Response to Neil Rambo's editorial: “E-science and Biomedical Libraries”

Abstract

In his editorial in the July 2009 Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA), Neil Rambo referred to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) electronic science task force statement that “e-science requires new strategies for research support and significant development of library infrastructure.” In recognition of the need for librarian involvement in e-science, the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School—in collaboration with the Boston Library Consortium, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region (NN/LM NER), and the University of Massachusetts libraries—sponsored multiple e-science initiatives in 2009. These initiatives have included an e-science symposium, a stem cell workshop for area librarians, and a two-day e-science boot camp and have been attended by more than seventy New England–area science and medical librarians. The broad goal of these initiatives was to increase awareness of the relevance of e-science among librarians and to identify library roles in supporting scientific research. The needs for training and a centralized web portal for e-science resources for librarians were voiced by several attendees during roundtable discussions at the e-science symposium. Subsequently, the Lamar Soutter Library applied for and was awarded NN/LM NER funding to create an e-science web portal for New England–area science and medical librarians. This web portal will educate librarians on e-science topics, consolidate information on the latest resources and initiatives, provide tutorials for the tools and information resources that scientists use, and provide a blog forum for librarians' discussion and collaboration. Original content and links to preexisting resources will be developed to educate librarians about scientific terminology and issues. The NN/LM NER, Lamar Soutter Library, Boston Library Consortium, and University of Massachusetts libraries recognize the interdisciplinary nature of e-science and the impact e-science has across multiple scientific disciplines in their vision of this broad-based e-science web portal for librarians.