Ethics in health sciences librarianship

Against a background of discussion about drafting of an ethical code for librarians and a review of articles confronting ethical issues in librarianship, the authors surveyed the 150 institutional members of the Health Science Librarians of Illinois (HSLI) regarding their perceptions of ethical concerns. Among the issues addressed in the survey are library organization, personnel policies, and professional competency, along with the traditional concerns of professional versus personal values, privacy and confidentiality, access to materials, and materials selection criteria in a health sciences context. Based on a 60% response rate, survey results indicate widespread agreement on some issues and a conspicuous lack of consensus on others. Further research is suggested in order to assess the need for a separate ethical code for health sciences librarians.

Educational services in health sciences libraries: an analysis of the periodical literature, 1975-1986

The periodical literature on group instructional services in health sciences libraries was analyzed to determine the nature of these services, their target audiences, and their institutional settings. Three kinds of reports were identified: descriptions of services (70%), reviews of the literature (10.5%), and future-oriented articles that advocate various group instructional services (19.5%). Five target audiences were identified: library users, staff, librarian peers, library science students, and patients. Instructional services were offered primarily in medical school/center libraries, hospital libraries, and the National Library of Medicine and its Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs). To a lesser extent, health sciences educational services are offered through other professional school libraries, library associations and consortia, and schools of library science. There are gaps in the literature in the areas of library experience with marketing, evaluation, administration of the offered educational services, and continuing education for health sciences librarians.

Morning report. Role of the clinical librarian

The educational value of morning report should be enhanced by thorough evaluation of the medical literature. We added a clinical medical librarian (CML) program to our morning report 2 1/2 years ago to provide rapid, complete access to reference material relevant to topics discussed in morning report. MEDLINE searches and references are made available on a same-day basis; cumulative lists of these are provided to the staff and house staff at bimonthly and yearly intervals. All house staff used the CML service to some degree and the majority found it to be of value in making patient care decisions. Since the inception of the CML program, the medical library has noted a more than twofold increase in the number of on-line reference searches and a similar increase in requests for searches by house staff. Patient care decisions have been improved through ready access to current medical literature, and the teaching program has been enhanced by the creation of the CML program as an integral part of morning report.

Education for health sciences/biomedical librarianship: past, present, future

This paper offers an analysis of and some predictions for the fields of library education and medical librarianship. The recent past of education for medical/health sciences librarianship is outlined, with emphasis on the changing nature of the library school, its faculty, and its students. The present situation is described, with specific reference to faculty, curriculum, and accreditation issues. A future agenda is proposed, identifying the need for interdisciplinary and cooperative efforts within the larger realms of medical informatics, high technology, a variety of health professions, and the community of contemporary library practice.

CMA archives: keeping history alive

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Assessment of MLA assertiveness training for librarians: students' behavior changes after taking C.E. 669, Assertiveness and Human Relations Skills

C.E. 669, offered for three years, was MLA's first personal development continuing education course. Participants were asked to respond to a follow-up survey about their current assertive philosophy, awareness, and behavioral repertoire. They were also assessed by the Librarian's Assertiveness Inventory, a tool that indicates patterns of behavioral responses, for which some normative data were available from librarians who had not taken the class. Class participants were found to be more likely to behave assertively and less likely to behave aggressively than librarians who had not taken the class. In nine out of ten situational categories, librarians who had taken the class demonstrated assertive response patterns. They also reported remembering and using more than one third of the behavioral techniques covered in class, with particular use of the nonverbal techniques. A majority saw themselves as more assertive since taking the class, although most believed that others viewed them much the same as they had prior to the class. Positive progress toward reaching specific behavioral goals was also reported.

Goals, objectives, and competencies for reference service: a training program at the UCLA Biomedical Library

The UCLA Biomedical Library, in cooperation with the UCLA Graduate School of Library and Information Science, offers a medical library internship program for second-year library school students. Goals, objectives, competencies, and training guidelines have been developed for the reference services section of the internship, including reference desk experience, online searching, group discussions, assigned readings, and training new staff members, allows flexibility in meeting the differing interests, needs, and abilities of trainees.

Clinical medical librarianship: a review of the literature

The history and evolution of clinical medical librarianship are analyzed and traditional and modified approaches, including LATCH, are reviewed. Cost and evaluation methods are outlined, indicating benefits and disadvantages of clinical medical librarian (CML) programs. The future of CMLs is explored.

Subject expertise among MEDLINE searchers: results of a survey and analysis of job openings

To determine the current demand for subject expertise among MEDLINE searchers, position announcements in the MLA News from January, 1981 to September, 1982 were examined. Of 125 reference/search analyst positions listed, 63 (50%) required or preferred a health sciences or related subject background. To ascertain how well the current medical library search analyst workforce meets these requirements of expertise 111 MEDLINE searchers were surveyed. Participants were queried as to the type of institution in which they were currently employed, searching experience, searching workload, educational background, and value placed on subject expertise in online searching. Differences were noted among the responses of hospital, academic health sciences, and corporate MEDLINE searchers.

Penetrating the information maze

Advances in library science have led to efficient and expedient methodologies for the acquisition of medical/basic scientific information. These advances provide an opportunity for physicians and librarians to strengthen their bonds of communality so that ultimately technology will serve to link them ever more firmly. This opportunity will be realized only if physicians and librarians continue to maintain open communication channels. In this technological age, social scientists are promulgating the message that, in this era of accelerated changes, the beneficiaries of technology are well advised to emphasize interpersonal relations to the utmost.

A leap forward in medical librarianship: a glimpse of the Biomedical Information Center and Network, People's Republic of China

Working with the World Health Organization, the People's Republic of China has taken a giant leap toward modernization of its medical libraries and information centers. The Biomedical Information Center and Network Project is helping to develop professional training programs, resources, new facilities, and a resource-sharing and document delivery network among Chinese medical libraries. The development of MEDLARS-like data base in the network is a final goal of the project. These changes will have a significant effect on future medical librarianship in China.

Establishing a psychiatric library

The amount of information in the psychiatric field has increased to such an extent that a specialized library is an essential part of the mental health facility. Guidelines are presented for establishing a psychiatric library, including staffing, budgeting, physical layout, and selection and handling of books, reference materials, journals and annuals, microfilm and microfiche, and audiovisuals. The expertise of the librarian is the single most important factor in determining the quality of the collection and the services provided, the author believes. Because of escalating costs, developing a cooperative library network of small, specialized mental health collections may be the most productive course for the future.

The role of basic-unit librarians in RML decision making: an evolutionary process

Representatives of basic-unit libraries (one per state) with full voting rights were included on the Executive Committee of the Kentucky-Ohio-Michigan Regional Medical Library (RML) Network in 1978, after a three-year effort initiated by hospital librarians in Franklin County, Ohio. This article describes the process that resulted in hospital library participation at all levels of Region V governance, focusing on stages of development, action between the advocate and the administrative structure, and outcome.

Library orientation and library instruction for medical students

Library instruction and library orientation goals, techniques, and programs are reviewed. These programs are a responsibility of the information specialist. Existing programs use varied means to accomplish these educational goals.

Reflections on the Medical Library Association's international activities

An overview of the Medical Library Association's past international activities is given with emphasis on the international fellowship program, international exchange of materials, participation in the International Federation of Library Associations, and international congresses on medical librarianship. Problems presented by cultural and educational differences, as well as governmental, political, and economic influences affecting international activities are enumerated. Lastly, continuation of the association's current international activities is endorsed, especially the extension of bilateral agreements with health sciences library associations of other countries, and increased activity in comparative medical librarianship.

Appraisal and evaluation of the workshop instruction program for untrained health sciences library managers in Region VIII: 1976-1978

A study was conducted to determine whether the basic skills workshop offered by the Midcontinental Regional Medical Library Program from 1976 through 1978 should be revised. Results indicated that a majority of workshop participants were library managers in hospitals with under 200 beds. Workshop attendance was most helpful in libraries where new services were initiated after the workshop, although existing services (particularly interlibrary loan) were noticeably improved. Cataloging was considered to be the most useful workshop topic by former participants. Increased emphasis on administrative functions and on the provision of reference services was recommended.

The delivery of continuing education: teleconferencing, an alternative mode

An experimental offering of the Medical Library Association's continuing education course CE 46, Library Management/Budgeting, was made available to sixteen health sciences librarians via the University of Wisconsin-Education Telephone Network. Features of the hardware of the teleconference network, a few applications relating to medicine and library science, and administrative considerations are examined. The paper also describes how the experimental course was conducted, course participants, design, problems encountered, and evaluation data obtained from participants. A comparison between the teleconferencing mode of delivery and the traditional face-to-face format is stressed. Recommendations call for continued consideration of teleconferencing as a method of delivering continuing education courses and suggest the possibility of MLA providing its own teleconferencing network.