Strengths:

Personnel—all here and willing to make it better!

Intellectual capital

Resources—not centralized, but there are resources here

Spread throughout the state (distribution)

Strong undergrad and grad programs to prepare health professionals

Fact that the state is small

Population is growing

Political support

Lots of services being provided, a lot of things out there already

Emphasis on state level of providing information (coordinated state web presence)

Add any additional STRENGTHS in the box above

Weaknesses:

DE public libraries are well used, but over 50% are bleeding –too small facilities

(same is true of medical libraries—very small)

There’s no medical school in the state

Not enough internships (losing people to other states; staff and potential staff)

Only one medical library meets MLA standards  (we need to lift the other 7 to meet standards)

Diane—no medical school is a strength, because if we had a medical school it would drain resources)—we save huge amount of money this way  (there are slots at out of state schools)

(other person who said this was a weakness meant that the resources that come along with having one are missing)

Psychiatric hospital before Suzanne arrived tried to get resources from Scott memorial library to come forth with resources…PJ

I work in Dover—we have a struggle getting new positions (constant struggle getting doctors to come there).

For public libraries, using the catalog isn’t easy, especially if you don’t have a library card.  A lot of my customers don’t have library card.  (catalog access)

Levels of technology

People want information for free…we don’t have access to UD journal collections, for example.

Lack of public awareness of services offered  (visibility)

Not user friendliness, low literacy rate

Not enough Spanish speakers in the state

Not enough money to purchase needed resources (and hire people)

No stats on how things are used statewide

Add any additional WEAKNESSES in the box above

Opportunities:

Deep desire among public to have this information

Way medical profession has changed  (legislators have some idea of this as well)

Health literacy is becoming more visbible

Upcoming election (lt. gov)

UD has new president who set up conference on creating knowledge partnerships

Federal accreditation requirements

Internet

Add any additional OPPORTUNITIES in the box above

Threats:

Public is very willing to settle for “good enough”

People are interested only at their point of need—how do we find opportunities to meet them there?

Lack of $$ support; closing libraries

Internet

Way publishing industry is changing; copyright issues

Economy

Health insurance

Booming alternative medicine industry that’s under the radar

Perception outside library community that everything is free on the Internet

And that everything is on the internet and everyone can get to it

Perception that everything is accessible at the consumer’s information level

Add any additional THREATS in the box above

Add any additional COMMENTS OR IDEAS in the box above

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