Developing a User Instruction Workshop for PubMed

Abstract

An update to the PubMed interface prompted the creation of a user instruction workshop to inform users of new database features. Targeting students, faculty, and professionals, the workshop provided a train-the-trainer approach to consumer health literacy. Graduate reference assistants developed and presented the workshop, facing challenges due to format limitations, inexperience, and the collaborative process. Following successful completion of the workshop, a poster based on the experience was accepted and presented at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) annual meeting in June 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The poster outlined the strategy used to create and support the workshop. Continued promotion of PubMed at the University at Buffalo includes a new offering of the workshop, publication of an article in the Health Sciences Library newsletter, and additional development of resources to support the workshop.

KEYWORDS:

• Health literacy
• instruction
• PubMed
• train the trainer

Notes

Comments and suggestions should be sent to the Column Editor Deborah Chiarella ([email protected]).