Developing a Library Bioinformatics Program Fully Integrated into a Medical Research Institution

Transforming and extending library services by embracing technology and collaborations: A case study

Technology advances and collaborations with information technology and computer science groups have enabled library services to expand into new domains. Listening to user needs, eliminating administrative burden and saving users time remain strong foundations on which to build new library services enabled by technology. Examples of what is now possible is described, including service to user groups, successes, failures and challenges. Although technology advances have enabled library service enhancements to all user groups, special emphasis on new library services in support of the research enterprise is discussed. As Lindberg and Humphreys predicted in 2015, the research enterprise's need for responsible curation of research data has created new opportunities for library services and examples of those services are discussed. As technology continues to advance, new library services are expected to emerge. These may include regulatory and compliance services. By developing these services with user feedback to save users time and expedite their work, and in collaboration with technology experts, libraries can expect to offer sustainable and valued services for years to come.

Library or iSchool Involvement in Health-Related Informatics Education

Objective: An underexplored area in Library and Information Science (LIS) is the development of educational offerings and partnerships in Health-Related Informatics (HRI) (e.g., bioinformatics, clinical informatics, health informatics). The purpose of this study is to identify which disciplines are collaborating in HRI education and how partnerships developed. Methods: This study was conducted in two parts: a website review and survey. Seventy-seven North American ALA-accredited and iSchool member websites were searched between November 2019-March 2020 for HRI-related educational offerings and which academic units were involved. Two hundred sixteen individuals involved in LIS and/or HRI education were contacted for a 40-question survey that included: their roles and responsibilities regarding HRI education; the alignment of this education with strategic plans or competencies; and how HRI partnerships developed. The survey also asked those who were not currently partnering in HRI education which factors influenced their circumstances. Results: 352 HRI educational offerings existed within ALA-accredited or iSchool programs. A total of 38 (17.5%) responded to the survey. For almost two-thirds of these, there was no indication of partnership in that education (213/352, 60.5%). LIS or iSchool involvement in HRI is just under one-third of all offerings (111/352, 31%). “Health or healthcare” informatics (35) or “biomedical or bioinformatics” were the most common types of HRI offered from the website review and survey. Conclusions: Opportunities exist for LIS programs to form HRI educational partnerships that will provide richer educational offerings for LIS students and health sciences librarians.

Identifying Research-Active Specialists at an Academic Medical Center: A Case Study

How might one identify, via publicly accessible websites, research-active specialists at an academic medical center? As a case study, health-informatics specialists were identified at two academic medical centers: University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, and University of Maryland-Baltimore. Four types of data about researchers were sought: frequency of publication, frequency of citations, money from grants, and patents. Based on frequency of published articles, one center favored bioinformatics and cardiology, whereas the other produced more results in nursing and radiology. Interestingly, different patterns were found across different data sets. This bibliometric method contrasted with the method of searching for active researchers via a web portal showing board-certified specialists at a particular institution. This alternative approach was tried for informatics and sleep medicine, and the bibliometric method seemed to produce better recall and precision.