Abstract
ObjectiveHealth sciences training programs have progressively expanded onto satellite campuses, allowing students the opportunity to learn in communities away from an academic institution’s main campus. This expansion has encouraged a new role for librarians to assume, in that a subset of health sciences librarians identify as “satellite librarians” who are permanently located at a distance from the main campus. Due to the unique nature of this role and lack of existing data on the topic, the authors investigated the experiences and perceptions of this unique group of information professionals.MethodsAn electronic survey was distributed to health sciences librarians via two prominent North American email discussion lists. Questions addressed the librarians’ demographics, feelings of social inclusion, technological support, autonomy, professional support, and more.ResultsEighteen surveys were analyzed. While several respondents stated that they had positive working relationships with colleagues, many cited issues with technology, scheduling, and lack of consideration as barriers to feeling socially included at both the parent and local campuses. Social inclusion, policy creation, and collection management issues were subject to their unique situations and their colleagues’ perceptions of their roles as satellite librarians.ConclusionsThe results from this survey suggest that the role of the academic health sciences librarian at the satellite campus needs to be clearly communicated and defined. This, in turn, will enhance the experience for the librarian and provide better service to the client.
Highlights
Academic health sciences librarians at satellite campuses are a unique category of information professionals
The curriculum is typically managed by the parent institution, whereas the program itself takes place at a satellite campus hosted at another university or college entirely
Delving into the literature on satellite librarianship in general academia, we found that Bottorff et al explored issues surrounding the collaboration, communication, and networking among solo librarians in a multicampus academic library systems that were not specific to the health sciences
Summary
Academic health sciences librarians at satellite campuses are a unique category of information professionals. Journal of the Medical Library Association decisions Adding to these demands, satellite librarians are often geographically separated from the day-to-day workings of their colleagues and their main libraries in a delocalized academic environment. Satellite librarians are often geographically separated from the day-to-day workings of their colleagues and their main libraries in a delocalized academic environment In such settings, the curriculum is typically managed by the parent institution, whereas the program itself takes place at a satellite campus hosted at another university or college entirely (hereafter referred to as the host institution). They are at risk of feeling disconnected from coworkers, and their job descriptions may vary depending on institutional arrangements. For these and other reasons, it is important to understand more about their day-today work situations
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