Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship

Health sciences librarianship today demands a balance among computer files, human ingenuity, and print sources. The many information sources presently available enable health sciences librarians to do a better job, but that job has also become correspondingly more difficult. This professional reference surveys the various types of print and electronic resources important to the health sciences and provides valuable practical advice to librarians for meeting the information needs of researchers, practicing physicians, and other health professionals.

Health sciences librarianship today demands a balance among electronic files, human ingenuity, and print sources. Thanks to computerization and telecommunications, librarians can do much more now than just a few years ago. While the tremendous growth in available resources has enabled librarians to provide more thorough information to patrons, the process of doing so has become correspondingly more complex. While librarians still need to use many traditional skills, they must also develop new ways of finding and utilizing information. This professional reference surveys the field of health sciences librarianship and provides extensive practical advice to assist health sciences librarians in meeting the information needs of their patrons.

Because journal literature is the principal medium of information in the health sciences, the book begins with an examination of the roles that journals play as well as the large proportion of the library budget that they consume. The volume then discusses techniques of searching journal literature, such as print and electronic indexing and abstracting tools. Additional chapters are devoted to the selection and organization of health sciences books, and reference tools and services. Special attention is given to the electronic distribution of biomedical information. With important sources of health information now becoming available via the Internet, this book provides a point of departure to evaluate those sources. The final chapter discusses the various environments that shape health sciences librarianship, such as library settings, professional associations, and economic contexts.