November Member Highlights: Cleveland Clinic Libraries
Each month, our Member Highlights features the outstanding work and initiatives of OhioNet member libraries across the state.
Adjusting to the Growing Research and Information Needs of Medicine
The Cleveland Clinic Libraries support the education, clinical information, and research needs of employees and students. As the Cleveland Clinic Healthcare System has expanded, the library staff has worked diligently to ensure that all locations across the United States have access to vital information. By providing comprehensive resources, the libraries play a key role in helping hospitals deliver high-quality medical care.
Meeting this commitment to support patient care, research, and education has been challenging in an era of tight budgets. Some locations lacked access to key resources, while others had no library budgets to support acquisitions. Differing consortia agreements across multiple states further complicated the process.
To address these challenges, the library staff conducted an initial assessment of existing resources across the system and adopted a needs-based approach to acquisitions. This ensured that all locations had a baseline set of online resources—such as eBooks, eJournals, and databases—available to doctors, nurses, and students regardless of their location. The libraries continue to evaluate resources annually from a system-wide perspective to go beyond the baseline and work toward equal access across all locations.
In addition to resource provision, the Cleveland Clinic Libraries actively support open-access publishing. By collaborating with OhioLINK and various medical publishers, they foster an environment where research and information can be freely accessed and shared. This collaboration benefits the medical community and helps Clinic staff stay informed about the latest medical advancements.
Rather than allocating funds for direct payment of author publishing charges (APCs), the library negotiated agreements to cover a specific number of open-access articles based on prior publishing trends. This approach ensures that authors have equal opportunities to publish open-access articles, regardless of the APC costs for their chosen journals.
Through these efforts, the Cleveland Clinic Libraries are addressing the growing research and information needs of the healthcare system. By providing essential resources and supporting open-access publishing, they empower caregivers with the tools and information necessary to deliver exceptional medical care.
Submitted by Michelle Kraft, Director of Library Services at the Cleveland Clinic
Additional Member Updates –
- A warm welcome to our new member: The Brumback Library!
- Please note: OhioNet will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Thursday, 11/28 through Friday, 11/29. We’re grateful for your support and wish you safe travels, meaningful connection, and a harvest of blessings.
We love hearing from our members! Share news or highlight a recent project from your library in OhioNet’s monthly member highlights email – contact communications manager Jillian Tuttle at [email protected] for more information.
