Highlighting a valuable dimension in health care librarianship: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Educational role is one of the most important roles of librarians, which has taken on wider dimensions. A review of the literature on the training programs provided by librarians revealed an evolution of the ideas and trends in this area. This systematic review aimed at providing a clear image of the available educational programs, their target groups, and the way they are performed. Methods: This systematic review was done to identify different aspects of the educational role of medical librarians. It was conducted on the studies published in PubMed database during 2005 and 2015. All the studies that described the educational activities of medical librarians were considered for inclusion. All the studies were evaluated by 2 researchers using a checklist, which was developed as an assessment tool. Variables that were considered were as follow: skills taught by librarians, target group, providing training on information resource, teaching method, and session location. After data extraction process and appraisal, the mentioned variables were classified into main categories. Results: A total of 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. The training skills taught by librarians were classified into 3 main groups: information literacy, evidence-based practice, and health literacy. The target groups were library users, patients, and health professionals. Group training was provided, and if necessary, personal training was also offered. Recently, synchronous online training has also been added to the training methods. Most of the training programs are held in classrooms. Conclusion: By categorizing different aspects of training programs, this study aimed at providing a basis for designing a framework to identify the tasks of educational librarians in health sciences.

Information Services in Evidence Based Medical Education: A Review of Implementation Trends

“…In such situations, librarians working in the clinical environment could provide more applicable materials than those excluded from clinical situations (Blake et al, 2018). In this regard, Safdari et al (2018) found the types of educational roles and activities of health care librarians in teaching information literacy skills and evidence based practice principles to medical students, educators, and clinicians, especially in the location of clinics or via online training. Such educational activities included developing interactive online tutorials, developing video instructions, and co-teaching in medical faculties.…”

The new roles of medical librarians in medical research

“…A clear image of the training programs provided by librarians in health sciences declared a progression of the ideas and trends in this area. (Safdari et al, 2018).…”