INNOVATION AND SURVIVAL - A CASE-STUDY IN PLANNING MEDICAL-LIBRARY SERVICES

In the information age, information utilities Like libraries are as se nsitive to the stresses of change as any other organization. This arti cle is a case study of a small, specialized medical library as it atte mpted to understand, and cope with, the complex simultaneous challenge s of serious budgetary constraints, technological change, and shifting user demands in the mid 1990s. To support planning decisions in a per iod of declining use statistics, the Medical Library at Women's Colleg e Hospital, Toronto, carried out a user survey that posed choices abou t priorities among services. Conclusions drawn from the survey and its related planning process may help similar organizations design an app ropriate service blend for future users.