Health Science Librarianship

Health science librarians are an integral part of the health care team. They have a direct impact on the quality of patient care, by helping physicians, allied health professionals and researchers to stay abreast of new developments in their specialty areas.

The health science librarian, helps health professionals access the most current information available on a plethora of medical topics. They are responsible for organizing and disseminating biomedical, scientific and clinical, as well as general information to staff in a health care delivery or educational setting. Health science librarians are in charge of arranging information resources such as texts, CD-ROMs, journals, and electronic databases. They may also offer technical services such as selection of book titles, journals and audiovisuals, cataloging, and acquisitions. They can also produce the most current bibliographies on almost any medical or health related subject. Other activities that health science librarians are involved in include conducting research, writing for publications, and writing abstracts. They are also able to access national networks that allow them to locate books and journals in libraries all over the country. Medical librarians, especially in larger institutions, may have faculty status or serve on administrative committees within their employing institution. An individual interested in this field should be highly organized, detail oriented, and have advanced technological skills.

Most health science librarians work in medical, nursing, or allied health schools. They may also be employed in hospitals, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and other medical-related corporations that require the organization and expertise of a qualified medical librarian.