Since September 2020, the Library Services team has completed Phase 2 and is nearly finished Phase 3 of the Collection Harmonization Project. This work has involved the detailed analysis of all library resource subscriptions at our three sites; notably with usage statistics from 2017-2020, cost-per-use trends, overall cost, site-specific clinical specializations, interlibrary loan request statistics, and identified information needs based on the Needs Assessment Project (2019). Subsequently, building upon our evidence-based approach, we shared proposed collection changes with Education Council and received approval to proceed with cancelling and expanding licenses to library subscriptions. The results of this work are, firstly, a huge improvement for equity of access to library resources across the network, and secondly the establishment of a core collection of shared resources available to all of Unity Health Toronto staff and physicians.

In November we shared details about the changes for access to ClinicalKey at St. Joseph’s, and also previewed new databases which will soon be available to St. Joseph’s to supplement gaps in lost resources from that cancellation. We are very excited to share a glimpse of the new Library Services “core collection” of shared resources for Unity Health Toronto, listed below. These databases comprise the core collection of shared resources across the network.

Many of these new library resources and changes will take effect in January 2021. These changes will also include expanded access to journal titles across the Unity Health Toronto network, and will be shared in January. The Library Service team will ensure to communicate all of these changes as far-reaching as possible to make certain that staff and physicians at all sites are aware of their new access to brand new resources.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns related to this work, about the new library resources, or to propose other new resources, please get in touch! Please contact Zack Osborne, Manager of Health Information & Knowledge Mobilization at zachary.osborne@unityhealth.to, or contact hslibrary@smh.ca.