Dean Giustini, UBC Biomedical Branch Librarian, Sept 4th lecture 2013

“after all … there is no such literature as a dictionary”

~ Sir William Osler as quoted in Harvey Cushing’s

Pulitzer winning biography of Osler, 1925

LIBR 534: Health Information Sources & Services

What did Osler mean …?

Dean Giustini, UBC Biomedical Branch Librarian – 2012

“…after all, there is no such literature as a dictionary”

~ Sir William Osler in Harvey Cushing’s Pulitzer winning biography of Osler,

1925

LIBR 534 – Health Information Sources & Services

• Health libraries and information services are generally provided in hospitals & health organizations to meet the emerging information needs of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, students, patients, consumers and researchers (have we forgotten anyone?)

• We use a number of different names for health libraries, such as medical libraries, health libraries, hospital libraries, academic libraries

LIBR 534: Health Information Sources & Services

Why health libraries?

Why are they called health libraries?

To provide access to health information in all formats

To promote use of health information & knowledge in all formats

To provide service to health library users & health professionals

To create stimulating environment for intellectual growth

To advocate for health information in decision-making

OUR MISSION AS HEALTH LIBRARIANS

Health librarians are responsible for the collection, organization and dissemination of authoritative health information to provide, improve

and update the quality of health care services

Most medical libraries in Canada are found in health care settings such as hospitals, medical schools & medical associations

We assist physicians, health professionals, students, patients, consumers, and researchers in finding health and scientific information to

improve, update, assess or evaluate health care

What do health librarians do?

Canadian Health Libraries Association / Association des bibliothèques

de la santé du Canada (CHLA/ABSC)

Health Libraries Association of British Columbia (HLABC)

European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL)

IFLA - Section of Health and Biosciences Libraries

Medical Library Association (U.S.)

SLA's Biomedical and Life Sciences Division

Major health library associations

EBLIP Evidence Based Library and Information Practice: open-access, peer-

reviewed journal published by Canadian librarians

Health Inform: official publication of Australian Health Libraries

Health Information & Libraries Journal: official journal of UK Health Libraries Group (HLG); peer-reviewed, international

Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet: peer-reviewed journal for consumer health information on web

Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries: peer-reviewed journal re: access, evaluation, and management of e-resources in medical libraries

Major health library journals

Journal of Hospital Librarianship - reviews of technology, practical

suggestions and strategies to improve hospital/clinical work environment

Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association/Journal de l'Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada (JCHLA/JABSC) - formerly Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana (1992 - 2001)

Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) - International, peer-reviewed, published quarterly (formerly Bulletin of the Medical Library Association (BMLA)

Medical Reference Services Quarterly - peer-reviewed journal for medical and health librarians in clinical, educational or research settings

Major health library journals

Why?

Accreditation requires it

Access to the ‘evidence’ in evidence-based medicine

Understanding the digital age; Internet; (re)searching

Rise of the consumer & ‘patient’

Medical research grant-writing & support

Do we need health librarians? Oh yes!

Reduced print circulation & in-house traffic

Shift to electronic resources; new information technologies

Open access & open data

Outreach & liaison

Collaborating with physicians

Staking claim in Canada’s health system(s)

Challenges

Exercise I:

Think of spending ten (10) minutes with a Canadian health librarian –what might you ask about their work

*Do you have any burning questions for them?

*Take a few minutes, think about your answer, turn to your neighbour &

discuss for 5-7 minutes

THINK – PAIR – SHARE

Exercise II:

What do you hope to get from taking LIBR 534?*

From me as your instructor?

*Take a few minutes to think about your answer, turn to your partner and discuss this

question for 5-7 minutes

THINK – PAIR – SHARE