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Paper: Program Description Abstract

Innovation & Research Practice

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On Demand

Session: Innovation & Research Practice Papers 3

Advocating for the value of health sciences librarians

Friday, May 19, 2023
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM EDT
Location: 251C
Background: Since 2016, the Evidence You Can Use To Communicate Library Value page on the Medical Library Association (MLA) website has highlighted studies that demonstrate the tremendous value health sciences librarians bring to their institutions and communities. It serves the profession as a freely accessible resource for library advocacy. This year the MLA/RTI (Research Training Institute) Value Studies Working Group was tasked with the first significant update to the page since it was originally published in 2016.

Description: The goal of the project is to communicate the profession’s value through the selective use of the strongest evidence. The Working Group used several methods to identify the new value studies. They conducted database searches and hand searches of select journals, talked to domain experts, and checked references of key studies. Priority was given to studies published after the original work was done in 2016. After reviewing hundreds (maybe thousands) of studies, the Working Group found important new research that showcases librarians' impact on clinical decisions, patient care, health profession education, evidence syntheses, scholarly research, and institutional bottom lines. The group also sought value studies in domains that were not represented on the original website, such as data management, patient safety, and hospital librarianship. As a collection, these studies show the impact of librarians to be significant and sweeping. This presentation will cover the project's goals, search methods, and challenges, while also summarizing the studies that are highlighted on the site.

Conclusion: The MLA/RTI Value Studies Working Group successfully identified many new studies demonstrating librarians' value to institutions and communities. Since 2016, the number of value studies in the profession has grown significantly, and a selective sample of these studies will be reflected on the updated website.