Health Libraries as Joint Use Libraries: Serving Medical Practitioners and Students

Abstract

Libraries, whether medical or healthcare, in higher education (HE) institutions or the National Health Service (NHS), provide services to all types of healthcare students and professionals. Many of these are delivered through contracts, in the form of service-level agreements, between the two key organizations. The challenge to librarians is ensuring that users are provided with access to the resources they need and the skills to use those resources to the benefi t of a patient-centered environment. External drivers such as developments in education, a continuously modernizing health service, and new technology have infl uenced the development of services. Issues regarding the access to electronic information for the different user groups still exist. Librarians have to support the differing user groups, who may have varying levels of computer and library skills, and provide skills training on a wide variety of resources from their own institution and from nationally provided content.

Role changing for librarians in the new information technology era

“…They also may have different information needs. This is especially true for medical libraries, which not only have to cater for students but also for clinicians who need immediate information relevant to a specific patient, and researchers who want an exhaustive literature search (Dorrington, 2006).…”

Applying knowledge management to planning joint-use facilities: the ImaginOn library and theater

“…In spring 2006, Library Trends was dedicated to "dual-use" libraries as edited by Sarah McNicol. Article topics included successful strategies for alliances (Dalton et al, 2006), evaluation of joint-use libraries (Bundy and Amey, 2006), personnel issues (Bauer, 2006) and examples of joint-use health libraries (Dorrington, 2006).…”