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MEDICORE: SETTING THE STANDARD FOR MINIMUM TEXTBOOK HOLDINGS IN MALAYSIANS MEDICAL LIBRARIES

Norazlina bt Abdul Rahman

Dr Ranita Hisham Shunmugam

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Taiwan Medical Library Association (TMLA) Conference 2024

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OVERVIEW

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    • Introduction
    • Why Medicore?
    • Methodology
    • Challenges
    • Future Directions

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INTRODUCTION

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Created to build cooperation, collaboration and networking among medical libraries in Malaysia.

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Mission

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To promotes excellence and leadership of health information professionals through education, communication and resource sharing by utilizing the information systems and services, cooperation and networking among member libraries in support of informed health care decision making.

Medical Librarian Group

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WHY MEDICORE?

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The aim is to ensure that students and researchers have access to a comprehensive collection of relevant textbooks to support their academic and professional pursuits.

Help the new medical libraries set-up their core collection and the existing medical libraries to strengthen their collection.

MediCore is dedicated to setting the standard for minimum textbook holdings in Malaysian medical libraries.

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IMPORTANCE OF STANDARDIZED TEXTBOOK HOLDINGS IN MEDICAL LIBRARIES

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Ensures consistent quality of education - Standardized textbook holdings provide all medical students with high-quality resources, ensuring consistent education and uniform delivery of essential knowledge across institutions.

Facilitates comprehensive curriculum support - Aligning textbook holdings with the curriculum ensures access to relevant, up-to-date materials, effectively supporting teaching and learning.

Promotes equity and accessibility- Standardization ensures equitable access to essential textbooks, bridging resource gaps across institutions.

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METHODOLOGY

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    • Clean and organize data for consistency and accuracy.
    • Categorize textbooks based on relevance to different medical disciplines.
    • Remove outdated or redundant entries to streamline the list.

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Clean, normalize, and engineer data.

Data Collection

    • Using Doody's list, our library's core list and list from the first edition
    • Gather textbook usage data from multiple medical libraries.
    • Identify core textbooks commonly used across institutions.
    • Set criteria for textbook selection and inclusion in the core list

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Pre-Processing

Model Selection

    • Choose criteria for determining minimum textbook holdings.
    • Incorporate expert opinions and academic standards in the model.
    • Validate the model against real-world library holdings and usage patterns.

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MediCore 1ed.

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MediCore 2ed.

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KEY FEATURES OF MEDICORE

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    • Categories of textbooks

(e.g., anatomy, pharmacology)

    • Criteria for inclusion

(e.g., relevance, edition, authorship)

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Core Textbook List:

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    • Recommendations for digital and physical copies
    • Minimum holdings per student ratio

Implementation Guidelines:

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During iReka training

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CHALLENGES

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    • Budget constraints and funding options
    • Logistics of acquiring and maintaining textbook collections
    • Strategies for ongoing evaluation and updating of the core list

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FUTURE DIRECTIONS

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Plans for regular review and update of MediCore standards

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Encouraging collaboration between libraries for resource sharing

Encouraging contributions and collaboration from other medical libraries in South East Asian countries

Larana University | 2024

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CONCLUSION

MediCore is leading the way in defining the standard for minimum textbook holdings in Malaysian medical libraries. By setting clear benchmarks, we are addressing the gaps in resource availability and ensuring that medical students and researchers have access to the essential textbooks they need.

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Our commitment to this initiative is grounded in the belief that quality education and research begin with access to comprehensive, up-to-date resources. Through ongoing collaboration with medical libraries, MediCore is dedicated to elevating the academic and research environment across Malaysia.

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IN LOVING MEMORY OF MOHD SHAH ABU KASSIM

MLG CHAIRMAN 2020-2024

"In memory of Mohd Shah Abu Kassim, whose leadership and vision shaped our path forward. His dedication and passion will always be remembered and cherished by all who had the privilege to work with him."

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"A true leader leaves a lasting legacy in the hearts of those they inspired."