinical medicine, infectious diseases,HIV/AIDS, epidemiology, and maternal/child health

Small, current print journal collection with an emphasison infectious diseases

Four computers with open high-speed internet accessthrough a dedicated VSAT

An array of organized online resources and researchtools

Key Partners

UNC Project-Malawi faculty and staff: Provide facilities,administration, and primary users

Kamuzu Central Hospital: Provides local support,users, in-country connections

UNC Health Sciences Library: Provides technicalsupport, professional library expertise, collectiondevelopment assistance, and training

N.C. Area Health Education Centers: Provide structureand security of electronic resource interface for UNCemployees in Malawi

UNC Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases(IGHID): Provides administrative support and funding

Other local medical institutions & schools: Provideusers, connections to local medical community

Factors for Success

Funding: IGHID continues to provide support, largelyfrom grant overhead

Technical Support: HSL commits professional staff timefor ongoing remote support and regular travel exchangesbetween the U.S. and Malawi

Human Resources: Interaction between HSLdevelopment collections librarian and Lilongwe librarystaff

Logistical Support: IGHID manages transport of andpayment for new library materials

Electronic Resource Support: The AHEC Digital Libraryprovides infrastructure and ability to offer multiple levelsof access to electronic resources

Benefits Beyond UNC Project

Provides a much-needed clearinghouse for local medicaland epidemiological data and reports not otherwisecollected in one place

Current and well-maintained health research library isessential to the growing number of Malawian healthpractitioners earning master's and doctoral degrees

Library resources support growth of an increasinglyfunctional health-care system, building positive localperception of the UNC Project

HSL – From Local to Global

The partnership with the UNC Project Library has enabledHSL to collaborate with libraries around the world moreeffectively and thereby better support UNC’s global researchand outreach interests. Providing this kind of supportrequires strong local and institutional partnerships, such asthe collaboration with IGHID.

It also requires establishing new international partnerships.HSL has effectively done this in several ways:

Ties Between Senior-Level Leadership: Topadministrators from IGHID & HSL serve on each other'sadvisory boards

Cross-campus Collaboration: HSL pursues possibilitiesof joint grant proposals with IGHID and other UNC unitsdealing with global health

Internal HSL Global Health Taskforce: Shapes HSL’scommitment to global health research

North Carolina Outreach

UNC and HSL strengthen local health care byproviding opportunity for global connections

HSL houses the AHEC digital library, whichpromotes health education and research acrossNorth Carolina and provides the infrastructure forsecure extension of resources to global researchpartners

Continuing Challenges

Funding: Stable funding specifically for library services

Human Resources: High turnover of trained staff

Internet Access: Slow and intermittent internet accessdespite dedicated VSAT

Tidzewe Centre (Photo: Susan Swogger)

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Using electronic resources at UNC Project Library (Photo: Susan Swogger)

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Levels of access available to UNC Project Library Patrons

General PublicEnhanced current health informationresources for practitioners, engagementwith UNC Project

General PublicEnhanced current health informationresources for practitioners, engagementwith UNC Project

Local MedicalPractitioners and Students Free Internet access, all otherbenefits of library

Local MedicalPractitioners and Students Free Internet access, all otherbenefits of library

UNC Project EmployeesAccess to most UNCresources via ADLauthentication, all otherbenefits

UNC Project EmployeesAccess to most UNCresources via ADLauthentication, all otherbenefits

UNC Facultyand StudentsFull access to UNCresources, printreference and journalresources, and accessto local librarian