Metropolis revisited: the evolving role of librarians in informatics education for the health professions

Objective:

The authors'' goal was to assess changes in the role of librarians in informatics education from 2004 to 2013. This is a follow-up to “Metropolis Redux: The Unique Importance of Library Skills in Informatics,” a 2004 survey of informatics programs.

Methods:

An electronic survey was conducted in January 2013 and sent to librarians via the MEDLIB-L email discussion list, the library section of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the Medical Informatics Section of the Medical Library Association, the Information Technology Interest Group of the Association of College and Research Libraries/New England Region, and various library directors across the country.

Results:

Librarians from fifty-five institutions responded to the survey. Of these respondents, thirty-four included librarians in nonlibrary aspects of informatics training. Fifteen institutions have librarians participating in leadership positions in their informatics programs. Compared to the earlier survey, the role of librarians has evolved.

Conclusions:

Librarians possess skills that enable them to participate in informatics programs beyond a narrow library focus. Librarians currently perform significant leadership roles in informatics education. There are opportunities for librarian interdisciplinary collaboration in informatics programs.

Implications:

Informatics is much more than the study of technology. The information skills that librarians bring to the table enrich and broaden the study of informatics in addition to adding value to the library profession itself.     

One Librarian's Journey into a Cyberspace Career

Librarians possess an enormous range of skills which lend credence beyond the traditional field of librarianship. With the overall decline in employment opportunities for librarians, it is time for them to reassess what role they can play in today's society. By examining the unique combination of skills the librarian acquires, both through on the job training and through a graduate educational program, one finds that librarians can play an essential role in working with evolving information technologies. This article touches upon one librarian's career from the traditional beginning of working in a lilxary as a library assistant to working as a service provider for libraries. It then illustrates how those skills were used to obtain a position in the home user Internet industry.     

Integration of information literacy into a revised medical school curriculum

The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California's newly revised Year I-II curriculum integrates information literacy components based on the AAMC's medical informatics objectives throughout the two-year continuum. Students are required to participate in various components taught by librarians from the Norris Medical Library including (1) an information skills workshop, (2) a yearlong literature search project, and (3) an evidence-based medicine resources workshop. Critical appraisal of literature also is included in the curriculum to ensure that the students are familiar with the various research study designs. Librarians also provide resources to assist students in researching learning issues related to cases presented in the curriculum. To encourage the faculty mentors to serve as good models of information users, librarians offer brief training sessions on information resources to faculty.     

Healthcare librarians and the delivery of critical appraisal training: attitudes, level of involvement and support

Background: Although healthcare librarians are undertaking training in critical appraisal skills, what is not so clear is the impact of the training on the understanding and dissemination of these skills. Objectives: This study aims to examine the attitudes of healthcare librarians towards delivering critical appraisal training and their level of involvement. Methods: A questionnaire survey of 57 library services across 48 NHS Trust Library Services in north‐west England followed up with 21 semi‐structured interviews. Results: Seventy‐three per cent of respondents felt that they ought to be involved in delivering critical appraisal training, however less than a third (29%) are actually involved. Librarians are involved in critical appraisal facilitation at various levels. Conclusions: Debate continues over the extent of librarian involvement in delivering critical appraisal training. As long as healthcare librarians recognise their own capabilities and identify the boundaries within which they feel comfortable then there is no reason why they should not be involved in delivering critical appraisal training.     

The health sciences librarian in medical education: a vital pathways project task force

Objectives:

The Medical Education Task Force of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians reviewed current and future roles of health sciences librarians in medical education at the graduate and undergraduate levels and worked with national organizations to integrate library services, education, and staff into the requirements for training medical students and residents.

Methods:

Standards for medical education accreditation programs were studied, and a literature search was conducted on the topic of the role of the health sciences librarian in medical education.

Results:

Expectations for library and information services in current standards were documented, and a draft standard prepared. A comprehensive bibliography on the role of the health sciences librarian in medical education was completed, and an analysis of the services provided by health sciences librarians was created.

Conclusion:

An essential role and responsibility of the health sciences librarian will be to provide the health care professional with the skills needed to access, manage, and use library and information resources effectively. Validation and recognition of the health sciences librarian''s contributions to medical education by accrediting agencies will be critical. The opportunity lies in health sciences librarians embracing the diverse roles that can be served in this vital activity, regardless of accrediting agency mandates.In response to reported closings of and staff reductions at hospital libraries, the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the Hospital Libraries Section of MLA agreed to study the state of hospital libraries and librarians under the auspices of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians. The task force''s Health Sciences Librarian in Medical Education Task Force (METF)^* was charged with reviewing the accreditation standards regarding libraries for residency programs and with working with national organizations to integrate library services, education, and staff into the requirements for training medical students and residents.     

SCISTER act: delivering training in information skills for social-care professionals

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a programme of information skills training for social-care practitioners and health-care librarians. SETTING: Two one-day training courses run separately for 13 social-care practitioners and 10 health-care librarians in the Trent geographic region within Northern England. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative and quantitative feedback collected through questionnaires supplemented by participant observation. RESULTS: While generally feedback was favourable, the courses were overly ambitious. More training sessions of shorter duration would offer participants opportunities to practise and use the skills they have acquired. Social-care practitioners responded more positively to skills associated with appraising qualitative research than with randomised controlled trials. Librarians appreciated the opportunity to learn about unfamiliar social-care resources. Both practitioners and health-care librarians reported that they acquired skills to support evidence-based social care as a result of the training intervention. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Involvement of a multi-disciplinary team and support from a social-care information provider maximized the impact of this experimental training intervention.     

Work/training programs for international health science librarians in American medical school libraries

World understanding is more than a desirable goal today: it may be crucial to our survival. Many universities realize this and have in the past decade spent a great deal of time and money to ensure a steady flow of faculty and students between the U.S. and other countries. Librarians with faculty or academic status may benefit from promoting such relationships themselves. Job exchanges and training programs offer librarians in the United States the opportunity to become acquainted with their counterparts in other countries. Such programs enable librarians of various countries to become aware of one another's special needs and common problems, and allow them to share ideas and expertise. This paper presents an overview of international training programs for foreign librarians in the United States, focusing on programs for health sciences librarians in United States medical school libraries. Information is given on the availability and types of institutionally sponsored programs, as well as on MLA's Cunningham Fellowship Program. Some of the difficulties and the benefits of such programs are discussed.     

Preparing public librarians for consumer health information service: A nationwide study

A nationwide survey study was conducted to gain understanding as to how to prepare public librarians for consumer health information service. Findings indicate that the popular health information needs encountered by public librarians cover a wide variety of topics, including the human body, a medical/health condition, a disease, a medical concept, and fitness/diet/nutrition. The top two challenges faced by public librarians when providing consumer health information service are difficulty in interpreting patrons' questions and lack of knowledge about available and trusted/appropriate medical/health information sources. Public librarians wish to receive training on a number of topics that could help address the challenges they face, and the most favorable training format for them, among all the options provided in the survey, is the self-paced online tutorial. This study constitutes the basis for establishing training requirements and developing training programs to meet the needs of public librarians. Their mastery of the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies via training will lead to effective and efficient delivery of consumer health information service in public libraries, and ultimately generate optimal patron experiences.     

Information literacy skills of occupational therapy graduates: promoting evidence-based practice in the MOT curriculum

Are Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) graduates more successful than BS graduates in accessing and analyzing research literature? This retrospective cohort study used a survey sent to Ohio State University MOT graduates, asking why they need information for their practice, what types of information they seek, and how they search for and use it. Results suggest that the MOT program has fostered higher-level skills than did the BS program in independent writing, a greater focus on evidence-based practice, and the use of bibliographic databases. The MOT graduates report high confidence in their ability to apply research to practice and high satisfaction with the lifelong learning skills they learned. The survey findings support the importance of collaboration between Occupational Therapy faculty and medical librarians in developing MOT educational programs.     

A Method for Evaluating Library Liaison Activities in Small Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

This article presents a practical method for formative, self-reflective assessment of the liaison activities of individual librarians and to evaluate liaison activities in general. Many libraries evaluate their liaison programs, but few evaluate the effectiveness of individual librarians’ efforts within the program. Librarians of Rollins College redefined and re-branded their liaison program as “Your Librarian.” As part of this effort, the author surveyed the faculty and assessed the program and the effectiveness of individual librarians. The author outlines the liaison responsibilities, the survey instrument, and how the results are analyzed and used in a process of continuous reflective improvement for the program and librarians.     

Digital Scholarship Librarian: What Skills and Competences are Needed to be a Collaborative Librarian

Recently a partnership between digital humanities and digital libraries is being forged, coagulating in a demand for digital humanities centers within academic libraries and an increase in the call for “Digital Scholarship Librarians.” What skills and competences are necessary for librarians to fulfill this new role? and What training allows them to develop these skills? The paper examines the collaborative role of the digital scholarship librarian, what this new role entails and what it means to bring the two areas of practice together. After examining current literature and job applications surrounding this role, the skills needed to fill this role are identified in a case study of a digital humanities project which operated on the collaborative model with digital librarians, together making use of digital methods to answer questions specific to its field. The final section proposes a training agenda by matching current opportunities with the new skill which librarians interested in digital scholarship need to develop.     

Innovation and education: unlimited potential for the teaching library

The information age demands that health sciences librarians take active roles in the educational process. Librarians have traditionally taught users how to access information. Now, with the proliferation of information, librarians must accept new roles and teach the user efficient techniques for evaluating and processing information as well. Innovative roles for librarians at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center include teaching users to use technology for information management, to appraise literature critically for quality, and to develop skills for lifelong learning. This paper reviews the history of educational activities in health sciences libraries and describes the teaching programs at Texas Tech.     

Raising the bar: the importance of hospital library standards in the continuing medical education accreditation process

The Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) reviews and accredits the continuing medical education (CME) programs offered by Connecticut's hospitals. As part of the survey process, the CSMS assesses the quality of the hospitals' libraries. In 1987, the CSMS adopted the Medical Library Association's (MLA's) "Minimum Standards for Health Sciences Libraries in Hospitals." In 1990, professional librarians were added to the survey team and, later, to the CSMS CME Committee. Librarians participating in this effort are recruited from the membership of the Connecticut Association of Health Sciences Librarians (CAHSL). The positive results of having a qualified librarian on the survey team and the invaluable impact of adherence to the MLA standards are outlined. As a direct result of this process, hospitals throughout the state have added staffing, increased space, and added funding for resources during an era of cutbacks. Some hospital libraries have been able to maintain a healthy status quo, while others have had proposed cuts reconsidered by administrators for fear of losing valuable CME accreditation status. Creating a relationship with an accrediting agency is one method by which hospital librarians elsewhere may strengthen their efforts to ensure adequate library resources in an era of downsizing. In addition, this collaboration has provided a new and important role for librarians to play on an accreditation team.     

Graduate student learning and the development of programmatic instruction: A mixed methods needs assessment

Librarians must develop a thorough understanding of the research needs of the communities they serve if they are to provide effective and transformative research and instructional services. A needs assessment is a methodology librarians can use to identify the needs of their community and develop programs of support that most effectively meet those needs. This mixed methods needs assessment study explores graduate student and faculty viewpoints to inform the development of programmatic instruction, research support services, and outreach practices. The multi-directional approach is critical for the identification of graduate student research skills needed for success within their academic programs and professional paths.     

Motivating Law Students to Develop Competent Legal Research Skills

The results of a recent survey indicate that most law students do not consider learning legal research skills important. This article addresses ways in which academic law librarians can help counter negative attitudes toward legal research. The article also contains suggestions for helping motivate law students to develop competent legal research skills. The author encourages academic law librarians to assert their role in legal education by reevaluating legal research programs and, where appropriate, implementing positive change.     

Leveraging Change to Integrate Library and Informatics Competencies into a New CTSC Curriculum: A Program Evaluation

This program evaluation reports on the curricular development and integration of library, biomedical informatics, and scholarly communications (LBS) skills into a required informatics course for a new graduate degree program in the University of New Mexico's Clinical and Translational Sciences Center (CTSC). The course built on the opportunity presented by the new degree program to integrate LBS competencies rarely included in most traditional clinical research training programs. This report tracks the experiences and evaluations of two cohorts of graduate students who have completed the course. This article presents lessons learned on curricular integration and offers thoughts for future work.     

Leveraging the Librarian in a Nurse Residency Program

Hospitals are increasingly implementing Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs), but medical librarians are often left out of their institution’s respective programs. Librarians possess a unique, knowledge-based skill set that is a natural fit for the content and goals of a NRP and should be more frequently considered and used by such programs. This article identifies and explores several roles for librarians in NRPs and discusses the impact and results of including librarians.     

A current perspective on medical informatics and health sciences librarianship.

OBJECTIVE: The article offers a current perspective on medical informatics and health sciences librarianship. NARRATIVE: The authors: (1) discuss how definitions of medical informatics have changed in relation to health sciences librarianship and the broader domain of information science; (2) compare the missions of health sciences librarianship and health sciences informatics, reviewing the characteristics of both disciplines; (3) propose a new definition of health sciences informatics; (4) consider the research agendas of both disciplines and the possibility that they have merged; and (5) conclude with some comments about actions and roles for health sciences librarians to flourish in the biomedical information environment of today and tomorrow. SUMMARY: Boundaries are disappearing between the sources and types of and uses for health information managed by informaticians and librarians. Definitions of the professional domains of each have been impacted by these changes in information. Evolving definitions reflect the increasingly overlapping research agendas of both disciplines. Professionals in these disciplines are increasingly functioning collaboratively as "boundary spanners," incorporating human factors that unite technology with health care delivery.     

Innovation and Collaboration Brings Forth a New Approach to Bibliographic Instruction—Teach the Teachers

ABSTRACT

In 1994, the librarians at the University of Toledo's Carlson Library developed a bibliographic instruction program that is both efficient and successful. “Teach the Teachers” has been implemented in the English Department's Composition classes where it depends on the collaborative efforts between librarians and classroom instructors in assuring solid student library skills. The program philosophy shifts a librarian's teaching efforts from teaching the student to teaching the instructor. Librarians empower classroom instructors with the knowledge to teach basic information retrieval skills. This paper will discuss the development of the program, as well as the techniques used by both librarians and classroom instructors.     

The education and training needs of health librarians - the generalist versus specialist dilemma

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to examine whether and how librarians with a generalist background can transfer to roles demanding more expert knowledge in the health sector. The objectives were (i) to compare the education and training needs of health librarians with science degrees with the education and training needs of health librarians with arts and humanities degrees; (ii) to compare the education and training needs of librarians working in the National Health Service (NHS) sector with the education and training needs of librarians working for the health sector but within higher education. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews with 16 librarians, a convenience sample of librarians working in the Thames Valley NHS region. RESULTS: The main findings confirmed that structured continuing professional development (CPD) is required to meet the rapidly changing needs in the health sector. The emphasis ought to be on teaching skills, outreach work, marketing and promotion, research skills and methods, subject knowledge and terminology, and management skills. Library school curricula do not appear to meet the demands of medical library posts. A first degree in scientific subjects is advantageous in the early stages of a career but diminishes with continuing training and experience. There is no evidence of a significant difference in training needs and provision between the librarians in NHS posts as opposed to those in higher education (HE) posts. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusions suggest that library schools need to update their programmes to include teaching skills, advanced search skills, project management skills, research methods, with more practical exercises. Particular attention should be given to librarians with a first degree in non-scientific subjects in terms of time allocated for CPD, quality of training and access to reliable mentorship.