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Health Sciences Librarian
Health sciences librarians are information specialists. They provide physicians, nurses, allied health personnel, and other health care providers with material and resources on medical techniques, procedures, and current research. Like all librarians, they select and purchase materials; organize these materials into a manageable collection; help users find information; and administer the library, including planning, budgeting, and managing personnel.
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| • | Searching through literature for articles relating to patient care and diagnoses |
| • | Developing and maintaining medical catalogs |
| • | Compiling bibliographies or literature packets for medical students |
Health sciences librarians also acquire knowledge relating to the health sciences such as an understanding of biomedical reference works and on-line resources, searching skills on these databases, and the principles of organization of biomedical science information. They often work closely with professionals who have highly specific information needs and who rely on the librarian to search and retrieve materials.
Health science librarians are employed in hospitals; schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, veterinary medicine, and allied health; pharmaceutical companies; research facilities; federal and state government facilities; and health care associations and foundations. Librarians may also work for publishers or database vendors, or in consulting or teaching.
Job Outlook
The employment outlook for health sciences librarians is good. Health sciences information management is a growing field: 24,000 periodicals and serials and two million articles in the biomedical sciences are published each year. Progress in computer and communications technology is also helping to expand.
Educational Requirements
The minimum education for most positions is a master's degree from a school of library and information science accredited by the American Library Association. As preparation, a bachelor's degree in a life science is useful, but undergraduate study in the behavioral and social sciences, physical sciences, and computer science are all excellent preparation. Many graduate library schools offer special courses or internships in health sciences librarianship.
The Medical Library Association recommends that health sciences librarians be certified through membership in the Academy of Health Information Professionals. A master's degree from an accredited library school, two years of experience, and evidence of knowledge in core areas of health information science fulfill the requirements for certification.
Educational Programs - Illinois
University of Illinois - Urbana
901 W. Illinois Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-0302
http://www.uiuc.edu/
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Medical Library Association
65 East Wacker Place
Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 419-9094
http://www.mlanet.org/
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