Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship

Get the foundational knowledge about health sciences librarianship.

The general term “health sciences libraries” covers a wide range of areas beyond medical libraries, such as biomedical, nursing, allied health, pharmacy, and others. Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship provides a sound foundation to all aspects of these types of libraries to students and librarians new to the field. This helpful guide provides a helpful overview of the health care environment, technical services, public services, management issues, academic health sciences, hospital libraries, health informatics, evidence-based practice, and more. This text provides crucial information every beginning and practicing health sciences librarian needs―all in one volume.

Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship presents some of the most respected librarians and educators in the field, each discussing important aspects of librarianship, including technical services, public services, administration, special services, and special collections. This comprehensive volume provides all types of librarians with helpful general, practical, and theoretical knowledge about this profession. The book’s unique "A Day in the Life of . . . " feature describes typical days of health sciences librarians working in special areas such as reference or consumer health, and offers anyone new to the field a revealing look at what a regular workday is like. The text is packed with useful figures, screen captures, tables, and references.

Topics discussed in Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship include:

• overview of health sciences libraries
• health environment
• collection development of journals, books, and electronic resources
• organization of health information
• access services
• information services and information retrieval
• information literacy
• health informatics
• management of academic health sciences libraries
• management and issues in hospital libraries
• library space planning
• specialized services

Introduction to Health Sciences Librarianship provides essential information for health sciences librarians, medical librarians, beginning and intermediate level health sciences/medical librarians, and any health sciences librarian wishing to review the field. This crucial volume belongs in every academic health sciences library, hospital library, specialized health library, biomedical library, and academic library.

M. Sandra Wood is Librarian Emerita, Pennsylvania State University. Her experience and interests are in general reference, management of reference services, database and Internet searching, and user instruction. Ms. Wood is Editor of Medical Reference Services Quarterly and Journal of Consumer Health, and Co-editor of the Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries. She is author or editor of numerous books, including Health Care Resources on the Internet: A Guide for Librarians and Health Care Consumers. She received the Medical Library Association's Eliot Award, and the Chapter Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Chapter/MLA. Ms. Wood was elected to MLA's Board of Directors (1991–1995), and served as MLA's Treasurer. Ms. Wood has been a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals since 1990, and a Fellow of the Medical Library Association since 1998. She retired in December 2005 with over 35 years of experience as a medical reference librarian.