Outreach News:
SPOTLIGHT: AHEC Library – El Dorado

This column continues the spotlight on Arkansas’ Area Health Education Center (AHEC) libraries that have a long tradition of providing services to AHEC faculty, staff and students. They also provide a tremendous benefit to the surrounding medical community by providing library services to health professionals in their region.

In the fourth part of this series we place the spotlight on the recently named Carroll Medical Library run by Vicki de Yampert at the AHEC South Arkansas in El Dorado.

History:
The AHEC South Arkansas opened in 1973 and the library opened the following year in 1974. On October 19, 2004 the library was dedicated to Dr. Peter J. & Suzanne Carroll and renamed the Carroll Medical Library. From 1983 to 1998 Dr. Carroll wore many hats at the AHEC South Arkansas including AHEC Director from 1989-1998. The original library was located in the Old Warner Brown Building at 460 West Oak St. In 1975 the library moved to 490 West Faulkner. In 1995 the library moved back to 460 West Oak into the Warner Brown Building. Since 1974 there have been six librarians who have run the library: Peggy Ellison [1974-1978], Louise Karriker [1978-1979], Doris Hurley [1979-1993], Carl Heffington [1993-1994], Karen Helin [1994-2000] and Vicki de Yampert [2000 – present].

The librarian at the AHEC in El Dorado has a variety of responsibilities which include conducting mediated literature searches for health care professionals, providing document delivery, interlibrary loan and Loansome Doc services, conducting database training for health professionals and students, and providing reference assistance.

Grants Received: In 1998 the library was awarded a grant from the local SHARE Foundation to begin a consumer health collection. This collection has continued to grow and now numbers over 500 books and VHS tapes. In 2002, two grants were received for additions to the consumer collection: one from the Union County Community Foundation and a matching grant from the Area Agency on Aging and the El Dorado Pilot Club.

An Ariel Project for DOCLINE Libraries was awarded in 2003 by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and the equipment was in full operation in December 2003. This award included a computer workstation (computer, printer & scanner) and Ariel software.

Librarian:
Vicki de Yampert began at the AHEC South Arkansas Library in 2000.

Personal Info: Smackover, AR resident for all but 4 years of her life.
BSE from Southern Arkansas University in 1989
M.Ed. from Southern Arkansas University in 1999
Taught in public schools for 11 years prior to coming to the
AHEC.

Community Activities: Active in numerous community activities including First Baptist Church in Smackover and Museum of Natural Resources – Friends of the Museum.

Hobbies: Traveling with family – husband Gary, son Eric, and daughter-in-law Casey; visiting with friends, shopping, watching the Razorbacks, attending concerts, and reading.

Favorite part of the job: Interaction with the patrons.

Professional Memberships: Medical Library Association
South Central Chapter/Medical Library Association
Currently on Membership Committee – Membership Chair 2004/2005.
Hospital Library Interest Section (SCC/MLA)

What has been your strangest request? “How long after death can arsenic be detected in a person’s body?”

Groups Served:
Health Professionals
UAMS Medical Students
UAMS Nursing Students
Nursing Students from other colleges
Allied Health Students
Consumers

Services Provided:
Mediated searches done by the librarian for health professionals
Loansome Doc – for health professionals
Document Delivery
Interlibrary Loans
Reference Services
Database Training

Technology
AHEC librarians are provided with training and support for technology by the UAMS Library. AHEC libraries are included in the UAMS Library’s licensing agreements for databases and other selected electronic resources. With this assistance, the AHEC librarians have been able to increase their technology base and move many services and resources online. Using DOCLINE, OCLC and Ariel they can initiate and receive requests for articles quickly thus enabling a faster turn around.

The Carroll Medical Library brought up its Ariel system in 2004.

Innovative Innopac Online Catalog System, including the Millennium Circulation Module.

Medical Collection:
This library’s collection includes 1000 books, 500 Audio Visual materials (includes VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, audio cassette tapes, and CD-ROMs), 90 journal subscriptions and 3 computer stations.

Special Collections:
The AHEC in El Dorado maintains a consumer health collection of books, VHS tapes and online resources such as MedlinePlus via the web. These items are available for use by the general public.

Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Photos:

Contact Information:
AHEC - EL DORADO
Vicki de Yampert, Library Director
Carroll Medical Library
Area Health Education Center, South Arkansas
460 West Oak
El Dorado, AR 71730
Vicki’s ph: 870-881-4404
Deborah’s ph: 870-881-4403
fax: 870-862-0570
e-mail: vdeyampert@ahecsa.uams.edu
e-mail: djohnson@ahecsa.uams.edu

Counties Covered: Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Quachita, Union

If you would like additional information regarding services available at the AHEC in El Dorado, please contact Vicki de Yampert.

Susan Steelman, MLIS
Coordinator of Outreach Services