Abstract
The research studied the status of hospital librarians and library services to better inform the Medical Library Association's advocacy activities. The Vital Pathways Survey Subcommittee of the Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians distributed a web-based survey to hospital librarians and academic health sciences library directors. The survey results were compared to data collected in a 1989 survey of hospital libraries by the American Hospital Association in order to identify any trends in hospital libraries, roles of librarians, and library services. A web-based hospital library report form based on the survey questions was also developed to more quickly identify changes in the status of hospital libraries on an ongoing basis. The greatest change in library services between 1989 and 2005/06 was in the area of access to information, with 40% more of the respondents providing access to commercial online services, 100% more providing access to Internet resources, and 28% more providing training in database searching and use of information resources. Twenty-nine percent (n = 587) of the 2005/06 respondents reported a decrease in staff over the last 5 years. Survey data support reported trends of consolidation of hospitals and hospital libraries and additions of new services. These services have likely required librarians to acquire new skills. It is hoped that future surveys will be undertaken to continue to study these trends.
Highlights
The status of hospital librarians has concerned the Medical Library Association (MLA) for many years
AHIP, FMLA, the MLA Board of Directors approved the formation of the Task Force on the Status of Hospital Librarians
The task force was charged with identifying existing data and trends concerning the status of hospital librarians and developing an action plan that MLA could pursue to address the trends and influence decision makers and other key health care leaders who were reviewing library budgets and considering possible closures or reinstatement of hospital libraries
Summary
The status of hospital librarians has concerned the Medical Library Association (MLA) for many years. The task force was charged with identifying existing data and trends concerning the status of hospital librarians and developing an action plan that MLA could pursue to address the trends and influence decision makers and other key health care leaders who were reviewing library budgets and considering possible closures or reinstatement of hospital libraries. This task force became part of the expanded Task Force on Vital Pathways for Hospital Librarians, established in 2005, and was renamed the Vital Pathways Survey Subcommittee [25]
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