Implementation of a Hospital Library Automation Project in Mexico: Learning from Experience

Abstract

Health library automation has been a well established field of academic work and practice among developed countries. In developing countries, this field is practically non-existent. Health libraries in these countries however, are acquiring new information and communication technologies in an attempt to modernise their services. In many developing countries, information technologies are transferred without previous analyses of existing information processing procedures; less interest is placed on the social and cultural elements involved. The purpose of this work is to describe the lessons learned, challenges and opportunities that emerged at the implementation phase of the library automation project of Mexico's General Hospital (MGH). The paper first reviews the literature on health library automation; then, the size and structure of MGH is described, including its library automation project. Here, an analysis for the period 1993–1999 is presented. Lessons learned were related to actors’ changes of attitudes at the managerial and operational levels. Main challenges were the construction of a work team; the changes in some of the work practices; and the lack of trained health librarians. Opportunities to conduct research and to participate in the organisation's information development plan were identified. A discussion regarding the socio-technical aspects of information systems is described at the end of the paper.