Outreach impact study: the case of the Greater Midwest Region.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact that funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region (GMR), has on member institutions' ability to conduct outreach on behalf of NN/LM.


METHODS
The study employed both content analysis and survey methodologies. The final reports from select GMR-funded outreach projects (n = 20) were analyzed based on a set of evaluation criteria. Project principal investigators (n = 13) were then surveyed using the same evaluation criteria.


RESULTS
Results indicated that outreach projects supported by GMR funding improved access to biomedical information for professionals and the general public. Barriers to conducting outreach projects included time constraints or commitments, staffing, scheduling and absenteeism, inadequate space, and issues associated with technology (e.g., hardware and software, Internet connectivity and firewall issues, and creation and use of new technologies).


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of project principal investigators indicated that their attempts to conduct outreach were successful. Moreover, most noted that outreach had a positive impact on professionals as well as the general public. In general, it seems that negative outcomes, as with most barriers to conducting outreach, can be mitigated by more thorough planning.
School of Library and Information Studies, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA. jeffrey.huber@uky.edu
Jeffrey T
JT
Huber
Emily B
EB
Kean
Philip D
PD
Fitzgerald
Trina A
TA
Altman
Zach G
ZG
Young
Katherine M
KM
Dupin
Jacqueline
J
Leskovec
Ruth
R
Holst
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003625:Data Collection; D004522:Educational Status; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D007629:Kentucky; D007993:Libraries, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007997:Library Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States