The Engaged Health Sciences Library Liaison

Liaison roles are generally commonplace in medical and health sciences libraries as librarians strive to develop and enhance relationships and collaborations with clinicians and faculty. While the liaison of the past acted primarily as the main contact between respective departments and the library providing a facilitative function (e.g. arranging for instruction sessions, inviting feedback on the collection, providing updates on new programs and services, etc.), today’s liaison activities are more proactive and robust. The Engaged Health Sciences Library Liaison features ten program descriptions that illustrate how the reach and scope of librarians in the medical/healthcare arena has changed dramatically since the inception of liaison services. The program outcomes described: illustrate a direct impact on curriculum development, address new information types with new access and preservation technologies, expand stakeholder groups, create research and teaching collaborations, and enhance functional roles. This authoritative book copublished by the Medical Library Association demonstrates that collaboration and communication, the basic tenets of a liaison program, breed innovative programs and services that are relevant, current, and valuable.

This books presents firsthand experiences and thoughts of librarians on the transformation of health sciences library spaces. They provide insights into planning, budgeting, collecting, and integrating user feedback, collaborating with leadership and architects and thriving in the good times and the tight times.

"Liaison librarianship is a well-established system for framing the work and organizational structures of an academic library to effectively meet the needs of faculty and students. But despite its rich history, the precise meaning of liaison librarianship remains somewhat fluid--the size and nature of an academic institution, the library's financial and human resources, and the diversity and size of local programs are only some of the variables that librarians must take into consideration when evaluating a specific liaison model for their library, how to implement it, and how its success will be assessed. Approaches to Liaison Librarianship showcases a number of different implementations of the liaison model, across a range of institutions, and describes in detail many of the tailored programs and services that liaison librarians are so well-positioned to provide" -- Publisher's description.

Library programming can increase patron awareness of and engagement with library resources and services. However, creative programming and promotion is what really draws people in, especially as libraries evolve and become more virtual. How can librarians reach their unique user groups when those users never have to step foot in the library? Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries: Success Stories and Best Practices presents a simple blueprint for planning and promoting library events and programs written with medical librarians in mind. Whether you work in an academic or hospital setting, this book is full of useful suggestions and tips for taking the stress and confusion out of the library programming and event planning process. Drawing upon the wisdom and experience of health sciences librarians from across the country, this book will: Walk readers through the stages of library programming and promotion Act as a how-to for health sciences librarians looking to create successful outreach events Highlight how other health sciences libraries just like yours have successfully created programs for their users, even those with little to no programming budget Encourage readers to think creatively about their own programming and events Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries: Success Stories and Best Practices will show you that you don’t need a degree in marketing in order to create successful outreach events. Health sciences librarians can take what they already know about their patrons and their own libraries and apply that knowledge to every planning process with the help of the practical strategies found in this guide.

This comprehensive textbook of health sciences librarianship provides the library student and new librarian with the background and skills necessary to handle day-to-day activities and provide quality services in a health sciences library or a more general library serving students and practitioners in the health professions. The book has 16 chapters, each authored by an experienced medical librarian and is are organized logically into 4 sections: The Profession, Collection Services, User Services, and Administrative Services, Each chapter contains photographs, figures, tables, and charts illustrating the essential concepts introduced. Overseen by a 3-member editorial board of leading professors in medical librarianship programs, this authoritative text provides students, beginning, and experienced librarians with a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art medical librarianship.

Building Health Sciences Library Collections: A Handbook provides readers with an accessible, in-depth reference for building their library's collection. Designed for all librarians, whether new or experienced, to aid in the bibliographic selection of a variety of materials in different formats

The book, written from the e-Health literacy perspective, is unique in its nuanced approach to misinformation. It draws on psychology and information science to explain human susceptibility to misinformation and discusses ways to engage with the public deeply and meaningfully, fostering trust and raising health and information literacy.

This book prepares academic liaison librarians for successful engagement whether they are new to the profession, new to liaison librarianship, or part of a transitioning organization.