COVID-19, health librarianship and the wider context

In this second special collection of COVID-19-related manuscripts, our focus moves from health information within academia to health librarianship in the wider context. Although COVID-19 manuscripts may still occasionally appear in the Health Information and Libraries Journal, the World Health Organisation's declaration earlier this year of an end to the global health emergency marks an intentional editorial shift to adopting a broader perspective in publishing this type of work, a focus on public health information challenges and emergency preparedness, and a return to publishing a more familiar range of health library and information contexts and practice.

Recognizing the value of meta-research and making it easier to find

Meta-research is a bourgeoning field studying topics with significant relevance to health sciences librarianship, such as research reproducibility, peer review, and open access. As a discipline that studies research itself and the practices of researchers, meta-research spans disciplines and encompasses a broad spectrum of topics and methods. The breadth of meta-research presents a significant challenge for identifying published meta-research studies. Introducing a subject heading for meta-research in the controlled vocabularies of literature databases has the potential to increase the visibility of meta-research, further advance the field, and expand its impact on research practices. Given the relatively recent designation of meta-research as a field and its expanding use as a term, now is the time to develop appropriate indexing vocabulary. We seek to call attention to the value of meta-research for health sciences librarianship, describe the challenges of identifying meta-research literature with currently available key terms, and highlight the need to establish controlled vocabulary specific to meta-research.

Assessing Health Students' Knowledge of and Perceived Utility and Effectiveness of Graphic Medicine Materials

Librarians can participate in the innovative field of graphic medicine by developing a collection of this genre. To assess the appropriateness of a graphic medicine collection in a university health science library, this study assessed knowledge of and usage of graphic medicine materials, as well as the materials' perceived utility and effectiveness. Given that responses suggested that graphic medicine resources can be useful to educational and clinical initiatives, it is reasonable for health science libraries to collect in this area. Further research in a practical setting can help illuminate the true effectiveness of graphic medicine materials in these realms.

Prompt Engineers or Librarians? An Exploration

The article explores the role of "prompt engineers" as a professional title, extending beyond the field of generative AI for developers, comparing certain tasks to the role of librarians, such as conducting search queries. It is possible for librarians to work with AI models in conjunction with traditional literature databases with emphasizing the need to recognize the distinct nature of these information resources. We should take cautious consideration of the specific skills worth acquiring to improve work efficiency, as well as an understanding of the development trends in generative AI and library science.

Evidence-based biomedical research in Sub-Saharan Africa: how library and information science professionals contribute to systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Objective:

This study investigated the contributions of library and information science (LIS) professionals to systematic reviews and meta-analyses with authors from Sub-Saharan Africa. It also investigated how the first author's address and type of collaboration affected the involvement of LIS professionals in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Methods:

Bibliographic data of systematic reviews with author(s) from the forty-six Sub-Saharan African countries was retrieved from MEDLINE. Content and bibliometric analyses were performed on the systematic reviews' full-texts and bibliographic data, respectively, to identify the contributions of LIS professionals and collaboration patterns.

Results:

Beyond traditional roles as search strategy developers and searchers, the LIS professionals participated in article retrieval, database selection, reference management, draft review, review conceptualization, manuscript writing, technical support, article screening and selection, data extraction, abstract review, and training/teaching. Of the 2,539 publications, LIS professionals were mentioned in 472 publications. LIS professionals from only seven of the forty-six Sub-Saharan African countries were noted to have contributed. LIS professionals from South Africa were mentioned most frequently—five times more than those from other Sub-Saharan African countries. LIS professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa mostly contributed to publications with first authors from Sub-Saharan Africa (90.20%) and intra-Sub-Saharan African collaboration (61.66%). Most LIS professionals (97.91%) that contributed to international collaboration publications were from outside Sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusion:

The contribution of LIS professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa to evidence-based biomedical research can improve through training, mentoring, and collaboration between LIS associations in Sub-Saharan Africa and those in countries with resources and a history of research collaboration with the region.

Proving the proverbial gadfly: situating the historical and racial context of Southern medical works by Mary Louise Marshall

Health sciences librarianship has historically benefited from avoiding critical conversations around the role of race in the profession, reflected through a select few number of articles on the topic. The purpose of this study was to add to this body of literature and apply a critical librarianship framework on the early scholarly record of health sciences librarianship and the legacy of integration within the Medical Library Association (MLA). Three Southern medical works and the integration views of Mary Louise Marshall, the longest-serving president of MLA from 1941 to 1946, were thematically and textually analyzed to redress the profession's long-standing legacy with Whiteness and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) representation. In reframing the historic past of MLA both through Marshall's works and her views, the goal is to acknowledge ways in which the profession has impeded progress and present steps to remedy appropriate outreach for the future.

¡Presente!: Affirming Latinx voices within health sciences library scholarship

Increasing diverse author representation within medical librarianship scholarship among BIPOC information professionals is an important endeavor that requires closer examination. This commentary looks to examine the ways in which the profession can support Latinx librarians and library workers in fully participating within the scholarly pipeline by exploring our unique and authentic voices, structural barriers, hesitation and fears, Whiteness in the profession and knowledge production, bias in the peer review process, lack of resources and support, and finally, a call to action.

Racial, gender, sexual, and disability identities of the Journal of the Medical Library Association's editorial board, reviewers, and authors

The Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) recently issued a call for submissions that recognize and address social injustices; speak to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and among our user populations; and share critical perspectives on health sciences librarianship as well as those on any topic within JMLA's scope written by authors who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. We also committed to creating more equitable opportunities for authors, reviewers, and editorial board members from marginalized groups. As part of this effort, we conducted a demographic survey of all individuals who served as a member of the JMLA editorial board or reviewer or had submitted a manuscript to JMLA between 2018 and 2020. We found that most survey respondents are white, heterosexual, women and do not identify with a disability, meaning that JMLA is missing out on a diversity of perspectives and life experiences that could improve the journal's processes and policies, enrich its content, and accelerate the research and practice of health sciences librarianship. Therefore, to avoid perpetuating or aggravating systemic biases and power structures in scholarly publishing or health sciences librarianship, we pledge to take concrete steps toward making JMLA a more diverse and inclusive journal.

Lisa K. Traditi, AHIP, Medical Library Association President, 2020–2021

In this profile, Lisa K. Traditi, MLS, AHIP, Medical Library Association president, 2020–2021, is described as an individual with a bright personality, rich professional experiences, and a natural ability to lead. She is a respected mentor in the medical librarianship field, especially in the realm of evidence-based medicine instruction and education. Traditi has spent the past twenty-six years at the Strauss Health Sciences Library at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Health sciences library leadership skills in an interprofessional landscape: a review and textual analysis

Academic medical libraries sit at the crossroads of the complex landscape of the health sciences. Medical librarians in these environments must navigate and lead endeavors and services that involve many professions. In addition to being excellent leaders in their own professions, medical librarians must also improve their skills in leading in an interprofessional context by informing themselves of the qualities and skills valued in connected professions. In this project, the authors set out to understand leadership principles from three professions closely affiliated with medical librarianship to identify a core interdisciplinary leadership skill set. To do so, we conducted a mapping review of the existing literature from the last five years around leadership in academic medicine, academic nursing, hospital administration, and medical librarianship to identify core leadership skills across the disciplines and discover potential differences. We used text analysis and descriptive analysis to extract skills that were mentioned and uncover trends in the identified literature. Modern medical librarians must extend their leadership beyond the internal library setting, particularly as they become more involved with connecting and collaborating with leaders across disciplines. To successfully navigate such an interdisciplinary landscape and enhance the impact of the library in the broader organization, it is important to have the skills and vocabulary of leadership across the various professions.

Three professions come together for an interdisciplinary approach to 3D printing: occupational therapy, biomedical engineering, and medical librarianship

BACKGROUND

Although many libraries have offered 3D printing as a service or available technology, there is a lack of information on course-integrated programs for 3D printing in which the library played a primary role. Therefore, librarians at the Touro College School of Health Sciences began exploring 3D printing for inclusion in the occupational and physical therapy curriculum.

CASE PRESENTATION

The goal of this project was to educate occupational and physical therapy students and faculty about the potential applications of 3D printing in health care and provide hands-on experience, while increasing collaboration between librarians and faculty. Students' tasks included designing and creating a 3D-printed assistive device as part of their course.

CONCLUSION

Students were able to successfully print assistive devices, demonstrating the feasibility of 3D printing in a health sciences curriculum. Librarians involved with this project reached approximately 78 students and 200 other librarians and faculty members. 3D printing at Touro College continues to evolve and expand; the trial 3D printing course is being reviewed for formal adoption into the occupational therapy curriculum, and additional funding for 3D printing technologies is currently being allocated by Touro administration.

Variation in number of hits for complex searches in Google Scholar

OBJECTIVE

Google Scholar is often used to search for medical literature. Numbers of results reported by Google Scholar outperform the numbers reported by traditional databases. How reliable are these numbers? Why are often not all available 1,000 references shown?

METHODS

For several complex search strategies used in systematic review projects, the number of citations and the total number of versions were calculated. Several search strategies were followed over a two-year period, registering fluctuations in reported search results.

RESULTS

Changes in numbers of reported search results varied enormously between search strategies and dates. Theories for calculations of the reported and shown number of hits were not proved.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of hits reported in Google Scholar is an unreliable measure. Therefore, its repeatability is problematic, at least when equal results are needed.

Libraries and Librarians: Key Partners for Progress in Health Literacy Research and Practice

The field of librarianship has a history of involvement in patient education, general literacy and information literacy efforts. This history and prominent placement in communities make libraries and librarians an excellent resource in advancing health literacy practice and research. This chapter provides an overview of health literacy and health information literacy efforts in US libraries over the past two decades. The chapter begins with the description of the role of the US National Library of Medicine in developing resources, programs, and partnerships serving health information needs of the public. It then overviews special training programs for increasing librarians' expertise with health information and health literacy support. The narrative also presents different models of health information outreach programs in diverse communities, focusing on serving special populations that may suffer from health disparities. The second half of the chapter describes libraries' and librarians' health information response to continuously evolving contexts, mediums, and requirements. One subsection describes librarians' outreach effort with cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual worlds and gaming. Another focuses on supporting patients' information needs in clinical settings. Two more describe how libraries meet patrons' health information needs in the context of disaster preparedness and health insurance market place sign-up. While presenting the information, to the extent possible, the chapter draws upon research and evaluation of the effectiveness of different types of programs. It also discusses enablers of successes, limitations of the existing data, and directions for future research.

Assessment of Service Desk Quality at an Academic Health Sciences Library

Due to an identified need for formal assessment, a small team of librarians designed and administered a survey to gauge the quality of customer service at their academic health sciences library. Though results did not drive major changes to services, several important improvements were implemented and a process was established to serve as a foundation for future use. This article details the assessment process used and lessons learned during the project.

Real-time peer review: an innovative feature to an evidence-based practice conference

Many health sciences librarians as well as other professionals attend conferences on a regular basis. This study sought to link an innovative peer review process of presented research papers to long-term conference outcomes in the peer-reviewed professional journal literature. An evidence-based conference included a proof-of-concept study to gauge the long-term outcomes from research papers presented during the program. Real-time peer review recommendations from the conference were linked to final versions of articles published in the peer-reviewed literature. The real-time peer review feedback served as the basis for further mentoring to guide prospective authors toward publishing their research results. These efforts resulted in the publication of two of the four research papers in the peer-viewed literature. A third presented paper appeared in a blog because the authors wanted to disseminate their findings more quickly than through the journal literature. The presenters of the fourth paper never published their study. Real-time peer review from this study can be adapted to other professional conferences that include presented research papers.

Writing academic papers: lost in translation?

The process of writing for publication is a challenging one. It moves us from the spoken and written word into a realm that requires us to provide supporting evidence to develop an argument in a logical and progressive way. In English language journals, as elsewhere, the quality of the written word is a determining factor in the likelihood of a paper being accepted for publication. By reading past issues of a targeted journal, drawing on the expertise of colleagues and responding positively to feedback, it is possible to significantly enhance your prospects of publication.

Evaluation of a new clinical librarian service

In order to evaluate a new Clinical Medical Librarian (CML) service at Preston Medical Library in Knoxville, Tennessee, the three departments participating in the service were surveyed and interviewed. Participants in the study shed light on how much impact the attendance of a librarian at rounds and other meetings has had on their patient care decisions as well as their use of the library. Overall, the CML service has been well received by residents and faculty and will continue to serve at least these three departments.

International perspectives and initiatives

This article introduces a new column which will explore the way different regions and nation states are dealing with the challenges of managing health information. The intention is to draw together trends which are relevant to both health science librarians and health informatics professionals. This inaugural piece maps out the territory. It provides a rationale for the column, along with evidence of current initiatives to articulate a global perspective on the application of communication and information technologies to health information.