When mentions of methamphetamine in the media suddenly increased last fall, the Information Services Center of the MPRC began receiving many calls about the topic. We were able to respond in a number of ways.
By providing original material about methamphetamine in the fall issue of Impact!, we informed the prevention community about the spread of methamphetamine and about increasing prevention efforts to slow the spread and use of the drug. We also scanned current publications in print and on the World Wide Web so that we could provide callers with the most up-to-date information on the topic.
Information we are able to provide about methamphetamine ranges from heavily technical information about the environmental contamination risks associated with clandestine methamphetamine laboratories, to more basic information about signs of use.
The methamphetamine issue offers one clear example of how the Information Services Center differs from the Clearinghouse. While the Clearinghouse has a wide selection of publications, it does not always have the most up-to-the-minute information on trends in alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and violence. With online access to the most recent editions of newspapers across the country as well as to related Web sites that are often updated more frequently than print publications, Information Services staff can provide late-breaking information to our clients.
Another difference between the Clearinghouse and Information Services is that Information Services maintains a non-circulating library collection of many scholarly and government publications that offer a different level of analysis than the Clearinghouse publications. For example, while the Clearinghouse has general information on nicotine and cigarettes, Information Services can provide clients with a list of carcinogens that are found in cigarette smoke. In case you're curious, benz(a)anthracene and quinoline made the list.
We don't just sit around waiting for the phone to ring, however. The Information Services Center also plays a key role in moderating discussions on MN-Prev. MN-Prev is an electronic mailing list intended to be a resource for people in Minnesota to talk about important prevention issues. The list is sponsored by the MPRC and the Minnesota Star of the North Prevention Coalition, and it is housed at the Minnesota Institute of Public Health. Prevention professionals in Minnesota need only have an e-mail account to subscribe to this list.
And speaking of electronic resources, we can't forget the Internet and our Web site. Our Information Services and Clearinghouse staff know from incoming requests what kinds of information our customers want. Information Services has a wide variety of print and electronic resources from which to pull the best specialized, accurate and timely information available. We can then choose the best medium to disseminate the information; whether that be our Impact! newsletter, our Web site, our MN-Prev list or a print publication. Our Web site is especially useful in posting up-to-the minute press releases and other new items, a calendar of events, and our Minnesota legislative updates on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. On average, our Web site is visited over 2,000 times per month.
Information Services staff responds to over 600 questions a year on a variety of prevention topics. Many questions can be answered within 24-48 hours, though some do require more time. No call is too simple or too complicated for Information Services. If we know the answer to your question, that's great. If we don't know the answer, we'll try to find the answer or at least refer you to someone who has the answer.
So, whether you want to access information by telephone or computer, or if you even want to stop in for a visit, Information Services is ready to answer your questions.